Pathfinders Club (Solihull)

Thank you for visiting our website.

If you are interested in joining the Pathfinders walking club why not go to our F.A.Q. page.

Please visit our ABOUT THE CLUB page to find out more.

This is the NEWS page.

Click on any Photograph to see a larger version.

Events will be highlighted in red on the Calendar and will also appear on the Forthcoming Events list - Click on either for more information.

News and Events added in previous months may be viewed by clicking on the appropriate month in the ARCHIVES box on the left.

If you are a newcomer to the site you will be more than welcome to join us on any of our walks - Just turn up - don’t be shy!

If you require any further information about the club or any of the walks you can E-mail or send us a message using the CONTACT US page (above).

The first three sections of the Shakespeare’s Way have now been completed. Sections between Church Enstone/ Woodstock, Woodstock/ Oxford are scheduled for the 17th and 31st of May. After the fifth section the walk schedule will be reversed, we will then start from the Globe Theatre in London back towards Stratford. Has first reported numbers are restricted to seats available on the mini coaches hired for each walk, however there have been seats free if you are interested. 

When travelling to the London sections seats will not be a problem, as we will be going by National Express. Should you wish to take part in any of the Shakespeare’s Way please ask the organisor or a committee member for more information.

Although it may be A comedy of errors we will push on through The Tempest and The Winter’s Tale and Measure For Measure, whether it is As You Like It, or not, it will be A Midsummer Night’s Dream next year to meet The Merry Wives Of Windsor, but it could be Much Ado About Nothing when All’s Well That Ends Well!

                                                   (Apologies To The Stratford Bard) 

Another successful Skittles night was had by all at the Navigation Pub, well nearly all. The two ladies who ordered vegetable Lasagne were not best pleased when there found that it contained meat,we can only hope that the Skittles and the ale made up for it. You can see from the wonky photo that our picture taker imbibed rather freely on the ‘falling down water! And, inspite of what was said, it was not at all suspicious that quite a number of the committee waltzed off with the prizes!! 

Some club members have shown interest in organised midweek walks and wonder what interest there would be amongst other club members. To this end two walks have been planned, the first on the 14th May the second for 11th June. The idea is that the walks will generally be longer than Sunday walks at around 8 to 10 miles. The format for the walks will be the same as club Sunday walks. Full details, and who to contact, will be in the next mail shot.

TWO MID WEEK WALKS, ONE ON WEDNESDAY 14TH MAY THE OTHER ON WEDNESDAY 11 JUNE HAVE NOW BEEN ARRANGED. IF YOU ARE INTERESTED GO TO EVENTS FOR MORE INFORMATION.  

The Shakespeare Way is the next long distance trail that the club will undertake. The trail runs from the Stratford Theatre in Straford to the Globe Theatre in London.Sections of the trail will be broken down into 6 to 12 mile walks.

As with other long distance trails, because of travel arrangements,numbers will be restricted. Full information for anyone interested can be obtained from the walk organiser.

Henley-in-Arden Golf and Country Club was the venue for this year’s Christmas Lunch. This was a new venue for the club and had a mixed reception, overall fair, but improvements could be made.

Never the less we can see that our members are well relaxed after lunch although this may be on account of the not to few bottles of wine consumed with the meal!

Visitors to the Pathfinder’s site can be assured that we are a walking club and that this sort of conduct does not carry on all of the time, but we do have our moments.

The walk calendar starts in earnest next week,Sunday 20/1/2008, I am sure we all will be sober by then.

The above was a unique setting for a ‘Knight’ to remember, when 72 Kings, Queens, Lords, Ladies, Serfs and many Landowners met Ivanhoe, Puff-the-magic Dragon and Chastity the scantily clad Wench with the key to mens imagination and hearts.  After enjoying a four course Banquet of Pate’ and toast, Cottage Loaf and Cheese, Half Chicken with Salad and Jacket Potato followed by a Traditional Dessert - Bakewell Tart, Apple Pie etc. and Cream  -

Money Raised for Charity - £552. 44p.

Thank you again to all who attended but especially Family and Friends of Club Members who made this fun event so very worthwhile, successful and enjoyable!    

So you were too late to grab a ticket for the event of the year,too bad,you had plenty of warning. Here are a few of the lucky ticket holders at play.  As you can see a group of Morris Dancers appeared as we moved back in time and still further back, the rest of these colourful characters emerged.  Kings, Knights, Lords, Ladies,Gentry,Scottish Rebels,Serfs,even a Belly Dancer, all were present (by the way Robin you will not find your bow- it came back to the twenty-first century)  

It is quite usual to admire well appointed properties and gardens as we walk.  So it was that we found ourselves, on a club walk last summer ,doing just that. The owner of the house, seeing us at his wrought iron gates, came out to speak to us. It turned out that he was a multi millionaire who enjoyed, at certain times of the year and for charity, opening his gardens to the public. We were asked whether we would like to view his latest acquisitions,we of course replied yes. So it was ,after the security guard had turned off all the alarms, we found ourselves in the Garden-Of-Heros.

The garden was alive with full sized bronze figures from fiction and real life.The Few, stood at one end, second World war pilots racing towards their Spitfires. At the other, figures from Homer’s Iliad. On the sky line Lawrence-of-Arabia urged his camel on, and many many more wonderful sights stood around.

A walk truely to be remembered, Thank you Felix, From the Pathfinders.( Go to,’A Glass Half Full’ if you wish to know more.)       

So all of the 154 miles of the Herefordshire Trail have been conquered.  Many Club Members answered The Chairman’s call.  Many fell by the wayside, but a gallant few struggled to the end.

One day our epic battle will be told and put onto the Silver Screen, it will surely  rank with other screen greats - such as:-Pig Sty Story! - The Sound of Moosic! ( featuring our very own musical singing star - Doreen)  

 Also, let’s not forget that  magnificent masterpiece of entertainment

BRIDGE OVER THE RIVER WYE!