We feel fortunate to have such a wide variety of footpaths and walks on our doorstep, so easily accessible for our Wirral and North Wales based walkers. Throughout the year, our group enjoy every changing mood that each season brings to the countryside, as shown below in this section. 

February Reflections

With February now behind us, we say good-bye to winter and welcome meteorological spring. During the month we continued to witness the results of the winter’s storms on many of our walks, especially in woodland. Many woods remain scenes of chaos and devastation with trees having been tossed about in the storms like matchsticks – our ability to ‘limbo’ has been tested on many occasions.

Thanks to member Jon’s powers of persuasion with north Wales councils, many stiles in the Clwydian hills are being improved or replaced by gates, thus denying one walk leader the profound and misunderstood pleasure of conducting walks with as many stiles as possible.  

Fortunately, there are signs of better things to come with the first lambs making their presence heard in the fields. Primroses, crocuses and snowdrops have been seen in abundance, adding much joyous colour to the hedgerows. As you can see below, our photographers have managed to capture some wonderful skies – some a welcoming shade of deep blue. One of the benefits of rural walking is turning a corner and discovering a wonderful country home and a couple of examples can also be seen in this month’s picture selection..

February’s A walks took us to Alvanley, Cheshire, Llanarmon-yn-Lal, Ffynnongroyw, and the Clwydians taking in the summit of Moel Famau. The B group also walked from Ffynnongroyw, plus Llangollen, Tremeirchion, and Helsby Hill and Woodhouses. The month’s C walk was in Delamere from Barnes Bridge Gates.

AGM

At the AGM, our Chairman Dave Billington, after reaffirming our club objectives, spoke of the higher than usual number of walks that had to be cancelled or postponed due to inclement weather this winter. Conditions underfoot due to mud and fallen trees have been a challenge for walk leaders recently thus increasing the importance of timely recces beforehand.

We were reminded of the successes of the 2024 holidays: to Austria, Bourton on the Water, and Sedburgh, as well as the A+ holiday in Yorkshire. The club's organisers and walk leaders were effusively praised for their hard work. The money raised from the social Charity Evening in April enabled us to donate equal amounts to each our four regular charities (Claire House, St John’s Hospice, Wales Air Ambulance, and North-East Wales Search and Rescue - NEWSAR) with an additional sum to Wiltshire Air Ambulance in recognition of their support on our Cotswold holiday.

The Chairman wished us Happy Rambling in 2025, and his hope that the sun always shines on Tuesdays – and for our Friday A+ walks this summer (please)!

Solvitur Ambulando (“It is solved by walking”). Attributed to St Augustine and refers to a practical way of overcoming a seemingly complex problem - and practised by many BRC members.