The Last Post

This is "the last post" on the NWR Walks the Staffordshire Way 2012 blog.  The blog started in response to a challenge that, between them, the NWR groups in Staffordshire would walk every inch of the 92 miles of the Staffordshire Way.  That challenge is now complete and the blog has  documented the stages as they happened. Also included within the blog is an account of the "long walk" where a few NWR members walked the whole length of the Way on seven consecutive days in late June. It is worth noting that, in the wettest summer for 100 years, walkers contended with rain, mud, floods and some of the tallest nettles and grasses ever seen in Staffordshire!

At the celebration to mark the end of the challenge, we prepared a unique NWR map of the Staffordshire Way, where groups reflected on their experience and recounted the highlights of their particular stage.

 

Stage 1

Stage 2

Stage 3

Stage 4

Stage 5

Stage 6

Stage 7

Stage 8

Stage 9

As a final reflection on the challenge, the Area Organiser for the Staffordshire NWR groups was quoted as saying....

I think what has impressed me most was the camaraderie within groups, the beamimg smiles from under dripping rain hoods, sharing lunches in some very odd places, sharing clothes when someone fell in a bog, not getting ratty when someone locked their keys in the car and we couldn’t get back to where we started! Helping others over the interminable stiles. The ease of company, putting the world to rights, sharing confidences, some very black humour and partners galloping to our rescue when needed. I’m glad we did it and we probably wouldn’t have done it, if NWR wasn’t binding us all together!

Thank you to everyone who took part!

Next year we are intending to walk the Sandstone Trail, from Frodsham in Cheshire to Whitchurch in Shropshire. We hope that more NWR groups and members may join in along the way. More details will appear on the NWR website in early 2013.

It's All Over Now...

On Saturday 15 September, members from seven groups in Staffordshire gathered at the Tree House in Birches Valley on Cannock Chase for a celebration to mark the completion of the NWR 2012 Challenge of Walking the Staffordshire Way.

. 
The sun shone all day which almost made up for the wet conditions endured by many members during the course of their stages of the walk.

Talks from the Principal Rights of Way Officer, Paul Rochfort, and Head Ranger, Steve Archer, filled gaps in our knowledge about how access to the Staffordsire countryside is managed on our behalf and the increasing importance of volunteers in supporting their best efforts.

 

A lunchtime picnic was enjoyed on the veranda.

 

 

Sweet and or healthy treats were available for dessert.

 

 Many enjoyed a lunchtime stroll in the forest...

 



 

 





 ...or just sitting in the sun.

In the afternoon we did a reflective sprint down the Staffordshire Way to share our experiences and give tips about good cafes and pubs and scenic stretches.  These were captured on a unique NWR map of the Staffordshire Way. [For more details of the map see The Last Post]

 

Awards were made for various contributions to the blog.

 

One was for best scenic photo to the Shenstone Group

 

One was for best group photo to the Eccleshall group

 

One was for best blog entry to Sarah Matthews [far right] of the Long Walkers

 

We rounded the event off with a nice cup of tea and a piece of cake, specially baked by Sarah Akhtar of the Trentham group to celebrate the fact that she has been a member of NWR for 40 years!

 

Most memories of the walk were good ones.  Everyone was glad they had taken part.  Further recollections can be read on the last post on the blog, entitled The Last Post!