Walking memories wanted as club rambles towards special milestone (From Darlington and Stockton Times)

Walking memories wanted as club rambles towards special milestone

2:31pm Friday 5th June 2009

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Darlington Rambling Club is approaching its 75th birthday, as Lauren Pyrah reports.

THE outfits may have changed from hobnail boots and raincoats to high-tech walking boots and Gortex jackets, but Darlington’s second oldest walking club is still going strong almost 75 years since its inaugural meeting.

Darlington CHA and HF Rambling Club, which celebrates its threequarters of a century in two years’ time, is hoping to track down former members with anecdotes about their experiences for a 75th anniversary book.

The club has charged retired architect Bill Golightly, who lives in Middleton One Row, near Darlington, with the task of writing the book.

The 71-year-old is looking for people who were members of the club between the mid- 1960s and 2004, in order to record their stories.

“Between 1936 and the mid- 1960s, they used to write a report of every walk,” he said.

“This seemed to tail off after that.

“I would like to speak to any members, or any relatives of members, who have memories of the walks with the club.

“I have access to the minutes of the meetings and some of the club’s history – what I do not have is what might be locked away inside people’s heads.”

The club was formed in 1936 as a walking and social club and has continued until the present day, with walks even taking place throughout the Second World War.

Mr Golightly said photographs showed how walking had changed over the years, depicting ramblers wearing hobnail boots and ordinary raincoats rather than the specialist gear used today.

He said the average age of the walkers had also increased since the club started.

“In the 1930, 40s and 50s, there wasn’t as much to do,”

he said. “People seemed to join for the social side as much as the walking, and lots of young people were involved in the club.

“These days, people have a lot more demands on their time and other modern activities; the average age of walkers seems to have increased.”

Pictures from the archives also show members of the group with a farmer’s wife, known only as Mrs Mason, who used to provide refreshments for club members when they were walking in the Dales.

“Farmers’ wives used to provide afternoon tea for walkers in the Dales – now we just go to the pub instead,” said Mr Golightly.

He said the walks tended to be longer in the club’s formative years.

“They would walk 20 or 25 miles, which is a long way.

They would also have to get there using public transport.

“Through the war, they never stopped,” he said. “Some of the men went off to serve in the Armed Forces. It was the women who took over the organising and continued the club.”

Mr Golightly said he felt one of the reasons the club had been so enduring was Darlington’s proximity to some of the best walking areas in the country.

“We are blessed,” he said.

“We have the Yorkshire Dales, the North York Moors and the Cleveland Hills nearby, as well as Northumberland on our doorstep and the Lake District within easy access.

Darlington really is the best area in the country.”

● Anyone who can help with the book is asked to contact Mr Golightly on admin@dar lingtonchahf.com. Anyone who is interested in joining the club is asked to visit dar lingtonchahf.com.

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