NEWS SHEET OF EASTBOURNE RAMBLING CLUB
Editor: Mr. Graham Thompson
65 Wrestwood Avenue, Eastbourne BN22 0ES Tel: 01323 501467
AUTUMN 2026 NUMBER 237
CHRISTMAS LUNCH – THURSDAY 10TH DECEMBER 2026
It is that time of the year again when we start thinking of winter and our Christmas lunch in the elegant surroundings of the Hydro Hotel. We usually arrive about 12.00 for a drink and chat, before sitting down to eat at 12.30 in the Crystal Restaurant. Choose from the menu on the day, which is as follows:
STARTERS
Roasted cherry tomato soup with red pepper & basic (vegan, gf, nut free)
Broad bean & pea tartine with Serrano ham and grilled burrata (nut free)
Cantaloup, honeydew melon and rocket salad with pistachio and pomegranate (vegan, gf, df)
Tandori king prawn, onion, tomato and coriander, lime raita (gf, nut free)
MAINS
Roasted breast of turkey with a cranberry & thyme dumpling, chipolata, honey, parsnip and roasted chateau potato, smoked bacon & rosemary jus (df, nut free)
Red wine braised feather blade of beef, sauteed chestnut mushroom, baby onion and garlic pea ragout, roasted new potatoes (gf, nut free, df)
Pan-roasted cod, tomato fondu, olive, almond and gnocchi dressing (df)
Carrot & cashew nut roast, roasted baby potatoes, tenderstem broccoli, aubergine wafers (vegan)
DESSERTS
Traditional plum pudding with a spiced plum compote and Amaretto sauce (vegan on request)
Chocolate and coffee roulade, Tia Maria Anglaise (nut free)
Cranberry delice, orange puree, sugared cranberries (nut free)
Vegan cinnamon panna cotta, toffee apple compote, vegan crumble (vegan, df, gluten free on request)
Freshly brewed coffee & mints
oOo
The cost of the lunch is £38.00 including staff gratuities, but excluding drinks which can be purchased separately as required. Booking opens on Thursday 1st October when payment, along with the enclosed booking form, must be sent to me whether you are paying cash, cheque or BACS.
I can take bookings up to Saturday 5th December (day of Christmas Cheer ramble coffee morning, providing there is room in the restaurant. Do come along and join us as this is a lovely part of Christmas festivities.
GRAHAM THOMPSON
CHRISTMAS CHEER – SATURDAY 5TH DECEMBER 2026
A nice easy seafront walk from Meads (Tesco) to the Langham Hotel for coffee and biscuits £4.50 in August, subject to change). 11.00 a.m. downstairs in the West Dean Suite.
Lift available. Refreshed, some might continue to the Sovereign Centre or Harbour. See rambles programme for more details. No booking – just come and join us on the walk or at the hotel.
GRAHAM THOMPSON
NEW YEAR’S DAY CELEBRATIONS
FRIDAY 1ST JANUARY 2027
After the overwhelming success of last year’s event, we plan to do similar again. There will be a town walk (see Programme for details) which is finishing at the Crown & Anchor pub 15/16 Marine Parade, Eastbourne. Here at 1.00 p.m. in a private room upstairs, we are laying on a lunchtime buffet at either end of the room for quicker service at a cost of £11.00 (normally £16 but subsidised from Derek Kennett’s legacy to the Club). Drinks are extra and can be purchased separately as required. Booking open on Thursday 1st October when payment is required with the enclosed forms, which must be sent to me whether you are paying cash, cheque or BACS.
I can only take 60 Club members with the last day of booking on Saturday 5th December (day of Christmas Cheer ramble/coffee morning). Judging by its popularity last year, make sure you book promptly and join us for our New Year’s Day adventure.
GRAHAM THOMPSON
USED STAMPS
Do remember me and pass on your used stamps so that I can give them to the DGH in Eastbourne. Please leave a reasonable paper border around the stamps so as not to damage the perforations.
GRAHAM THOMPSON
FROM OUR MEMBERS
In mid-May, our shorter walk took us from Alfriston and climbed up to the South Downs Way before Descending to Alciston for our refreshment bread in the churchyard. On leaving the yard we immediately met two young farmers, one of whom was holding a lamb that had been separated from its mother. The lamb proved to be the centre of attraction and was very content to be stroked and showed no signs of discomfort and was clearly enjoying its new-found celebrity status. Two of our ladies were allowed to hold the lamb and one wanted to take it home but was persuaded that this was impractical!!! Just another day in Paradise.
BOB JEFFERY
FROM OUR SUNDAY WALKS SECRETARY
As I write this, we are at the end of July with the hottest quarter we have ever endured. I know this has been quite challenging for many leaders having to adjust their walks due to the heat. Some have made them shorter; some have managed to alter the route to encompass more woodland so the ramblers spent more time in the shade. All of these adjustments have been much appreciated by our Sunday Ramblers. This quarter, the butterflies have been seen on many of the rambles as we walked through meadows – even a lizard was seen.
One particular walk starting from Mayfield took us past a gin distillery, Mouse Hall. Usually, it is closed on a Sunday but on this occasion, it was open as a tasting session was in progress. On request from our leader the proprietor allowed us in and supplied us with ice cold water which was much appreciated and allowed us to look at the distillery. One or two did imbibe – there was also a purchase of a bottle of gin that was carried for the rest of the ramble too!
Further on this ramble took us past a pen of pigs in a wooded area. We stopped for our picnic lunch at Wadhurst Park overlooking the lake and for any of you that know the area you will know the views are wonderful. On first glance we thought we could see a pair of egrets but no, they were a pair of storks at the water’s edge, the first I have seen in England.
Whilst on a recce, it took me through a farmyard where there was a mobile farrier at work with the horses, so very interesting. On the same walk I saw a stoat run across a lane.
Hopefully you get a taste of our Sunday Rambles! Thank you to our leaders – this would not happen without you.
JACQUI WRIGHT
HEAT, HEAT & MORE HEAT
Yes, this was our club holiday in July to The Dragonfly Hotel in Kings Lynn, where we encountered 25-31o C / 77-88oF so keeping cool was a priority. The coach’s air conditioning struggled with the heat, the hotel not bad, with portable fans on offer, and one walk was cancelled due to the high temperature and lack of shade. The hotel group feeding was not always on the ball, but when I stayed there on my recce, the food was cooked to order and was OK. Why there was so little shelving or drawer spaces in the bedrooms beats me, as there was room for them!
Walking the coast path included an icecream stop as we made our way to the Victorian seaside resort of Hunstanton. Sandringham House and Gardens were a delight as was Holkham Hall and the lavender farm. Our coach driver, Keith, was helpful and we stopped at Bury St. Edmunds going and returned via Saffron Walden. Bob put on a quiz coming home which had 5 winners who were Brenda, Mary, Judith, Ian and Steve. I thank everyone very much for the generous gift you gave to me.
Now for our next holiday, when we are off to Weymouth in Dorset in 2027. See details in this edition of Footnotes.
You will also see that in 2028 we are off to Torquay.
GRAHAM THOMPSON
WEYMOUTH AND PICTURESQUE DORSET
TUESDAY 15TH – SATURDAY 19TH JUNE 2027
Dorset is a county of diverse contrasts, with its rolling countryside, picturesque villages, magnificent views and a coast of high cliffs, a shingle shore-line and fine sandy beaches.
Our base is the seaside resort of Weymouth with its fine Georgian sea-front and long arc of sandy beach and historic harbour. On our doorstep is the Isle of Portland with its rugged coastline and nearby fine stretch of Chesil Beach. Walking is plentiful, whether along the coast path, Liberty Trail, Hardy Way or roaming the countryside around Cerne Abbas Giant, Tolpuddle (home of the Tolpuddle Martyrs) or the fine house of Athelhampton.
Further along the coast is Lyme Regis, Lulworth Cove, Corfe Castle, Swanage, heritage railway and Swanage.
On at least 2 days of the holiday, there will be a 5 mile or so walk which will later join those not walking on the coach, and who will have already been somewhere of interest, so there is something for everyone.
Our stay is at the 3-star Georgian style Daish’s Prince Regent hotel, situated in a central position on the Esplanade overlooking the sea and only a short level walk from the shopping centre and William Henry Wetherspoon pub. It is comfortably furnished and tastefully decorated and has a fine ballroom and offers entertainment, along with en suite bedrooms. The lift serves 3 floors with the fourth and lower ground being accessed by a staircase.
Our 5-day/4-night holiday is £541 providing 35 go, in single twin and double rooms, but as always single rooms are limited so please try to share if possible to be sure of a place, as a ballot may be necessary to allocate single-use rooms.
We are on half board from Tuesday evening dinner to Saturday breakfast and the cost includes return coach fare, coach excursions from the hotel, gratuities to staff and driver but not entrance fees to museums etc.
I shall be picking up at Daish’s Imperial Hotel, Devonshire Place, Church Street Willingdon and the British Queen on this holiday. I have arranged our holiday through Daish’s Holidays with all money protected by Bonded Coach Holidays, which is a government approved consumer protection scheme. Please make your own arrangements for holiday insurance.
Booking opens on Thursday 1st October when a deposit of £50 along with the enclosed booking form which must be sent to me whether you are paying cash, cheque or BACS. To secure a place. Cheques payable to Eastbourne Rambling Club and sent to Graham Thompson enclosing an SAE if a receipt is required. Payment by BACS to Eastbourne Rambling Club, Barclays Bank Sort Code 20:27:91 Account 50353361 and marking the booking with the date of payment.
Anyone unsuccessful in obtaining a place will be advised within 3 weeks of booking opening. The balance of £491 will be due by Wednesday 7th April 2027 and the itinerary etc. will be sent out two weeks before the holiday.
This is another lovely part of England which we last visited in April 2004 and here’s to a good holiday so do join us.
GRAHAM THOMPSON
STROLLS COFFEE MORNING
These take place at the Snug Café, the Trinity Centre, Trinity Place at 10.00 am for about two hours on Friday 16th October, 20th November and 18th December. Buy your own refreshments and chat to your heart’s content. Everyone welcome.
GRAHAM THOMPSON
NEW RAMBLES PROPGRAMME LAYOUT
Are you happy with this or do you have other ideas we should take on board. Contact us if so.
GRAHAM THOMPSON
EXCEAT ROAD BRIDGE A259/CUCKMERE VALLEY
With work underway to replace this bridge, some footpaths in the area have been temporarily closed until the work is complete. See East Sussex County Council website for details.
GRAHAM THOMPSON
ALL IN A DAY’S WALK
On a recent Strolls Walk from Herstmonceux with Mary Broughton we encountered a new housing estate being built which we had to skirt around on a very narrow rough path. Awaiting us in the next field were hoards of farm equipment laid out in rows and right across our footbath was a lady auctioneer busy doing her stuff. Avoiding the crowd, I was pleased to see none of our group had made a false move by nodding or winking and found they had purchased a combine harvester, silo container or a chicken-coop. We finished our walk in the revamped Woolpack Inn in Herstmonceux.
GRAHAM THOMPSON
KEEP UP TO DATE
Make sure you register your email address with Steve Holloway at sv.holloway@hotmail.co.uk so that we can advise you of any changes to walks.
GRAHAM THOMPSON
HAVE YOU OPTED IN?
From 2027 printed copies of the Walks Programme and Footnotes will only be sent to members who request them. If you have not completed your form sent with the Summer Footnotes, then get cracking as you have until 31st October.
Mislaid your form? Then contact Graham for another, but hurry – time is running out.
GRAHAM THOMPSON
CAN YOU HELP?
Have you an interesting tale to tell? Then why not write a few lines that I could include in Footnotes. Also, if you take photos, Steve would like them for consideration in the web pages and I for the Club Scrap Books which date back to 1937.
GRAHAM THOMPSON
DATES FOR YOUR DIARY
Saturday 5th December – Christmas Cheer (see Autumn Footnotes)
Thursday 10th December – Christmas lunch at the Hydro Hotel (see Autumn Footnotes)
Friday 18th December – Strolls Christmas coffee morning at the Snug Café, Trinity Centre.
Friday 1st January 2027 – New Year’s Day celebrations (see Autumn Footnotes)
Monday 22nd March 2027 – proposed date of Club’s AGM (see Spring Footnotes)
Tuesday 15th – 19th June 2027 – Club summer holiday: Weymouth and picturesque Dorset (see Autumn Footnotes)
Monday 26th – Friday 30th June 2028 – Club summer holiday: Torquay and the English Riviera (see Autumn Footnotes 2027)
NEW MEMBERS
We welcome the following to the Rambling Club:
Heather Valentine
All items for the Winter Footnotes should be submitted to the Editor by Sunday 1st November 2026.