Ramblers Association members will be offering you a chance to change your life at the South of England Spring Garden & Leisure Show.

Local members from Mid Sussex will be staffing a stall at the Ardingly Spring Garden show on Sunday 4th & Monday 5th May 2008 at the South of England Showground – Ardingly from 09:00 to 17:00.

More and more of us are unfit, overweight and fed up. But with over 4,000 miles of footpaths in Sussex, much often through really beautiful countryside you can change that. Walking is simple, doesn’t cost the earth and is proved to make you feel better.

There is no need to feel frightened of starting out. Every week Ramblers leaders lead different walks all over the county with lengths of between 2 and 20 miles. You can meet new friends and discover new places, getting fitter at a pace that suits you.

Area activist Chris Smith says:

It’s spring – what better time could there be to start a better life?

Just turn up at the Ardingly Spring Garden show and find our stall to find out more. If you can’t make it contact have a look at our web sites at www.ramblers.org.uk, www.sussex-ramblers.org.uk, and www.midsussexramblers.co.uk.

For more information contact:
Chris Smith, RA area press secretary
email chris.smith@hbhelp.co.uk
web www.hbhelp.co.uk
phone 01273 47 40 70
fax 01273 48 69 66
post PO box 2660 Lewes BN7 2R

The weather was rather variable on this walk. To start with it was a little windy, but soon the sun came out and we had to strip down to our t-shirts. Then at lunch (the Royal Oak pub, Poynings), while we were ordering food at the bar, the heavens opened and it started chucking it down. Fortunately there was a marque outside, given that there was no room for us to sit inside the pub.

The food was good quality, but expensive (£11 for a burger and chips – though it had a fancier name than that!), and the portions were generally of moderate size (though the ploughman’s was generous). As the pub was very busy, the food took a while to arrive; also, it came out in several batches, so we couldn’t all start eating at roughly the same time.

I was rather tickled by the “letter” on the back of a packet of crisps (sorry, “Hand Fried Potato Chips”) that I bought in the pub. Rather than selling a familiar brand such as Walkers or McCoys, they sold Tyrrells. This “letter” read:

Thank you for choosing our potato chips. Having been potato farming here at Tyrrells Court for many years, I needed something to put the enjoyment back into farming. I converted one of our potato stores into a small modern factory to make potato chips, after travelling the world to learn about the process and source machinery. So what makes Tyrrell’s deliciously unique? We are the only small chip maker in the UK to grow our own potatoes, and make these chips on our home farm in Herefordshire. We grow older varieties that are renowned for their flavour. So it’s not unusual for a potato to be dug in the morning and turned into chips by lunchtime. Why Chips? Unlike mass produced crisps, small batches of our own potatoes are thick sliced into sunflower oil, retaining all their natural juices and goodness. We then flavour them with our own natural brands – to give you real food with pedigree.

Herefordshire is famed for producing the finest potatoes and Cider Apples – so we though we’d celebrate our roots by combining both and creating this tasty best-seller. Please let me know what you think.

Will Chase

If you do want to contact Will, the packet gives his e-mail address as will@tyrrellspotatochips.co.uk. Alternatively, you could visit their website.

The walk was much shorter after lunch, and fortunately the weather held.

Any personal comments on the walk would be welcome.

The next walk will be on Sunday 27th April and will be led by David. It starts at 10:00 am, from the car park front of Devil’s Dyke pub (Explorer 122, GR 258 112). The walk is 10 miles and there will be a pub stop.

There was a good turn-out and excellent weather for this walk, which was an enjoyable ramble through the countryside around Battle in East Sussex. Starting at Battle station, the walk worked itself round to Crowhurst, where we had lunch at the Plough Inn. The food was good quality and excellent value (£6.95 for a roast). After lunch, we completed the return journey to Battle.

Many thanks to Sue & Sarah for co-leading this walk. Any comments are, as usual, welcome.

The next walk will be on Sunday 13th April and will be led by Sue & Sarah. It starts at 10:00 am, from Battle Station car park (Explorer 124, GR 756 157). The walk is 10 miles and there will be a pub stop.

The Ramblers’ Association and the South Downs Campaign Invite you to join a South Downs Walk (no. 35.) Friday April 11th.

Meet at 10.30am in Fernhurst Car Park (GR SU898284).

These walks are designed to highlight beautiful areas that should become part of the future South Downs National Park. Bring picnic lunch. Possible lifts from Waterlooville area, Petersfield, or Haslemere.

Tom Franklin, the new RA Chief Executive will attend. A good chance to meet Tom!

Keep the Western Weald in the South Downs National Park!

Join us and enjoy the beauty of the South Downs.

Further details on these and future walks from the leader, Owen Plunkett, tel (023)92254959, mobile 07963480366 or e-mail owen.plunkett@tiscali.co.uk.