Rotary Ramblers 

May update

With the further roll out of Boris’s road map on 29 March we have been able to resume our Rotary walks.  So, in accordance with the rule of six, five ardent walkers turned out on a fairly dull Easter Saturday. It was great to meet and share lockdown stories along with plans for our release. Zoom has played a vital role over the last twelve months but it is no substitute for getting together in person and we look forward to our Thursday lunchtime meetings as soon as circumstances allow. 

We met at the Mariners in Trimley and I decided to take my fellow Rotarians on the walk that the dog and I did back on 2 January. We walked down Gaymers Lane, turned left and followed the path over the railway bridge.

We then continued alongside the railway line (across the old onion field) towards Trimley Foreshores. Instead of walking down the hill towards the river, we deviated right past the old pump house and up through Morston Hall Farm. From there we followed the path through the fields. There is a steep hill at one point, almost a ravine which, if you take your time and watch your footing, is pretty easy to tackle.

 You then walk up a fairly short incline and on towards the road. You turn left at the road down to Suffolk Yacht Harbour and just as you pass the entrance barrier there is a footpath on the left. This takes you through the woods and adjacent to the marina so you can admire all the vessels on your right.

 As you approach a flat boggy area there is a pathway on the left that takes you round it and avoids getting wet and muddy boots. Continuing on, you end up walking between Loompit Lake and the estuary at Trimley Foreshores where there is always some amazing birdlife.

We headed back up the hill towards Gosling Farm/Thorp Lane area and picked up the footpath where we passed the pumphouse (down on our left) before heading back to the Mariners along the same route via Gaymers Lane. We walked just over 5.5 miles and it took us just over two hours. 

Does walking help you live Longer?

 Whilst I am no expert in the advantages and benefits of walking, and I am certainly not sure if I will live longer from doing so, I am led to believe that any kind of exercise is supposed to be good for us. I think like anything, it is all about moderation and knowing what you are and are not capable of doing. However, I do know that a brisk walk is far more beneficial  than a slower pace and this can,  apparently, also help increase your lifespan.  From what I have read, people who exercise regularly in their fifties and sixties are likely to live longer than their non-walking counterparts. For how long and over what period this has been studied, I have no idea, but it sounds good!

 As always, you need to take your age, fitness and capabilities into account and we all know what we can and can’t achieve. Most of all if you feel good after a walk (even if it’s around the block) it can only be a good thing whether it extends your life expectancy or not!

 Due to current restrictions, Rotary Walks are for members only, but we hope to widen the invitation to the public when circumstances allow.

April update - The Gruffalo Walk

Spring has started to peep through, the roadmap to recovery is well underway and the children are heading back to school. Many are looking forward to getting back to some normality and seeing their friends, whilst there is still a little nervousness on how this will pan out for teachers, pupils and parents.

 Despite things moving in the right direction, we are still unable to meet as a club. The rule of six only starts next month so the Saturday and Thursday walks can’t resume just yet. So it is down to the dog and I to throw down the gauntlet and proceed on our own.

Saturday 6 March was dry and we ventured from the Mariners pub past Trimley Station, down Cordy’s Lane. We then followed the track into Trimley Marshes Nature Reserve and down towards the port. Instead of turning right into the marshes we went left, up the hill adjacent to Oysterbed Road and Dublin House, before descending and walking alongside the railway line. From here we crossed over the Blofield Track and then followed the footpath all the way up to Trimley High Road via the bridge and through the woods - my children, when they were young, always called it the ‘Gruffalo walk’ and it has stuck with us as a family ever since. By the time we arrived back at the Mariners we had walked just under 5 miles.

Due to current restrictions, Rotary walks are for members only, but we hope to widen the invitation when circumstances allow.

March update

The weather has certainly been varied throughout February, but the dog and I have been walking regularly. Whilst we still can’t resume our usual Rotary walks, the dog and I took up the mantle by continuing with our regular Saturday walk on 6th February. Since the weather forecast predicted a snowstorm on the Sunday and Monday, I decided we would take advantage of a longer walk in the dry conditions and headed towards Nacton Shores.

I started the recording at Gaymers Lane and crossed the bridge heading towards the fishing lake. We walked down the hill past the pump house and on through Morston Hall Farm towards Levington.  Rather than walking on the coastal path from the Marina towards Levington Creek, we took the road out of the marina and turned left along Stratton Hall Drift, down towards the Ship before turning into the small car park by the creek. We avoided the coastal path because with all the wet weather the paths are quite treacherous with mud. From here we headed along the coastal path and along the broad walk. I don’t recall seeing the water at such a high level and some muddy patches were still evident but we continued along the beach as the tide was out. The scenery is quite something and we wandered along the beach and stopped just short of reaching the picnic area at Nacton Shores. We followed the same route back and clocked up a good 10 miles and took some lovely pictures. 

And if you still need encouragement here are some more thoughts on the benefits of walking.

Apparently, walking can help ward off heart disease, bring up the heart rate, lower your blood pressure and strengthen the heart. It has been said that walking at least 30 minutes a day, five days a week can reduce your risk for coronary heart disease and/or a stroke by about almost 20 percent. Your risk may reduce even more when you increase the duration or distance you walk per day. I am not a doctor so you would need to get some clarification on this, but any amount of walking can help and, if nothing else, it really improves your mood. Don’t forget to wrap up warm, keep dry and wear decent shoes and socks. A simple walk can be such a big help during these difficult times.

December update

Since our October Rotary Ramble, we have gone through a second lockdown, Tier 2 and now find ourselves in Tier 4. Fortunately, we were able to squeeze in our 5 December walk under Tier 2 and the rule of six.

With the weather rather unpredictable, we took a shorter route to avoid the very muddy/wet conditions caused by the sleet and snow from the previous day. The walk started at the Mariners in Trimley and we cut through Stennetts Park, across the railway and down Cordy’s Lane. We then followed the footpaths through the woods, past Keepers Cottage and came out by Grimston Hall Cottage. For most of the walk we avoided the rain and stopped for a quick rest near Kiln Grove, close to the farm (not far from the pond area), before crossing the bridge and finishing back at the Mariners pub.

We had a debate crossing the bridge, wondering what the green wooden podium style boxes were (the type you would stand on to receive your Olympic medal) and then we realised that riders use them to dismount when taking horses across the bridge. There was not much wildlife around on the day, but it was still a good varied walk with some lovely scenery, great comradery and we all had a good workout.

Rotary Walks are currently for the Rotary Club of Felixstowe only due to current restrictions, but we hope to widen the invitation to the public when circumstances allow. In the meantime, non-members can try them for themselves and, by way of encouragement, here is some information about the befits of walking.

While the physical benefits are notable, the mental boost that you get from adding a walk to your daily routine may have a more immediate effect than you think: psychologists have found that a 10-minute walk may be just as good as a 45-minute workout when it comes to relieving the symptoms of anxiety.

It is said that walking can increase your creative output considerably. It can open up a flow of ideas, creativity and solutions to any issues you may have. Indeed, engaging in physical activity allows our minds to wander and gives us some of the most innovative ideas.  It is also said to be a great mood booster as well as increasing vigour and self-confidence, lessening negative emotions, the risk of depression and the deterioration of brain tissue as we age. Walking in nature is particularly effective.

So, what are you waiting for? Despite these cold and sometimes damp days, if you wrap up warm and keep dry, a simple walk can be such a big help during these difficult times.

October update

Since our inaugural ramble last month, we have managed to complete two more Rotary walks, whilst still adhering to the ever-changing Government restrictions and Covid-19 secure guidelines.

There are some real hikers amongst us in the Rotary Club of Felixstowe, but there are also many that find it more difficult to tackle long distances and uneven ground. So, for those that still feel somewhat disconnected and isolated after all the recent restrictions, the promenade walk with its level terrain was the ideal walk to do. This gave many members the chance to meet up for the first time since the start of lockdown. We split into small groups and staggered the walks from the leisure centre to the end of the promenade (past The Martello Estate) and back again (approx. 2 miles return). Some then ventured a further mile or so to the other end of the promenade, near the Fludyers. It was a great opportunity for us to catch up and it's funny after seeing each other every week for many years, how much more you learn about someone when talking on a one-to-one basis when walking. It really is the perfect chance to put the world to rights and if our very own bionic man (two knee and two hip replacements) can do it …. then anyone can!

Our recent Saturday walk was rather wet, so numbers were low, but we still managed to complete a 3 mile trek. We took the route from The Mariners Pub via Thurmans Lane, to Candlet Farm and crossed the fields and footbridges through Egypt wood towards Capel Hall Farm. Despite a few downpours, it was a lovely walk and rather a pretty route once in the fields. Rotarian Paul Griffiths said ‘’ I can’t believe I lived in Trimley for over 10 years and already I have discovered two new walks.’’

We will share each walk online, so you can try it for yourself. And in the longer term, we hope to invite the general public to join us. But for now, due to government restrictions and insurance issues, it has to members only.

Ready for off - 5 September

Whilst larger groups were permitted to meet outside this is constantly changing and currently the limit has been reduced significantly and could possibly change again. However, in line with current regulations, we have put together two new community activity initiatives to help ease us back into some normality, and enable us to meet each other whilst still adhering to Covid secure procedures. For those fitter members, we have introduced a monthly first-Saturday walk of 4-6 miles taking in the local surroundings of the Trimley’s. This will enable the Rotary members to interact whilst still following social distancing guidance, catch up with each other and get out into the wonderful countryside we have around us. For those that find it more difficult to cover uneven ground or walk long distances, we hope to introduce a third-Thursday promenade walk combining two loop circuits to enable members of all abilities to be involved and get together. With limited numbers permitted to gather, we plan to allocate space to those that are interested and on occasions of high demand, stagger groups to depart at different times or take separate walks.

The inaugural Saturday walk took place on Saturday 5th September where we walked just over a 4 mile round trip from the Mariners Pub to Trimley Shores: See below a few of our members out by Loompit Lake, social distancing of course, and a copy of the route that we took. The weather couldn’t have been better! 

We intend to do this on a monthly basis in view (when this wretched disease is over) of allowing the general public to join us. But for now, due to government restrictions and insurance issues, it has to members only. Here are a few thoughts on what you may need to bring. Rotary_Rambles_kit.pdf