| Status: | Active, open to new members |
| Leader: | |
| When: | On Thursday mornings 1st and 3rd Thursday |
The Thursday Strollers walk on the 1st and 3rd Thursday of every month starting at 10.30.
The group does walks, usually from and to a pub/eatery. The walks are about 3.5 to 4 miles and take about 2 hours. Walks are mainly within 30 mins drive from Chester and are not arduous, hence the name - Strollers.
Suitable footwear for country walking is suggested. Organisers give information on hazards such as stiles and steep or muddy bits by email
No finance or money involved. We go to a Pub or similar for lunch after the walk; this is optional, though prior notice of menu choice usually has to be given to the walk organiser.
We have a group co-ordinator as per U3A requirements, to arrange the walking rota and handle any enquiries and new members. Members partner up in twos to organise a month's worth of walks at a time.
The Group coordinator communicates to the group members by email,
Members can make their own travel arrangements, nothing formal is organised.
If you are interested in joining us, please contact Pam thursdaystrollers for further information.
Pam Rushworth wrote this report for the February issue of Chester Times
The group meets on the first and third Thursday mornings of every month, leaving at 10.30am. We do walks which are usually a round trip from a pub/eatery; the walks are about 3.5 to 4 miles and take about 2 hours. They are mainly within 30 minutes drive from Chester and are not arduous, hence the name ‘Strollers’.
Suitable footwear for country walking is suggested. Organisers give information by email on hazards such as stiles and steep or muddy sections. We go to a pub or similar for lunch after the walk. This is optional, though prior notice of menu choice usually has to be given to the walk organiser.
Members pair up to organise a month's worth of walks at a time, according to a rota. Chester is very well placed, and a huge variety of walking opportunities are available, such as the Wirral Way and the Dee coastline, Delamere forest, the Whitegate Way and many ambles along canal towpaths in the county. There are also walks from and around the city centre, making another choice. We don’t mind if we have been there before. We can always do a walk the other way round or in a different season. We don’t mind a bit of wet either.
Among our walks over the last months, some memorable moments have included:
+ A wet June walk around Blakemere Moss, when we realised the path was moving! Further inspection revealed hundreds of tiny froglets making their way from the Moss into the big wide world.
+ The discovery of a tearoom, unknown to most of us, near Puddington on a hot and sunny July day - always a win.
+ From Telfords pub at the canal basin into town and along the walls via the Roodee, a different way to see our beautiful city.
+ Most recently in snowy January, exploring historic Bunbury, alongside the partially frozen canal. We got a toot and a wave from an Avanti train driver on the Chester to Crewe line, which greatly pleased our inner Railway Children!
One of our more recent members said: ‘As a new member, I’ve found everyone very friendly and enjoyed new walks which I’ve tried to repeat with my husband and dog… not always the exact same route due to poor memory and the fact I've walked and talked a lot at the same time, but I always remember the fabulous pub venues. I had fun planning my walk. We went on a circular loop in Farndon which I picked due to a good pub… the Raven.’
There are loads of opportunities with Chester u3a to get walking, with a myriad of groups appealing to different levels of walkers. Being out in the fresh air does you good, as my mother used to say.