A new member's notes on his first few months with the Group...

I joined EFOG in September 2009 after accidentally coming across the website on an internet search for evening classes.

Knew this would be for me - walking, cycling and camping are several of my interests and, as I discovered upon attending subsequent meetings, I wasn't wrong!

September 10th
Quiz night set by Trevor, four teams playing "Battleships" with a twist: if you got the question right you chose another team to hit and described the co-ordinates to possibly sink a ship. Totally good fun, I even answered a question or two correctly. 'Rubber Ducks' came second, but we survived with some of our ships still afloat.

September 19/20
Cycling weekend at Bill and Inger's in Pymoor, Cambs. Truly a superb weekend blessed with two days of unbroken sunshine, very warm welcome from our hosts. Hit the road round the fens taking in a wild life centre on the way. Lunch stop by the river was very relaxing and the conversation lively. Cycling wasn't hard being Cambridge, which is very flat, but allowed us to pick out landmarks along the way. As usual, everyone was on top form with many amusing stories from Duncan and local history from Inger and Bill. In the evening a quiz had been arranged in the cricket club next door to the house and we all had a fine time wrangling with the series of questions followed by some delicious food prepared by Inger.

I'd opted for camping in their back garden which was cosy in my so called two man tent just enough room as it turned out. It was definately "scramble chaps" in the morning as we all indulged in a hearty breakfast courtesy of our ever patient hosts.

Saddled up for Sunday's ride when we headed into the city of Ely with it's impressive cathedral which we had a good look round. Last outpost of Hereward the Wake, he and his followers held out against William the Conquerer for several years before being overwhelmed in 1071. Pedalled on to the finest tea rooms in the county next to the River Great Ouse, a charming spot with the hum of water craft and pleasant riverside walks. After an extremely tasty repast it was on to view a magnificent antiques centre but we had no time to browse, time to burn off some calories on our return ride to Pymooor.
Once returned to the house, it was time to raid the kitchen for Inger's homemade jam famed throughout the folk of EFOG. After making our farewells it was time to return to London. Many thanks to our wonderful hosts Bill and Inger.

September 27
Sunday swimming arranged by our chairman Cliff. We duly arrived at Loughton Pool at 9am and took the plunge, I think we were in double figures but can't be sure. Loughton Pool is quite new and is a fine facility together with a gym upstairs. Seniors like me go free which is an added incentive to make swimming a regular habit. After an hour of swimming and conversation it was time to make a re-fuelling stop at the cafe opposite the pool. It was a fine sunny day so we all elected to sit outside for our breakfast where the conversation continued and we all got to know each other a little better. A very enjoyable morning event very well hosted by Cliff.

January 2 2010
Night out to see 'Mother Goose' at the Greenwich Theatre; good turnout from the EFOG's, even my sixteen year old daughter Holly came along and was given a warm welcome from everyone.
We all enjoyed a very amusing evening and the cast certainly went "over the top" as only panto performers are allowed to do! I'd suggested a noodle bar for supper after the show which went down well with the gang, just over £5 per head. Thanks to Maz for arranging this fun night out.

January 17 2010
The day dawned bright and sunny for the EFOG walk from the George pub in Wanstead to Valentines Park in Ilford, a round trip of over 6 miles going "off-road" using a new stretch of the Roding Valley Way for some of the route. Paul, our guide, made the walk interesting by pointing out natural features along the way. We made a stop for refreshments at the pavillion in Valentines Park and later at the "posh" cafe where we celebrated two birthdays - Paul's and Jill's - with a delicious cake made by Sue U. On the return walk we passed through Wanstead Park and its lakes, where we took another short break before returning to the George public house for a well earned drink and - for some - a very reasonably priced lunch. Many thanks to Jill for suggesting the walk and to Paul for making it a very interesting walk with his background knowledge of the area.

Dave Townsend    24th January 2010

Twenty Years in the Woods with the Rayleigh Rockets

The Rayleigh Rockets began competing as a team in the Rodings Rally in 1989, although one of us can remember running from bullocks (shrieking mock -hysterically) in a close on the forest fringe on a Rodings night as early as 1978. Those were the days when one used to receive YHA stamps at the end of the rally to add to one’s collection. Ah, the innocent days of one’s youth....

The Rockets were named after a long-defunct speedway club in Rayleigh, Essex, and are a loose grouping of ‘lads’ (now pushing 50 years of age) from the Rochford/Rayleigh/Leigh area of south-east Essex who mis-spent their youths gaming and hanging out together at sixth-form college, and who have been firm friends since.

The original three have been joined over the past twenty years by other friends, and in turn, their friends (at university or work) from places as far away as North Norfolk, Leicester and Kent. Some have dropped away, but others have stayed, and a new generation of sons and daughters have been ‘blooded’ and, we hope, will continue to renew the ageing Rayleigh Rockets ‘brand’.

We are not runners, and do not belong to orienteering clubs, and were, to begin with, happy just to find all the checkpoints and return to the youth hostel before the eight hours were up. In those days, we were younger, and rather relished late starts, and tired teams often saw the cold, grey light of dawn before they arrived, muddied (and sometimes, bloodied) from head to foot at journey’s end. It wasn’t long, however, before we began to achieve top-ten or even top-five placings, and by fissuring to lead separate teams, have several times challenged for, and occasionally, won, the group trophy. Our traditional rivalry in this with The Alchemists (previously known as the Cockney Nimrods) has been fierce, but latterly our results have been mixed, and we have been eclipsed by a dramatic improvement in their times (some secret weapon, or foreign players, we suspect) and by recent incomers, the Cam Racers. Naturally, we are not complaining, but we have noticed an increase in the incidence of lycra moving at speed around the forest on Rally nights!

Above all, we want to be in the forest at night, soaking up the atmosphere, hearing the owls call, snuffing the tang of wet leaves, and trying (and often failing) to avoid the slap of holly branches in our eyes. We revel in the coded calls around the checkpoints (occasionally, in the attempt to confuse other teams with one’s own fake calls), and in the sheer, joyous juvenility of being abroad in the deep, dark woods when sensible folks are long abed.

Of course, we also crave the competition, the excitement of chasing down other teams, the fear of being caught by them, the exhilaration of finding that tent dead on your bearing, and even the despair of wandering fruitlessly around the checkpoint area as other teams arrive and depart.

Competing against other teams is important. However, what we really live for on a Rodings night is the opportunity to achieve bragging rights over the other Rayleigh Rocket teams. The most consistently quick performers have been Colin Smith and his crew, and the chance to get one over them and be the top Rayleigh Rockets team is the drive that forces the rest of us through the Rodings mud.  Last year was a particular triumph for a sons and dads team, finishing in a respectable tenth place, just twelve minutes faster than Colin’s team, but this year Colin reasserted his hegemony.

So, ‘thank you’ to the organising committee and to all the volunteers on the night (though this year, we did not bother those in checkpoint nine) and for all those of the past twenty years. The Rally is not only a consummately well-organised and exciting sporting event; it is also a fixture on our social calendars, as immutable as Christmas and far more enjoyable. Long may it continue!

Tom Townsend (Norfolk)   30th November 2009

Camping and Cycling at Fakenham

Starting on Friday 21st August 2009 the Epping Forest Outdoor Group had a camping and cycling weekend, including several walkers who followed their own route. We stayed at Fakenham Racecourse campsite, in Norfolk.

Bill and Inger were already there and had set up in a large field normally reserved for horseboxes.  Other EFOG members arrived and tents, large and small, were duly erected.

17 of us spent a pleasant evening sitting in a circle with our meal, next to B+I's tent and van, catching up  on everyone's news and plotting Saturday's ride and walk.  The next morning was fine and warm but we had to 'fight the good fight' with abundant flies and wasps who were more than willing to share our breakfast !

Inger led the pelaton out from Fakenham, through Toftrees and on to Helhoughton. The last match of the Ashes Test was on today so Bill's radio travelled with us and we caught up with the score during every break.  We had lunch by a lake-sized pond, complete with fishermen, in the picturesque village of Great Massingham ; the view was straight off a chocolate box.

Pausing during the cycling weekend

The countryside was gently undulating with plenty of small woods and copses to add interest. We passed through Weasenham St. Peter and Weasenham All Saints, Titteshall,and Whissonset.  We had a short stop (What's the score, Bill?) and than made a final push for home, via Colkirk and Hempton. We had covered almost 28 miles

As counties go, Norfolk is not over-demanding for cyclists and it has lots of pretty villages and quiet lanes once you leave the main roads.

Our evening of food and bonhomie was repeated , though our cricket fans spent some of the time in the clubhouse catching up on the day's play. After dusk it became noticeably cooler and we eventually retired to our tents for a well-earned night's sleep.

On Sunday we drove to Swaffham , our starting point. We rode south of the town, through Beachamwell, and passed Oxborough Wood, a well-known Nature Reserve, and Oxborough Old Chapel.

Highlight of the afternoon was a pleasant tea-stop at Gooderstone Water Gardens,where a tributary of the river Whissey runs through the grounds. Lots of beautiful plants and trees - a real haven from the busy world. Then on to the village of Cockley Cley. This was known as Cleia in the Domesday Book (1086)--a place with clayey soil, though it can also mean a "wood frequented by woodcock "....yer pays yer penny and yer takes yer choice ..."

Some wayside plums were discovered on the homeward route , which divided the company--those who saw the plums and stopped to pick them, and those ahead who didn't see them.....

The plums were later shared out to all, however. Late afternoon was taken up with striking camp and departing, but we were a bunch of 'happy bunnies' as England had The Ashes.   Howzat ?!

Jill Domeney   25th October 2009

Sue Stirling has seen a Bittern at last!

After a family boat trip on Hickling Broad recently, Sue, Fergus, Jacob and Callum went to the Broad's hide and a Bittern flew past! They were also treated to views of young lizards and - so says Sue - possibly the Great White Egret which is reputed to inhabit the area.

Yeh - well, that sounds as likely as seeing a Common Crane at Debden Camp Site!

Paul Ferris   1st September 2009