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Comment thread for SWC walk 3 (Extra Walk 112) Sat 10th Jan 2015

I agree with Lucilla. Thank you for all the time spent on posting the walks. I am very happy with what is posted and if I don't fancy the walks I do something else.
I think we should all be grateful that hard working volunteers post walks every week for us to enjoy. Yes, it would be nice to have all walks co-ordinated every week, but this would require a lot more time. Perhaps those who demand a perfect outcome should come forward and volunteer some of their own time!
Walker, I think we mostly agree. And I do walk longer versions of posted walks, with or without others I can mop up. But I also know (from speaking to others on longer walks), that there is a large-ish constituency of SWC-folk that want to walk long (but shorter than LDWA). But they don't usually blog, and they don't want to devise their own extension to posted shorter walks, they just want to follow a posted walk.

And, yes, apologies to anyone who just logged in to check what walks are on this weekend, to be confronted with this 'discussion'. Hopefully this whole palaver encourages some silent voices to contribute to the forum in future...
All and any comments to the SWC, including suggestions for walks, can be sent to saturdaywalkersATyahooDOTcoDOTuk
I take your point about the Forum. It is just that this conversation WILL be deleted on Saturday night when the post is deleted. I also wonder if those looking to see what walk to do tomorrow really want to read all this….

Apologies too if you felt you were not listened to on 7 December. I can only speak for myself, but as a poster I do listen carefully to feedback. I did actually respond (though not overtly, granted) when I posted Edenbridge to Westerham the following week. I expected most people then to want to do the short walk, but pointed out the main walk (17.3km) was possible. Not up to your 20km minimum, I accept, but it is quite a tough 17.3km in places. On 27 December I chose Guildford to Gomshall which has two longer options, one 19km the other 22.4km. Four out of 12 walkers did the 19km one. No one expressed interest in the 22.4km, but it was there.

I have to say, though, that as a walk poster one gets lots of different feedback. Typically it is that the train time is too early (not too late) and that the walk is too long (not too short). At this time of year mud is also a big issue. I try to reflect all the feedback I get in my walk choices. As posters we do also try and balance out the walks each week geographically, in terrain type, in starting station, in start time (not this week admittedly, but usually) and almost every week there is a northern, eastern or western walk on a Saturday. I have records for every Saturday going back to September 2011, so I know what I am saying here.

The issue here is that in asking for longer walks and earlier starts (and more northern and eastern ones) you and Austen are - in my experience, at least - going against the general consensus of Saturday walkers. Or such is my perception from the feedback I receive. My perception may be wrong. But to prove that I need more than you and Austen to say so.

It seems to me that one of two things pertains. Either you and Austen and lots of other walkers are walking out in front of the pack and getting frustrated that the walks are too short. In which case get all those other walkers to post comments on the forum saying they want longer walks so the message gets to the walk posters.

Or it is just you and Austen and a couple of others who are out in front, frustrated that the walks are too short. In that case it is hardly a democratic decision to choose longer walks just for you.

If the latter is the case, then you do have some possible courses of action, however. One is to look at the walks on offer each week and see which ones have longer options. Quite a lot of our walks do have longer options, and there is nothing to stop you doing them, or canvassing other walkers to see if they want to do them with you.

Or you could extend the walks yourselves. Your last comment, on 7 December, was - if I recall correctly - after the Berwick to Birling Gap walk. From Birling Gap you could have walked on across Beachy Head to Eastbourne, extending the walk by five miles (nine of us did the first half of this in the moonlight) or gone the other way across the Seven Sisters to Exceat. Why not? You get the benefit of starting with the group and can then stride out and have the proper walk you want.

Alternatively, wait two months and it will be spring. Then there will be seven glorious months of longer walks!!

One last point. We do have a lot of walks (not 236 but 369 if you include the 53 book 1 walks and the 30 book 2 walks) but one of those walks is Dorking to Reigate. It has not been done for two years, so it deserved an outing. One reason it is not done more often is that it is quite short. That makes it suitable for winter when the days are quite short and unsuitable for spring and summer when the days are long. Calculations like this are probably one reason why you find the walks a bit short at present.
Apologies, Anonymous, I didn't know you were the official 'SWC-Administrator for Walk Posters' slots', I must have missed that announcement. My impression has always been that walk posters (certainly the ones for the juicy Saturday slots) are quite protective of their slots, you may want to check with them, before you offer the slots...
But rest assured, I don't want to post walks. I walk walks, and I write walks, suits me fine.

As for proposing walks: if you are running the Post Box or Email address to which I should send those ideas, just put 'em up here, and we'll take it from there...
Keep Walking!
Agree it shouldn't matter who posts but walk posters are free to choose any walk they like. They cant always coordinate - I suggest give it a try for a while and see it from their point of view or help out by suggesting walks you want, in advance.
Walker:
while I fully I agree that this is a discussion best held in the Forum, of course most walkers (regular and irregular) don't seem to frequent that part of the website, judging by who is posting comments there. It seems really a forum used by walk posters (past and present), walk writers (past and present) and the person running this website (and Tartanrug.
Plus, when I laid out my arguments for longer walks there, on 7th Dec, it was met by a wall of non-replies from walk posters (and - by the way - one doesn't have to walk fast to walk longer walks than 17 km, even The Ramblers, not known for fast walking, are walking 20 km this weekend (through their subset Capital Walkers))...

Anonymous/Bridie:
it shouldn't matter who posts a walk, assuming walk posters don't only post walks they themselves like. I think what Austen (he can speak for himself) and me are saying is: where is the variety, regional and length-wise, within a weekend and over periods of time ?
Thank you Walker for your constructive reply and thank you to the subsequent anon for your support
As ever if anybody wants to volunteer to post then they are more than welcome to join in. They could opt to post on say every other week or once a month
People are also welcome to post suggestions for walks. My remit is to post from Book 1 or 2 each week and I would be very grateful for any ideas.
That's very diplomatic of you, walker. Walk posters give up their time and do their best but can neve please everyone. I would have been tempted to reply that if people dont like the choice of walks on offer then rather than criticise volunteer to post walks yourself :-0
Bow Brickhill to Leighton Buzzard is the exception you refer to, I presume. It was posted last Saturday. Did anyone go? There was no report.

On 28 December Totteridge Circular was posted. That is north of the river and had an option to extend to 11.8 mikes (not taken up by anyone because the main walk adequately filled the hours of daylight).

On 21 December Chesham Circular was posted.

Speaking personally I try to pick walks a) suitable for the day length and ground conditions b) that have not been done for a while c) that I think people want to go on and d) that contrast with walks already posted at the time I do my post.

If there is a strong feeling that not enough Northern or Eastern walks are being posted I would be happy to hear it, but the Forum would be a better place for it as this post is deleted on Sunday.

As for long walks in winter my personal impression is that this is minority interest as most walkers do not walk as fast as you two (as is evidenced by the fact that you are always out in front of the group). But once again I am happy to be proved wrong. If ten or fifteen people would like to indicate on the forum that they want such things I am sure posters would be happy to consider them.
Indeed: 12 out of 13 walks posted so far this year have been south of the river, and none of the 13 have been longer than 17 km.
Well, Capital Walkers are seemingly doing 'our' Welwyn Circular walk this Sunday (SWC 3/69), that's 20 km+ with the lunch pub extension...
For the umpteenth Saturday, we have sameness in the three walks: late starts; long train journeys; short walks - 8.8, 7.8 and 10.2 (really 8.5) miles - ; and south of London.

There are 236 walks on the website.

There is also a west, north and east of London.

Trains also leave before 10.00, and there is a variety of times of journeys.

Could Bridie, Walker and Stargazer not merge into one harmonious entity, letting two other people create some diversity in a programme accessible to all walkers, regular and not?


Austen


Austen
This train is indeed starting from the terminus platforms at London Bridge, because the through platforms have been closed and will not reopen until mid 2016.

The train specified above goes via Redhill to Tonbridge and will additionally call at East Croydon at 10.17. Students of railway history will be fascinated to learn that this was the original route of the Southeastern Railway, until the Sevenoaks cut-off was built in the 1870s…

The previous comment meant to say that trains from Charing Cross will NOT call at London Bridge from now till mid 2016. In fact the only trains that will be serving London Bridge will be Cannon Street services and ones that start from the terminus platforms (eg trains to Hever and Cowden). Thameslink trains will not call until 2018, though there will be half hourly services from the terminus platforms to Brighton.

In short, SWC walkers will be seeing a lot less of London Bridge for a good while. (Whether this is good or bad I leave for you to judge).
Happy New Year!

There are major improvements taking place at London Bridge Railway station. Hence this year (and part of next I believe) trains originally destined for Charing Cross will now stop at LB. best look at their website for more info.