DARK PEAK NEWS - Dark Peak Fell Runners

Dark Peak News October 2007 page 4next meet them, we can discuss how we can help them to defeat those who are trappingthese birds and destroying their nests. With scores of us out on the hills every week, wecould be powerful potential allies if we keep our eyes and ears open.The best laid plans...When I put the last edition of Dark Peak News to bed in May, I began work immediatelyon the next one, with the aim of getting it out towards the end of July. Hence you willfind the “Adventures in Time” section, written some time ago, focuses on early summereditions from the archives. Then, life kicked in. Two daughters to get through exams,one to be helped out of the nest and in to university. A bundle of urgent maintenancetasks to do on the house, with one involving some substantial and quite worryingstructural work. An inspection looming at my wife’s school. Dark Peak News driftedon to hold, and suddenly summer was over and publication was well overdue. I toldmyself things would be OK, so long as I could liaise with John to get a new calendarup on the web, and then get the mag out reasonably well ahead of the club champs onNovember 17 th . I have to confess I panicked a bit when Andy felt compelled to bringthe champs forward by a month, and since then I’ve been busting a gut to get to pressas quickly as possible. Even so, this edition will at best reach you just days before theevent. You may get it on the morning of the race, in which case you can browse thecourse over breakfast. At worst, and with more postal strikes looming, you may receiveit after the event. Whatever, I apologise for the delay. But it’s reassuring to know that,thanks to John, we now have such a great day-to-day news services on the website thatcan take care of our information needs when the pressure is on. Looking ahead, thingsare calming down considerably now at home, and I’m managing to find time to do halfan hour or so each day on the mag. I’ve even got some ideas for new features that youshould see in the next edition, around the turn of the year. So I hope Dark Peak Newswill be with you sooner rather than later next time.DaveLucozade aid: see Dog’s Diary, page 29