Year of publication 1960 - Fell and Rock Climbing Club

LONDON SECTION, 1959During this year walks have again been our main activity and theyhave been very well supported. They are certainly a pleasant way ofkeeping in touch with fellow members, at the same time helping tokeep the legs in good training. Jim Beatson (whom we congratulateon his marriage later in the year to Miss Joyce Kettle) led the firston 8th February from Coulsdon to Merstham in the Surrey hills—aroute new to most of us. Mud was expected and muddy it was, butwe kept to high ground and enjoyed fine views.As has become traditional, we joined the London Section of theRucksack Club for their Dinner Walk on 15th March. All day thesunlight glinted through the beech woods on the breezy heights ofBerkhamsted, and the final descent to Tring with a wide panoramaof the plain of Aylesbury made a fine ending to the walk.On 26th April we were again in the Chilterns when MargaretDarvall led a circular route from Great Missenden by way ofHolmer Green and Little Kingshill. The woods were now showingthe fresh green of spring and the whole eleven miles were mostattractive. On 31st May, Stella Joy and Joyce Lancaster-Jones tookus to the Thames Valley from Tilehurst to Whitchurch and alongthe Thames towpath to Goring and Streatley. There is alwayssomething fascinating about walking along a towpath and watchingthe craft on the river. The lock at Goring was a gay scene and aswan with her brood of cygnets attracted the photographers.June 21st saw us in the Cotswolds. We took advantage of a specialexcursion to Chipping Campden which gave us a long day forexploration. We included Dovers Hill (754 feet) with its fine viewover the Vale of Evesham to Stratford-on-Avon. This hill was for200 years the scene of the Cotswold Games, founded by RobertDover in 1604. We then continued on to Broadway Hill (1,000 feet)from which it is said that 13 counties are visible on a clear day.The view extends to the Malverns and the Black Mountains, butunfortunately the day was rather cloudy and the views limited.We were very pleased to have with us several members from thenorth, who had sportingly driven from Liverpool. It was generallyvoted a most successful day, which we hope to repeat next year,with north and south meeting at some half-way point such as this.Our next walk was on 12th July when M. N. Clarke led us on thefavourite round from Leatherhead through Norbury Park to Boxhilland Mickleham Downs. We were glad to be able to give ourparting good wishes to Margaret Darvall, so soon to be on muchsterner ground on the All Women's Expedition to Cho Oyu.On 30th August David Hill gave us a fine tramp on the SussexDowns. Starting from Steyning we soon arrived at ChanctonburyRing, that mysterious earthwork, with its clump of trees, which isa landmark for miles. The colouring was particularly rich and for