"Odds and Sods"

I suppose with any Website there are always "bits" that you are not sure where to put. Collectively these could have been called "Barry's Miscellaneous Items". However, there were a couple of problems with this. Firstly I wasn't sure how to spell miscellaneous (Joke) and secondly the header was getting a little crowded so I decided a shorter and more zappy name was required for the odds and sods I wanted to mention, so "Odds and Sods" it became.




Why a website?

For years I’ve messed about with computers. I don’t consider myself to be particularly clever with them, particularly if they go wrong, but I am a little bit addicted. I was once told, having completed a "what am I good at test" or "what should be my vocation in life", on a management development course that the ideal job for me was working in a room by myself with a computer.

I suppose it was therefore inevitable that at some point I would want to have a go at a website. For some time I had no idea what to put on it and I knew I would find it difficult to try to learn to do something without an objective for the exercise. But a gem of an idea flourished when Peter (one of the "Boys") said to me, when I was reminiscing about a walk we had done, "Do you remember every walk you’ve ever done?" Then I realised that I did remember most of them that were of significance to me, although the dates may sometimes elude me. I had photos that friends or I had taken, plenty of maps to check detail on, a few notes made on some excursions and so I started this website. Then one of my sons bought me a proper website name for a Christmas present and brilwalks.com was born.

Copyright.

No parts of this website may be reproduced in any format without the permission of the author. However, I am not unhappy with links from other Website to this site. Also if anyone would like to advertise on this site or use any items I am happy to consider financial inducements. But please make sure they are substantial.

If interested please Email me at barry@brilwalks.com

The Ramblers Association.

I would be surprised if anyone visits Brilwalks.com for the brilliance of the writing or the scintillating wit within its pages. More likely it is visited by people who, like me, enjoy walking.

We are lucky in Britain that we have access rights across both private and public owned areas of land, via rights of way, many of which are part of our heritage. However, many were only obtained thanks to the efforts of the Ramblers Association and indeed many have only remained open thanks to the hard work and dedication of its members. Even though the Government and Local Authorities have responsibilities in this area all too often the rights of walkers and access to the countryside could be overlooked without little reminders from the "Ramblers".

I would therefore urge all walkers visiting these pages, who are not already members, to join the Ramblers Association.

For the main Ramblers Association website, which gives full details of what it does, how to join etc., Click Here.

One other point, many outdoor equipment shops, including branches of Millets, will give a 10% discount to members of the RA. So not only can your membership help to ensure ongoing walking pleasure but also give you a discount when purchasing the outdoor clothing and equipment you may require.

Walking Poles.

I will not go into vast detail on advantages of walking poles other than say that they help me considerably, particularly when going up and downhill. When the slopes are steep they certainly help to take the pressure off my ageing knees. In fact I would go as far to say that I don’t think I would have completed many of the challenge walks I have done without their assistance.

I don’t think single poles are particularly helpful when going "up and down", as the one pole will make your body unbalanced. However, the one pole can be very useful in muddy or slippery conditions when having the advantages of the extra "limb" can help keep you from slipping over. If you are interested in Walking Poles I would commend to you Peter Clinch's excellent website with lots of information on walking poles (or Hiking/Treking Poles as he refers to them).

One last point with regard to snow, or lack of it, and walking poles. It is not necessary for snow to be about for walking poles to be of assistance and the not very clever comments such as "where’s the snow" on hot summer days are well past their "sell-by dates". Although I’ve never said it, like Larry, who mentioned it to me, I am tempted to reply "I wish I had a pound for every "prat" who has asked me that". So be warned.

Thanks.

Thanks to Larry, Peter, Ray and Mick for all the help they have given me in putting this site together, especially Mick who has help me over many a long challenge walk, and done the driving to get us both there and back.

Thanks to Greg for getting me the BRILWALKS.COM address. I would probably never have purchased it myself but having got it I thought I'd better do something with it.

And a big thank you to my wife Anne who has put up with me getting concerned before a long walk about what the weather will be like and what I should wear, for doing so much proof reading, and especially for just being Anne and not getting too cross when I spend hours in my "dump" tap tapping away on the keyboard.





Fancy a Challenge Walk?
Why not try the Seagrave Wolds Challenge