Uncategorized

A Long Weekend in Swanage and Dorset 2026

Sunday, April 19th, 2026

Date: 1st – 4th May 2026
Base Location: Swanage, Dorset
Price: £60

Overview: A weekend of walking and community in May, based in the Victorian seaside town of Swanage, the county of Dorset and the Jurassic Coast. Picture above; approaching Lulworth Cove.

This trip features a steam train ride to Corfe Castle to start one of the walks, across stunning panoramic view scenery to reach Lulworth Cove for our ‘middle day’ walk.

The first day’s linear walk is from Worth Matravers, along the coastal path back to Swanage, via Anvil Point Lighthouse, Durlston Head and Peveril Point.

And Monday’s circular walk is from our base in Swanage to Old Harry Rocks, where seals and dolphins are often spotted, then refreshments in Studland before returning to Swanage via an inland cross country path which retains the views over the coast.

There’s also no reason why more modest walkers shouldn’t skip the middle days’ walk and do tourism instead. With three walks in three days, some participants may be wise to have a rest day in the middle of the three days. …or take the shorter, 5 mile option (see below).

Please Note: As Dorset’s most spectacular walks are its coastal paths, two of the three days’ walks are linear routes, rather than circular routes, for which we will need to get taxis either there or back. We will arrange taxi sharing in groups of four, if not seven, to share the cost. Taxi prices in the area are pretty reasonable.

You’ll need to arrange your own accommodation for the Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights.

Friday 1st May

It doesn’t really matter what time you arrive in Swanage on the Friday night, but if you’re arriving early enough you can rendezvous to dine and socialize with those from the group who have already arrived, should you wish to.

I’ll be around from 6:00 pm until at least 9:00 pm.

Saturday 2nd May: Worth Matravers to Swanage Coastal Walk

Start Time: 10:30 am
Meet Point: Swanage Railway, Swanage BH19 1HB. (Meeting one lady at Worth Matravers, Swanage BH19 3LE)
Distance: 6.5 miles

Parking: We’ll be getting shared taxis from the centre of Swanage to Worth Matravers.

Our first walk is a linear coastal path from the village of Worth Matravers back into Swanage.

Worth Matravers.

Priest’s Way.

Anvil Point Lighthouse.

Durlston Head.

Peveril Point.

Sunday 3rd May: Steam Train to Corfe Castle, then Walk to Lulworth Cove (5 mile or 10 mile walk option), then Shared Taxi Back

Start Time: 9:45 am
Meet Point: Swanage Railway, Swanage BH19 1HB
Distance: 5 miles or 10 miles

Parking: As we’ll be meeting in Swanage you’ll already be parked. 🙂

Please note that this is a linear walk. We will need to get taxis back from Lulworth Cove to Swanage, so we will arrange taxi sharing in groups of four, if not seven, to share the cost.

For this walk we’ll meet at Swanage Railway Station, a heritage railway with diesel and steam locomotives, and travel together to the start point for the walk at Corfe Castle. The train journey is £14. If you would rather drive to Corfe Castle you can, and park at Castle View Visitor Centre, meeting the group at 10:25 am. (If you do this, after the walk instead of getting a taxi back to Swanage from Lulworth Cove, you’ll get a taxi back from Lulworth Cove to Corfe Castle to collect your car).

You Choose: I’m giving you the option of doing this walk as a five mile walk, and getting transportation to the end point at Lulworth Cove, because the full walk to Lulworth Cove is ten miles and has a steep 41% incline hill at the end. Some stronger walkers won’t be bothered by this, but for those who would rather stop after five miles you can stop at Whiteway Car Park, also known as Lulworth Range Car Park, where we’ll have a taxi arranged to take you to Lulworth Cove (you might have to wait a short while).

For those who do choose the 5 mile option, while you’re in Lulworth Cove waiting for the remainder of the group to finish the walk, you could walk to Durdle Door and back. It’s just over a mile each way, and the coastal path is clearly marked and very obvious, with tourists walking in both directions marking it out.

As we start our walk we can turn and look back on Corfe Castle.

Lulworth Cove.

West Lulworth Village.

Monday 4th May: Swanage to Old Harry Rocks and Studland Circular Walk

Start Time: 10:30am
Meet Point: Swanage Railway, Swanage BH19 1HB
Distance: 6 miles

Parking: As this walk starts in Swanage you’ll already be parked! 🙂

For this walk we’ll also start by meeting outside the Swanage Railway Station, as we did on day two, and this walk then takes us along the beach front, up the coast and on to Old Harry Rocks.

Then we’ll continue to Studland and refreshments at The Bankes Arms, which has great views from it’s beer garden across Studland Bay.

Finally, we’ll take our last leg of the last walk back across country to Swanage, on a route which, whilst inland, still allows us to see the coast view.

Old Harry Rocks.

The Bankes Arms pub at Studland has tremendous views across the bay.

Videos

This video shows Lulworth Cove, the ‘finishing line’ of our middle day walk.

This video shows the resort charm of Swanage, where we’ll be based.

Refunds

Refunds cannot be given except on a first come basis if the full capacity of the event is reached AND someone from the Waitlist pays for the event.

Group Ethos

This is an inclusive, boundaries respecting group. Participants must act in accordance with this at all times. Failure to do so will result in instant removal from the event and group without refund.

What to do next?

Don’t book any accommodation before you’ve confirmed your place with me.

Speak to me or message me to let me know you’d like to go.
I’ll let you have bank details to make a payment.
Then you can set about arranging accommodation.

You can call me on 07758 351 527.

I look forward to seeing you there,

James

A Long Weekend in Swanage and Dorset 2026

Monday, February 16th, 2026

Date: 1st – 4th May 2026
Base Location: Swanage, Dorset
Price: £60

Overview: A weekend of walking and community in May, based in the Victorian seaside town of Swanage, the county of Dorset and the Jurassic Coast. Picture above; approaching Lulworth Cove.

This trip features a steam train ride to Corfe Castle to start one of the walks, across stunning panoramic view scenery to reach Lulworth Cove for our ‘middle day’ walk.

The first day’s linear walk is from Worth Matravers, along the coastal path back to Swanage, via Anvil Point Lighthouse, Durlston Head and Peveril Point.

You’ll need to arrange your own accommodation for the Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights.

Friday 1st May

I’ll be around from 6:00 pm until at least 9:00 pm.

Saturday 2nd May: Worth Matravers to Swanage Coastal Walk

Start Time: 10:30 am
Meet Point: Worth Matravers Car Park, Worth Matravers, Swanage BH19 3LE
Distance: 6.5 miles

Parking: We’ll be getting shared taxis from the centre of Swanage to Worth Matravers.

Our first walk is a linear coastal path from the village of Worth Matravers back into Swanage.

Worth Matravers.

Priest’s Way.

Anvil Point Lighthouse.

Durlston Head.

Peveril Point.

Sunday 3rd May: Steam Train to Corfe Castle, then Walk to Lulworth Cove (5 mile or 10 mile walk option), then Shared Taxi Back

Start Time: 9:50 am
Meet Point: Swanage Railway, Swanage BH19 1HB
Distance: 5 miles or 10 miles

Parking: As we’ll be meeting in Swanage you’ll already be parked. 🙂

Please note that this is a linear walk. We will need to get taxis back from Lulworth Cove to Swanage, so we will arrange taxi sharing in groups of four, if not seven, to share the cost.

As we start our walk we can turn and look back on Corfe Castle.

Lulworth Cove.

West Lulworth Village.

Monday 4th May: Swanage to Old Harry Rocks and Studland Circular Walk

Start Time: 10:30am
Meet Point: Swanage Railway, Swanage BH19 1HB
Distance: 6 miles

Parking: As this walk starts in Swanage you’ll already be parked! 🙂

For this walk we’ll also start by meeting outside the Swanage Railway Station, as we did on day two, and this walk then takes us along the beach front, up the coast and on to Old Harry Rocks.

Then we’ll continue to Studland and refreshments at The Bankes Arms, which has great views from it’s beer garden across Studland Bay.

Finally, we’ll take our last leg of the last walk back across country to Swanage, on a route which, whilst inland, still allows us to see the coast view.

Old Harry Rocks.

The Bankes Arms pub at Studland has tremendous views across the bay.

Videos

This video shows Lulworth Cove, the ‘finishing line’ of our middle day walk.

This video shows the resort charm of Swanage, where we’ll be based.

Refunds

Refunds cannot be given except on a first come basis if the full capacity of the event is reached AND someone from the Waitlist pays for the event.

Group Ethos

This is an inclusive, boundaries respecting group. Participants must act in accordance with this at all times. Failure to do so will result in instant removal from the event and group without refund.

What to do next?

Don’t book any accommodation before you’ve confirmed your place with me.

Speak to me or message me to let me know you’d like to go.
I’ll let you have bank details to make a payment.
Then you can set about arranging accommodation.

You can call me on 07758 351 527.

I look forward to seeing you there,

James

A Long Weekend in The Peak District 2026

Wednesday, December 10th, 2025

Date: 26th – 29th March 2026
Base Location: Bakewell, Derbyshire
Price: £60

Overview: A weekend of walking and community in March, based in the famous Derbyshire ‘Peaks’ village of Bakewell. Picture above; Mam Tor.

This walking itinerary is designed to showpiece the various different styles of scenery in the Peak District, from the ridge walk across to Mam Tor which is like being on top of the world (see photo above), …

…to the Tolkein-esque gnarled tree and silver stream ancient woodland of Padley Gorge (see photo below),…

…to the classical village walk from Bakewell to Edensor village (pronounced En-zuh) at the foot of the majestic Chatsworth House, nestled in gentle rolling Derbyshire hills.

You’ll need to arrange your own accommodation for the Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights.

Thursday 26th March

It doesn’t really matter what time you arrive in Bakewell on the Thursday night, but if you’re arriving early enough you can rendezvous to dine and socialize with those from the group who have already arrived, should you wish to.

I’ll be around from 6:00 pm until at least 9:00 pm. We’ll use the Lobby Lounge of one of the Bakewell hotels and I’ll advise which one nearer the time.

Friday 27th March: Mam Tor

Start Time: 10:30am
Meet Point: Castleton Visitor Centre, Buxton Rd, Castleton S33 8WN
Distance: 6.5 miles

Parking: Castleton Car Park – HPBC at the Castleton Visitor Centre, Buxton Rd, Castleton S33 8WN. There are public toilets at the Visitor Centre. Parking between 4 and 10 hours is £6.80, see various charges per duration. Car park ticket machines accept 5p, 10p, 20p, 50p, £1 and £2 coins and do not give change. Card payments accepted via the pay and display machines. You can also pay for parking in all council owned car parks via the PayByPhone application.

On the Friday we’ll start with the biggy, Mam Tor, the roof of the Peak District, and we’ll have an optional visit afterwards to Speedwell Cavern, and being Friday we’ll avoid the weekend queues.

We start from the village of Castleton.

Lose Hill looking toward Mam Tor.

Mam Tor’s ridge pathway allows you to enjoy the ‘view from the top’ as you go along, rather than just as single stop-at-the-top and 5 minute look around, as you get with other hills.

Speedwell Cavern

Parking: There is Speedwell Cavern Car Park opposite Speedwell Cavern. The address is Speedwell Cavern, Winnats Pass, Castleton, Hope Valley S33 8WA.

Anyone who doesn’t wish to go down Speedwell Cavern after the walk can rest up in the town of Castleton, where we’ll be parked, at the foot of Mam Tor, or visit Buxton for the later part of the afternoon – 12 miles to the South, or return to Bakewell to explore the town more.

Speedwell Cavern is on the recognisable Winnats Pass, the winding road snaking down the gorge you see below.

It is an underground boat journey, arrived at by going down some steps, in one of the four show caves in the region. The cave system consists of a horizontal lead miners’ adit (passage) 200 metres below ground leading to the cavern itself, a limestone cave. The experience takes between 30 and 60 minutes.

The last tour is at 3:00pm and Speedwell Cavern closes at 4:00pm so we will need to be mindful of time.

Saturday 28th March: Padley Gorge

Start Time: 10:30am
Meet Point: The Fox House country pub, Longshaw House, Hathersage Rd, Longshaw, Sheffield S11 7TY
Distance: 6 miles

Parking: Park at The Fox House country pub with their kind permission, Longshaw House, Hathersage Rd, Longshaw, Sheffield S11 7TY, where we’ll have lunch after the walk optionally, unless you wish to take a packed lunch or do something else for lunch. Please Note: It is possible that by the time we travel, The Fox House will have formalised their car park as a public ticketed car park.

Alternative Parking: Alternatively, there’s a municipal car park 200 metres south of the Fox House pub at National Trust Car Park – Longshaw Estate – Woodcroft, Grindleford, Sheffield S11 7TZ.

Padley Gorge is an enchanting ancient woodland and brook in a valley, unlike anything else. Its twisted trees, wooden bridges and flowing waters give it a fantasy movie feel.

This walk also includes paths to the tucked away Grindleford Station, across the plains past Owler Tor and great views down from the small village of Hathersage Booths.

The Fox House at Longshaw.

Sunday 29th March: Bakewell to Chatsworth House

Start Time: 10:30am
Meet Point: Bath Gardens, on the roundabout (Rutland Square) in the centre of Bakewell, opposite The Rutland Arms Hotel. Address is Rutland Square (Stand B), Bakewell DE45 1BT
Distance: 6 miles

Parking: As this walk starts in Bakewell you’ll already be parked! 🙂

On the Sunday we’re going to pop to the neighbour’s place. …In this case the Duke of Devonshire, Peregrine Cavendish, and the 17th century grand mansion of Chatsworth House.

A 3 mile or so ‘outward’ walk gets us there, and after we’ve explore the house and estate – and had lunch – it will be another 3 miles about in the different return leg; about 6 to 7 miles in total, plus a bit more depending on how much you want to walk around the Estate and grounds or just sit with a coffee instead.

In addition to the option of your own packed lunch, there are several options for eating at Chatsworth, including The Carriage House Café…

…the luxurious Cavendish Restaurant (with prices to match)…

…and various ‘Food to Go’ options at the Chatsworth Park Shop, the Tea Shop, and various food trucks serving everything from stone baked pizza to fresh scones….

Video

This video shows the beauty of Bakewell, where we’ll be based.

“Base Camp Bakewell”

For snacks, self-catering and packed lunch filling there are two supermarkets in the town;

A Co-op close to the centre, on Market St, Bakewell DE45 1DS, about 300 metres from the central roundabout and The Rutland Arms Hotel.
and an Aldi just out of town; Ashford Rd, Bakewell DE45 1GL

Refunds

Refunds cannot be given except on a first come basis if the full capacity of the event is reached AND someone from the Waitlist pays for the event.

Group Ethos

This is an inclusive, boundaries respecting group. Participants must act in accordance with this at all times. Failure to do so will result in instant removal from the event and group without refund.

What to do next?

Don’t book any accommodation before you’ve confirmed your place with me.

Speak to me or message me to let me know you’d like to go.
I’ll let you have bank details to make a payment.
Then you can set about arranging accommodation.

You can call me on 07758 351 527.

I look forward to seeing you there,

James

A Weekend in Lavenham and Suffolk, 2026

Thursday, December 4th, 2025

Date: 12th – 14th June 2026
Base Location: Lavenham, Suffolk
Price: £40

Overview: A weekend of walking and community in June, based in the famous Suffolk village of Lavenham, pictured above.

With over 300 listed buildings, Lavenham is the best-preserved Medieval town in England.

Lavenham and the surrounding villages of Long Melford, Clare and Cavendish are picture postcard locations made famous by the 80s TV show, ‘Lovejoy’, aided by the nearby towns of Sudbury and Bury St. Edmunds.

Lavenham itself, with its timber-framed buildings and painted homes was the real life inspiration for J.K. Rowling’s fictional village, Godric’s Hollow, in the Harry Potter book and film series.

Scenes from the Deathly Hallows Part One were filmed in Lavenham.

You’ll need to arrange your own accommodation for the Friday and Saturday nights.

Friday 12th June

It doesn’t really matter what time you arrive in Lavenham on the Friday night, but if you’re arriving early enough you can rendezvous to dine and socialize with those from the group who have already arrived, should you wish to.

I’ll be around from 6:00 pm until at least 9:00 pm. We’ll use the Lobby Lounge of one of the Lavenham hotels and I’ll advise which one nearer the time.

Saturday 13th June – Morning Walk

Start Time: 10:30am
Meet Point: Nowton Park Car Park
Distance: 5 miles

Parking: Nowton Park car park is £3 for over 2 hours, which we’ll need. Address: Nowton Park, IP29 5LU. Here’s the West Suffolk Council web page for the car park.

Our morning walk starts from – and proceeds through and around – Nowton Park; a 200 acre estate and manor house built in 1837 on the outskirts of Bury St. Edmunds, 10 miles North of Lavenham.

It’s a delightful environment in which to reconnect with nature for three miles, before venturing further afield toward Hencote Lane and High Green.

Of course, as we’ll be here in June, sadly the daffodils will be gone.

Afternoon Activities

After the walk, our touristy activities take us into Bury St. Edmunds, where we will meet up for lunch (optionally – of course all elements of the weekend are optional) and then the afternoon is yours to explore the town as you wish.

Bury St Edmunds has a history stretching back over 1,000 years, originating as the Anglo-Saxon settlement of Beodricsworth around the 7th century. The town was one of the royal boroughs of the Saxons.

Sigebert, king of the East Angles, founded Beodricesworth monastery here about 633, which in 924 became the burial place of King Edmund the Martyr, who was slain by the Danes in 869, and ‘Bury’ owed most of its early celebrity to the reputed miracles performed at the shrine of the martyr king. The town grew around Bury St Edmunds Abbey, a site of pilgrimage.

One option is to visit Moyse’s Hall Museum, as shown in the two photos below…

Saturday 13th June – Optional Evening Walk

Start Time: 7:00pm
Meet Point: By the War Memorial, Market Place, on Market Lane; Lavenham, CO10 9QZ. This is in the market ‘square’ area in front of the distinctive National Trust – Lavenham Guildhall building.
Distance: 5.5 miles

Parking: As this walk starts in Lavenham you’ll already be parked! 🙂

In the Summer, evening walks is what we do, so as this weekend is intentionally designed for the height of Summer, we’ll schedule an optional evening walk on the Saturday, too.

As we approach the weekend we’ll modify the itinerary to avoid walking in heat, and evening walks are a perfect way to allow us to do that.

This walk takes us from Lavenham, to the nearby small village of Brent Eleigh, and back round in a circular loop.

The War Memorial, Market Place, on Market Lane; Lavenham, CO10 9QZ.

The National Trust – Lavenham Guildhall building, in the same square as the war memorial.

Brent Eleigh and village sign.

We’ll end the walk going past the famous pub, The Swan at Lavenham.

Sunday 14th June

Start Time: 10:30am
Meet Point: By the War Memorial, Market Place, on Market Lane; Lavenham, CO10 9QZ (pictured below). This is in the market ‘square’ area in front of the distinctive National Trust – Lavenham Guildhall building.
Distance: 6 miles

Parking: As this walk starts in Lavenham you’ll already be parked! 🙂

The Lavenham Walk is an established route, using an old railway line which starts just a couple of hundred yards away at the top of the High Street.

The War Memorial, Market Place, on Market Lane; Lavenham, CO10 9QZ.

The National Trust – Lavenham Guildhall building. The war memorial we’ll meet at is in front of this majestic edifice.

Video

This video shows the colourful beauty of Lavenham, where we’ll be based.

“Base Camp Lavenham”

For snacks, self-catering and packed lunch filling there’s;

East of England Co-op Village Shop opposite The Swan on the High Street
A regular Co-op at the other (Northern) end of the High Street
And an olde worlde style Londis (A.R. Heeks) on Market Place (see below)

Refunds

Refunds cannot be given except on a first come basis if the full capacity of the event is reached AND someone from the Waitlist pays for the event.

Group Ethos

This is an inclusive, boundaries respecting group. Participants must act in accordance with this at all times. Failure to do so will result in instant removal from the event and group without refund.

What to do next?

Don’t book any accommodation before you’ve confirmed your place with me.

Speak to me or message me to let me know you’d like to go.
I’ll let you have bank details to make a payment.
Then you can set about arranging accommodation.

You can call me on 07758 351 527.

I look forward to seeing you there,

James

A Weekend in the Cotswolds, 2026

Sunday, September 14th, 2025

Date: 2nd – 4th January 2026
Base Location: Bourton-on-the-Water, Gloucestershire
Price: £40

Overview: A weekend of walking and community in January, based in the Cotswolds town of Bourton-on-the Water, pictured above.

Bourton is known as the ‘Venice of the Cotswolds’ for its five bridges which cross the River Windrush which runs through its centre.

The weekend takes in all three of the most beautiful and famous villages in the Cotswolds, with a Saturday walk and visit from the large village of Broadway and a Sunday walk and visit from the village of Bibury.

You’ll need to arrange your own accommodation for the Friday and Saturday nights.

Friday 2nd January

It doesn’t really matter what time you arrive in Bourton on the Friday night, but if you’re arriving early enough you can rendezvous to dine and socialize with those from the group who have already arrived, should you wish to.

I’ll be around from 6:00 pm until at least 8:30 pm. We’ll use the Lobby Lounge of The Old Manse Hotel, just behind the war memorial, for our Friday evening meetup, where you can also dine by the fireplace, as we did last year.

Saturday 3rd January

Start Time: 10:30am
Meet Point: By the War Memorial, The Green, High Street, Broadway WR12 7AA
Distance: 7.5 miles

Parking: There are two public car parks, both about 700 metres, 7 minutes walk, from our meeting point at the War Memorial:

Milestone Ground Car Park, Childswickham Road, Broadway, WR12 7HA
Shear House Car Park, Leamington Road Broadway, WR12 7ET

For both of these, 10 hours = £4, and both are open Mon-Sun 8:00 am to 6:00 pm. I recommend parking at the Shear House Car Park on Leamington Road, as the walk from there takes you down the beautiful High Street, so that can be considered the start of your walk to take in the sights.

The Saturday walk will be from the village of Broadway, 12 miles (26 minute drive) to the North of Bourton-on-the-Water.

Broadway is famous for its attractive main street, the High Street, with its many beautiful buildings constructed in the mellow local stone. The village sits beneath the main ridge of the Cotswold Hills, providing this stunning backdrop.

This walk takes us along the Cotswold Way National Trail as a basis for visiting three villages of Stanton, Laverton and Buckland to the South.

There are a lot of great views on this route and some woodland to enjoy, too.

Stanton:

Laverton:

Buckland:

Afternoon Activities

After the walk, our official tourist activity will be to visit Broadway Tower, a seven minute (4 mile) drive, but this is optional – spend the rest of the day however you wish to.

Broadway Tower is the highest point in the Cotswolds. It has a museum within its three floors and access to a lookout platform at the top. There’s also a nuclear bunker.

It’s also dog-friendly.

If anyone of an unusually high energy would like to, you can walk to Broadway Tower by walking East up the High Street and taking this right-turn footpath (pictured below) to the tower, but you will have to self-navigate. It’s a 1.5 mile walk there from the War Memorial, and the same distance back, of course (though you may be able to arrange a lift back with a friend).

Last admission for Broadway Tower is 4:15pm, and it closes at 4:30pm, so anyone walking there will need to bear time in mind. Adult tickets are £14 excluding the Nuclear Bunker, or £20 including it.

Website: Broadway Tower (opens in a new window)

Sunday 4th January

Start Time: 10:30am
Meet Point: Opposite The Swan Hotel, Bibury, GL7 5NW
Distance: 7 miles

Parking: Parking is relatively easy in Bibury off season. There are two places to park:

Free parking on ‘The Street’, the main road through the village, which has parking along one side.
There’s a small free car park opposite Bibury Trout Farm, up Ablington Lane, with an overflow car park further up the lane.

Both of these parking options are very near our meeting point, opposite The Swan Hotel.

Bibury is 12 miles (25 minute drive) to the South of Bourton-on-the-Water.

The Swan Hotel is on the famous bend on the main road, (B4425), the most recognised central focal part of the village, as pictured in the first photograph below.

Bibury is perhaps the most famous of all the Cotswolds villages, and the 14th century row of cottages at Arlington Row are certainly the most photographed.

The Sunday morning walk is a 7 mile route from Bibury to Coln St Aldwyns, where The New Inn provides amenities half way round.

We’ll go via the courtyard of St Mary’s Church and the River Coln, and of course go via Arlington Row (below).

The New Inn and other sights in Coln St Aldwyns.

Afternoon Activities

After the walk, our provisional official tourist activity will be to visit Broughton Castle (pictured below) near Banbury on the drive home, £11 per adult ticket, however, if some wish to you can go for the more expensive Blenheim Palace – tickets from £38 – also on the drive home, North of Oxford.

Oxford does make a natural place to gather prior to the final leg of the drive home.

Of course, these are again all optional and the rest of the day is yours to spend as you wish. Here are some other possibilities in Bourton…

Other Attractions in Bourton-on-the-Water

Birdland in Bourton on the Water: £13.95 for adults or £12.95 when booked online. Closes 5:00pm, Last Entry at 4:00pm. Birdland in Bourton has over 500 birds including penguins and flamingos. (Website)

The Model Village: £4.50 for adults. Closes 3:30pm. The Model Village in Bourton on the Water can be found behind the Old New Inn and is a one ninth scale model of Bourton-on-the-Water (Website)

Cotswold Motoring Museum: £8.50 for adults. Open 10:00am to 6:00pm every day. (Website)

Christmas Lights and Atmosphere

As we’ll be visiting in the first weekend of January, the Christmas lights will still be in place in Bourton and the post-Christmas atmosphere will still be there to enjoy. Bourton Parish Council have confirmed the lights won’t be taken down until on or after the 6th January.

Video

This video shows two of our destinations; Bourton-on-the-Water (at 3 mins 42) and Bibury (at 12 mins 15).

“Base Camp Bourton”

For snacks, self-catering and packed lunch filling there’s a Londis/Budgeons in Bourton-on-the-Water, on the High Street, GL54 2AQ, in the main area by the river, 100 yards South of the War Memorial. Click this link to see the exact location in Google Street View.

For catering shopping in Broadway (on the Saturday) there’s a walkway opposite the War Memorial in the High Street that takes you through to a good sized Co-op store, just 100 yards away. It’s open 7am to 9pm on a Saturday. Address: Russell Square, Back Ln, Broadway WR12 7AP.

There are two public toilets in Bourton, both of which charge 40p:

Church Rooms, GL54 2AX – on the corner of the High Street and Rectory Lane.
and Rissington Road, GL54 2DR – next to the Rissington Road Long Stay Car Park.

Refunds

Refunds cannot be given except on a first come basis if the full capacity of the event is reached AND someone from the Waitlist pays for the event.

Group Ethos

This is an inclusive, boundaries respecting group. Participants must act in accordance with this at all times. Failure to do so will result in instant removal from the event and group without refund.

What to do next?

Don’t book any accommodation before you’ve confirmed your place with me.

Speak to me or message me to let me know you’d like to go.
I’ll let you have bank details to make a payment.
Then you can set about arranging accommodation.

You can call me on 07758 351 527.

I look forward to seeing you there,

James

A Weekend in the Cotswolds

Sunday, October 20th, 2024

Date: 3rd – 5th January 2025
Base Location: Bourton-on-the-Water, Gloucestershire
Price: £40

Overview: A weekend of walking and community in January, based in the Cotswolds town of Bourton-on-the Water, pictured above.

Bourton is known as the ‘Venice of the Cotswolds’ for its five bridges which cross the River Windrush which runs through its centre.

You’ll need to arrange your own accommodation for the Friday and Saturday nights.

Friday 3rd January

I’ll be around from 6:00 pm until at least 8:30 pm. We’ll use the Lobby Lounge of The Old Manse Hotel, just behind the war memorial, for our Friday evening meetup.

Saturday 4th January

Start Time: 10:30am
Meet Point: By the War Memorial, The Green, High Street, Broadway WR12 7AA
Distance: 7.5 miles

Parking: There are two public car parks, both about 700 metres, 7 minutes walk, from our meeting point at the War Memorial:

Milestone Ground Car Park, Childswickham Road, Broadway, WR12 7HA
Shear House Car Park, Leamington Road Broadway, WR12 7ET

The Saturday walk will be from the village of Broadway, 12 miles (26 minute drive) to the North of Bourton-on-the-Water.

This walk takes us along the Cotswold Way National Trail as a basis for visiting three villages of Stanton, Laverton and Buckland to the South.

There are a lot of great views on this route and some woodland to enjoy, too.

Stanton:

Laverton:

Buckland:

Afternoon Activities

After the walk, our official tourist activity will be to visit Broadway Tower, a seven minute (4 mile) drive, but this is optional – spend the rest of the day however you wish to.

Broadway Tower is the highest point in the Cotswolds. It has a museum within its three floors and access to a lookout platform at the top. There’s also a nuclear bunker.

It’s also dog-friendly.

Website: Broadway Tower (opens in a new window)

Sunday 5th January

Start Time: 10:00am
Meet Point: Outside The Kingsbridge Inn, Riverside (off the High Street), Bourton-on-the-Water, GL54 2BS
Distance: 5.6 miles

Parking: If your accommodation isn’t within walking distance of the centre of Bourton, there are two car parks:

The Rissington Road Long Stay Car Park, on Rissington Road, at GL54 2BN. There’s also a public toilet next to this car park which charges 40p.
The Station Road Car Park at GL54 2EN.

Both of these car parks are about 400 metres from our meeting point for the walk at the centre of Bourton village.

The Sunday morning walk is a 5.6 mile stroll from the centre of our base town, Bourton-on-the-Water.

This is an easier walk as, for most people, this will be the travelling back day.

Our route takes us through the two nearby villages of Upper Slaughter and Lower Slaughter; two of the jewels of the Cotswolds.

The descent down towards Upper Slaughter gives a great view over the village, which also has a delightful ford.

The walk through Lower Slaughter includes going right past this delightful mill.

Lower Slaughter also has some stunning riverside scenery.

Afternoon Activities

Oxford does make a natural place to gather prior to the final leg of the drive home.

Of course, these are again all optional and the rest of the day is yours to spend as you wish. Here are some other possibilities in Bourton…

Other Attractions in Bourton-on-the-Water

The Model Village: £4.50 for adults. Closes 3:30pm. The Model Village in Bourton on the Water can be found behind the Old New Inn and is a one ninth scale model of Bourton-on-the-Water (Website)

Cotswold Motoring Museum: £8.50 for adults. Open 10:00am to 6:00pm every day. (Website)

Christmas Lights and Atmosphere

Video

This video shows two of our destinations; Bourton-on-the-Water (at 3 mins 42) and Lower Slaughter (at 7 mins 10).

“Base Camp Bourton”

There are two public toilets in Bourton, both of which charge 40p:

Church Rooms, GL54 2AX – on the corner of the High Street and Rectory Lane.
and Rissington Road, GL54 2DR – next to the Rissington Road Long Stay Car Park.

Refunds

Refunds cannot be given except on a first come basis if the full capacity of the event is reached AND someone from the Waitlist pays for the event.

Group Ethos

This is an inclusive, boundaries respecting group. Participants must act in accordance with this at all times. Failure to do so will result in instant removal from the event and group without refund.

What to do next?

Don’t book any accommodation before you’ve confirmed your place with me.

Speak to me or message me to let me know you’d like to go.
I’ll let you have bank details to make a payment.
Then you can set about arranging accommodation.

You can call me on 07758 351 527.

I look forward to seeing you there,

James

Can a Dating Coach Save You Time and Money?

Tuesday, May 25th, 2021

People like to take a romantic view of relationships, but if we pause that for a moment and look at the cold, hard facts, we can see that a Dating Coach can conceivably help you save a great deal of time and money.

Apart from the happiness a relationship can bring, it also brings shared bills! If you are two people sharing rent or mortgage, plus all other household bills, that might easily be saving you £5,000 to £10,000 per year. So the difference between taking one year to find a partner and taking three years to find a partner might be £10,000 to £20,000. If a relationship is the difference between needing to rent and being able to buy, it could be much more.

Then consider what cost a failed relationship is in years (and heartache – and lost youth opportunity). Choose an unsuitable relationship and it could cost you ten years! In addition to the time the relationship itself takes, there is also the time of the recovery period afterwards. You probably don’t want to go five years and then find you have irreconcilable differences as to whether you want children.

Compared to all that, £1,000 invested in knowing yourself, and what you want in a relationship, and in skills to assess other people’s suitability for the part could be considered a snip.

So all in all, a lot of valuable time – the years of our lives – and money is tied up in making good relationship decisions and related skills. The key is to find your own personal balance between discernment and speed, according to what is most important to you. Some people will naturally be more discerning than others.

Interview with Kylie Stedman on Social Prevention and Responses to Violence

Tuesday, March 16th, 2021

In response to the national focus upon male violence in the UK, following the death, alleged abduction and murder of Sarah Everard by a British police officer, and the wider topic of women’s lack of safety on the streets, James Blacker informally asked Australian friend and colleague and Global Commons Trust visionary, Kylie Stedman, for her thoughts on potentially more effective approaches.

James is the Founder of Kissing Consciousness and Author of the Kissing Consciousness Handbook, of which Kylie is also the Editor.

Kylie Stedman: I can see why people are objecting. The whole situation is sickening and it sucks.

That said, I’m also not entirely sure police were left with much choice given the general state of covid-stupidity we’re swimming in (on all sides), and I’m really really wishing we’d get a bit more strategic in our approach to social change than just defaulting to protests.

Pragmatically speaking, protests alone are not going to change anything we need changed, and worse, their most obvious outcome is to polarise opinions even more than they are already. The degree to which our society is polarised, and increasingly polarising, truly sickens me too.

I’m so tired of the way we delude ourselves that we’re doing something useful just by talking about being “anti” something we don’t like, particularly via tweet-storming-virtue-signalling on social media.

James Blacker: Okay, cool. What would you have people who care do, instead of protesting?

Kylie Stedman: Off the top of my head:

1. Demand and arrange free self-defence classes for everyone who wants to learn, and especially girls and women.
2. Pledge to stand up for each other in the moment, when something happens, and get a (free to user) app built to support that. For example – combine GPS with an easy way to send an alert (e.g. a wearable call button) to every person nearby who is part of the network when help is needed, so potential witnesses can physically converge on the place where the caller feels unsafe. (Apparently Uber Eats can manage this. Why not a women’s safety commons network?)
3. Develop wearable but unobtrusive 360 degree personal security cameras that send live footage to encrypted temporary cloud storage. The footage would be forwarded to trusted third parties either live when the wearer activates it (e.g. with a wearable call button) or based on a time-activated ‘dead man’s switch’ function should the wearer not check in for a preset period of time.

The underlying strategy for these 3 suggestions is to effectively undermine a potential perpetrator’s ability to perform an accurate ‘risk analysis’ on a target in a given situation. This means that for tech solutions it’s important to make the tech as cheap and accessible as possible (and preferably free, at least for those who can’t afford them), and to help everyone set the tech up to work for them.

I’m sure there are many other actions that might be usefully taken though. Just brainstorming and trying out a few possible ‘solutioning’ actions would be a great start … much more useful than protests and retweets which basically demand that someone else should “do something”.

[James Blacker: I didn’t ask at the time: What’s a ‘dead man’s switch’ function?]

James Blacker: I like those ideas! 2 and 3 are great ideas. 1 is a valid idea, although at the moment in the UK would lead to accusations of not ‘reading the room’, because the feeling is women have to bend to what is a male-caused problem.

Kylie Stedman: That would be a fair accusation, actually, because I don’t consider ‘reading the room’ to be anywhere near as important as actually preventing this kind of violence from happening. I want everyone to be able to safely walk the streets. And in my opinion, expecting men to solve this problem on behalf of women is very nearly as delusional as expecting babies to clean up after themselves or fish to climb trees. The men who would help women to solve the problem are rarely the same men as those who would aggress against us, and those who aggress against us are highly unlikely to help us. And to be blunt – if the room can’t see that, I don’t put much stock in the value of its opinions.

I also know first-hand that learning how to physically defend oneself can make a difference. One evening when I was 18, I was walking home from the train station when a man materialised from what seemed like nowhere and grabbed my arm. There’s not much more to tell, because I’ve never been able to remember what happened between the sensation of his hand closing on my upper arm, and ‘waking up’ just inside the front door of my home to find my heart pounding, and my elbow, knee and hand all throbbing painfully. Once I noticed all that, shock finally kicked in and I started shaking. I’d apparently fought then fled on pure reflex, thanks – I imagine – to a childhood which included taekwondo lessons as well as some physical tussling with my brother. Fighting back won’t always work, but that time, having those fight reflexes kick in (rather than the default freeze/faint/flee reflexes that non-fighters usually have) quite possibly saved my life. Maybe the best gift we can ask of the men who care for us is to teach us to fight, to help us find and develop a healthy and respectful relationship with our own physical capabilities.

You mentioned “cause”, which reminds me that another concern I have is the way we systemically deal with the damage actually caused through violence, and the ongoing consequences of it. I think we need to question some of the key axioms underpinning our current fault-based legal system, which results in much of the loss and damage of violence falling entirely on victims and their families. I think as a society we should default to distributing those losses and costs without first trying to assign guilt/blame for them, as a kind of social guarantee.

James Blacker: Oh, I see. You’re not comfortable finding fault in the male perpetrator? Or the system?

Kylie Stedman: I don’t think that compensating a victim for an injury they’ve suffered should be dependent on finding someone to blame for the injury.

James Blacker: Should it be based on guilt?

Kylie Stedman: No, I don’t think so. I think that if society fails to protect a citizen from harm, then society should take responsibility for the losses resulting from that harm. The question of guilt should be a separate question altogether.

James Blacker: Isn’t that finding fault in society? Blaming society?

Kylie Stedman: I don’t think so. I don’t think blaming or fault-finding is naturally relevant to the question of caring for those impacted. The loss occurs, it’s happened, regardless of whether those who caused the loss are ever held accountable. The question I’m asking here is who should wear the loss? Should the victim be treated as responsible for the loss they’ve suffered? I think in many cases that’s essentially what we do now. A victim (and the secondary victims who care for them) can’t escape the losses suffered, but as a society we make compensating them for that loss (for which they are not at fault!) contingent on finding someone else to blame. How do we justify that?! What sort of shitty social contract is that?!

I really think we need to start talking seriously about a social insurance/guarantee/warranty for those who suffer loss. It’s completely unfair to make a victim’s compensation dependent on first legally assigning blame/guilt to a perpetrator.

James Blacker: My point being surely there has to be some decision of whether someone’s entitled to the money, otherwise there would be nothing to stop it being given to everyone.

Kylie Stedman: I think that’s a different issue again. I’m really just drawing a distinction between (a) compensating a victim and (b) blaming a perpetrator, and saying I believe that (a) should not be dependent on (b).

James Blacker: Cool. I like that belief.

It would be a tough sell to the women of this country that a perpetrator is not to blame.

Kylie Stedman: I’m not saying that.

James Blacker: Ok. Thought not.

Kylie Stedman: To clarify, I’m saying that a victim should be able to receive compensation for their loss regardless of whether or not a perpetrator is ever found legally guilty.

James Blacker: Ah, that makes good sense. Then there’s the hurdle of those complaining that a woman might get compensation without ‘proof’.

Kylie Stedman: That would be a false dichotomy. I’d propose that a victim would need to prove they suffered a loss because they were attacked (with the question of “by whom” being largely irrelevant). The standard of proof would be “on the balance of probabilities”, not “beyond a reasonable doubt” i.e. they would need to satisfy the civil burden of proof, not the criminal one.

James Blacker: Ah cool. Sounds very feasible. But costly – and fair – so no wonder the Government haven’t implemented such a thing.

Kylie Stedman: Exactly. So I reckon if people worked together to get that kind of victim compensation law in place, they’d be accomplishing something very real and very valuable for society.

James Blacker: So create a national commons trust to put pressure on?

Kylie Stedman: It doesn’t have to be a formal trust, although we are indeed talking about a commons. I suspect a self-organised informal lobby group would suffice to get it done. Some people who are legally savvy could draft the legislation. Then someone who is in a position to do so could table it in parliament. Or whatever the appropriate process is in the UK.

The real purpose of protest, as I see it, is to raise public awareness about an issue. And there are other effective tactics which can be used to raise public awareness, especially when the message to be brought to attention is FOR an action that people can cohere and organise around, rather than AGAINST some amorphous, complex and undesirable state of affairs.

Some examples: Create and circulate a petition to collect a huge number of signatures. Pay to advertise the desired action on the sides of buses. Ask landowners to write it up in huge letters on their fields (or get people to lie down in letter shapes on the grass in a public space) and take aerial photos of the message. Print the message on t-shirts. Sky-writing. Badges. Scarves. Whatever. Distribute it on social media, which has surely got to be good for something other than polarising us.

Oh, and where there is a perpetrator, society can always fine/bill them to make restitution and help pay for the costs of compensating victims. Who knows, authorities might be even more motivated to commit resources to chasing perpetrators of violence if they’re debtors and the costs of not recuperating damages from perpetrators for the consequences of their actions are significant. 😉

James Blacker: Do you mean if the perpetrator is FOUND GUILTY society can fine or bill them?

Kylie Stedman: Yes, if they’re found guilty, based on the appropriate (criminal) standard of proof of “beyond reasonable doubt”.

PS. It seems there is some compensation available in the UK already. Not sure about how many hoops need to be jumped through, and whether or not it is anything like adequate.

Met Police: How victims of crime can apply for compensation

Friday, October 9th, 2020