I sometimes wish I could just go out for a walk. Of course, there's the usual planning that needs to be done - routes, timings, kit etc. But then features and words on the map start to take over and the route begins to slide off the beaten track. Then the research starts; visits to the library, local museums, trawling the internet, going back through my own collection of books and magazines to try and build the story about where I'll be walking.
While on a training course we came across an engine in a gulley. It came from a Wellington aircraft which crashed during WWII. The map showed, and we could see in the distance, the memorial to crew who lost their lives in the crash in 1942. Our route that day didn't go any closer, but it rekindled a childhood passion for military aircraft and led much reading, research and trips to museums and cemeteries. I now know more than I did, but there's always more to learn.
The 6th July marks the 72nd anniversary of that Wellington R1465 crashing on a lonely Welsh mountainside in the Brecon Beacons. Five members of the Royal Canadian Air Force lost their lives a long way from their homes. I will be leading a guided walk up to the memorial for the crew to share what I have learnt, to remember the sacrifices made by aircrew, and to raise money for the RAF Benevolent Fund. Join us if you can, but if you can't then take this with you.
Don't just go for a walk - scratch the surface and dig a little deeper. The enjoyment of your day will increase, your understanding of the landscape will deepen, and your travels will start to lead you to new and rarely visited sites.
Now that's what going for a walk should be all about.
While on a training course we came across an engine in a gulley. It came from a Wellington aircraft which crashed during WWII. The map showed, and we could see in the distance, the memorial to crew who lost their lives in the crash in 1942. Our route that day didn't go any closer, but it rekindled a childhood passion for military aircraft and led much reading, research and trips to museums and cemeteries. I now know more than I did, but there's always more to learn.
The 6th July marks the 72nd anniversary of that Wellington R1465 crashing on a lonely Welsh mountainside in the Brecon Beacons. Five members of the Royal Canadian Air Force lost their lives a long way from their homes. I will be leading a guided walk up to the memorial for the crew to share what I have learnt, to remember the sacrifices made by aircrew, and to raise money for the RAF Benevolent Fund. Join us if you can, but if you can't then take this with you.
Don't just go for a walk - scratch the surface and dig a little deeper. The enjoyment of your day will increase, your understanding of the landscape will deepen, and your travels will start to lead you to new and rarely visited sites.
Now that's what going for a walk should be all about.