Newsletter > Newsletter archive > May 2022
May 2022
Walkingworld's first real world venue
We are coming to the end of the long and arduous renovation of a beautiful little building in our home town of Kirkby Stephen, Cumbria. The Old Forge (in the centre of the picture) will be Walkingworld's first real world meeting place. It has taken over three years to bring the Grade II listed building back into proper repair. The original structure dates back to at least the 18th century, when it would have been a simple blacksmith's workshop with storage loft above. The forge fire would, we believe, have been in a single storey section at the back, which is becoming our mini beer cellar, kitchen and bar.
The refurbishment has been designed to create a flexible space for get-togethers, presentations, music nights or simply a place to relax and get something to eat and drink. Yes, we do have an alcohol licence, but also a very red barista coffee machine! We're also putting in a complete cinema system so we can show films and videos and support visiting speakers.
We'll be there in person most days we're open so we look forward to chatting or answering any outdoor related questions you may have. We hope that, along with our friends at Mad About Mountains just up the road and all the people in the Kirkby Stephen Walkers are Welcome group (including some great guest house owners), we can make our little corner of Cumbria a rewarding place to visit. You can keep in touch with progress on The Old Forge on the Old Forge Facebook page.
Sicily is special!
According to the German poet, playwright and author, Goethe, "To have seen Italy without having seen Sicily is not to have seen Italy at all, for Sicily is the clue to everything."
It was Sicily's heady blend of Roman and Greek heritage, ravishing scenery, and astonishing quality of light that left such an indelible impression on Goethe. Today, still largely below the radar of most visitors to Italy, that same intoxicating fusion of landscape and culture continues to thrive beneath the Sicilian sun.
Arguably the best way to discover Sicily's magic, is to lace up the hiking boots and head to its mountains, villages and remote islands, on one of Inntravel's self-guided walking holidays.
Flower-filled uplands, craggy limestone peaks, and ancient hill-top towns with dizzying views of Mount Etna, feature on The Mountains of Sicily walking holiday, set in Madonie Natural Park. Staying in ancestral accommodation and enjoying traditional cuisine, you can discover the authentic, unchanged face of rural Sicily.
Further west, the Wonders of Western Sicily holiday takes you to the wildest and most remote of the arcadian Egadi Islands to follow seldom-trod paths across thyme-clad slopes. Returning to the mainland, an exploration of Zingaro Nature Reserve reveals a cornucopia of flora; secluded white shingle coves; and eagles, kestrels and peregrine falcons circling overhead.
You don't have to be an artist or a poet to find beauty and inspiration on Sicily, it's simply special. Explore more of Sicily
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Lyme Disease awareness campaign
This month Mad About Mountains is supporting the Lyme Disease UK #Wakeuptolyme campaign. Lyme Disease is a bacterial infection most commonly contracted from a tick bite. It is becoming more prevalent in the UK and can be difficult to treat if not diagnosed early. It can be a life changing disease so for walkers it is important to be aware.
You can protect yourself and your pets by wearing insect repellent (there are also pet friendly sprays) and avoiding long grass by sticking to pathways where possible. If you must walk in long grass tuck your trousers into socks, wear light trousers and brush off any visible ticks. When you get home check yourself and pets for ticks. If you find a tick, remove it immediately with a removal tool. Do not just pull it out!
Not everyone will get the 'bullseye' rash that is commonly associated with the disease. Symptoms can include fatigue, headaches, flu like symptoms, facial palsy, joint pain, nausea and a stiff neck. If you get any symptoms after a tick bite visit your GP as soon as possible.
Mad About Mountains have repellent and removal tools along with information sheets and cards. For more information visit www.lymediseaseuk.com or read the clinical guidance at www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng95
Outdoor Map Navigator half price offer
If you are looking for an Ordnance Survey mapping app with a clean simple interface, we think Anquet's Outdoor Map Navigator (OMN) is an excellent option. With an OMN subscription, you can access the latest Ordnance Survey 1:25,000 Explorer and 1:50,000 Landranger maps within Anquet's apps for PC, macOS, Android and iOS.
OMN has all the tools you need to plan and plot your outdoor adventures. You can also download GPX route files from Walkingworld and import them. You can print high resolution OS maps with the route overlaid and/or take your mobile phone or tablet so you can see your progress in real-time by use of GPS.
You can start a free seven day trial on the Anquet website. Whilst signing up, use the coupon code WaWo22 to get 50% off your first year's subscription should you continue beyond the free trial.
Walkers are Welcome in Baildon
Here's an idea that other towns might consider emulating. Children in the four primary schools in Baildon, West Yorkshire, have all been given a free copy of a booklet to take home to their families. The aim is to encourage them to leave their cars at home and enjoy walking to and from local towns and villages.
Thanks to a grant from Shipley Area Committee's Climate Action Fund, Baildon Walkers are Welcome have described and mapped walking routes to 11 neighbouring towns and villages including Ilkley, Guiseley, Idle, Shipley, and Bingley, as well as the villages in between. Each walking route includes a written description and map.
For more information about walking in and around Baildon, including details of guided walks and how to get a copy of the "Going Places on foot" book, visit the Baildon Walkers are Welcome website.