Trip reports

2005/06 Coach Trips - A Review of the Year

Sunday, 1 October 2006

Our coach trips have become renowned for having good weather even if the days on either side are wet and miserable. This was never so evident as on our May trip to Grasmere when a minor miracle occurred.

The weather forecast had been dire all week, the morning dawned wet and gloomy, and by the time we arrived at our comfort stop in Settle, the rain was like stair-rods. Linda and I revised our plans for the day several times until we noticed a faint glimmer in the sky ahead. That glimmer was to become a completely dry day at Grasmere whilst those who had stayed in Leeds wallowed in the wet all day and pitied us poor souls!

In the end, we couldn't have had a better day, with the birds singing away and enjoying the brief respite from the downpours. So to anyone who cancelled because it was going to be wet - have more faith!
Researching this theme a little further, I discovered that since I took over as Reservations Officer in September 2002, there have been 40 trips of which only 4 have been wet! And they are evenly spaced out at one per year with the most recent being the sleety day at Tophill Low in March 2005. Not that I am taking all the credit for our fair weather fortunes, though!

This year has seen a drop in our average attendance to 39.7, which is the first time for a few years it has been below 40; though the reduction in numbers for Grasmere, from 53 + 2 waiting to only 38 attending, had some effect. However we have still had a waiting list for most of the other trips and have welcomed 21 new members, all of whom seem keen to repeat the experience!

As I go round collecting the money, I receive many comments about how friendly and helpful everyone is, ensuring new people get to see what is around. Thank you all for your contributions in passing on your knowledge and your enthusiasm.

There have been too many wonderful experiences to record them all, but the highlights for me this year have been the huge fall of hundreds of goldcrests at Spurn where they were flying between our legs; the best views many said they had ever had of a flock of twite at Teesmouth; 4 different grebes at Carsington Water; the Christmas card scenery at Martin Mere, with swans sunlit against a snowy background and a clear blue sky above; and the antics of a flock of house martins gathering mud at Grasmere who kept us enthralled.

For details of our 2006/07 trips see the Events section of this website.

Pauline, Reservations Officer