The weather forecast for the day was for cold, windy weather, so bearing this
in mind I donned my winter clothes. However, in my home town of Cleethorpes,
the day had dawned bright and sunny and as I stepped outside to begin my journey,
I was surprised to discover how warm it was. I went back inside to change into
a tee shirt, thinking I would be far too hot at Matlock. The weather held until
30 minutes into the journey when it began to rain…….and didn’t
stop for many miles; definitely a bad omen. I called for friends on the way
and on arrival was met by a delightful Irish Setter welcoming committee, one
of whom just had to jump into the car and inspect the contents. After changing
cars we set off once more.
Although the rain eventually stopped and the sun disappeared, inside the car of course, we had no inkling of the temperature outside. Stepping out of the car at Matlock, I discovered to my dismay that it was not only blowing a gale, but was also freezing cold! It was more like deepest winter than a May Day Bank Holiday and I just knew that I would regret my last minute decision to change my clothes.
Luckily our faithful, loyal walkers are a hardy lot, for the appalling weather did not put them off. In fact we had more walkers than last year, many of whom joined us for the first time. Looking at the photos, you will have an idea of just how cold it was by the way some of the walkers were dressed. Once again the excitement was palpable and there was a convivial atmosphere as everyone gathered ready for the off. And that was just the dogs! There’s definitely something about the feel of the wind up the tail which seems to excite the dogs more than normal. Meanwhile, the walkers tried to appear far warmer than they really must have felt. Once again, we had a variety of breeds supporting our cause, including, Irish Setters, Gordon Setters, English Setters, Greyhounds, several Heinz varieties, (I’m not even going to guess at the up-market names given to some of these), a Border Terrier and a Springer Spaniel.
As always, the walkers set off in groups, each group having an experienced walker to lead the way and make sure that we didn’t lose anyone en route. Eventually the last of the walkers departed and Treetops became a hive of activity, with everyone back at base frantically, buttering bread, filling sandwiches, cutting cakes, setting out the food, preparing the cups ready for that much needed warm drink and sorting out the raffle prizes. It wasn’t long before it felt like we were feeding the five thousand as ravenous freezing cold walkers began to arrive back at base in large numbers. Having set off in several groups, they all seemed to arrive back at the same time!
The garden looked magnificent with the view of the surrounding Derbyshire hills providing the perfect back drop. There is something quintessentially English about a garden party on the lawn surrounded by dogs, albeit rather a lot of them! Not only did they indulge in their fair share of the available food, but they were also rewarded with a bag of doggie treats, very generously provided by Phil & Jackie Cater, who must have spent most of the previous night bagging them all.
Usually, it’s not over ‘till the fat lady sings, but in our case, it’s not over until the last raffle prize has been claimed and inspite of the inclement weather, this year was no different. Last year we raised the astounding sum of £2,136 for Rescue, an amazing feat when you consider the current financial situation in the country. Hopefully this year we will be able to make another generous donation, if you couldn’t join us on the walk but would like to donate to this worthy cause, please send your payment to our Treasurer: Sue Shepherd, at 14 Larch Close, Allestree, Derbyshire, DE22 2JA.
Once more, Steve Lennox very generously allowed us to invade his home and garden. His generosity, the army of willing helpers who work tirelessly behind the scenes, the plucky walkers and their dogs, all help to make this event the success that it is. We couldn’t do it without them. Thanks must also go to the photographers for providing so many great photos, which this year were taken by; Emma Baddeley, Wendy Morley, Neil & Sheila Selman & Stephen & Stephanie Woods. On behalf of the committee of the East Midlands Social Region of the ISBC I would like to say a heartfelt thank you to them all.
Michelle Webster