Who are the Raggylads?

By The Rambler - January 16 2009
Who are the Raggylads?
Mmmmmmm...
Walks conducted by members of the Raggylads Walking Club (RWC) feature various people at various times, but always involve something between eight and 12 miles, beer and pies. Members are not usually too fussy, and to prove it they have, on occasion, been joined by ... ladies.

  



Cove groupThe walks featured on this site have been completed by any combination of the following personnel (almost in alphabetical order, some of them featured on the right). 

Andy Archer - very rare guest from effete East Anglia and provider of Dijon mustard.
John Cranston – ditto.
Brian Cook - a lot posher than most other members. Absentee in recent years, possibly sulking.
Andrew Friend - hardly ever goes, wears deck shoes.
Sarah Gatenby - a lady, now married, with bairn and living in that Lunnun, so always absent.

Malcolm Herdman - occasional visitor, scratchings addict.
Alan Hinkes – token mountaineer, short arms.
Peter Holland - joins us when he's not in Tenerife.
Bob Johnson – one of the founder members. Hearts supporter.
Andy Kluz – also a founder, provider of “interesting” facts about flora, fauna, beer and railways.
Heather McWilliam – another lady.
Nigel Metcalfe – should have been a vicar.
Jonathan Morrell - his last walk almost crippled him.
Eric Paylor - went once, so just qualifies.
Dave Picken – only gets out when his rugby team lets him.
Arthur Pickering – one of the founders, and catering officer.
Graeme Pickering – no relation to the above. Token young un.
Kenny Toal - another Scot, but younger. Claims he's an AWJ. Husband, father, breadwinner.
Rob Williams – token Welsh person, knees knackered.
Mark Wilson - rarely missed a walk for five years. Passed away January 13, 2009. Missed by all.
Daisy – Kluz’s daft dog and token female, spaniel at the front, sheepdog at the back, or is it the other way round?
Basil – Nigel’s black mutt. Likes rabbits (the dog, not Nigel … we think).

 

Each walk described on the site gives as full a description as we feel necessary, even for those of you who are hard of understanding. But the routes aren’t set in stone and after studying a map you’ll no doubt find alternative routes or alternative starts and finishes that make walks better for you – longer, shorter, less climbs, more pubs, whatever.
The walks are designed so that at least one pub is featured roughly halfway or two thirds of the way round, so that you can enjoy the sort of stuff shown on the right.
It’s a free country and as long as you don’t trespass where you shouldn’t trespass, always follow rights of way, observe the country code and don’t scare the animals you should be all right. However, we would encourage all who try these walks to show as much contempt as possible at every opportunity for those who find it enjoyable, butch, macho or even compulsory to shoot birds, chase foxes or club seals.
As a bonus, you may also poke gentle fun at those you encounter who have managed to keep their boots clean, despite the fact that it’s pouring down and everywhere is very clarty. How DO they do that?
Many of these walks overlap, specially those in Teesdale, and the more energetic might want to join two of them together – more miles, more beer and more blisters.