50 Years Steyning HF Ramblers: 1971 – 2021
In September 1971 a group of friends got together and formed Steyning Ramblers walking group.
The group had a quarterly programme of walks normally every Saturday and/or Sunday averaging 6 -12 miles.
The group always met at Fletchers Croft at 10:00 to car share to the start of the walk. Everyone took turns in leading a walk and a few days in advance, the leader and a friend would check out the proposed route to make sure it was suitable.
For many years the club secretary used a manual typewriter to complete the programme which would include day, date, area to be walked, length of walk and leader’s contact details. This job was made a lot easier with the coming of computers!
The group also started having walking holidays together and through this developed an association with HF Holidays who, for a modest investment and inclusion of ‘HF’ in the group’s title gave the benefit of holiday discounts and 3rd party insurance for the walks.
The club thrived for many years, but sadly the group membership dwindled and eventually the programmes stopped during 2021 when we were not allowed to gather in large numbers.
The club has now closed and in memory of the many happy times spent walking and the many friendships made, the Club’s final funds have been used to have a perching bench made and installed on the bank of the River Arun.
You can find it just after the stile on the western side of the riverbank, south of The White Bridge.
Past members, which included two founder members, Joan Ford and Ann Richards, recently gathered there to inaugurate the bench, share memories and celebrate past members.