On 30th August 20 members set off in 5 cars for a week in Shropshire and arrived safely at Wilderhope Manor, a stately home maintained by the National Trust as a Youth Hostel. What a beautiful place to start - there are 2 spiral staircases and large dormitories and very good food.

Our first day took us via Church Stretton, the Jack Mytton Way (no one seems to know who he was), the Shropshire Way, Wild Moor to Bridges, a much smaller hostel, privately owned, where we were made very welcome.

Day 2 was Virginia's day - a circular walk up to the Long Mynd, where she had laid on a 'fly pass' of gliders fo us ! We spent our coffee break watching gliders doing circuits and bumps on a lovely morning. We continued along the Long Mynd, across a golf course and into Little Stretton for lunch and returned to Bridges via Ashes Hollow and Boiling Well Spring.

On Day 3 we returned to Wilderhope Manor by a different route but lunching again in Church Stretton. The choice of "tea and cake" shops was excellent as was the pub. As the nearest pub to Wilderhope was at least 1.5 miles away most of us spent the evening playing "99" and "Them & Us". "Them" won this because of the way the cards fell in their favour !!

The next day we donned full packs again to move on to Coalport in the Ironbridge Gorge. The route led through Much Wenlock for lunch and followed the Shropshire Way. Coalport Hostel was again very different from the others - a new hostel in a factory converted with Lottery Money and opened in 1997 - a very good job but a few more hooks and places to put things down would have helped.

Saturday started with a walk into Ironbridge along the gorge beside the River Severn. We had tried to visit Ironbridge on Bank Holiday Monday, a mistake as it was packed solid, but it was much quieter now. We went on through pleasant countryside to Little Wenlock and back to Coalport via a long descent back down to the gorge.

On our last day we returned once again to Wilderhope Manor after crossing the Severn, following footpaths through to Much Wenlock (where we had our only rain all week) and along the Shropshire Way.

Huge thanks are due to Roger who had worked out all these complicated routes, not helped by blocked stiles and no way - markers on paths other then the designated routes, ordered the excellent weather, and to Virginia for her first go at leading on an unknown area. We all had a most enjoyable week and are looking forward to next year's trip.

June Caslaw