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Report: Making Hastings count

25/2/2015

National Numeracy charity launches campaign in Hastings.

Maths. No, please don’t shut this tab! And try not to let your eyes glaze over as you consider this...

You’ve got £107.52 and you need to pay a £64.25 bill - how much will you have left for your weekly grocery shop? If you owe £595 on your credit card, which has a monthly interest rate of 14%, how much interest will you be charged? The branded sauce is on special at £2.35 for 200mL and the supermarket’s own brand is £5.09 for 450mL, so which one is better value?

If you struggled to figure these out, you’re not alone. The 2011 Skills for Life survey showed that across the UK, almost half the adult population only had a level of maths skills expected of primary school aged children. Hastings adults’ skills levels were slightly worse than average, with 52% demonstrating primary school level maths competency.

National Numeracy was founded in 2012 to address these issues and improve numeracy skills throughout the UK. The East Sussex-based charity is about to launch a special campaign in Hastings, noting that the town’s record of low-level skills, high unemployment and low incomes are all factors that align with poor numeracy.

Starting on Monday 9 February, National Numeracy will be dropping off leaflets across Hastings and St Leonards, talking to community groups and encouraging people to take the National Numeracy Challenge Online, a free service to help people improve their everyday maths skills. As well as helping to improve people’s numeracy skills, National Numeracy aims to change attitudes to maths, showing how maths is used all the time in daily life, and how everyone can improve their numeracy skills with effort and support.

“Being numerate means being able to use numbers and think mathematically, which is essential for so many aspects of everyday life and work,” says National Numeracy’s chief executive Mike Ellicock. “The National Numeracy Challenge is responding to this need and enabling everyone to start to improve their maths.” The charity notes that poor numeracy can make it hard to manage chronic health conditions like asthma and diabetes, while people with lower numeracy skills can struggle to manage their money and are more likely to get into a spiral of debt. Better numeracy skills can also increase employment opportunities.

Mr Ellicock adds, “To anyone tempted to say ‘I can’t do maths’, we say, ‘Yes, you can’.”

This article first appeared in Hastings Independent, Issue 23, 6 February 2015, p13.

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Walk along the Royal Military Canal

19/2/2015

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From our long list of microadventure ideas, we chose "walk along a canal" as our fifth challenge of the year.

It starts with a few drops of water plunking on the road. Then, as we turn up the path, the storm begins. The rain is so heavy I feel like I’m standing under a cold shower. The wind picks up, then picks up again, lashing around us. The path is muddy and uneven. I fall over.

I figure things can only improve from this point. “Less than three hours to go,” I chant under my breath as we brace ourselves against the headwind and squint into the face-stinging rain. “Just enjoy the experience,” I tell myself. “Getting drenched is all part of the adventure.” I tighten my hood, pull my collar up and my beanie down, and settle in for a long, cold, wet walk.

At one point, I turn my back to the squall and look back along the path. With a sinking heart, I realise we’ve walked less than 200 metres. “Well,” I think, “we only have to do that another 49 times this afternoon and we’ll be finished.”

To be clear, this was not some epic trek through the peaks or fells. In fact, Walland Marsh is the exact opposite of mountains: it’s part of the large, flat expanse that stretches about 30 kilometres (20 miles) as the crow flies from Rye in East Sussex over Romney Marsh to Hythe in Kent. The marshes are bordered to the south by the English Channel and to the north by an escarpment and line of small hills that once marked the edge of dry land. Just beneath that escarpment runs an odd relic of history: the Royal Military Canal.

Canals aren’t something I associate with this part of the country. This one starts and ends at the sea, doesn’t link into a canal network and a quick glance at the surrounding geography and topography shows that, unlike many other canals in the UK, it was surely not designed to transport goods during the industrial revolution. The biggest clue to its purpose is in the name. The Royal Military Canal was constructed between 1804 and 1809 as a defence against a potential invasion by Napoleon’s army.

One of the ideas behind microadventures is to get out and explore your local area in more depth. Despite living about half an hour away and despite being keen canal walkers (they’re flat and there are usually lots of boats and locks and birds and old industrial buildings to look at), we’d barely set foot on the Royal Military Canal. We decided it was time to rectify this absurd state of affairs.

The Met Office had forecast a clear afternoon. We parked in Rye, took the train to Appledore Station and congratulated ourselves for getting out of the house. We had lunch at Miss Mollett's High Class Tearoom and set out to find the canal path.

It was then, dear reader, the mini-blizzard struck. You will recall, we left our brave heroes struggling against the elements. They considered taking shelter in a nearby pillbox, only to find the floor strewn with crisp packets, cans and toilet paper . . .

. . . and then the rain disappears. The path stretches out ahead, clear and straight, on a green bank raised between twin strips of silver: the shimmering canal on the left and the gleaming road on the right.

The wind is still pummelling us, but now we have a view over the sheep pastures up to the Stone-in-Oxney church, across the levels to the wind farm and, most excitingly, up through multiple storeys of vanishing cloud to blue sky.

At first, with few landmarks to mark our pace or distance, the going seems slow. But sometimes these stretches of almost meditative blankness sharpen the mind, so that new details come into focus.

Only on such a long stretch of apparently straight path would I notice the small kinks in the canal, a defensive design to allow a clear firing line over each stretch of water should the feared Napoleonic invasion take place. Only in such an empty place would my eyes catch a flickering flock of long-tailed tits. Only here would I linger for so long at a strangely shaped border marker, tracing my fingers along the carvings until I realise that it is a date - 1806, the year when the canal must have made it from Kent into Sussex. And only after walking for an hour or so in these conditions would I greet the appearance of a disused lock with such enthusiasm.

Iden Lock marks the point at which the canal joins the River Rother. We sit on moss-speckled concrete slabs for our customary tea and biscuits, watching geese and shags fly overhead and gazing at the wind turbines, which shine brilliantly white on the horizon. Iden Lock collected its last toll in 1909 and it’s now no longer operational for passage. But the section of river we are approaching is speckled with small leisure boats - some overturned and half-submerged after a few months of wild winds.

After another mile or so we reach Scots Float sluice, where the river becomes a different creature entirely. This stretch is tidal, open to the sea, and the tide is out. We are treated to mudbanks and flats sparkling with little ponds and lagoons.

Little birds dart through the reeds or pick their way over the mud. As well as the usual suspects, we watch a small formation of pointy-winged birds zoom past, low over the water. Later, the nice person on the Sussex Wildlife Trust Twitter account told me they were probably ringed plover - the stripe on the edge of their wings when in flight is a good identifying feature.

The silhouette of Rye, easily identified by the distinctive hill-top tower of St Mary’s, has been visible on the horizon for a little while. Now we are approaching it at speed. The path becomes well-trampled - a sure sign that we are nearing civilisation - and we pass under the rail bridge, read an interpretation sign and cross the river into town beneath a pretty winter sunset.

This microadventure cost about £25.75 for two of us (petrol, parking, train tickets, lunch, tea and biscuits).

We declared our expedition to be a microadventure success! We would not have gone out in such dicey weather if we hadn't had a challenge to pursue. In the end, after the initial excitement, it turned into a beautiful afternoon and we were glad to be out and about.

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Report: Do you want to play American football?

17/2/2015

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I wrote this as a follow-up to my previous article about the Hastings Conquerors in the Hastings Independent. The 'rookie days' mentioned in this article have now been and gone, but the club is still interested in hearing from anyone keen to get involved.

It is set to be a big year for the Hastings Conquerors. The club is about to enter the national league and is looking for new players and shareholders to join their ranks.

The Conquerors are running a number of ‘rookie days’ in January, to give prospective players a taste of American football (gridiron). The first session in Eastbourne on Sunday 11 January proved popular, with 51 participants including 18 rookies. Potential recruits enjoyed playing alongside established team members and got a feel for the atmosphere of the club.

“Rookie days are a way of getting new people involved in the sport,” said Luke Boorer, the club’s Commercial and Community Manager. “For someone who’s never followed the sport, or only started recently, it can be nerve wracking to come along to an established team. Rookie days are run by our trained coaches to give newcomers the chance to play in different positions and to get a taste of the training, the drill and the pace which all the squad are expected to go through.”

Photo courtesy of Ree Dawes.

Forthcoming taster sessions will be held in Hastings (Tilekiln Rec) from 10am on Sunday 18 January and Battle (Battle Sports Centre) from 11am on Sunday 25 January. Anyone keen to take part needs to wear suitable footwear for grass or 3G (artificial turf), appropriate clothing (tracksuit bottom and a top) and bring a bottle of water and a positive attitude. There will also be a sign-up evening from 7pm on Saturday 31 January at Riley’s Sports Bar in Hastings.

Its not just on the pitch that the club is looking for new members. “We need people to help on the sidelines on the chain crew, coaching assistants, camera operators, statisticians and so on,” said Mr Boorer. “Without these people, teams wouldn't be able to run. We are also on the lookout for new shareholders.”

The Conquerors is a fan-owned, co-operative club, which means all supporters can purchase shares. Each shareholder owns one share and thus has one vote when it comes to decision making time. “It's our shareholders who make us the fantastic club that we are,” said Mr Boorer. “They are a great bunch of people who really are keen to see the club grow and flourish. We have shareholders from the UK to Norway and Hong Kong too, which just shows you don't have to be a local to get involved!”

A share costs £30 initially, but the club recently made the decision to drop annual renewal costs to £10. The club hopes this will encourage more fans to continue their membership. Shareholder Liaison Officer, Clive Raines, said, “The club wants to keep its supporters engaged for years to come and build on its current strong standing.”

For more information about playing with the club, email [email protected]. To find out more about shares contact [email protected].

This article first appeared in Hastings Independent, Issue 22, 23 January 2015, p14.

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Share fifteen first lines from #FLfiction14

12/2/2015

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Only two months behind schedule, I’ve completed the final module of a fantastic MOOC - Start Writing Fiction, run by Open University through the FutureLearn platform.

"Notebook & Pen" by Javier M

When I signed up, I envisaged myself after the eight week course somehow transformed into a writing machine, churning out the stories. If I’m honest, I also imagined myself transported to a writers’ retreat, sitting a room with huge bay windows looking out over a landscaped garden to the hills beyond. Spoiler alert: neither of these things happened.

But my main aim was to develop a creative writing habit, or at least get some words down on paper, and in that respect the course was helpful. It focused on creating characters, which is something I struggle with: I’d happily write atmosphere and scenery all day, which is probably why I’m always writing about walking. We were prompted to use a journal to take notes on a daily basis and there were short exercises drawn from these observations each week. I found it invigorating to be forced to create new characters and scenarios to a tight deadline and I’m leaving the course with half a dozen ideas I’d like to develop.

The highlight, for me, was getting feedback and workshopping ideas with fellow students. I loved doing this in my undergrad years and I have really missed it. There were three points in the course for structured feedback, when each of us submitted a scene, character sketch or story we’d created and then gave feedback on other pieces. The feedback was based on specific questions and there were helpful feedback guidelines for first timers. It’s always interesting to see your writing through new eyes and to find out where your reviewers agree and disagree. I also enjoyed giving feedback, but there you go - I am an editor!

I probably wouldn’t have enjoyed the course so much if my partner hadn’t been doing it, too. We were able to discuss things verbally instead of typing up all our responses, we nudged each other into using our journals more, we encouraged each other when we hit stumbling blocks and of course we got to give each other extra feedback. If you’re planning on doing a MOOC, I would really recommend doing it alongside someone else if you can.

Black and white photo of a desk and typewriter

"Great minds only need simple tools" by Antti Kyllönen. (It's not mine. I'm not cool enough to own or use a typewriter.)

While none of the pieces I wrote are ready to go out into the world, I thought I’d share fifteen first lines pulled from eight weeks of exercises and arranged in no particular order.

I notice her voice: she sounds mushy, the way old men sound mushy, as though she’s moving her mouth around a spoonful of memory porridge.
Mrs Baxter, the village shopkeeper and postmistress, was a busybody.
The rope of their conversation is fraying.
Fans beat furiously at the dampness, a metallic hum you can block from your ears but not from the base of your skull.
She holds her knife like a pencil, scribbling furiously into her eggs and toast.
Ze remembers staring at a hole in the wrangled tin, where a nail or screw had once been, where the rusty weeds hung down.
Emma said that the best way to a man’s stomach was through his navel, though even she had to admit that sometimes opening up the whole front was easier and more effective.
I spent the morning inside, sewing, as the weather was atrocious.
She walks beside me, sometimes, and reminds me how to see that of God in everyone.
Dorothy had set herself three tasks that day.
They talk like a weekend newspaper, like a dinner dance, stepping with friendly formality from one subject to the next.
The ridge road tipped downhill and became a suburban street, lined with pebbledash houses.
I needn’t have run for the bus.
Adam remembered outside with skin that thrilled at the smack of rain, a mouth that savoured salt in the heavy heat of summer and lungs that sang when the gates were finally pushed back.
There are memories that cut Gally’s life into now and before.

Have you done any good MOOCs or online/free writing courses? Please, tell me more . . .

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Walk through Battle Great Wood

10/2/2015

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I'd planned a winter wander through Battle Great Wood for one of my monthly columns in the Battle Observer, but things didn't go quite as I'd imagined!

A walk through the woods from Battle to Sedlescombe is a delight in every season. After a quick hop down Marley Lane, the walker dives into Battle Great Wood, wanders through coniferous and deciduous plantations, emerges at the other side with an appetite for a delicious pub meal at the Queens Head (some of the best chips I've ever had) or tea and cake at Blackbrooks, then returns through the fields and woods to Battle.

In spring, new growth turns the woods bright green and bluebells peep between the trees. In summer, bird calls ripple across the balmy afternoon, while water mint and wildflowers nod alongside the broad rides. In autumn, wind whips the leaves into a frenzy, and multitudes of colourful fungi push through the pine needles beside the meandering, unofficial paths. In winter, perhaps after a hard frost, robins, tits and finches are easily spotted flitting through bare branches.

In fact, the only weather this walk is not suited to is consistent, heavy rain.

It had been raining heavily and consistently all night and morning when we struck out for Sedlescombe, but we were swaddled in waterproofs and ready for an adventure. We were not, however, ready to wade down the gushing, knee-high river that had taken over the path down into the woods. “Never mind,” we thought as we dripped back up to town. “We’ll drive to Blackbrooks and do most of the walk in reverse.” But at that end, a deeper-than-wellies lake blocked the road. What to do?

Determined to get our woodland fix, we drove to the Battle Great Wood carpark and set out once again. Unsurprisingly, we had the woods almost entirely to ourselves. Just one dog walker passed us. “Aren’t we brave?” she said.

Ditches and ponds had burst their banks. Across the clay paths, rivulets made patterns that reminded me of aerial views of huge rivers and deltas. My shoes squelched with each step and I remembered a number of people got stuck in this mud for hours last year before being rescued - the tracks have now mostly been restored after the forestry operations.

We surprised a squirrel, which scampered away. Bright yellow specks of gorse blossom flickered at the edge of the path. The patter of rain on my hood kept time with my steps.

And then, all too soon, we were back at the car. It hadn’t quite been the pub walk we’d envisaged, but we’d had fun. And the hot cuppa awaiting us at home had never tasted better!

A broad path through Battle Great Wood in summer.

The path into the woods, just before the stream took over.

Winter trees lashed by wind and rain.

Summer visitors can expect to find many wildflowers.

A version of this article first appeared as "Battle Great Wood - a river runs through it" in the Battle Observer, Friday 16 January 2015, p71. The GPX file (right) outlines the route I'd planned to take!

Battle Great Wood walk GPX
File Size:	8 kb
File Type:	gpx

Download File

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Do the January microadventure round-up dance

7/2/2015

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The month is over and the January microadventure stats are in. OK, that was a lie, there are no stats here. But please, curb your disappointment, because here is the round-up of microadventures from our little group!

Spend time on top of a hill

Our challenge for this month was to spend time on top of a hill. While not everyone managed this (time, life and weather have a habit of getting in the way), here are some hilltop adventures.

Nikki, who is a keen runner, went up a few hills in Melbourne, Australia.

Cycle path through Australian scrub and grass

Nikki says, “Done! Although in retrospect it doesn't look so hilly - trust me it was!”

George also had a personal fitness goal with his hill climb in Hastings, East Sussex. Here’s his story, "Helman's Hill".

I live in an awkward spot, neither valley nor hill. In fact, it is halfway up a hole left by the quarrymen who dug through diluvial loam and through white and fawn sandstone to reach the Tilgate Stone that would resurface the roads. Our house was built at the top of the dip in 1870 and my aim this month was to climb up the steep hill to the top of St James Road on a bike without gears (my bike has no gears).

I was aided in this by quitting smoking on 3rd January. No more violent coughing and wheezing as I walk up West Hill to the Old Town. Instead, I am breathing free. But that is a big adventure and I am here to talk about my microadventure. So . . .

I asked my landlord to unlock the garden shed. I wobbled onto my bike and felt for the peddles. I first travelled down the hill, picking up speed. Into town and along the sea front. When I felt I had my cycle-legs about me, I jumped off the bike. I walked up Queens Road. I wasn't going to have the regulars at Zar Zar Bar laugh their heads off as I struggled past them. I waited until I was at the bottom of my road. Then I mounted the bike again. I set off up the hill, hup, two, three, four, hup two, three, four. I was halfway and it was getting harder. It was too far. Hup, two, hup two. I know it is bad for the bike and I tried to resist, but then I stood up and I used all my strength to push the peddles, hup, two, hup two. I was doing it, I was nearly there. I reached the top. Woo! I leapt off the bike and stood at the top of St James Road trying to get my breath back, desperate for water, desperate for rest.

I couldn't have done that in December.

Dan and I went up Mount Caburn in East Sussex and made a video. Further to my last post, Dan adds, "It was cold, but we had fun making our little movie and Iron Age hill forts are good for sheltering out of the wind!"

Microadventure on Mount Caburn from In Which I on Vimeo.

We also saw in the year sleeping on top of a hill as part of Alastair Humphrey's year of microadventure challenge!

Other microadventures

Some of our friends undertook different, but no less exciting, microadventures.

Steph and Danni both took part in Ride the Night cycling challenge in Melbourne. You can read Danni’s write-up about it on Girl Parts and Steph’s blog about it at No Award.

Ride the night, Melbourne - photo by Danni

Emily explored Rottnest Island, Western Australia. She went snorkelling, saw fossils, met quokkas and had a lovely day of it. You can read her post about it on Aquaprofunda.

Sandy beaches and turquoise water on Rottnest Island - photo by Emily

Mags set up a new blog, With Each New Day, where she posted about her outings to Seaton Sluice beach (Northumberland) and Rudyard Kipling's house, Batemans (a National Trust-owned property in East Sussex).

Dan and I are attempting a microadventure (or microchallenge) every week. As well as the two listed above, we made a camp stove from a beer can, performed at an open mic night (more of a jam session) at a local pub and went for a walk along a canal (I’ll post about the walk later this month).

February challenge: wildlife spotting

This month’s microadventure challenge, chosen by Emily, is wildlife spotting. Read Emily’s explanation of the challenge on her blog.

I’m excited to hear what everyone gets up to for this one - recording birdsong, trying their hand at wildlife photography or drawing, setting aside an hour in a local park or garden to watch the fauna, learning to identify new insects, going on a special trip or safari, looking out the window . . . there are loads of options.

I am personally hoping to see a live badger in the wild. I’ve been hoping to do that since we moved to the UK three years ago and have so far been unsuccessful, so I might need to put a bit more effort into my spotting. But that’s exactly what this challenge is for!

Thanks to everyone who took part in the January challenge. You're all welcome to join the February challenge, just leave a comment or get in touch on Twitter so we can include you in the next round-up!

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Share the love: Maps for microadventures

2/2/2015

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On the weekend, I asked Twitter where I could find a map showing all the long distance paths in the UK. Lots of people got in touch with suggestions (thanks everyone!) so I thought I’d collate them here, along with a few other useful maps and resources for longer walks, cycle trips and microadventures.

Open Cycle Map - long distance trails

This map uses Open Street Map data and lists long distance paths. You need to zoom in fairly close to see the path labels, though. As with other Open Street Map data, you can map and add any trails that are not listed. Thanks to Cottenham Cyclist (@cotnm) for this suggestion.

Waymarked Trails: Hiking - long distance trails

Again, this uses Open Street Map data and lists long distance paths. While once again only the major routes (European, National Trails, plus a few others) are visible when zoomed out, there is more detail and clearer labelling at a large scale than with OCM and I find it easier to use. Thanks to Cottenham Cyclist (@cotnm) for this suggestion, too.

Walk Highlands - free 1:25000 OS maps

This is a great resource, which allows you to map a route using OS map data and download a GPX file of your planned walk/cycle for your phone or other device. If you sign up, you’ll get an email every few weeks with links to walk reviews, gear reviews and other interesting things. Don’t worry, it’s not spammy. If you're new to long(ish) distance walking, you might also be interested in my "how to plan a walking holiday" post.

Where's the Path - maps and satellite images

Where's the Path has a split screen set-up, so you can look at an OS maps on the left and Google satellite view on the right (for example). You can also overlay either side with a weather map, OSM data, open access land map and more. This is a good tool for comparing your map with something a bit more ‘realistic’ if you’re scouting for private resting spots and so on. Thanks to Mike (@english_lakes) for reminding me of this site.

Harvey's Long Distance path Chart - paper map

Online maps are great, but sometimes I just want a nice big paper map to spread out on the floor. This map from Harvey would seem to fit the bill - and you can stick it up on the wall if you're into that kind of thing! Note: I haven’t bought a copy, so I can’t vouch for the content. If you have one, maybe you could tell us about it in the comments? Thanks to LAMB (@sixsecondshigh) for suggesting this.

Harold Street - trig points

An online map of all trig points in the UK. By their nature, trig points tend to be on tall hills and they often have good views. Worth a look. The website layout is not good, but you can find trig points in your area by clicking on the relevant square on the map in the left hand sidebar.

Slope Hunter - hills and slopes

This is a site for model aeroplane/glider enthusiasts, which lists a number of good slopes for flying such contraptions. Handily for microadventurers, these are usually places with (a) access and (b) great views. I discovered this site via @AnnaMcNuff: you should read her microadventure resource post, too.

Woodland Trust - woods

A map of woodland in the UK, including those owned by the Woodland Trust, Forestry Commission and others. Specify a location to browse woodlands in the area. There are a couple of annoying display bugs, but this is still useful if you're looking for a woodland site. Hopefully it will improve as people contribute more information and the charity works on the site.

Cool Camping - camp sites

If you’re really not keen on wild camping (maybe you like to have a toilet, shower and a kitchen close to hand), there are plenty of great campsites listed here. Also, if you’re dreaming of something much more luxurious, you can try their glamping listings, where yurts, shepherds huts, tiny houses and other delightful dwellings abound.

Alastair Humphreys - plan a microadventure

Of course, @Al_Humphreys has all the lowdown on how to go microadventuring. After all, he wrote the book on microadventures (which you should buy)!

Honorable mentions

You might also find these sites helpful and/or inspiring: the National Trails website; Sustrans/National Cycle Network map; the Long Distance Walkers Association; Natural England's open access countryside search; and Ramblers Routes (sign up for free). Some councils and unitary authorities also have up-to-date information on footpath diversions and closures on their websites (e.g. East Sussex County Council's rights of way map).

"Coast path near Towanroath shaft" - Thomas Tolkien

"Public footpath" - Graham Keen

"Wonastow in Autumn" - Keith Moseley

"Trig point on Dumgoyne" - Zoe Shuttleworth

"Mallaig" - Danial Chitnis

"London Loop Section 5" - Sue Kellerman

"Untitled" - Carron Brown

"Severn Valley, Gloucestershire" - Kumweni

"Portheras Cove" - Jim Champion

"Path to Pen-y-Ghent" - Joe Dunckley

(All images are licensed under Creative Commons. Click the captions to find the original sources.)

How do you plan your microadventures, long walks or cycle trips? This is a UK-centric list and I'm interested to see what resources are available in other parts of the world, too.

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Report: Making Hastings count

Walk along the Royal Military Canal

Report: Do you want to play American football?

Share fifteen first lines from #FLfiction14

Walk through Battle Great Wood

Do the January microadventure round-up dance

Spend time on top of a hill

Other microadventures

February challenge: wildlife spotting

Share the love: Maps for microadventures

In which I

In which I tag

In which I archive