THE group is still having activities severely curtailed because of the foot and mouth crisis. However, a full programme for May was maintained due to the hard work of the secretary Jean Nokes and other members of the group.

Several members and their friends met at 5.30am on May 1 in Alcester to welcome the dawn with the White Hart Morris Men. Then, after a full English breakfast at The Holly Bush, the group embarked on a seven and a half-mile walk following roads and lanes around Ragley Hall before returning to Alcester.

The first evening walk of the year, led by Jean Nokes and Diana Yates, was on May 3, when 23 members started at the Why Not Inn on a 3-mile ramble around quiet lanes before returning. Then on May 5, a few hardy souls met at the Warren Lane Visitor Centre at 5.30am to listen to the dawn chorus. The group was led by member Paul Adams, whose exceptional knowledge of birds enabled the group to identify numerous varieties.

Birmingham was the location of the group's walk on May 15 when 15 members met at Kings Norton Green on a fabulous sunny day. Led by David Donovan and Ken Barnett, the walk took in canal towpaths and Cannon Hill Park before returning to the canal to end the walk at Gas Street Basin. After refreshments, the group continued through Centenary Square to Corporation Street where they caught a bus back to Kings Norton.

The last event of the month was a talk and slide show held at the Baptist Church Hall, Alvechurch. Tony Caldwell entertained with his talk entitled 'Coast to Coast', when he recalled his 13-day trek across the country following the route described by Alf Wainwright in his famous book.

The 190-mile walk started at Robin Hoods Bay in the reverse route to Wainwright and ended at St Bees on the west coast where pebbles collected from the east coast were placed on the west coast beach. The trek was organised by Holiday Fellowship and Tony's favourite charity, Leukaemia Research Fund, benefited from his walk.

For membership details contact 870708.