 WalkingWomen----About Us! |
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WalkingWomen is about making wonderful walks more accessible - whatever one's current budget and level of fitness! It has grown from small beginnings in 2000 to involve quite a few differently talented women who tell you about themselves on this page. However, it has also been shaped by the rich contributions of all the women who come on the holidays - funny, enthusiastic, generous, fascinating, friendly, and all so widely different! You make it special for us. Thank you! Diana Clarke
WalkingWomen Office Manager
Madeline Holloway
Sue Beardon
Fran Loots
Yvonne Hosker
Sarah Rycroft
Heidi Schaefer
Gillian Lane
Sue Penn
Marian Sutton
Diane Pickering
Lorraine Roberts
Barbara Hamilton
Raffa Carzaniga
Ros Townsend
Marcelle Cassar
Sally Haycock
Polly Sullivan
Jo Meredith
Caroline Gillies
Linda Prince
Sue Mitchell
Sara Bull
Anita Grey
Pam Satterthwaite
Sue Stennett
Jo Jeays
Barbara Bailey
Jo Cound
Rosie Jeffries
Sarah BurtSarah is the artist who has painted all the newer pictures that have appeared on the site since Rosie died. She is also a walking woman and has come on many holidays. Many thanks to Sarah for her wonderful humourous paintings which have managed to maintain the style of the original site. |
Believe it or not, I used to complain about "going to
admire the view on Wimbledon common!" as a child, and only came to love walking
and mountains when I lived in Crete for a year. Later, I'd roam the Lakes and
Snowdonia to survive the pressures of work, loving walking with other women -
or on my own if friends couldn't get away. So, when I needed a change in my
life after 8 years working as a homeopath, it seemed like a natural progression
to set up WalkingWomen. And still the walking keeps me sane - well,
almost!
Office changes continue while
we look for a replacement for Melanie, and now Su (who is leaving to work in
London). Diana and Suzanna will be answering your calls & emails over the
winter till we've recruited and trained a new office manager. Meanwhile here's
one of the ever-constant office cats (Billy) - sitting where he always prefers
to sit, i.e. right in the way of the mouse! 
I am a freelance ecologist, and my current
work involves the protection of water voles, badgers, bats and birds. I have
always loved natural history - listening to the song of different birds,
hunting for orchids, discovering what is on 'our doorstep' if we know what to
look for, or walking in the fells in search of wildlife rarities. At other
times I love music, especially jazz and playing the piano! And if there are
badgers about - I'll enjoy finding them!
I am a seasoned hill walker and have walked
extensively in Britain, as well as in Europe, the Himalayas, and the Andes. I
lead holidays for HF Walking Holidays and I love to share my enthusiasm for
wild and beautiful places with other women. When I'm not walking, I can sing a
mean blues and I've a wild sense of humour! 
I've enjoyed walking and running in the hills for as
long as I can remember - some say, since seeing the Sound of Music...
I've lived in Scotland most of my adult life, and love her mountains - in
particular the truly wild feel of the Cairngorms. After a few years bringing up
young children, I re-found my hill legs here. My body and soul were desperate
for more activity. So, I did my mountain leader training and set up Breathing
Space - which uses the outdoors as a medium for training in leadership skills
and personal development. I have worked with women on many issues over the
years and love the friendship and support they can give to each other. So here
I am - delighted to be working alongside WalkingWomen!
Hosker Even though for over 30 years I've walked in
mountains in many parts of the world, I still feel most at home in the Lakes
and Peaks. I've lived or worked in Cumbria at various times too. Now, as a
freelance facilitator, I work a lot with countryside organisations. I tend to
stop on walks to look at flowers, birds etc. Looking forward to more UK
holidays in 2005 but also the big mountains, lakes and forests of the Alps in
August.
I am a Manchester based Landscape Designer,
and I take every opportunity to get up into the hills around Manchester with
the local Manchester Walking Women group. I love the outdoors and will try not
to bore everyone with my enthusiasm for the environment, tree identification
tests & inaccurate wildlife and bird spotting! I wasn't born in Manchester
but I find it hard to leave as the city has all the advantages of proximity to
the Lakes, Wales & the Peak district, whilst having all the city life that
is so hard to resist.
My namesake I think introduced me to a love of
mountains. Heidi was my favourite book as a child! I didn't really start
walking in them though until my early 20's and I have never looked back since.
I love all hills and mountains no matter where they are but I particularly love
the Alps with their meadows, cow bells, mountain huts and rocky tops, but I
promise I won't make you sing that song about the hills being
alive!
My love of hill walking started as a way to relieve the
stress of a busy job as a midwife and has grown immensely over the last ten
years. I have walked all over Ireland & in many other parts of the world,
but I am most excited that I finally have the opportunity to share Kerry's
beautiful mountains with other like minded women (& hopefully Irish Toffee
Apple Cake too!). 
I have worked variously as an ecologist and a teacher.
I've always enjoyed walking and scrambling in mountains and wild areas, from
Chile to the Lake District and Scotland, so I took it further and got my
Mountain Leadership qualification. Walking with women allows women to share
good company and to gain confidence in their own skills.
I have always loved to travel and been fascinated by
nature. After some years working as a photographer I returned to university to
study for a degree in Earth Sciences, and an MSc. in Biodiversity and
Conservation. Living in Yorkshire gives me easy access to the Lake District,
Scotland and North Wales, each with their own charms and hidden depths. My
travels in the Spanish-speaking world began in 1992 when I first visited the
Canary Islands, thus began an obsession with the archipelago, and the lands of
the Americas beyond. 
My love of the outdoors started at the tender age of 11
when I was a Girl Guide! I progressed from walking to mountaineering, gaining
my Summer Mountain Leader Award on the way. I now spend a good deal of my free
time walking and climbing in North Wales, the Lake District, the Peak District
and Scotland. My mountaineering abroad has included the Alps, the Dolomites and
the High Tatras. I have also trekked in Corsica, the Indian and Nepal Himalaya.
As well as walking women, I lead for World Challenge Expeditions. All of this
keeps me sane while engaged in my full time job of imparting the delights of
Science to enthralled teenagers.
I have spent the past 20 years nuturing my dual
personality by living in the city and escaping to the mountains of North Wales,
Lake District and Scotland whenever possible. As a founder member of a
London-based walking group, I have led groups of women on walks in the South
East and organised weekend trips further afield. In the past few years I have
discovered the delights of European mountains including the Alps, Pyranees and
in Greece.
As a child I was very resistant to the 'route marches'
I was forced to take with my family but I now count myself very lucky to have
finally discovered the joys of walking - the best reward for mind, body and
soul. I run my own company and organise walks for women in my
spare time - a great balance to the pressures of 'business'. I will
walk anywhere from the streets of London to the wilds of Scotland!
I was born in Milan, and am Italian, though I have now lived in
England for 8 years. I love skiing - it is one of my passions, and I first
learnt to ski in Italy at the age of 5. I also have a passion for bugs and
their secret life (I am a biologist most of the time!), photography, and the
arts. In the past I guided for WWF in Italy. I love caring about people and
sharing adventures, and look forward to sharing another fun WW skiing holiday
with you!
My love of walking developed slowly from simple walks
into adventurous scrambles and then into rock climbing. Whatever the level, the
feeling of freedom, independence, and of being at one with nature is very
special. It refreshes the soul - you remember to laugh again and enjoy life.
I'm looking forward to sharing some of my favourite places in the Cape with you
- not least the Garden Route with its magnificent mountains and river gorges,
cliffs and golden beaches...!
Initially walking was an antidote to the pressures of
work but soon developed into a passion in its own right. Nothing equals the
feeling of freedom & oneness with nature as when out on a mountain in all
weathers. Sharing that experience with other women is both a pleasure &
privilege. Join me & feel it for yourself. 
Bored with being a scientific genius, I decided to
become a woman of leisure instead which has given me ample opportunity to
indulge my love for exploring the wilder areas of the UK on foot and
occasionally on horseback. I am at present training to become a Peak District
National Park Ranger and look forward to showing you round my stomping ground
in 2006. 
After
spending many years travelling up and down the M6 from the Midlands, I finally
made the decision to move to the Lake District 3 years ago. I have not
regretted one moment of it. By day I am a Sales Ledger Clerk, for the rest of
the time I can be found on the fells. I run, walk, climb, and cycle. I hunt
fungi and wildlife watch. I am never happier than when I am in the hills, and
if I can share that passion with other people I am happy. This will be my first
year leading with Walking Women and I am really looking forward to it. I could
not think of a better way to spend my time. 
Colourful careers in town and country
planning, landscape conservation and bookselling behind me, I can now indulge
more in walking and enjoying the Right to Roam for which my parents campaigned
(my father was on the Kinder Trespass!) Lots of time now for lively
conversation and polishing up various skills such as natural history (not bad),
Scrabble (good) and tea shop critic (excellent). 
I started college as an art student and
progressed into photojournalism. I used to work for the English Tourist Board
so I've been everywhere in England and think our incredibly varied countryside
is difficult to beat. And the stunning Lakeland scenery certainly offers the
opportunity for both wonderful walks and great
photographs!
Linda has much experience of trekking in Nepal and
speaks Nepali even though she lives in the UK. Her experience comes partly from
giving medical support to climbing expeditions as a nurse and a climber herself
(Linda is ex-army medical corps). Until recently, she was also part of a UK
response team helping out in disaster situations worldwide. More to the point
on this trek, she has plenty of experience with treating blisters or helping
prevent them in the first place! She has a dry sense of humour and was much
loved on the first Int Nepal trip last year.
I am based in Northumberland and having worked as a
teacher for 18 years, I am now changing career and following my heart. I love
the outdoors and whether I walk, run, climb, ride, ski, paddle, sail or cycle,
the pleasure I experience is sometimes almost indescribable. I consider myself
extremely fortunate to find such happiness in the "wilds". An enjoyment of the
natural environment and attaining personal goals is something that I look
forward to helping women achieve.
Out in the hills, immersed in nature is where I feel
most at home. The natural outdoors is an incredibly powerful tool,
aesthetically pleasing and therapeutically beneficial. As a freelance outdoor
instructor/ expedition leader I have been fortunate to run many personal
development courses and to trek in the UK, New Zealand, Vietnam, Austria,
Switzerland and Norway. I have also travelled independently and am always
planning my next challenge. I passionately believe that whether embarking on a
low level ramble or challenging yourself on a more difficult route, the
outdoors is there for everyone.
I have been working in the Great Outdoors, both in my
beloved home of Snowdonia, and worldwide, for 25 years. I have run team
building, confidence building and management training, for all levels and ages,
including women's groups. I also teach The Alexander Technique, and believe
that learning takes place when we are at ease and having fun! I also run a
funky Bed and Breakfast in Llanberis - www.surfsister.co.uk
I grew up in the Lake
District and Northumberland and have always enjoyed the countryside. I love
travelling and walking, both of which are a great antidote to my busy working
life in social work. As a member of a walking group based in the northeast, I
lead walks throughout the region. I look forward to sharing this beautiful and
relatively undiscovered area with lots of walking women.
One of my greatest passions is to gently amble through
the hills. A great pleasure is to walk with other women. Taking time to just
be, talk; take in the scenery, and even perhaps making the odd tai chi stretch
and shape! Having spent many years working in the NHS (yes driving through 28
sets of traffic lights daily) I am now a freelance consultant, and can indulge
in my passion. So to get my boots on, and tramp in those wonderful Lakeland
fells is bliss. I am delighted to work with WalkingWomen, and look forward to
sharing our passions, pleasure and the essential associated activities (tea,
cake, talk, stillness and laughter) with you. 
My initial move to Shropshire was work related. At the
time, I only knew the county from driving to Wales. Then 5 years ago I moved
into the Shropshire hills, having developed a love for the walking and the rich
industrial heritage of the area. My regular dog walk now gives me a "wow"
moment as I look across the Cheshire plain and over the Welsh borders. It feels
very privileged and I look forward to sharing it with you.
I grew up in London but am a country girl at heart. I
try to escape to the hills or the low level walks of my adopted Suffolk
countryside as much as possible, especially after a stressful week working in
the NHS. Come rain or come shine, it doesn't matter, there is nothing like it
on earth especially when shared with new friends! 
Jo guided the photography walks for WW years ago on one
of the Piedmont holidays. She now lives and works as a photographer in
Perthshire, specializing in photographs of the natural world. You can see her
website on www.jocound.co.uk 
Rosie was an honorary walkingwoman since WalkingWomen
first started. She is the artist who painted many the wonderful humerous
pictures on this website which give it so much of its flavour. She captured the
spirit of WalkingWomen and in the process helped to shape it. Very very sadly
Rosie died of cancer on November 15th 2001. She is still terribly missed. Her
last pictures for WalkingWomen were painted shortly before she died. She loved
doing them as she loved all she did in her rich life. The Malvern Hills and the
Gower Peninsular were her favourite places, but here she is communing with a
horse near Rydal Water - where she shows what a talented horse-whisperer she
also was! WW Contact Details:
| Tel/Fax: 08456 445335 (Local call rate) |
Address: WalkingWomen 22 Duke St Leamington Spa Warwicks CV32 4TR, UK |
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The paintings on
this site are
Rosie Jeffries or Sarah Burt. The Lake District Map is
Autoroute.
The photos are and curtesy of whoever they are attributed to. The rest of the
contents and photos areWalkingWomen. |
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