The University of Nottingham Hillwalking and Rambling Society
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The University of Nottingham Rambling Society (abbreviated Ramsoc) is a long-established (1960s-) hillwalking club. Its range of walking and social activities make it a significant element of the university experience of many students, as evidenced by the range of "alumni" and "golden oldie" get-togethers of its past members.
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[edit] Current activities
The club organises weekly trips for its members. Taking over fifty students walking every Sunday in the Peak District, Ramsoc has become one of the largest outdoor societies in the University with an annual membership of over 350. The club also run six weekends away every year, travelling further afield to places such as Snowdonia, the Lake District and Dartmoor. The club has been featured on the BBC Radio 4 Ramblings programme[1].
There are usually five or six walks offered each Sunday, ranging from leisurely strolls to the longer, more mountainous walks. The weekends away offer two full days of slightly longer walks, and often include the option of scrambles on more challenging terrain. Every walk is led by internally trained leaders, and is provided with maps, compasses and other safety equipment.
There is also a healthy programme of socials for members to come along to. Held every Wednesday in various locations around Nottingham, the traditional pub meets are supplemented with annual events such as the cake and ale night, the Christmas and Progressive meals, bowling, ice skating and themed nights.
The society prides itself on its accessibility to all with no previous experience of specialist equipment over suitable walking shoes, a waterproof and a rucksack for lunch. This, and a consistently high standard of safety, communication and organisation, has consistently won Ramsoc the prestigious Gold STARS Award from the University of Nottingham Students Union[2].
[edit] History
The oldest available record of Ramsoc in the university is a mention of a graduate who was in the society in 1936. The society first appears in Students' Union (SU) records in the SU yearbook in 1961-2, which record a well-established "Nottingham University Rambling Club" with a large committee and three Honorary Vice Presidents. The yearbooks up until 1957/8 make no mention of the society, whilst the three books for 1958-1961 are currently missing[3]. Little is known about the club before this, but it is likely that it had existed for some time to build up this member base and size of committe. For example, the club had existed long enough for the 1973 edition of the Ramsoc Songbook to contain one hundred songs (the songs themselves already being an established Ramsoc tradition).
By the mid 1960s, the club organised about ten Sunday rambles (some with two or more coaches each), one weekend away (called the Annual Dinner Meet), the Marathon and socials such as the progressive meal.
By the late 1960s, "Nottingham University Rambling Club" had become the "Nottingham University Rambling Society" and so the name Ramsoc was born.
In the late 1970s, there was a trip once a fortnight, bringing the number of annual Sunday rambles to twelve. There were also now four weekends away during the year, plus the Ramsoc Marathon.
Over the New Year of 1986/7 Steve Williams (Ramble Sec 1984/5) died in an avalanche in the Scottish mountains[4]. Partly as a result, Ramsoc was split into two, birthing a whole new society: the "Munro Pineapple Society", predominantly formed to organise trips to Scotland during the winter[5]. Ramsoc could not support this type of trip, due to its already full calendar of rambles and other events.
The annual Ramsoc calendar currently consists of sixteen Sunday rambles (usually with just one coach), six weekends away (including the Annual Dinner Meet), a Night Hike, the Ramsoc Marathon, seven days of leader training and nearly thirty social events (still including the progressive meal).
[edit] Committee history
| Year | President | Vice-President / Lady Vice-President | Ramble Sec. / Secretary | Treasurer | Safety Officer | Social Sec. | Equipment Officer / Map Librarian | Admin Secretary | Publicity Officer / Committee Member | Honorary Vice-President |
| 2008/9 | Tom Blann | Laura Trotter | Graham Parkes | Jen Smith | Russell Goddard | Janneke Dobben | Ben Grundy | Heather Caddick | Hannah Passmore | Will Grainger |
| 2007/8 | Tim Knight | Chris Herbert | Rob Woodman / Will Grainger | Will Swales | Simon Gibson / Tom Blann | Kelly Reddington | Ryan Skilton | Jen Smith | Laura Trotter | Gary Mirams, David Balfour |
| 2006/7 | Helen Tattam | Rob Woodman | Will Grainger | Tim Knight | Kelly Reddington | Cathy Corden, Toby O'Hanlon | Chris Herbert | Claire Eustace | Mike Wood | David Roberts |
| 2005/6 | Richard Muscat | David Balfour | David Roberts | Will Payling | Helen Tattam | Anna Wiles / Lucie Svandelikova | Rob Woodman | Lucy Gratwick | Francis Mooney | Steve Chadbund |
| 2004/5 | Jamie Buxton | Mark Maunsell | David Roberts | Stephanie Chong | Nikki Spencer | Sarah Atkins | Mark Chadwick | Rachael Visick | Laura Bamford | - |
| 2003/4 | Matt Cowan | Jamie Buxton | Gareth Moore | Laura Gee | Richard Muscat | Richard Catton | David Balfour | Katie Hamer | Tim Newbold | Dale Rodgers, James Theobald |
| 2002/3 | Gary Mirams | Steve Woolley | Matt Cowan | Liz Martin | Genna Campbell | Phil Earl | Dan Forth | Caroline Thurston | - | George Broderick |
| 2001/2 | Rowena Clifton | Liz Renshaw | Helen Sinclair | David Roberts | Gary Mirams | Clive Harrison | Jill Bates | Jo Batty | - | - |
| 2000/1 | Andries Bentley | James Burke | Chris Hicks | Chris Plumb | Rowena Clifton | Kate Dobbin | Amy Williamson | Liz Renshaw | - | - |
| 1999/0 | Ros Wood | Stella Gordon | Jon Earl | James Burke | Adam Eckersley | Jo Buckingham | Charlie Crockford | Carl Davis | - | - |
| 1998/9 | Lucy Davidson | Beccy Moor | James Theobald | Tom Finley | Jill Bishop | Ed McGough | Emma George | Muly Tham | - | - |
| 1997/8 | Karen Linfield | Robert Pryer | Rob Jessop | Lucy Davidson | Colin Taylor | Fiona Turner | Beccy Moor | Sarah Davies | - | - |
| 1996/7 | Ashley Hunter | Ian Brown | Steve Backhouse | Robert Pryer | - | Clare Spriggings | Rory Donnelly | Ben Ashton | Rob Smith | - |
| 1995/6 | Twiggy Marsden | Phil Bamber | Steve Sims | Ian Brown | - | Ben Olney | Caroline Short | Kathryn Wilkinson | Rob Smith | - |
| 1994/5 | Richard Hobbs | Christian Hampshire | Chris Wardle | Liz Wren | - | Sarah Goldsmith | Alexia Flowerday | Anna Murphy | Jason Webb | - |
| 1993/4 | Tim Morgan | Kevin Robotham | Caroline Anderson | Adrian Spencer | - | Jo Ayerst | ? | Alex Clark | ? | ? |
| 1992/3 | Duncan Harper | Matt Ling | Dave Hill | Tim Morgan | - | Jim Farnell | Vanessa Pinfold | Geoff Gosling | Kevin Robotham | - |
| 1991/2 | Andy Sheppard | Duncan Harper | John Maddock | Becky Flower | - | - | Mike Hart | Simon Ashby | Matt Ling | - |
| 1990/1 | Sue Dyson | Nick White | Chris Smartt | Dave Sorenson | - | - | Melinda Walker | Andy Sheppard | Simon Waddicor | - |
| 1989/0 | Lorna Horsley | Andy Relf | Simon Waddicor | Alison Dymond | - | - | Chris Smartt | Rupert Weare | Sue Dyson | - |
| 1988/9 | Justin Henly | Phil Williams | Dan Cadman | Andy Relf | - | - | Malcolm Lockie, Chris Smartt | Jessica Stock | Lorna Horsley | ? |
| 1987/8 | Mark Jelpke | Graham Illing | Robin Hanley | Colin Jones | - | - | Janet Gillard | Emma Bliss | Jenny Haworth | ? |
| 1986/7 | Jim Dickson | Anne Young | Robin Hanley | Mark Jelpke | - | - | Emma Whitlock | Emma Bliss | Alison Goode | ? |
| 1985/6 | David Holmes | Phil Leicester | Graham Stevens | Jim Dickinson | - | - | Neil Tiffin | Mary Anne Timms | Mike Ford | ? |
| 1984/5 | Janet Murray | Jan King | Steve Williams | Mark Wood | - | - | David Holmes | Robin Hanley | Phil Jones | ? |
| 1983/4 | Keith Craig | Janet Murray | Nigel Martin | Mark Wood | - | - | Robin Hanley | Jan King | Nigel Howard | - |
| 1982/3 | Ian Triccas | Liz Strange | Will Harper | Keith Craig | - | - | Jackie Garnham | Nicky Newlove | Fiona Walter | ? |
| 1981/2 | Stewart Newlove | Mary Preston | Ian Triccas | Graham Molyneaux | - | - | Will Harper | Christine Reed | Chris Dent | Ken Wareing |
| 1980/1 | Lynne ? | Dot Mattinson | Stewart Newlove | ? | - | - | John Smart | ? | ? | ? |
| 1979/0 | ? | ? | ? | ? | - | - | ? | ? | ? | ? |
| 1978/9 | ? | ? | ? | ? | - | - | ? | ? | ? | ? |
| 1977/8 | Anne Farley | Ian Dickinson | Steve Wingrove | Russell Ward | - | - | John Walker | Helen Perks | Mike De La Haye | - |
| 1976/7 | Paul Niblock | Margaret Gordon | Nigel Kinge | Ian Dickinson | - | - | Chris Dent | Margaret Atkin | Brian Jarvis | Peter Ansell, Ray Dawson |
| 1975/6 | Andy Harris | Jane Horsley | - | Tim Shaw | - | - | Jeff Baker | Denise Cook | Paul Niblock | Sue Harper, Dave Joynes, Ruth White |
| 1974/5 | Sue Harper | Phil Sidwell | Andy Harris | Mick Smith | - | - | Trev Watts | Ruth White | Chris Hall | Colin Hughes |
| 1973/4 | Colin Hughes | Sue Harper | Ruth White | Ray Dawson | - | - | Meg van der Boon | - | Anne Farley | Philip Miller (posthumous) |
| 1972/3 | Colin Hughes | Sue Maude | Sue Harper | Tony Meachin | - | - | Sheila Alderson | - | Chris Wardale | - |
| 1971/2 | Brian Hughes | Jenny Temple | Colin Hughes | Sue Maude | - | - | Di Haswell | - | Mary Fowler | Susan Andrew, Richard Combs |
| 1970/1 | Richard Combs | Lisa Elliott | George Broderick | Jenny Temple | - | - | Colin Hughes | - | Brian Fitzsimmons | Dick Tucker |
| 1969/0 | Dick Tucker | Anne Gray | Richard Combs | Lisa Elliott | - | - | Trevor Parry | - | Susan Andrew | Bryan Starkey, Mark Collier |
| 1968/9 | Bryan Starkey | Hilary Kitcat | Mark Collier | Dick Tucker | - | - | Richard Sumner | - | Jane Civil | - |
| 1967/8 | Paul Styles | Ann Bourne | Bryan Starkey | Ian Appleton | - | - | Brian Hughes | - | Nan Brindley | Ray Rumbelow, John Pinkney |
| 1966/7 | John Pinkney | Nan Brindley | Pete Fagg | Les Medcalf | - | - | Phil Vowles | - | Sheila Field, Paul Styles | Ray Rumbelow |
| 1965/6 | Mike Hilson | Iris Pape | John Pinkney | Andrew Battye | - | - | Mike Brown | - | Martin Bell, John Richardson | Ray Rumbelow, John Fletcher |
| 1964/5 | Mike Hilson | Penny Mell | Martin Bell | Richard Biggin | - | - | John Fletcher | - | Frances Tyler, Dave Gent | R. Rumbelow |
| 1963/4 | John Fletcher | Anne Bedford | M. Hilson | J. Johnson | - | - | - | - | Penny Mell, Joyce Boon | R. Rumbelow |
| 1962/3 | John Fletcher? | ? | ? | ? | - | - | - | - | ? | ? |
| 1961/2 | J. G. Taylor | - | J. Fletcher | R. A. Lyall | - | - | - | - | S. B. Boekmann, Miss P. Rayment | A. Poole, B. Lace, G. Thomas |
[edit] References
- ^ BBC - Radio 4 - Daily schedule for 16/06/2006, retrieved 17 March 2008.
- ^ Nottingham Students Union Gold Clubs, retrieved 17 March 2008.
- ^ University of Nottingham Students' Union, Admin Office, Archives, Yearbooks (available for public inspection).
- ^ Ramsoc Alumni: 1984/5, retrieved 17 March 2008.
- ^ MPS club history, retrieved 17 March 2008.
