Some of you may have noticed there is a big 75th Anniversary this year and it's not Paul Taylor's birthday either. Yes, the board game Monopoly first appeared in 1935! To celebrate, the games owners have produced a new special 21st century edition, where the banker runs out of cash after about two rounds and you have to hand him everything you've got to keep the game going. Also, of course, RA (now re-named as the Ramblers) is 75 years old this year and that is a big anniversary we can all celebrate!

Those who enjoyed our Bretton weekend in February will remember the inflatable 75th anniversary baton which the Ramblers have sent to every group to take on a walk. Maybe our baton will be more remembered as a useful tool for smacking the unwary over the head with, and for its shape inspiring numerous double entendres. But we will all remember Sally striding off into the mist with it strapped to her rucksack, and it is fantastic we were able to take it over the historic route where the mass trespasses, which lead to the formation of the Ramblers, occurred.

Sometimes, as Chair, I have irritated people by insisting that things are done properly, or by ensuring that reasonable standards are maintained. People say, "Come on Andy, it's only a walking group!" But this anniversary reminds us that we are part of more than just that. We exist, and are able to enjoy what we do, because of the fine work of many people over the past 75 years.

The Warwickshire Chair, Michael Bird, has written a history of the Ramblers in the Midlands, you can download it for free from the Area Web Site and it is well worth a read to see what people have achieved. If you have ever looked at an OS map and been bewildered by the maze of footpaths going in all directions in certain areas then it is worth remembering a couple of things. First, those paths are only on the maps because the OS were pestered by the Ramblers to put them on. Secondly, when the footpath laws changed massively in the 1950s, every single path had to be surveyed and recorded, or else they would be lost. It was Ramblers members who carried out this arduous task each weekend, week in, week out. If you find an area with no paths, it is likely to be because there were not enough dedicated available members to help out. If the surveys had not done this, most of our local walks would now have to be along roads. If you don't believe this, Michael's book mentions the horse riding associations, who never bothered to do any equivalent work with bridleways in the 1950s. Try getting a local map and designing a nice route using only bridleways. Your options are extremely limited. Opportunities for traffic free horse riding and local tourism has suffered as a consequence of lack of ownership of bridleways from equestrian groups.

Warwickshire Area has a special place in history because it was in Stratford, in 1934, that the decision was made to form the RA! Yes, I know that is 76 years ago, thank you. Once they decided to go ahead, it took a while to sort out the legal and financial stuff before they were able to create it at a meeting on the Longshaw Estate in the Peak District in 1935.

Warwickshire Area has decided to celebrate the anniversary by having an Area picnic on Sunday 23rd May. The idea is for all 12 groups in the Area to design walks to converge on the Welcombe Hills, near Stratford, at 12.30 pm to all eat our lunches together at this lovely viewpoint. There will be no speeches, though there may be a quick toast, and we are not inviting the press. The idea is simply to enjoy the occasion. The groups will then disperse to complete their walks. I hope you can make it along to this event. If our 12 mile walk that day is a bit much for you, other groups will be doing shorter walks, and Stratford group will be doing a very short walk out of the town centre up on to the hills. So, let's all try and get out on the 23rd May and celebrate this unique occasion by doing what our founders who set up the Ramblers 75 years ago set out to do, to provide access to the countryside for everybody to enjoy.

By Andy P