Sailing Weekend
Deep in a wooded valley north of Leek lies Rudyard Lake. Built at the end of the 18th century to supply water to the canal network, it is now a centre for many water-based activities - one being the annual SAGGA Sailing Weekend! We stay at the 89th Stoke Sea Scout Base which provides a small camping area, bunk house and many canoes and sailing boats.
So, what happens on one of these weekends? Well, for the most part people ‘mess about’ on the water and get wet in the process. Being a confirmed land lubber, I keep away from the damp stuff by tramping around the surrounding areas. My walks take me along the side of a miniature railway: to a cafe serving good coffee and ice-creams; and along the Staffordshire Way. Highlights along the way are an airfield of model planes, a llama farm, some ancient burial grounds, marshlands, mature woodlands and the lake with its ducks, Coots, Grebe and wading birds.
In the evenings, the Scout Base warms up as the fires are lit and the sailors start to gently steam. Games are played, food consumed and the world put to right. And the next day, it all starts again!