The Country Blog

What a world of contradictions we live in – a wonderful world, but an intriguing world. On one hand technological advances have never given us so many new and exciting options. I certainly couldn’t manage Foot Trails without them. The internet, mobile phones (admittedly I’m still not the greatest mobile phone user) On the other, there seems to be such a constant stream of noise, opinions, technical gadgets, 24/7 talk, views, feedback (phew!) and everything on screens that I wonder what happened! How is an avalanche of noise making our lives easier?

Without a doubt technology and the fact it’s easier for everyone to talk has many advantages. I don’t wish to live a life without technology. My view, is that like many things in life, too much can be a bad thing. We should use these tools wisely, and knowingly. I wonder if sometimes the best things in life seem so simple to us in comparison, there is a danger we can overlook them. I am talking about things like standing on a hill with the wind on your face and the clouds rolling across the sky – letting your thoughts run free. Or touching the bark of a tree to see what its texture feels like. Or maybe savouring a moment of peace and quiet walking in a place where you can’t hear any traffic. Ahhhhh

Some people might call these things old fashioned. I think that enjoyment of the countryside and our inbuilt need for space and silence, could be a new trend! One thing is for sure, people aren’t pieces of technology – and we all need space and silence to refresh, to learn and to have the space to grow. An added pleasure of making the time for a walking holiday. I hope Foot Trails leads the way.

Hello and happy new year 2012 from us all! With 2012 upon us I thought that a look at some of our best memories from walking holidays last year would inspire and captivate those of you who love exploring rural England as much as we do. And our passion for creating unforgettable walking experiences has provided us with a rural wander of photo delights. We’ve picked our favourites to share with you. They are sure to inspire you to come and explore rural England with Foot Trails, on what could be your best holiday ever.

Check out the slideshow here

As well as that our new brochure and holiday guide are available online – visit the contact us page, and choose brochures; bookings are open for 2012 and we are excited to announce 12 new Foot Trail walking holidays in rural England this year – all of which are in our new holiday guide. Ask us for a copy.

There’s plenty to stride for in 2012!
I hope you will make it your resolution that this is the year you explore rural England with Foot Trails.

We look forward very much to hearing from you,

Warm regards, Alison

Alison Howell

We are having new windows fitted in the office which meant a big hole in the wall so yesterday was very draughty! We all felt this was a good excuse to get outside and do some walking!

Winter has finally arrived here, it was a cold but beautifully sunny day with bright blue skies. We were all wrapped up warm in our winter woolies, waterproofs (just in case) and our soon-to-be muddy, walking boots. We set off across the fields faced with a bitterly cold wind but soon hopped over a little stile and dropped down through the trees into the shelter of the canal in the valley. Smoke was billowing out of the moored barges, the people living here must be nice and cosy. The pathway took us along the edge of the canal, there’s something about still water, it’s so peaceful and calming.

After leaving the shelter of the canal, we headed back uphill across some more fields with cattle grazing, and along an old avenue of trees. I wonder where this used to lead to? With only a few weeks until the end of the year, it was strange to still be walking through piles of rusty leaves, a lot of them still on the trees. The seasons seem to be arriving much later this year. I wonder if snowy times like last year lie ahead?

A good walk in the fresh air left us all with an appetite so it was time to enjoy some lunch in a local country pub. The log fire was going and the smell of woodsmoke surrounded us. Sandwiches, hot soup and chunky chips went down very well!

I joined Foot Trails a few months ago to help our guests plan and organise their holidays so it was great to get out and explore our beautiful countryside as our guests do on their holidays. We talked as we walked about our new holidays and exciting plans for next year, there is lots to look forward to…

It was time to get back to the office and we were eager to see if the big hole in our wall had been filled with a new window! We are so lucky to be able to look out with views of the hills and surrounding countryside while being inside in the warm with the fire going!

Emma.

The title sums it up, we have NEW walking holidays galore for you at Foot Trails this autumn. Now there’s no excuse not to treat yourself to some peaceful time out in the countryside with rural England’s experts.

We have been out walking trail and paths, checking for views and making sure there is a gorgeous country pub waiting for you at lunchtime.

The result is 3 new guided walking holidays. All to give you peaceful time out, idyllic countryside, a gorgeous country inn to stay at and of course a taste of the autumn splendour and beauty.

21 October – Somerset Knights Quest – Near Sherborne – south Somerset

04 November – Autumn Splendour in the New Forest – Hampshire

16 December – Tranquil pre-Christmas – south Somerset

With small friendly groups, 12 guests maximum, you can feel like you have the countryside all to yourselves, and enjoy the company of like-minded people as you walk. Great for couples, friends and solos alike. Alison Howell will meet and welcome you on your first evening with a complimentary glass of wine, and you can enjoy a chat and great conversation over dinner.

During Saturday and Sunday Foot Trails guide David will take you out on spectacular walks, based on our local knowledge of the area. You’ll be sure to explore places you never knew existed, including little known villages, ancient paths and trails, woodland, and landscapes with spectacular views and wonderful history. Enjoy stories and the odd poem on route! Foot Trails fabulous elevenses are popular with all – hot tea or fresh coffee and cookies on route, with a view! And lunch, well, a proper country light pub lunch is a great part of your experience.

Places are limited to 12, and do book quickly. Call Foot Trails on 01747 820 626 or email enquire@foottrails.co.uk or visit www.foottrails.co.uk now for details and an itinerary. As featured recently in the Mail on Sunday, Coast Magazine and Lonley Planet Magazine.

My blog post today was inspired by a colleage, Anna Famery, Anna trains others in social media. She posted a very interesting blog on her own site, asking whether there was sufficient place for silence in communication, pauses, spaces for listening etc.

I think I’d like to take this further, and ask what you think about silence? Is there enough space for it in your own life? Do you enjoy silence? Some of the activities that people (myself included) do to relax  include meditation. This is sitting often, in silence, allowing the mind to still and thoughts to flow. It’s said to clear the mind, bring clarity to thinking.

In a world dominated by almost constant noise, activity and communication, silence is often an increasing rare commidity for most. Do you make time for silence and quiet in your life? How do you do it?

Please add a comment with your thoughts or suggestions on making time for silence, I am really interested in what you think.

Best wishes, Alison

 The rural advocate visited Cumbria today, and talked about the social, emotional and physical isolation he discovered in rural areas there. His statement struck a cord with me. I am passionate about rural England, in many ways, and of course my business Foot Trails sets out to inspire our guests in it, helping you explore on foot its landscapes and wonders.

It struck a cord though, because I too experienced some of the isolation he mentions, during the early 6 years I started and set up Foot Trails in rural south Wiltshire. It seems easy to always write about the positives, the beauty of rural England, so I am being brave and writing about some of those challenges I faced.

As a young and aspiring business women, rural England posed challenges for me. The social isolation, I didn’t meet any other entrepreneurs in the first early years. In fact, I think most of my neighbours and community probably thought I was crazy with my wild dreams about setting up a company to help people walk in rural England! As Foot Trails grew, I met other entrepreneurs, usually by leaving the rural town where I lived and travelling a distant to somewhere bigger. This is where I feel emotional isolation came in too. Entrepreneurs need other entrepreneurs in their quest, and indeed the friendships and support I gained by meeting others gave me and Foot Trails tremendous momentum.

I finally came across Wire, (Women in Rural Enterprise) and discovered a whole host of rural women setting up their own businesses! as well as meeting others who continue to inspire me.

Physical isolation is a challenge for anyone with a growing rural business. Getting anywhere, takes a tremendous amount of time in the country. Travel on small country roads to a train station, a journey to a main line station before onward connections. Limited buses, some which go once a week to a place, only to return an hour later! Terribly frustrating. It can be hard to recruit staff with the skills you need, or to take advantage of certain business services, no same day couriers in remote rural areas! No companies keen to travel out to you….

With determination, support, and encouragement from others, these things can all be overcome, of course they can, and they are just another challenge on the entrepreneurial journey, but I hope by mentioning them briefly, I help highlight some of the challenges those in rural businesses face, and why it’s so important that Foot Trails works with and supports other rural businesses ourselves, such as our fantastic country inns, country pubs, transport providers and rural attractions.

 

3 years ago I was about to travel to London, for a reception at 10 Downing Street followed by a dinner in the Albert Hall. The reason, Foot Trails had just become the first travel company in Britain to be awarded the Big Tick for Rural Action by Business in the Community, and we had reached the final 5 in the UK. Business in the Community is an organisation with president Prince Charles to encourage business to incorporate responsible behaviour into their models.

The reason that Foot Trails was given the award came back to me this morning, during a phone call from guests who had not long returned from their first walking  holiday with us. The guest, who I shall call by first name, Richard, had phoned to tell me what a wonderful holiday they had, and how it had exceeded all their expectations. I asked more…. and he went on to tell me how everything had worked like clockwork and that they had taken walking holidays with most of our main comptitors but ours had outshone, because it was the best walks, routes, walk pack  and accommodation they had experienced on a walking holiday.

Richard went on to let me know about the service from the different rural taxi companies, and owners of the three different country inns they had experienced. These are all people everyone here at Foot Trails knows well of course. Andy, Kevin, our wonderful and reliable drivers in Wiltshire, Jeanette and Gordon fabulous hosts at our country pub in Corton Denham.

You should feel proud Richard, said to me, of what you have created. What began as a vision, to give people walking holidays that enabled them to walk through a genuine rural England, not a touristy created one, has, through the input and efforts of many many people, all living and working in rural south west England, resulted to give Richard his wonderful holiday.

It is for this reason that Foot Trails will continue to strive to be the best at providing rural walking holidays, and we will do this by working with people who work in and live in rural areas.

Happy memories of a special couple of days a few years ago in London, and the kind of phone call which gives all of us a buzz all morning.