Healthy Walking Group

End of Season Dinner and report

As always, members of the group assembled for the annual End of Season Dinner, this time at Javea Golf Club. As usual it was a noisy affair and all enjoyed the varied meal and company. Jose and his team were very efficient.

After the main course Group Leader Brian rose to address the group with a resume of the year’s activities. The season began on a very sad note with the death of Peter Holley on the day of the first walk. Peter had already said he would like to be Group Leader when Brian retired.

Over the year the Group lost another 3 leaders with David Reynolds, leader and photographer, returning to UK and Brian and Noelene having health issues. Brian was grateful for the help of Phil and Debbie, Alex and Elaine who led walks when they were in Spain and Mike Evans, Val Riley and Andy and Jacqui Bartlett who covered most of the walks. Robert Verbruggen, who had planned the schedule every year for 16 years returned to Belgium.

Due to poor weather more walks than normal had to be cancelled, but during the winter numbers averaged 35 per walk. Most walkers are not Resident so numbers fluctuated especially in the summer months.

Brian stated that he had enjoyed walking with the Group since 2011 and being Group Leader for 10 years but he was retiring as Group Leader as he felt you could not have a Walking Group Leader who did not walk!

To his and Noelene’s amazement they were then presented with many gifts. Flowers for Noelene and a presentation box of bottles of white wine. A box of bottles of red wine for Brian and an impressive bottle of fizzy, a voucher for 80€ at Casa Toni, a plaque marking Brian’s efforts, and a humorous Outstanding Service Award framed certificate. It seems the Walkers had been collecting at the beginning of each walk!

It was a lovely evening.

Plans for the future of the Group are already in hand.