Ramblings

There's a watery theme to this new series of Ramblings, as Clare Balding walks along rivers, lakes and streams. In this first programme we find her exploring part of the Thames estuary in Essex, with local enthusiast, Eileen Peck. Eileen's written a book of local walks around her village of Thundersley trying to encourage locals to enjoy walking in their own area, rather than feeling they have to travel further a field. Producer: Lucy Lunt.

This series is themed 'Ramblings Revisited' as Clare Balding walks again with some of her favourite and most memorable guests.In the spring of 2006, Clare went rambling with a female hockey team who had been walking together for 15 years. In this time they'd developed enduring friendships on as well as off the pitch.Now, eight years on - and with most of the original walkers now retired - Clare is going back to catch up with the 'Over the Hill' club. The group started-up after an advertisement was placed on the hockey club wall; it stipulated that the requirements of those attending were 'A sense of humour, walking boots or strong shoes, haversack, waterproof clothing and approximately £65 plus beer and lunch money'.The group walk in a different location each time they gather, this week they'll be in Windsor Great Park.Producer: Karen Gregor.

In this series of Ramblings, Clare Balding revisits some of her favourite walks and walkers. After thirteen years she returns to the Isle of Wight to meet Elizabeth Hutchings who introduced her to the Tennyson Trail.Elizabeth's late husband, Richard, was the founder of the Farringford Tennyson Society, so it was only fitting that he should have a bench, placed in his memory, under the poet's monument on top of the Down. But when Clare last visited this National Trust site, it was their policy not to have memorial plaques on benches, a disappointment to Elizabeth. But thanks to the likes of Head Ranger Robin Lang, they have reversed their position and now the bench has an inscription, to Richard, carved into the wood.Although now in her mid eighties and unable to make the steep climb onto the Down, with the help of Robin's four by four, Elizabeth and Clare once again visit the monument , the Down and Richard's seat and discuss the role walking has played in Elizabeth's long and eventful life.Producer: Lucy Lunt.

This series of Ramblings is themed 'Ramblings Revisited' as Clare catches up with people she walked with once before.In 2005 Clare rambled with a group based at the Radbrook Day Service centre in Shrewsbury, for people with mental health difficulties. The group had been running for ten years at the time of the original programme, but in the intervening years the Day Service centre was closed and the walking group folded.However one of the walkers in the original programme, clinical psychologist Penny Priest, has continued her interest in the mental health benefits of walking and introduces Clare to psychologist Guy Holmes who began a similar 'walk and talk' group in Shrewsbury which allowed original members to continue walking, and also brought new members on board.Producer: Karen Gregor.

In this series Clare Balding revisits some of her favourite walks and walkers from past programmes. Here she travels to the Hopetoun Estate, just west of Edinburgh to meet up with a group of women she first met twelve years ago. The Monday walkers have been together for over twenty five years, when they first met Clare, their average age was early sixties, now it's mid seventies. They explain that although walking still keeps them fit, they do now tailor their routes to take account of the passing years. A wee dram may still be part of their days outings but skinny dipping is accepted as a past pleasure.Producer: Lucy Lunt.

This series is themed 'Ramblings Revisited' as Clare Balding walks again with some of her favourite and most memorable guests.In March of 2006 Clare Balding went rambling with Rosie Barrett and her two children, Rachael and Rob. They took her on their local walk around the Avon Estuary in south Devon. It had always been part of their lives, as a route for venting teenage tantrums or simply as a ramble to the pub, but after Rosie's other son, Hugh, died of cancer at the age of 19 the walk took on a deeper significance. The family, and a hundred others, planted trees in Hugh's memory on a nearby hillside and a new section of the walk was created through dense woodland.For this programme Clare revisits Rachael and Rosie and follows the same route. Rob can't make it this time, but in his place is Jonno, Rosie's husband. It's now 11 years since Hugh died and of course the trees have grown; meanwhile Rachael now works in academia where her speciality is - appropriately enough - memory, landscape and therapeutic heritage.Producer: Karen Gregor.

In this new series Clare Balding revisits some of her favourite and most memorable guests. Eleven years ago she joined Tom Isaacs in West Wales as he walked the entire coastline of Britain in an attempt to raise money and awareness for research into a cure for Parkinson's disease. Tom had been diagnosed at the exceptionally young age of twenty-seven but has always been determined not to let his condition get in the way of him leading a fulfilling and productive life. Clare now walks with Tom and his wife Lyndsey, along the river Chess, close to their home just outside London. Producer Lucy Lunt.

John McCarthy is this week's guest presenter, while Clare is away.The theme of this series of Ramblings is listeners' walks .Today's guests are volunteer rangers on the South Downs Way, Anni Townend and Ian Lock. Anni wrote to the programme to suggest we walk with her on a six mile stretch of the Way from Housedean Farm to Southease. This is her 'patch', which - as a ranger - she walks every month carrying out conservation work including scrub clearance and hedge laying, as well as improving public access and surveying wildlife and plantlife.OS Explorer 122 South Downs Way, Steyning to Newhaven 1:25,000Producer: Karen Gregor.

This week's walk is a little unusual. The guest, Cathy Dreyer, wrote to the programme to suggest we join her on a short, local route which she has chosen to walk 365 times.Cathy began her project after reading the first few pages of Robert Macfarlane's book, 'The Old Ways'. She was filled with envy at his freedom to walk in exciting, far flung places. But rather than moan about her domestic responsibilities, Cathy thought she'd respond by doing a very short walk, 365 times over.Cathy says she is using the walk to examine "what's really there" in both the natural world and in her domestic life as a parent which is repetitive and intimate, going over and over the same worn but wonderful ground. Motherhood and work means it's taking longer than a year to complete the project, something Cathy is chronicling in a blog www.walkinginacircle.wordpress.comThe theme of this series of Ramblings is listeners' walks, and this week's presenter is a previous Ramblings' guest: the broadcaster, actor and musician, Toyah Willcox.Producer: Karen Gregor.

This week's Ramblings is presented by the broadcaster and musician, Dougie Vipond, who took over the map and microphone on a beautiful July day when Clare Balding was away.Dougie joined an amazing young girl, ten year old Annabelle Asher, on a stretch of the Coast to Coast walk from Newbiggin on Lune to Kirkby Stephen.With her parents' support, Annabelle spent the first couple of weeks of her summer holidays walking the entire 190 mile route in order to raise money for the Welsh Guards Afghanistan Appeal.Lieutenant Colonel Rupert Thorneloe, was the highest ranking officer to die in Afghanistan. He was a pupil at the boarding school where Annabelle's parents teach, and where Annabelle lives. When Annabelle found out what had happened to Lieutenant Colonel Thorneloe, she was determined to raise money in his memory.Always a keen walker - once turning down a trip to Disney, for the chance to climb Snowdon - Annabelle completed the Cotswold Way last year (for the same charity), and has her sights set on the Pennine Way.Dougie Vipond was a founding member of Deacon Blue. For BBC Scotland he presents the rural affairs TV programme, Landward, The Adventure Show, and Sportscene.Producer: Karen Gregor.