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Walkers get festival treat
HEBDEN Bridge is hosting a walkers' festival.
Outdoor enthusiasts in the town named Hebden Bridge a Walkers are Welcome town last October and the ramblers' day on Sunday, February 18, sees the formal launch of the new accolade.
The event between 10am and 4pm at Riverside School, Hebden Bridge, will include workshops, stalls, exhibitions and, of course, walks around the countryside.
There will also be talks from Kate Ashbrook, chairwoman of the Ramblers' Association, and Pam Warhurst, chairwoman of Pennine Prospects, and visits from organisations including Moorland Rescue and Friends of Nutclough Woods.
Andrew Bibby, chairman of Hebden Bridge Walkers' Action Group who led the drive, said: "We wanted to celebrate Hebden Bridge as the first Walkers are Welcome town in an appropriate manner, and we can't think of a better way than this."
The community group developed the status last year and has now become the inaugural recipients.
They devised the necessary criteria including support from residents and local authorities and a commitment to maintain the status.
In October the group finally met all of the stringent standards. members collected more than the required 250 signatures in favour of the application and received formal endorsement from Hebden Royd Town Council.
The council also supported the application by supplying a 200 start-up grant.
The walkers' action group hopes the status will help them to campaign for the maintenance of footpaths and bridleways, publicity for rambles and improvement of public transport.
They have already begun waymarking paths from the town to Hardcastle Crags, Heptonstall and Stoodley Pike and erected two display boards giving details of different routes.
Mr Bibby said: "We're lucky in having a large network of paths in our area, many the legacy of our particular industrial heritage. This is a way to celebrate that heritage.
Other activities including a photography competition and an adopt-a-path scheme are also planned for later in the year.
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Friday 10 February 2012
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