For the avid follower of bobspace the remainder is thererfore depressingly familiar, but regardless, I shall provide a bit of background.
To avoid this go straight to the list of our “adventures”.
Boxes of musty punched cards later it occurred to me that there was plenty of content available, perhaps 20 weekends' worth.
However, it wasn’t so much the quantity of these memories it was the realisation that they are of people, places, things and me as they were, and upon reflection, sometimes jarringly different to now.
I’ll save the deeper thoughts for an evening in the pub, but the review along with my renewed focus on bobspace fundamentals and a couple of nudges from the weekenders themselves has led me to revive this section.
I have included three entries as a start, but over the coming months and years, text will be re-written, photos re-processed and along with new material, posted.
Amsterdam was settled upon and from my point of view, at least, the excitment of anticipation was matched by the actual experience.
This lead to another trip, Madrid again five stars and subsequently Prague.
But following Prague a change was felt to be on the cards.
Given the expense, both in terms of gold and time, of travelling to the continent for a long weekend it was time to switch to the UK and from hotel to holiday let accommodation.
A seemingly cold analysis leading to our decision, but time togther is the precious commodity and beside they don't serve real ale abroad.
Hence the "Boy's Walking Weekend" was born.
However irony had its own sweet revenge on us at the first attempt, Lower Argoed, the Foot and Mouth outbreak saw all walking in the countryside banned.
Thus our current Odyssey was delayed until 2002 and Almeley, which has set the pattern for evermore
In my mind at least, "Varsity" conjures up an image of the academic life that for me never existed.
I could go through a detailed exposition of this life, but I would suggest instead watching a re-run of the 1981 ITV adaption of Brideshead Revisited, with perhaps an added dash of communism and rowing.
In spite of this image we started with a weekend in Leeds, alma mater to the largest proportion of those attending.
This included no walking to speak of, nor any cycling whatsoever and certainly none of the angst associated with Brideshead but despite this seeming lack of purpose it worked out rather well, well enough to spawn another annual series of getaways.
Unfortunately demand for this Weekender has proven less durable and, thus, for some time now has remained dormant, perhaps extinct.
I, for one, mourn the loss.
That said and despite the passing of more than a quarter of a century and its attendant change, much has remained constant and it is to this that I return each year – the best of company.
Remember the list for all the memories captured on bobspace.
Many thanks and love to all involved.
Bob, May 2024 updated Apr 2025.