Epping Forest HF Group

HOLIDAY WEEKS

HF Holidays Ltd has 17 houses of its own in the British Isles - plus ready access to many more throughout the world.  (Nearest to hand, for example, is a hotel in Killarney, south-west Ireland, where we went in 2003.) Once a year, either in April or May, we spend a week's holiday at one of the HF country houses in Britain, leaving and returning on Saturdays.  The advantage of going as a party (apart from the obvious pleasure of a walking holiday with some familiar companions) is that we gain a small group discount - and, if our numbers are sufficient, can virtually take over the house for that particular week and decide upon the allocation of rooms.  The basic arrangements are done for you - all you need do is pay up and turn up!  There are usually at least forty people in a party. We set off on a coach (picking it up at either Gants Hill in Ilford or Hawkey Hall in Woodford) - although members are, of course, free to drive to the HF house in their own cars if they prefer.  We usually reach our destination in the mid-afternoon and are made welcome in very agreeable surroundings.  To greet us, apart from the landlord(s) of the house, there will be three HF Ltd officially approved and assessed leaders who will take charge of our party during the week.  The houses are large, usually set in spacious grounds, and each of them has a boot room with cleaning facilities readily available.  (Ironing rooms too, in some houses.)   On each day thereafter (except for Wednesday, which is a "free" day), there will be three types of walk to choose from - long, middling and short (or hard, reasonable and easy, if you prefer) - with these descriptions being determined by a combination of the mileage involved and the amount (if any) of climbing that will have to be undertaken. These are the HF "classic walks".  A detailed programme of walks will have been supplied in advance to each member of the party, so that many people will already have made up their minds which particular walks they'd like to do and will have an idea of what to expect.  Not until the actual eve of a day's walks will it is necessary to decide your chosen walk. If you decide not to walk, one can do your own thing, providing the leaders are aware of this.   A coach normally arrives to bear us away to our respective starting points. So far as sustenance is concerned, we are provided with splendid breakfasts, packed lunches and magnificent evening meals - and each house usually has a bar.  In the evening, there are group activities (games, quizzes, dances, talks by local experts on the region we're exploring or other entertainments) - although, once again, you are also free to do your own thing. HF country houses we've visited in the past, working from south to north, have been located at St Ives in Cornwall, Selworthy in Exmoor, Dovedale in Derbyshire, Whitby in North Yorkshire, Derwentwater in the Lake District and Alnmouth in Northumbria,  Freshwater Bay in the Isle of Wight. Malhamdale in West Yorkshire and Brecon in Wales have been visited also in recent years. HF Holidays are considered to be of good value. By way of a change, the 2010 holiday week at Weymouth in Dorset, was at the Fairhaven Hotel. The itinerary was similar to previous years. It was considered also of good value and thoroughly enjoyed by all club members who went. Back to top of page