Anglesey / 2009 ( Jon Sparks )
Jersey / 2012 ( Jon Sparks )
Isle of Wight / 2016 ( David Taylor )
The National Trust , Northumberland Tourist Board and the Isle of White Council then helped with trips to Shropshire in 2013 , Kielder Forest in 2015 and the Isle of Wight in 2016 . Activities at Kielder included a visit to a bird of prey centre and a memorable guided trip through the service tunnel beneath the dam for Kielder Water . However , a cloudy night scuppered stargazing after a talk from an expert from Kielder Observatory .
Another change has been the move away from hotels to outdoor centres . Perhaps the first event of that type was at Plas y Brenin in Wales in 2011 . Along with walks , mountain biking and a climbing wall , feedback was so positive that another visit was made in 2014 .
The first trip resulted from a period of soul searching for the Guild following disappointing attendance at the AGM in Lancaster in 2010 , during an otherwise successful event . This led to the whole basis for the weekend being questioned , with people asking whether it should revert to being linked to a trade show , or maybe break free of the constraints of tourist board connections , or ( as it turned out ) make more use of outdoor group accommodation ? More professional development workshops also became a theme .
After Dennis stepped down in 2016 , Ronald Turnbull organised an event at Newlands Adventure Centre in the Lake District , during which a gale force walk up Causey Pike remains a vivid memory for some . Stan Abbott then took over in 2018 and the Big Weekend was born .
As Stan recalls “ I ’ d been slightly put off attending in the past as the name AGM conjured up images of a weekend spent sitting around desks discussing finances and memberships . However , when the chance to run the weekends came up , I volunteered , having organised press trips before , and after a slightly nerve-wracking start at Exmoor where bookings were slow to come in , have enjoyed it ever since .”
A successful trip to the Norfolk Broads followed in 2019 , including birdwatching and a trip on a sailing barge , but then the world turned upside down and the planned 2020 trip to Malham was cancelled at the last minute . This eventually went ahead in 2021 and perhaps the main highlight was the chance for everyone to meet again after such a long time . However , for some , a roped caving ascent of a watery underground tunnel - Dr Bannister ’ s Handbasin – came close . Last year ’ s event at Grange-over-Sands then followed with the Cumbrae trip due soon .
As Stan says “ I was guilty for too long of not participating in the Guild ’ s headline event . The AGM weekend is the prime opportunity for members to get together to share experiences , tell stories and harvest the mutual support that our organisation offers .”
With thanks to Dennis Kelsall and Stan Abbott for sharing their recollections , the archive of Outdoor Focus magazines on the Guild ’ s website , and all who took part in April ’ s Blether . outdoor focus / summer 2023 13