A useful site offering all sorts of tips and walks for any keen ramblers or even if you just fancy a few hours in the outdoors is www.walkingbritain.co.uk

Full of tips on where to walk, what you need for starting out and even suggested places to stay this site is worth a visit!

Trail magazine recently held a gear sale to raise money for two well deserving charities.

The Kichijo Orphanage in Tanzania
www.wearecollecting.co.uk

Save the Children
www.savethechildren.org.uk

The donated gear was sold off in a charity sale which raised an impressive £2268!

There's nothing worse than enjoying a day in the outdoors only to return home and find that you've been bitten by midge's. Some areas are worse than others but there is help at hand.
Applying repellent will aid in the prevention of getting bitten, however, The Scottish Midge Forecast has a website offering advice and regular updates on where you're most at risk from those pesky insects.

Poor Philippe suffered after his day of cycling in what was obviously a midge 'hotspot'!  

Visit  www.midgeforecast.co.uk for daily and weekly midge updates.

Stunning Newcastle Quayside was the setting for 2009 MS Life Wheel and Walk in aid of the Multiple Sclerosis Society on Saturday, 13th June.

Starting at the Baltic Arts Centre on the Gateshead side of the river, the route took more than 200 competitors, on foot and in wheelchairs, along the river bank and across the Swing Bridge where a sea of green and orange attracted the attention of tourists and weekend revellers alike.

I was wearing the new brasher Neon multi-activity shoes and they made the whole experience even more enjoyable, not to say comfortable. As I walked across the Millenium Bridge back to the Baltic after the mile walk, my feet felt as good as when I started.

Wheel and Walk was part of the MS Life conference held over the entire weekend, raising thousands of pounds for the MS Society.

by Sue Reay

Fancy getting out and heading into the great outdoors this weekend but not too sure where to go?

Try logging onto the website go4awalk.com.

With a large selection of walking routes which can be downloaded and great tips on gear and places to stay it gives you all the info you could possibly need to get out and about.

Another site worth a visit is www.walkingworld.com They offer over 4000 printable and dowloadable maps so you'll never be stuck for ideas!