At the end of November, Brunel’s annual Christmas weekend away took place – this time in Dartmoor. A group of more than 50 Brunellers gathered for wild walks on the moors and gentler rambles by rivers over the three-day trip. With most walks based on or near to Dartmoor, a few also ventured onto Bodmin Moor in Cornwall to climb up seven of the tors there.
The weather was dramatic to match the landscape, with gusty winds and plenty of rain making the ground boggy in places and leaving many people with soggy socks and boots. With all the extra water around, river crossings were an inevitable feature of many of the walks, adding to the sense of adventure in the misty wilderness! All of this made the pub at the end or hostel shower all the more welcome. Some of the gentler walks went through picturesque villages and along the Tarka Trail, made famous by the otter, although no-one saw him this time.
The highlight of the weekend was the communal Christmas dinner followed by the much-anticipated quiz (certain members had been fishing for clues as to the type of questions before-hand – no names mentioned!) After having time to digest, the icing on the cake had to be Brunel’s first ever disco, led by our very own resident DJ Nicholas. It seemed that despite walking that day, fuelled by the wonderful dinner, Brunellers found extra reserves of energy to bust their moves on the dance floor to tunes from across the decades, including the obligatory cheesy ones. A great night was had by all, and hat’s off to those who managed a two-boot walk the following day!
The Christmas weekend away is always a highlight of Brunel’s calendar and this year was no exception. With great thanks to Kirsty H, Kirstie G, David S and many others who were working behind the scenes to make the weekend a success including cooks, drivers, walk leaders, DJ Nicholas and everyone else who attended, walked, danced and smiled. We look forward to seeing you all in 2019!
Written by Vanessa Adnitt