Those who have been working on the 'Don't Lose Your Way' campaign will be acutely aware that the paths we enjoy today and those we are seeking to recover owe much to our forebears. Sevenoaks Rambler, Anna Fischel, found the attached picture in Shoreham. It shows a group of well-dressed ramblers annotated 'J Divn Ramblers Shoreham Kent'. All are wearing waistcoats, collar and tie with walking sticks and the odd boater in evidence. Clearly rambling was something that demanded sartorial standards sadly lacking today!
But who were these ramblers and when was this picture taken? AI tells us that the dress and style of writing indicate that the picture may have been taken some time between 1905 and 1912 at a time when rambling clubs were part of a growing social and health movement promoting outdoor leisure. So our picture predates the foundation of the Ramblers in 1935.
Then as now rambling clubs from London visited the Kent countryside. AI further suggests that 'J Divn' refers to J Division of the Metropolitan Police, which covered the Bethnal Green area in East London. This may explain the absence of female participants.
So next time you walk through Shoreham, give a thought to those who have walked the paths before us!
Tim Smith