Ray Clayton, after over 25 years of service to the Pang Valley Group, decided to step down from the committee at the recent AGM. At that meeting the membership voted unanimously and with some enthusiasm to appoint him Honorary Life President in recognition and sincere appreciation of his long service and outstanding dedication to the group. I had the honour to present him with a certificate regarding his appointment.
Ray joined Pang Valley in 1996, and in 1998 became the walks coordinator, fulfilling this role without help until 2015 when he shared it with Michael for a while before Michael took over. This included editing and formatting the programmes and dealing with distribution and postage. In the early days this was for all the membership. He often had to write the walk descriptions when walk leaders offered only vague and sometimes erroneous information. As his knowledge and memory of footpaths around Tilehurst is so extensive, he would pick up walks when the walk leader wanted to cancel at the last moment. He more recently initiated the series of short Saturday walks. It is not an exaggeration to say that without his enthusiasm and efforts over many years, Pang Valley Ramblers might not exist.
He also had a wider role in the walking community: he was asked to help with a Reading Borough initiative to produce maps of local public and urban paths; he was a major player in the West Berkshire gate installation project and
Ray Clayton
still comes to the path clearing work parties; he was our group representative for the public enquiry into Thames Path diversions. He even attends the Local Access Forum as an observer. It was on the basis of his significant and continuing contribution that he was awarded a Ramblers Commendation in 2017. Pang Valley is honoured to have him as our Honorary Life President. Thanks, Ray.
Alistair L