From walking and birding to camping and sailing, Adrian Gillan highlights a few gay outdoor social and sports clubs to sign up for this Spring!

GAY SUNDAY WALKING GROUP

www.gswg.org.uk

Call it walking, hiking or rambling: the Gay Sunday Walking group does it in and around London and the Home Counties twice a month - and loves it! One of the walks is always an all-day affair, spanning 8 to 15 miles, starting and finishing at a railway station within an hour's travel from a London terminus, and includes a pub lunch. The other is always a half-day jaunt, covering 3 to 6 miles – also normally involving a pub! Some years there are also weeks or weekends away, even overseas - like recently to Majorca. Membership costs just £5 a year and is open to all gay men and lesbians - and their friends. There are currently around 160 members, mostly gay men; and between 15 and 40 people tend to join any given walk – which is planned and overseen by a volunteer walk leader. The group started in 1972, formally a social club within the Campaign for Homosexual Equality, and is now affiliated to the Ramblers' Association. Members' ideas for new walks and walking activities are always welcomed; as are new members, and their guests.

GAY CLASSIC CAR GROUP

www.gccg.org.uk

The Gay Classic Car Group started informally in 1988 when some gay friends who owned a variety of vintage cars met up one lunchtime. Since then, membership has grown steadily to above 600. Whilst it is often acknowledged that the wider classic car scene is rather male dominated anyway, as the GCCG demonstrates, not all “men and motors” fit the “standard model”. You don’t have to own a classic car to join, although some of the more “cranked up” members do own several – everything from an Allegro to a Zagato! The group is run by a committee with regional reps who help promote and host over 20 local events throughout Britain each year.

GAY BIRDERS CLUB

www.gbc-online.org.uk

The Gay Birders Club has been organising events and providing facilities for UK lesbian and gay birderwatchers since 1994. Membership currently stands at over 300 - with almost as many women as men, and ever-increasing numbers worldwide. Since 1998, there have been over 100 events each year, ranging from evening walks, to weekend events at prime birdwatching locations, to extended holidays to international destinations such as Nepal, California, India, The Gambia, Costa Rica and Australia. Every eighteen months, the club also holds a Grand Get-Together bringing as many members together in one place as possible for a weekend of socialising and birdwatching. The social element is further underlined by the fact that London has a monthly club pub night; and there are regular bar-B-Qs and meals to complement the birdwatching calendar. With such a friendly all-inclusive atmosphere, the group attracts - and welcomes - members with all levels of birding expertise. Whether you enjoy seeing rarities - which in the UK have included the Lanceolated Warbler and Black-headed Bunting - or just want the chance to see old favourites like Puffin, Golden Eagle or Kingfisher, the club gives you the opportunity.

GAY CARAVAN & CAMPING CLUB

www.gaycaravanclub.com

Yearning to sniff out open lanes and grassy fields on summer breezes? Founded in 1990, the Gay Caravan & Camping Club is a UK-based social (and sociable) club for lesbians and gay men who own a caravan, tent or motorhome and enjoy sharing weekend or week-long rallies with like-minded others. All members are encouraged to choose a site and organise a meet at some point if they can, but there is no compulsion and meets are informal and relaxed. Some members walk their dogs, go swimming and explore the nearby towns or National Trust properties. Some simply go to chill out and spend their time catching up with friends, both old and new. About four fifths of the membership is made up of couples but singles are extremely welcome – as are those with children. Annual subs cover a bi-monthly newsletter (“Groundsheet”) plus regular updates throughout the year. The club has a high reputation on sites and adheres to a code a conduct so as not to upset other, generally straight, happy campers!

GAY SAILING CLUB

www.gaysailing.org.uk

The Gay Sailing & Cruising Association is a sailing club for LGBT people, their families, friends and others. Founded in 1980, it is affiliated to boating’s governing body, the Royal Yachting Association, and now boasts almost 400 members from throughout the UK. You do not need to know how to sail to join the club: everyone is welcome. Some 100 members are boat owners, mostly of sail or power cruisers, drawing on other members to help crew their boats, many of whom thereby learn to sail informally. Members who want to take things further often band together to take approved courses. The club also organises a variety of shore-based training, particularly in the winter months, and is a stickler for safety. It publishes a regular newsletter. Every month members meet socially, on land - in London and Ipswich - to catch up and to give boat owners and potential crew the chance to hook up. Prospective members are warmly invited to pop along to chat with existing members so they can gauge the swell!

Adrian Gillan