After the success of Petersfield’s first walking festival last year, joint organiser Malinka Van der Gaauw has announced that it will back in 2023 -- but with a new format.

Instead of one intensive week of 47 walks at the end of August, the 2023 programme will be spread across the whole year.

And 14 heroic walkers turned out in wet and windy weather for the first circular ‘walk for all seasons’ at Elstead on January 7.

Malinka said: “What a hard core bunch, they far exceeded my expectations.

“In doing this, we hope our walks will be able to mirror nature’s natural, seasonal beauty.

“Also, people will have more choice of times and dates to join in the fun.

“Finding inspiration from nature in the depth of winter is a bit of a challenge, but that’s part of the fun.

“For the first walking festival last August we were keeping our fingers crossed for the week to be dry.

“But it is perhaps a tall order to have the same expectation across the whole of next year.

“A ‘walk for all seasons’ could very easily also mean a walk in all weathers, even perhaps all in just one day!

“Nonetheless, as every walker knows, there is no such thing as bad weather, just inappropriate clothing, so it’s time to dig out the waterproofs and carry on walking.”

January and February walks are on the Petersfield Walking Festival website at https://petersfieldwalkingfestival.co.uk/