OBITUARY - Terry Ames

     It is with great regret and sorrow that we report the passing of Terry Ames at the age of 78. Terry was an exceptional walker and leader and had a no-nonsense straightforward approach to life and his friends and family, and of course his beloved dogs.

       Terry and his wife Jill arrived in the Algarve in 2003-4. His family Claire, Christopher and Colin were old enough to look after themselves so Terry devoted himself to building and making a home for himself and Jill near Salir.

Terry and Jill

 He joined the AWW through Maurice, soon after he arrived and figures prominently in blogs from 2006 when they started, and that was the year in which he and David L. completed the survey of their own proprietary version of the Algarve Way and Terry decided to walk the whole route solo in February, but was joined by others for sections of the walk.

   He had a strong history of walking in UK particularly in Wales where he participated annually in the LDWA 100, making some very good times, less than 40 hours.

    He is remembered as a strong and unflappable character down to earth and one of the strongest walkers with whom we had the pleasure of joining. He led walks on demand, whenever another leader could not be found and always took care to see that they were within the capabilities of the participants. His walk reports as a leader were a joy in that he invariably employed a stream of consciousness narrative (cf James Joyce)

Terry with Ex-red-legged partridge?

   Terry loved his dogs and always went for a similar kind of spaniel or pointer, usually brown and white. He brought Nath, a Springer Spaniel over from Wales, next came Rusty, another spaniel, then Java and finally Becky, who were both similar Portuguese versions of pointers.    He rescued  Becky who had clearly been abused and was very timid and emaciated. He was an incredibly patient carer both for his wife and his dogs

Becky 2019

Jill, Terry and Becky 2021

   We are all greatly sorry for Terry's passing. The AWW and WAGS have lost a truly 'gentle' gentleman.

Note: We will be publishing a fuller version of our memories of Terry using contributions and pictures from those that knew him. If you have anything you would like to add, please send to me at pauladev@gmail.com

OBITUARY - Peter Schroeder

      Peter Schroeder   28th May 1936 - 09th June 2023  RIP.

      

Peter with Cybele on Picota, 16.03.2011. 

A well known and popular walker, Peter Schroeder sadly passed away peacefully on  9th June 2023 at home in his beloved  Quinta do Refugio near Pincho in the Algarve, aged 87.

Many Algarve Wednesday Walkers over the years knew Peter, given that he was one of the earliest members of our walking group. He joined Maurice Clyde and others in the early days when the AWW’s were first established. Already a serious climber and mountain walker he took every opportunity to hike in the Austrian and Italian Alps whenever his busy work schedule permitted. Peter was a familiar figure when retired, and along with at least one of his favourite Cocker Spaniels participated in many long distance walks in the Algarve. 

Prior to retirement Peter had successfully fought off serious illness and major surgery. He had great resolve, DIY skills and know-how, which were shown by his ability to restore an old cottage and to maintain a completely off-grid lifestyle.

He generated his own electricity using solar and wind power, storing water behind several dams and then creating an extremely beautiful garden from nothing. This was a major achievement and was typical of Peter´s ambitions and aspirations, and he and Sonja were justifiably proud of the end product.

After a successful career as a sound and lighting engineer he was skilled in the technical aspects required for the live recording of classical music, and in supporting his wife Sonja in the production of operas in many world famous operatic venues.

To be able to retreat to the peace and tranquillity of his own Quinta

was a joy that was obvious to all who knew him here in the Algarve.

Always with a smile and an offer of help, he inspired many of the less

able walkers to keep going and battle any difficulties on the way.

That he was able to overcome adversity himself and continue to be

an inspiration to others is a fine testament to leave.

Although he fought hard to conquer the last mountain in his life, it is a very fitting tribute to his will to fight until the very end. We will miss his friendly face in the WAGS and we feel deep grief in his passing. Our thoughts are with his wife Sonja, and also with the faithful spaniels that were a big feature in Peter´s life, and who will miss him as much as we do.

A personal note by Paulo a Pe:- 

 Peter had been around walking with the AWW since before 2006. I am not sure how or exactly when he joined. 

The earliest photo I have of Peter chatting at Carrapaterira on 11.10.2006

He was rather an enigma to me because he was not one to initiate nor bring up any problem. We walked together on many occasions and sometimes at gatherings at the Schroeders, but while I was enormously respectful of  his technical talents, he never discussed politics sport or sex, our usual topics. . Even so, I liked him a lot and he completed the group whenever he did arrive to walk, with one or other of his spaniels, sometimes unannounced.

   Peter and spaniel, Chris, Hedley and myself at somewhere near Alvor on 8th March 2017

Peter was a lovely man and it was clear that he loved his life, Sonja and his dogs above all.

WAGS Seasonal Lunch 25 05 2023

 Strongly encouraged by Myriam, Hazel convened a Seasonal Lunch for the WAGS and some of their loyal followers. The original intention had been to hold it at Clube Nautico where we had been before, but at the last minute the Clube said that they would not be opening on Thursdays until later in the summer. So a quick change of venue was needed and Hazel chose Ti Teresa´s.

Not a bad choice because Chef Nuno provided a very reasonably priced prato de dia with quite a range of choices.

There were some light-hearted conversations

and some serious ones

The house wine merited consideration

Even Paul was heard approving of it.

Those present were;-

Antje, Chris and Andy, Rod and Susan, Chris and Rachel, Lindsey, Paul, Myriam and two of Myriam´s sisters, Louisa and Edelwiess, Maria, and Hazel amd JohnH.

Favas and porco was a popular choice.

There was also fish (besugo) and some other dishes. 

The fried bacalhau in onion sauce was very tasty but, being buried under a pile of chips, did not photograph particularly well.

Many thanks to Hazel for organising this lunch, which was not held to mark the end of the WAGS walking season which will carry on for a few more weeks, but because several regular walkers and lunchers will be away for some time. The lunches becoming as important as the walks if not more so, perhaps the acronym WAGS needs the letter L inserted in it..

The WAGLS maybe?

WAGS Christmas Lunch 15 12 2022

 On 15th December twenty or so WAGS gathered at Restaurante Recanto dos Mouros in Silves for their 2022 Christmas lunch.

Hilke provided the bubbly to start and we raised our glasses in memory of Ulle.

When the meal got under way, Rod said a few words.

Rod then said a few more words

and presented Terry Ames with a framed photo-collage provided by the WAGS very own in-house photographer, Yves.

Terry then said a few words

And then Myriam said a few words.

There was plenty to eat.

and a sufficiency of wine. 

Paul even came off the wagon.

and there were mince pies.

Thanks to Rod for making the arrangements with the Restaurante, and to Hazel for the mince pies and table decorations.

And, although there was no formal collection, thanks to Rod´s financial management when settling the bill, there was a surplus of Euros 70 which has been donated to the Bom Samaritano Childrens Home in Portimão.

Boas Festas.