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Above, Roderic with Ken Walkington from Atlanta USA.

During 1988, Roderic Walkington located the 150 Walkington households who had their names entered in the UK telephone directories and he contacted them all asking for expressions of interest. The text of the original brochure sent out by Roderic is reproduced below:

24 Yewhurst Road
Solihull
West Midlands
B91 1PN

021-704 4787

November 1988

Dear Walkington Family

I spent last Christmas in Beverley in East Yorkshire for a number of reasons. First, my great-grandfather once lived there. Second, my grandfather was born there (on 21 December 1870). And third, only three miles away from Beverley is the delightful village of WALKINGTON.

It was while I was there at Beverley at Christmas that I had this idea.

Walkington as you know is not a very common surname. I thought: what about writing to all the Walkingtons in the country to suggest spending a weekend together in Beverley - in other words, as close as possible to the village after which we are all named.

Well, I have been through all the 104 telephone directories that cover the country and have made a list of the initials and addresses of all the Walkingtons. I found exactly 150 of us: none in Wales, one in the Isle of Man, three in the whole of Scotland, six in Northern Ireland, and 140 in England. The 140 in England are almost equally divided between those living in Yorkshire (67) and those living elsewhere (73).

Beverley - one of the most gracious county towns in England - has a skyline that is dominated by the 13th century Minster, a masterpiece of Gothic architecture. Access to the town is very easy via the M 1/M18 or M1/M62.

One of the town's most attractive hotels is the Beverley Arms, operated by Trusthouse Forte. Over 300 years old, it is situated close to the town's historic Town Gate. The hotel was formerly a coaching inn where Dick Turpin once appeared before the local Justices. Today, it retains its elegant Georgian character and offers all the features you would expect in a modern hotel.

One can easily imagine putting together an attractive programme for the weekend, to include - of course! - a visit to the village of Walkington, with a photographer available for pictures alongside the village name-sign. One highlight might be a Saturday evening dinner which - depending on numbers - could perhaps be open to those living not too far away who might not wish to take part in the whole weekend.

I have been in touch with Trusthouse Forte and have a provisional option on the weekend of 5-7 May next year. The Beverley Arms has 61 bedrooms (all with private bath or shower). It would be rather nice, wouldn't it, if we could fill it completely with Walkingtons - even though this could perhaps cause some unusual problems for the hotel's accounts staff.

The weekend would run from dinner on the evening of Friday 5 May until after breakfast on Sunday 7 May. The cost (when sharing a double room) would be in the region of £70 per person - to include accommodation for the two nights, traditional breakfasts on Saturday and Sunday, and three-course dinners, with coffee, on Friday and Saturday. There would be a small supplementary charge for a single room. For children under 16: (1) when sharing an adult's room - no accommodation charge and meals charged as taken; or (2) when in a room of their own - 75% of the adult price (say, £52.50).

Would you be kind enough to complete and return to me the Reply Slip?

 

A reply slip was attached to the brochure on which Walkingtons were asked to express their interest in the Weekend, the Dinner and the formation of a 'Society.' News of Roderic's ideas quickly spread over the Irish Sea, the North Sea and the Atlantic and by February 1989 there had been an enthusiastic response and the fairly informal Walkington Society was formed.

In 1990 news of the society spread to countries worlwide, including Canada, Australia and the USA where a number of Walkington families had emigrated in former years