Ten Days in Timperley

Is it really ten days since I flew in to the greenery of Timperley?

Well, yes – and the only day walk I’ve been on is last week’s ‘plod’ from Abbey Village to Mellor.

But before I got back, whilst I was supporting Ken on his 51km skate-ski Loppet, Sue enjoyed a bimble in the Peak District, snapping Paul (above) taking in the sumptuous view over the Vale of Edale, and Jenny, Phil and Sue W on the unmistakable summit of Mam Tor. 

Perhaps she’ll write about it one day!

Then, last weekend, she deserted me in favour of another little trip.

Perhaps she’ll write about it one day!

Meanwhile, back in Timperley I’ve been enjoying the spring-like weather in between planning for this summer’s outings, with Sue strapped to her desk earning the means to pay for those outings, many of which are ‘hut to hut’, as opposed to backpacking with a tent, to satisfy the needs of her neck.

So this rather mundane entry is really for my mum, Dot, who fractured her femur on the night before we left for Canada.  Within a week or so she was back home after her second ‘half a hip replacement’ within twelve months.  Sadly however the joint is harbouring a bacterial infection, so after several visits to A&E she has now been readmitted for at least three weeks to be dosed with powerful antibiotics in an effort to subdue the infection.

Being away from her computer, she’ll receive a hard copy of this posting, and all those from our Canadian trip.

Here’s hoping for a speedy recovery.

Yesterday it was very spring-like in Manchester, as over the rest of the country according to my fellow bloggers.  It’s an excellent time of year for bird watching, and as I pedaled down the course of the old Warrington and Stockport railway, closed in the 1960’s but retained as a valuable recreational resource, it was a pleasure to watch lapwings in the fields and goldfinches in the hedgerows, from the tops of which the warbling dunnocks defied their drab appearance.  Lots of other birds were also in evidence, as well as jay-walking squirrels.

My 17 mile circuit on the bike takes me under the M6 motorway to Thelwall, to join the Bridgewater Canal for the return to Timperley.  It’s a delightful ride, if rather flat, and sometimes muddy.  Here’s the canal to the west of Lymm.

On return, I noticed that our garden needs some attention, but as on the canal towpath the crocuses are flourishing.

A walk to the shops in Sale took me over a really muddy section of towpath, which thankfully has dried out enough over the past week to facilitate cycling without getting totally covered in mud.

However, the section by Sale Rowing Club seems to be receiving special attention.  Very good, but we hope the other, rather muddier sections soon receive the same treatment (although hopefully the season of the towpath mud zones is drawing to a close).

Work Float No 4 still seems to be in position and loaded with resurfacing material, which is certainly a good sign.

Sale has an attractive Town Hall, fronted by an impressive war memorial.

The afternoon view along the Bridgewater Canal from Sale Bridge is always into the glare of the sun, but shows the canal running straight as a die for about two miles to Timperley.  And there’s always the option of traveling home by way of the tram line that runs just to the left of the canal.

That’s all for now.  Back to the planning (and other distractions).

Get well soon, Dot.