Around Wilmslow

On the second of three weekly strolls with Graeme around Wilmslow, the two of us started off across Wilmslow Golf Course, which during Lockdown has proven to be an excellent amenity for local people. (Empty today.)

Graeme's 'local' is was The Oakwood, with good food and beer. Covid has put paid to that, and this place may be a permanent casualty of the virus.

There's a good tinge of green in the hawthorn hedges, and the daffodils are in flower all over Cheshire just now.

We continue to have a bit of rain, and with the water table very high, some fields remain flooded. We managed by some miracle to negotiate this field by hanging onto the fence. Perhaps the power was off, as neither of us got electrocuted!

Elsewhere, alpacas and rams in the same field made for some fine antics.

The Plough & Flail at Paddockhill looks rather less dilapidated than The Oakwood, and it will hopefully re-open when allowed. Who knows when - whilst the virus situation in the UK is mostly improving, it's mayhem in the rest of Europe - and that could affect us.

At least the two of us are now allowed to sit on a bench and enjoy a socially distanced picnic, as we did today, and hopefully in a couple of weeks we'll be allowed to meet a little further away in a group not exceeding six people. We look forward to that, if it happens. Details of provisional plans will soon be on www.topwalks.com if I can find a bout of optimism.

Here's today's route - a flat 12.7 km, taking us a little over three hours.

Thanks again for your company, Graeme. The fields around Wilmslow make a pleasant change from the paths around West Sale and Timperley. And you'll be interested to know that I've downloaded 'Mortmain Hall' by your former colleague, Martin Edwards. It should offer me some easier reading once I've battled my way through 'Wolf Hall'!