Thursday = Isabella Day (72)

We had the pleasure of a 'bonus' day with Isabella, in her rainbow outfit today. She gets very attached to particular items of dress. Orchard Toys provide a selection of games that are suitable for a three year old, including 'Unicorn Fun' (above), and a 'Pigs in Blankets' pairs game (below).

Our living room furniture plus a few accessories provide a good site for a den.

Note the interesting reading material!

With last week's chocolate chip biscuits nearly gone, some more supplies were needed - shortbread figures with raisins.

Strictly rationed, young lady!

After lunch and a very long phone call with computer guru Rick (see earlier posting), we visited Dunham Massey, our local National Trust property. It currently hosts lots of activities for children, just a few of which are shown below.

There's a short walking tour that encounters a hedgehog and some flowers, as well as a bee, a frog, and other skilfully woven beings.

In the Winter Garden, the Orangery houses a useful library. I think we got through at least four books.

Musical insruments were strewn around the site. Great fun.

Then we went around the Georgian house and found five stacks of suitcases and nine pineapples. A visitor's  card was duly completed and a sticker obtained. She could do that again.

Then we went home.

Friday 23 August 2024 - Wind in Didsbury

After a 'breezy' night, I cycled to Didsbury (14km off-road) and encountered lots of wind debris, including some quite substantial trees. The picture taken above was after I had carried the bike over the obstacles, including struggling up and down the steep upper banks of the river.

There were numerous more similar blockages, resulting in the Fletcher Moss parkrun on 24/8 being cancelled.

After a pleasant interlude at Isabella's house in Didsbury, to whom I returned a rain jacket and where grandparents Bob and Wendy were in residence (I nearly typed 'in charge', but we know who that was...), I returned home via the meadows, Northenden and Wythenshawe (12km).

Wednesday 21 August 2024 - Lindow Moss

A review for Tony Bowerman of his 'Mysterious Cheshire' walk number 12. 'Lindow Moss - In Search of the Bog Man'.

The walk starts in Wilmslow, from the car park across Racecourse Road from Hickory's Smokehouse, what3words: comply.pounds.detect

Black Lake is soon reached. Whilst this used to be a haven of recreation for the youths of Wilmslow, it is now a sanctuary for wildlife, including a family of moorhens.

At the far end of the lake, willowherbs and reeds obscure the view at this time of year.

Our route leaves the lake here and doubles back to take a path that leads to the edge of the common.

After crossing Racecourse Road we head towards the cream painted frontage of Racecourse Farm, where we take a path to the left of the buildings.

We continue through an avenue of birch and mixed woodland, on a path raised slightly above the surrounding land.

After turning left onto a broad bridleway, Rotherwood Road, we continue past a 'Public Path > 34' sign near a right turn along Moor Lane.

There have been changes along Moor Lane since Tony's book was last edited. A garden centre has been replaced with new housing, as has Wilmslow Peat Farm. The caravan site at Lindow Court Park has been superseded with a private estate of 54 small but exclusive housing plots, not caravans but not much bigger than caravans. I didn't venture past the 'Private' signs; our route takes a path just to the right of the blue sign pictured below.

After less than 100 metres, a path to the right leads through a gap in the fence and across a field to the wooden bridge pictured below, looking back across the field.

The path now proceeds across the Moss, which is currently graced by an artwork, offering views across the heathery expanse that has replaced the ugly sight of the peat extraction workings.

This is where 'Pete Marsh', a man who died some 2500 years ago and whose body was preserved in the peat, was discovered in 1983.

Another wooden bridge leads out of the Moss before a right turn towards Saltersley Hall Farm.

The path continues to the very private fishing grounds of Rossmere Lake.

After walking past the lake, we go straight on at a crossroads with Rotherwood Road bridleway, and head down Newgate Road to Newgate Nature Reserve, on the site of an above ground landfill site.

The long lane leads eventually to Racecourse Road, where we go straight across and continue towards Black Lake to join our outward route and return to the car park.

Here's the 5.5km route, with minimal ascent. It took me an hour and a half at a gentle strolling pace.

14 to 20 August 2024 - A 'Catch-up' Miscellany

I've lived within walking distance of Old Trafford Cricket Ground for over 50 years, including for a while in a shared house that enjoyed a view of the ground. A down jacket is often a useful accessory, as the place can harbour a chilly wind, but on this occasion, after walking down from home on 14 August, it was t-shirt weather all day. A brilliant day to enjoy a 50 over contest between Lancashire and Worcestershire. An exciting and very even match ended when Worcestershire failed to score the three runs they needed to win off the last eight balls. A great result for Lancs, and a lovely day out.

The cricket was a great interlude between many hours spent trying to sort out an email issue whereby I was prevented from sending messages due to Microsoft alleging my mailbox to be full when in fact it had many gigabytes of unused memory.

Many hours were spent, including phone calls with our provider and with Rick, at Grapevine, our local computer shop. Eventually our provider was persuaded to refer the problem to their engineers rather than require me to endure more futile attempts to sort it out with Microsoft.

That resolved the mailbox problem, but Microsoft Outlook needed much attention from Rick in order to get it working as we wanted it to on both our desktop and laptop computers.

With all that going on until finally being resolved (I hope) on Thursday 22 August, I have got behind with my on-line diary, hence this catch-up, which some may find rather tedious, but hey!

Friday 16 August was 'Isabella Day (71)'. She always enjoys a snack when we get home from collecting her. Red jam is a favourite.

She hasn't learnt the alphabet yet, but this jigsaw offers some introductions.

The manufacture of chocolate chip biscuits is a favourite occupation, as is eating said biscuits (strict rationing is applied).

It was a fine day, so we could go camping. Isabella enjoyed the experience and we enjoyed quite a few daily cycles of 'wake/breakfast/play/lunch/play/dinner/bedtime/sleep/wake'.... and so on, each cycle taking about 15 minutes.

Then we found one of her dad's old toys and made a giraffe.

The magic box transforms Thomas (the engine) into a teapot (and similar), which fascinates the three year old.

After dropping Isabella back in Didsbury, we met Andrew, Graeme and Bridget at the Parkgate Inn, in deepest Cheshire, for the last of Andrew's evening walks of this summer, which seems to have flown past.

Andrew's mobility issues have in the recent past meant that stiles are out of bounds on these walks, but tonight was a brave exception.

These fields should perhaps be used for crops other than grass. The area has however recovered from its days as a failed planned golf course.

This is 'polo country', with visitors arriving by private helicopter.

There is a padel court and a tennis court.

The 'poodles' are being prepared for Crufts?

Llama whispering

A Polo horse

An old water tower is being converted.

Our path entered a corridor of Himalayan Balsam. A friend of ours volunteers in a team that removes this invasive species in Trafford. Perhaps we should join them. When the plant dies back it leaves bare earth that encourages erosion, so its removal encourages other more permanent shrubs to bind the ground.

Before finishing the walk at the pub, Sue took this picture for Isabella's benefit.

The following morning, 17 August, found Sue and me at Trentham Gardens, near Stoke-on-Trent, all set for the parkrun held there. But it was cancelled due to another event in the park. With 15 minutes in hand, we hurriedly made our way to Newcastle-under-Lyme and the Wammy parkrun. Setting off three minutes after the start, we soon passed the tail walker, at the back of around 350 participants. I managed to pass about 100 of them, and Sue got past over 200 people, coming first in her age group despite the three minute handicap. (Btw, it's not a race!)

Afterwards, the sports club cafe offered mugs of coffee and home made cakes for the princely sum of £1 each. Brilliant. And as with all parkruns, lots of friendly people enjoying their Saturday morning.

Full results are here.

From Newcastle, we drove to St Nicholas' Park in Warwick, where Sue had organised a family picnic attended by around 25 of her relatives. A good time was had by all.

The park is next to the River Avon, on which a selection of boating opportunities are available.

We spent the night with Sue's parents in Solihull. Her dad is hampered by a dislocated shoulder, but he could enjoy a slideshow from Sue's ipad.

On Monday night (19 August), we enjoyed the dulcit tones of Wyre Levee Stompers, who provided a great night of trad jazz at Eagley Jazz Club. 

The band's lineup is: John Smith: Drums, Bill Barrow: Reeds & band leader, Dave Brown: Banjo/Guitar,  Pete Lindup: Compère and Trumpet, Frank Carter: Bass Guitar, Mike Pearson: Trombone, and newcomer Chris Walton: Piano.  

I'll finish this entry on Tuesday 20 August, when we observed one of our local herons fishing in the canal, with quite an audience, of which several adults were imitating Sue's pose shown below.