5 to 12 November 2026 - Another Week Flies Past

Thursday 5 November 2026

Another visit to Aspire with Paul and Jeanette.

Tonight the students were sponsored by 'Open Kitchen', a 'Sustainable and Ethical Catering' organisation that accepts rubbish from providers such as supermarkets and eliminates their waste by converting it into delicious food like that served to us tonight.

As usual, there was some bread and flavoured butter to start, and the rest was delicious.

Black pudding and apple bonbon, and caramelised onion and cheese gougères

Potato, pumpkin and feta gateau, with pipérade

Prawn tortellini

Lamb ballotine, cauliflower, spinach and Jus

Lemon tart with Italian meringue and blueberry compote

Plus a final morsal to be washed down with coffee, all for £30 plus cocktails and wine.

Friday 6 November 2026

A stroll in De Quincey Park.

Saturday 7 November 2026

Greg's 700th parkrun, at Philips Park, with mum and dad, and daughter Isabella.

Relatively few for the first timers' briefing. There were just 148 runners and walkers here, whilst the flat route in Alexandra Park apparently attracted 1,073.

Here's a view from half way up the hill that has to be climbed twice on this course. I walked up, and you can see from my view back that there weren't many behind me...

Shy Isabella stayed ahead of me for the first lap.

But she needed dad and granny;s encouragement to sprint to the finish.

Greg shared out some cake, the volunteers cleared up, and a final celebratory picture was taken.

A helpful chap took the celebratory picture - about 100 times!

Nearby, some cycling artwork - you might have noticed the parkrun finish is next to a mountain bike trail.

Full results are here.

Sunday 8 November 2026

Another visit to De Quincey Park.

Tuesday 10 November 2026

A walk from Chester to Mouldsworth - full report on the next posting.

Wednesday 11 November 2026

Lovely sunlight by the Bridgewater Canal in Timperley.

Thursday 12 November 2026

Beside De Quincey Park with Rick, who is feeling much better after suffering from a debilitating cold for some time. He's pictured with Sue in the header, on a 6.5 km stroll around Timperley and Broadheath.

Thursday 22 October 2026 - Aspire

Fabulous food from the students of Trafford College.

Starting with Expresso Martini or Cosmopolitan Cocktails, Paul and Jeanette and Sue and I enjoyed more superb food from a favourite venue, together with Chilean Sauvignon Blanc.

The veloute advertised on 'Arrival' was preceded by three very tasty amuse-bouche, and a selection of breads and butter. Sadly no photo of the veloute

Sous vide and pan seared duck, Malaysian style coconut sauce, candied sweet potato

Pan seared bass, mini fishcake, sauce gribiche, confit lemon

Grilled flat iron steak, slow cooked beef gratin, rich red wine jus, buttered baby vegetables

Assiette of raspberry bavarois and vanilla & cherry clafoutis

Followed by a selection of tasty chocolates (not pictured - eaten before we realised) as well as tea or coffee.

Great food, great company. Photos courtesy of Sue.

30 July to 7 August 2026 - Diary Update

30 July - we have a smart new roof just three weeks after Tony the roofer came to inspect the leak in our kitchen. That roof lasted less than 30 years. The main roof was nearly 100 years old and was showing its age. Very few houses on our estate still have the original roofs, so it seemed a good time to relace ours.

30 July - Sale Sizzler number 4. I took a break and left Sue to take part. She ran the 5km in 24:19 and came 7th out of 17 in her age category. Results here.

1 August - Wythenshawe parkrun #676. A routine parkrun, with Sue chaperoning Owen on this occasion. Full results are here.

In the tea room courtyard, 11 of us - runners and supporters - wrestled our way around a couple of tables.

1 August - dinner in Adlington with Robert and Lyn, and Gerry and Chris. Nice BBQ, and Sue had collected plenty of blackberries for a wonderful tart.

2 and 3 August - feedig Millie, who is slowing down and getting arthritic. I know the feeling!

3 August - Wyre Levee Stompers at Eagley Jazz Club. The last performance before a 6 week break whilst the venue is refurbished. An excellent night; we'll miss these Monday night performances.

4 August - a visit to Bridgewater RHS gardens. A trail of Lego constructions provided interest as we  admired both the flowers and the Lego, not all of which is pictured below.

The chickens were entertaining, this one enjoying a dust bath.

Lunch was delicious, the mussels, prawns and squid (their plate is empty) being especially popular.

Then 45 minutes of Lego building, presumably with leftover bits from the constructions in the garden.

More Lego.

The Chinese garden, and behind me is a mammoth new construction in progress.

Pictures from a compost bin...

5 August - Nick Taylor's work next to Pickering Lodge Park looks pretty much complete. It's really rather good.

7 August - That's all for now, thanks to time constraints and a failure to get the camera out earlier when seven 'Oldies' turned up for their monthly natter at Wythenshawe Park - Martin, Fechin, Keith, Mike C, Mike H, John and Richard.