A Postcard - 19 to 26 September 2026

Dear All

Here's a summary of our week's activities.

Saturday 19 September 2026
Wythenshawe Park's 683rd parkrun provided a full morning's entertainment by the time we had finished and enjoyed our regular post run natter over coffees and cake before making our way home.

Barking dogs are kept at a distance before the start, or the Run Director's briefing can't be heard.

I wonder what Oliver would have made of this in real life...

Here are just a few of the 332 finishers, guzzling anything between a decaffe coffee and George's egg bacon and sausage bun.

L-R: Andy, Jan, Jeanette, Paul, Jenny, George and Owen. Sue left early to go bell ringing.

Full results are here.

Sunday 20 September 2026

Sue and I spent the morning in Wilmslow. A 5km circuit including The Carrs and Black Lake kept me occupied, passing en route this lovely sculpture.

It was the day of the Wilmslow Sprint Triathlon. Sue had entered this and I caught up with her near the start of a 24 kilometre bike ride. This followed a 400 metre swim  - 16 lengths of the local pool.

There's a strict requirement to dismount at the end of the bike leg before The Line' or you are in dead trouble from the over-officious marshall.

Then it's a walk to the transition area where the bike is stashed and running kit donned for two 3 kilometre laps of a moderately easy course.

We finish with Sue jogging in, having taken 1 hour 45 minutes and coming third out of 4 in her age category and in position 115 out of 214 finishers. Well done!

Monday 21 September 2026

Sue and I enjoyed a 6 km stroll along the Bridgewater Canal towpath, to meet Andrew, Richard and Jenny for lunch at Dunham Massey Hall.

A family of swans appeared to think we had brought their lunch.

At one point the foliage had been cleared to offer a good view towards the C18th Whiteoaks Wood obelisk in one direction, and the hall in the opposite direction. 

Legend has it that the obelisk marks the resting place of a reknowned racehorse.

After lunch, a stroll in the park was in order, with me diverting through the nearby golf course to visit the fleshpots of Altrincham for essential supplies.

Later:

A visit to Eagley Jazz Club for an excellent performance of Smooth Jazz from John Hallam and the Tom Kincaid Trio, featuring. John Hallam - Reeds, Tom Kincaid - Keyboard, Dave Tompkins - Bass, and Eryl Roberts - Drums.

Last week's table plan was considered inappropriate, so this week, with an audience of 50 compared with last week's 71, attempt number two was experimented with. I think they'll have a third go at this...

Tuesday 22 September 2026

A regular 5km stroll took me through leafy De Quincey Park in the morning mist. Picture sent to BBC Weatherwatchers but not expecting them to use it. I was right about that.

Thursday 24 September 2026

Sue and I were joined by Jenny and Fechin for 'Spunch Northenden', on which there will be a separate diary entry.



Friday 25 September 2026

Our neighbour, 'D', invited us for coffee and a chat before, very sadly, she and her family move to Egypt. They have been great next door but one neighbours and have watered Sue's plants very efficiently when we have been away during the very dry summer. They leave next week, and will be missed.

Saturday 26 September 2026

These parkruns do come round quickly. Today Wythenshawe Park hosted its 684th such outing.

With ongoing injury issues, I walked then jogged a little (more a sort of shuffle), coming home in 41:35, in position 396 out of 423 finishers. Sue managed 25:21 in position 111.

Here are most of them at the start through the sunlit trees in the park on a lovely morning when feet got wet thanks to the dewy grass.

Afterwards everyone in our little group enjoyed our coffees in the sunshine.

 

L-R: Owen, Sue, Andy, Paul, Jan and George, who's just guzzled another egg, bacon and sausage bun.

The full results are here.

Baguley Hall

During our regular 'post run' coffee session in the courtyard tea room at Wythenshawe Hall, Jan mentioned that much good work has been taking place at nearby Baguley Hall. So I went along to see for myself and found an open day in full swing with musicians and stalls by way of perhaps the first chance for the public to enter the grounds since the sale in 2025 by Historic England to a charity called Heritage Trust North West. 

The internet reveals:

The manor was built in the 14th Century by a medieval knight called Sir William de Baggiley (also spelt Baguley), who lived during the reign of King Edward II (1307-1327), and the structure later became a farmhouse.

It was used as a council workshop for around 40 years before a decision was taken by the Manchester City Corporation in 1967 to demolish the building, which triggered a public petition that included over 6,000 signatures.

Later that year, the Wythenshawe MP Alf Morris spoke in Parliament against the planned demolition of Baguley Hall, urging that: "Everything possible should be done to preserve this historic building for posterity".

Since 1968, the building has been owned by the government and for more than 50 years the structure was maintained by English Heritage.

Tours of the Hall are now being arranged.

On my visit the grounds were lined by stalls and musicians, selling all manner of wares.

Several information boards indicated that the hall was part of the estate owned by the Tatton family, the first mention of which dates back to 1290, when they were living in the hamlet of Kenworthy, about a mile from the site of the current Wythenshawe Hall. 

Robert de Tatton had lands in nearby Northenden in 1297 and in 1370 a Robert de Tatton of Kenworthy received land in 'Wythinshawe' as part of the settlement when he married Alice, the daughter and heiress of William de Masey of Wythinhagh, and was given all her lands and tenements, rents and services.

So this building was part of the estate owned by the Tatton family, one of very few families who preserved an unbroken line as owners of a large estate from the 14th to the 20th Century.*

It'll be interesting to go inside the building. Here's another extract from the internet and a picture of the interior:

Baguley Hall includes one of the oldest surviving medieval timber-framed halls in England and some of the wooden beams are more than 50cm (20in) thick.

A central hearth once provided cooking and heating for the medieval household.

Catherine Dewar, the North West Regional Director at Historic England, said: "What's really special about Baguley Hall is that it's open to the roof, rather than a lot of medieval halls, which have been sub-divided and have another room above".

"It means your eyes just go upwards because you can see right up to the ceiling".

So ended a short but interesting visit. Thanks go to Jan for bringing this to my attention.

* Members of my own family may be interested to know that a line of their forebears can be traced back to the marriage of Rainaldus de Balliole to Aimeria in 1082 as part of the Weston of Weston Under Lizard pedigree that later merged with the Weston of Rugeley pedigree, so we can trace our family tree back about 30 generations. What was life like for all those generations - that's a project?!

Here's a video that includes film of the interior.

Tuesday and Wednesday 11 and 12 August 2026 - The Steel Cotton Rail Trail Stage 2, and some fun at home

Tuesday 11 August was the day allotted to our Stage 2 of the Steel Cotton Rail Trail. This combined Stages 3, 4 and 5 of the published 14 Stage route. Transport was back to normal, with trains running on time, and thanks to a zero seconds wait for a tram we were able to enjoy coffees at Piccadilly Station's  Carluccio's before making our way to the stopping train to Grindleford.

Having experienced some fragmentation of the group on Stage 1, I took the precaution of taking a team photo before we left Grindleford's platform (see above - Sue W, Rick, Andy, Dave P and Sue B). Needless to say, this group remained together throughout the short walk.

The trail was well signposted out of the station.

Following the signs, and walking parallel to the railway, we soon came upon the site of Padley Manor and Padley Mill, where in the 1580s Catholic priests were offered a safe haven, though this didn't always work out. In July 1588 two priests were found in a raid. The entire household was arrested, the priests were executed, and the manor house was seized. The 'Padley Martyrs' are remembered in the stained glass windows of the chapel that has survived next to the manor house.

The gatehouse of Padley Manor, pictured above and below, housed the chapel on its first floor.

An information board indicates that the buildings date from the 14th Century.

We continued along a lovely path through Bolehill Wood.

After going through a gate, our path chose to turn left along a grassy path, past a large rock, and down through more woodland to a bridge over the railway, which would then remain on our right all the way to Hathersage.

Views towards Stanage Edge were partially restricted by leafy woodland, and we passed through an area where new hedges are being laid. You can see these in the next picture - numerous saplings planted between the fence posts.

We didn't go into Hathersage, instead turning left along the B6001 road to cross Leadmill Bridge then turn right to follow the path beside the River Derwent all the way to Shatton, near Bamford. En route we passed a heron who seemed to be fishing rather successfully. We stopped for a coffee break near here in the shade of trees by the river. Idyllic on the hot day.

We passed a family who were having great fun on the stepping stones that provide an easy route across the river in drought conditions such as we are currently experiencing.

Having no need to visit Bamford, we continued along the waymarked trail through Shatton towards Hope, passing through an emu, donkey and turkey farm.

Soon after this, we passed through a few fields to reach a shady spot with views towards various 'Edges' that was ideal for a lunch stop.

With the River Noe, which we joined near Bamford, now out of sight on our right for a while, we followed paths and tracks along the waymarked route towards Hope station.

On reaching the B6049 road in Brough, we turned right and passed the thriving farm supplies business of William Eyre & Sons. From a footbridge across the River Noe, the back of the Eyre buildings divulge their origin - the business started in 1885 as Brough Corn Mill.

As we strolled up to Hope station a train arrived, so without a pause we hopped on it and were back at Piccadilly in time, for  those who didn't need to rush off, to enjoy ice creams and a stroll to the tram stop at St Peter's Square.

Our route was just 11 km, with about 150 metres ascent, taking us a shade over three hours. An excellent way to spend a hot summer's day. Apparently we are in the fifth heatwave of the year. 

The following day - logistics not being favourable for a camping trip, we went camping in a garden in Timperley.

A model school and farm provided great entertainment.

The tent made way for fun with a bucket of water.

The farm adjourned to a living room floor, where Sue was required to impart the personalities, hardships and injuries in relation toto a a wide range of denizens of the farm.

Our visitor was taken home, and Sue, exhausted, went into 'rest' mode before, next day, going swimming with Richard and Jenny in Sale Water Park.

That's all for now folks