Friday 9 October 2009 – John Beatty’s Wild Vision

I’ve just returned from John Beatty’s excellent 2 hour presentation in Bolton to an audience of around 150.

The promo video is below.  I strongly commend this event.  Wonderful stories and wonderful photography.

John Beatty Tour promo from Speakers from the Edge on Vimeo.

The remaining venues are shown in the extract below:

DATES & VENUES

Please click on the links below to book online where possible.  Please note that booking fees may apply.

OCTOBER   
Thurs 22         LONDON    Royal Geographical Society      
0114 250 8048   or click on link to buy tickets from our website
Fri 23             EASTBOURNE    Congress Hall      01323 412 000
Sat 24            GUERNSEY    Whittaker Hall        01481 711361
Wed 28          STIRLING      Albert Halls            01786 473 544
Sat 31            ISLE of LEWIS       An Lanntair Arts Centre                 01851 708 480

NOVEMBER
Fri 6              BARNSTAPLE    Queen’s Theatre       01271 324242
Wed 11         MALVERN          Malvern Theatres      01684 892 277
Fri 13            SOUTHEND       Southend Theatres    01702 351135

JANUARY
Thurs 28        KIRKCALDY        Adam Smith Theatre   01592 583302
Fri 29            INVERNESS         Eden Court                01463 234234
Sat 30           PITLOCHRY *      Festival Theatre        01796 484626

FEBRUARY
Mon 1          BIRMINGHAM       Town Hall Birmingham   0121 7803333
Mon 8          BUXTON               Buxton Opera House     0845 127 2190
Sat 13          BRECON               Theatr Brycheiniog        01874 611622

*Please note John will be appearing at the Festival Theatre in Pitlochry as part of their Winter Words festival.  This will therefore be a shorter version of John's Wild Vision lecture with no interval.

There was no need to book in Bolton, where the full price was £13, and posters diaries and calendars were also on sale.

All in all, a most enjoyable evening.

Tuesday 6 October 2009 - South Devon Coast Path - Day 4 – Teignmouth to Exminster

A cheery breakfast prepared us well for the dampness outside.

Waves crashed against the breakwater, denying us the low level route to Dawlish.  Bloated from last night’s biryanis

[“The curry sauce wasn’t hot enough” Andrew and I replied to the plump Indian chef in response to his polite enquiry.
Chef looks quizzically at our empty plates…
“Nobody ever finishes our biryanis! What are you complaining about?”
Andrew and I look down, slackening our belts.]

we heaved sweatily up to around 90 metres to meet the main A379 road.  I could swear I heard Andrew muttering under his breath…

“….feel like …. Chinese wrestler’s … jock strap … cooked in chip fat on a greasy day ….”

….then down steep fields with a fine view of the coastal railway to Dawlish, where a very fit looking elderly lady runner shot past us, travelling much faster uphill than we were descending.

Dawlish had a nice sea wall.  Until its pathway dropped a couple of metres into the seething breakers, forcing us back up to the A379, which was taking its toll on Andrew’s overloaded feet.

We made it to Dawlish Warren.  The drizzle had ceased but it was hugely humid.  The cafés were all shut.  It’s ‘out of season’.  We left town to the constant clack on tarmac of Andrew’s walking poles.  Suddenly a café appeared before us.  Cappuccino and a jammy doughnut for me, black coffee for Andrew, still depressed after City’s failure to put away the opposition last night.

Refreshed, we plodded on to Starcross, where a summer ferry to Exmouth still appeared to be operating.  This would be our continuation of the coast path.  Next year.  A choice presented itself.  Bus, train, or continue walking?  Andrew, his poor feet reeking with fatigue, and unable to hobble across the road to the railway station, slumped next to the bus stop, and waited patiently for the next Stagecoach.  His perambulations, for now, were at an end.

It was early (12.15) and I was sure the path would improve.  The weather was fine and warm, the terrain flat.  I carried on past a ghetto of lone stags, all sitting patiently, possibly dreaming of their harem, or plotting how to attain the affections of the hinds that were grouped in a large gaggle some 200 metres away.

I was inland now, next to the Exe estuary, with a shy heron, little egrets, curlew, cormorants and a plethora of gulls for company.

The hostelry at Turf, where the Exeter Ship Canal starts, looked very quiet.  I lunched nearby, on a bench erected

In loving memory of Michael Boothby 1932 – 2006
Loved & worked on the canal

from which the above photo was taken.

A pleasant tow path then led to the Topsham Ferry, which I don’t think was working, at a point where the South West Coast Path heads over the ferry and the path I was on mutates into the Exe Valley Way.  I followed neither, turning instead into the Exminster Marshes Nature Reserve, where I surprised some men with a digger who told me they were de-marshing the footpath through the Reserve.

Over the railway bridge to the Swans Nest Roundabout, where a mobile texting system informed me that the next bus to Exeter would be in 20 minutes.  It did eventually appear, just behind the following bus that was a further 20 minutes behind, but on time.  Perhaps I should have walked right in to Exeter.

Anyway, I was soon reunited with Andrew, then via a jolly taxi ride with our car,  before a 5 hour drive through intermittent rain but quiet traffic to end this little excursion.

There will be a summary, with stats (especially for Alan), and a short slide show if I can distil sufficient images from those taken in the rather gloomy conditions.

Monday 5 October 2009 - South Devon Coast Path - Day 3 - Paignton to Teignmouth

Drizzle splattered over the pavements of Paignton. Andrew decided to start the day as he had finished yesterday. On the bus. Yvonne, our landlady, condoned his plan.

Not being a wimp, I headed off along the seafront, past hundreds of beach huts and underneath the pier.

Crows had replaced the terns of yesterday. It was dull and wet - not all that unusual for a coastal path trip.

I plodded on whilst Andrew endured a cup of instant coffee in a café run by a loquacious cockney.
Torbay came and went. Torquay seemed to last for ever. It did however become smarter. Its role as a graveyard for retired executives was confirmed by rashes of memorial benches in every green enclave.

Soon we were happily tramping along leafy woodland paths, with dog walkers waiting for their own memorial benches as our only company.

Andrew took whatever short cuts he could whilst I took a more purist approach in improving weather - it was a fine afternoon and actually sunny by the time we reached Shaldon, with fine views over Teignmouth (see today's image).

Our journey (22 km for me, much less for Andrew) ended with a short ferry trip, on a big old rowing boat, that took us nearly all the way to Devonia House, our home for tonight.

We then sought out the best restaurant in Teignmouth - an Indian - before acceding to one of Andrew's unfortunate addictions - a Manchester City football match on a pub TV.

Next Day

Sunday 4 October 2009 - South Devon Coast Path - Day 2 - Dartmouth to Paignton

We were greeted by a dull and overcast morning after overnight mizzle. But a full English had us champing at the bit for today's perambulations. A grumpy Spar lady failed to dampen our enthusiasm and a stroll through the sleeping town located the other workers. Two jolly ferrymen, who soon delivered us safely to Kingswear, whence the Coast Path led us through pretty woods.

The other early risers were busy in their sailing boats, readying themselves for the starter's gun. Just one minor problem. No wind. Yesterday's blustery conditions have dissolved into today's humid, overcast, calm weather, with sea fret over Torquay.

Two chaps welcomed us into a cabin from which they perform the role previously carried out by coastguards, on a charitable basis. All merchant vessels over 2000 tons are required to broadcast their whereabouts constantly, so their names were on the screen. Another large unidentified vessel on the horizon was identified, via Jane's Ship Silhouettes, as one of two naval supply ships.

A little further on, after a flurry of cirl buntings and a man with a telescope trained on a distant grey seal, a steep pull through some gates found us at Coleton Fishacre Garden, a National Trust property. We were dripping in the humidity. "Coffee and cake, please." "Would you like some water as well?" "Yes please."

The gardens were still rich with brightly coloured flowers - some are pictured above; the conditions today were too dark for any other phone photos.

The path undulated like a fairground ride for the next section to Man Sands. Lunch was most welcome, though for the second day running my butty was singularly unappetising.

Afternoon tea at Berry Head, where the Napoleonic Fort didn't quite match the splendour of its Italian counterparts, was followed by a gentle stroll into Brixham, where Andrew, 19 km into today's stroll, changed his mode of transport. Half an hour later, at 4.30, he had reached our B & B in Paignton and was preparing for a good rinse.

Meanwhile, I spent some time in Grove Woods, beyond Brixham, inadvertently taking a 2 km diversion to achieve a 400 metre progression along the coast path.

At 5 pm I entered the sea fret and donned waterproofs for the first time for many weeks.

The paths remained pleasant and rural. The Devon Belle steamed past, headed by a magnificent old engine - a GWR County Class or similar.

By 6 pm I had entered Paignton, where I discovered that my map bore little relation to the ground on which I found myself. A call to Andrew resolved the problem, and he kindly ventured out to track me down.

The inadequacy of my map was confirmed...
"That's a map of Dartmouth" observed Andrew.
Oops!

Paignton revealed little by way of options for sustenance, but my convoluted wanderings had not been in vain - I'd spotted the Harbour Restaurant, which fed us very well.

I've spent 9 hours walking the best part of 30 km today, with around 1400 metres of ascent, so am looking forward to another good night's kip.

Next Day

Saturday 3 October 2009 - South Devon Coast Path - Day 1 - Torcross to Dartmouth

24 hours after leaving home, Andrew and I finally made it to Torcross this morning, finishing our long journey on First's No 93 bus from Kingsbridge.

Admittedly, most of the 'journey' had been spent in the excellent company of Colin, Liz and Simon at our overnight stop in Exeter.

As usual, we set off walking in fine weather. We were followed today by a brisk breeze, with dark scudding clouds overhead.

After 200 metres the call of a tea shop was too great to resist, so it was noon by the time we embarked along Slapton Sands, having admired the nearby relic Sherman tank - in memory of the 'Operation Tiger Tragedy' - which looked only marginally older than the Austin Healey 3000 parked next to it.

And so to Dartmouth. Past a surprising array of wild flowers and butterflies, through the pretty villages of Strete and Stoke Fleming, the varied paths led all of 16 km (10 miles) to our destination. Our 4.30 pm arrival was followed by a long rest in our B & B, then an excellent meal with Chilean Pinot Grigot round the corner at Taylor's Restaurant.

Dartmouth is a lovely town, and we've spent some time 'wandering' both before and after darkness fell and the full moon rose high over the rooftops.

Highlights of the day:

a Slow Worm on a woodland path;


an incongruous tangle with a large group of overdressed wedding guests outside the church at Dartmouth Castle;

and of course the delights of the coast path - a varied route with some fine views, with afternoon sun lighting the River Dart, seen above at Warfleet Creek with Kingswear as a backdrop, shortly before entering Dartmouth.

It may only have been 10 miles, but it has tired us out...

Goodnight all!

Next Day

Happy Birthday Blog!

I started these scribblings on 1 October 2007, exactly two years ago, so it is now six years since I was last in full time employment!

Doesn’t time fly!

Whilst the blog is basically my indulgence, it has proved to be a good medium for keeping a diary and recording activities etc on a fairly timely basis.  It has enabled us to keep in touch with family and friends from distant parts.  New friends have also been made, too numerous to mention, as a result of the blog, and also as a consequence of me and Sue continuing to take part in the TGO Challenge annual backpack across Scotland.  The image above is taken from this year’s Challenge, and shows me on the south summit of Gulvain towards the end of our toughest day, on 10 May 2009, with the Nevis peaks in the background.

Scotland can be wonderful in May!

Here’s a picture from last year, with Tim and Kate Wood, on their 10th Challenge, crossing the bridge over the River Spey at Carnachuin.  Sadly, Tim and Kate were unable to take part in this year’s walk, so this may be the last time they crossed this characterful bridge, as it was washed away in this year’s August floods in Scotland.

Readers may be aware that Sue (Nallo Lady) is out of sorts at present and unable to get out as much as she would like to (she can’t carry more than a small bum bag, and has limited ‘range’).  I shall miss her company whilst she remains incapacitated, and it’s a solo entry that has been made for the 2010 TGO Challenge, so the old Phoenix Phreerunner tent will be accompanying me on that trip.  It astonishes me, when I read so many whinges from backpackers about condensation problems in their tents, that this 25 year old single skin tent seems to have retrospectively skipped beyond the current leading edge of tent technology.  Whilst its old seams need TLC, the tent is, and always has been, free of any condensation.

Anyway, whilst Sue has been grounded, she has made a new friend.  He lives in one of our window boxes:

She also discovered this pretty little devil in her apple tree; with its bright yellow stripe, red dots and two ‘horns’ it should be quite easy to catalogue, but we have no idea as to its identity.

Today’s plan had been to enjoy the Snowdon Horseshoe walk, just as I did six years ago to celebrate my new found part time status (I recommend it), but with a four day trip starting imminently I’ve been lazy and stayed at home.  Hopefully Susan from Connecticut will join me on a stroll up Snowdon later this month.

I wrote a year ago about my feelings on this blog and its place in the outdoor blogging community, and those feelings haven’t changed.  I enjoy the process and will continue so long as that is the case, aided by whoever I can get to vary the monotony by way of guest entries.  There’s certainly plenty to read for those with time on their hands – 123,000 words in the past year (1st year: 165,000!), with about 1,200 images (1,200).  The blog is now publicly ‘followed’ by 25 people (4) and has 52 subscribers (17).  This is pretty middle of the road for an established UK outdoors blog, with many bloggers achieving a much larger readership (as a result of their notoriety or charisma or subject matter [gear?] etc), with Lighthiker seemingly leading the way with an astonishing 593 (200) subscribers.

Finally, today the page loads for the blog have hit the 50,000 mark (year 1: 18,000; year 2: 32,000), with some 30,000 unique visitors and 10,000 returning visitors (both roughly having doubled in the second year).  This is all pretty irrelevant, but it is nice to know that some folk appreciate the entries, whether they be regular visitors or have found the blog through a search engine, in which case I hope it has been a useful resource.

Hello to all of you, thank you for visiting, and your comments are as always most welcome.

Now where’s that rucksack?

Sunday 27 September 2009 – The Macclesfield Half Marathon

Last week Alastair mentioned that he had entered this local half marathon.

I’d never done one, so, being free, I decided during the week to join him.  I’d had ambitions to tick off this particular challenge for a while, but hadn’t wanted to put myself out to do it.

Against my better judgement – I have dodgy knees - I do a bit of jogging just as a way of exercising – a 1.75 mile circuit down the canal a couple of times a week – actually about 12 miles in the last 5 weeks, so I’d done some training.

I’ve never attempted to jog 13 miles without stopping, so it would be unknown territory, and with a deadline of 2 hours 35 minutes I estimated that I’d take about 2¼ hours.

The ticket inspector on the tram gave me a quizzical look as I showed him my concessionary travel card….”going to do a half marathon!” I bragged, pointing to my breakfast (the banana was sticking out of my pocket).

The sports ground gradually filled with around 1000 competitors, and half an hour before the 10 am start many of these started to jog around the track.  Luckily (and I later discovered this was a big advantage) nobody had handed me a handicap card and I didn’t have to run anywhere until the start of the race.

Alastair found time (in between going to the toilet then almost immediately returning to the queue for said toilet) to join these folk despite nobody demanding that he try to tire himself out before the start.

I was glad I’d not drunk much – that toilet queue did look a bit desperate.

As 10 am approached, I said cheerio to Al, who shouldered his way to the front of the pack.  Not wanting to be trampled in the rush, I stayed at the back, expecting to remain there for a good two hours.

A gun sounded in the distance and after a while I shuffled forward, keeping step with the rest of the crowd.  The pace was very gentle.

Very gentle.

Trotting along quite happily, I found I could keep up with most of those around me.  I spent a while chatting to some of them, though they became increasingly reluctant to talk.  “Do you have a plan?” (I was looking for inspiration) “Where have you come from?” “Are you doing this for charity?” “Nice day, isn’t it?”

“Bit steep, this hill!” – no answer….

After three miles lots of people stopped for water – surely if they were thirsty it would have been better to have a drink before the start, I thought.

Anyway, overtaking people became quite fun.  I developed a routine – catch up, chat, move on.

After six miles there was more water.  I took a cup.  I now realise why runners pour such water over their heads – if you try to drink it whilst jogging you choke!  So, not wanting to get wet, I just threw the rest of mine away.

At this point it got a bit hilly.  I’d decided to try to maintain my gentle jogging pace for as long as possible, but many around me slowed down here.  I slowed down myself when I caught sight of Alastair’s distinctive leggings ahead of me, and it was with some embarrassment that I passed him on the next hill.

I have to admit, the hills – there was over 1000 feet of ascent – did get harder as the race progressed, but the weather was excellent, and there were plenty of people to chat to whilst I wasn’t admiring the legs of number 1312, a triathlete who kept re-passing me.  She looked quite fit and I was puzzled that I could keep up with her – perhaps she was saving herself for the bike ride…?

The pictures (borrowed from the web site) show Alastair looking rather determined, my ‘mentor’ for the day - number 1312, and me crossing the finishing line (I speeded up for that!).

  

 

“You’ll never get a PB on this hilly course” commented an old guy at the finish.  “I just have!” I grinned.

Postscript
Some (notably Alastair) may be pleased to hear that I had stiff calves for a while after this sustained bout of exercise.  Luckily, the knees seem to have survived.

Friday 25 September 2009 – Bike Route M4 – Roman Lakes, Rowarth and Mellor

On the road again - as Phil celebrated a day on the open road (see here) with Diana and Miss W, I enjoyed another largely off road pedal from Roman Lakes.

The 10.5 mile route to Rowarth and Mellor is described in the Roman Lakes booklet as ‘a generally dryish route taking in some good off road sections both up and down’, and that’s exactly what it was like today.  There’s a route description here, and in the direction described I found a need to dismount for a total of only around 20 metres.  Experts wouldn’t need to get off at all.

The summer is drawing to a close, but today it was hanging on – overcast, dry, calm and cool – but not cool enough to require more than the one layer, even up at 400 metres in the Peak District.

Passing this wood, I got the feeling that the flowering plants were now spent and that the next bout of colour, probably imminent, would be from the change in leaf colours from their present dull greens.

The view across New Mills towards Shining Tor was only just worthy of pressing the shutter – I find it hard enough to take a reasonable picture at the best of times, let alone in dull conditions like these!

The paths were deserted today, apart from the two trail bikers I met coming up a narrow, rocky, restricted byway (clearly signed as restricted to all vehicles including trail bikes).  This chap fell off in front of me and a debate ensued as to whether he should really be there at all, let alone spread right across the path.  I think I was winning the argument until his mate returned and the two of them saw me off by chucking rocks towards me. 

Ah well!

The fleshpots of Rowarth – notably the Little Mill Inn – were nearby, providing ample opportunity to take a break and regain my composure for the pleasurable run up to Mellor and back down a mixture of quiet roads and green lanes to Roman Lakes.

The route is shown below for those who haven’t bothered to click on the route description link above.  The 10 miles includes around 500 metres of ascent and took me about an hour and a half.

The Backbone of England

Last night I enjoyed a trip to Littleborough at the instigation of former TGO deputy editor ‘Deputy Dawg’ John Manning, to an illustrated talk that was part of the South Pennines Walk and Ride Festival 2009, with which John is heavily involved.

Author Andrew Bibby and photographer John Morrison discussed their book The Backbone of England, in which Andrew traces the line of the Pennine watershed from Kinder Scout to Hadrian’s Wall. Along the way he explores the area’s history, ecology, culture & geology, meeting those whose lives are shaped by this special landscape.

John Morrison’s stunning images accompanied the talk.

The book is available from Amazon for £14 and looks to be a beautifully illustrated and very informative read.

It was good to have a natter with John, Alistair Pooler and the esteemed author and photographer in the Falcon afterwards.  A most pleasant evening.

Wednesday 23 September 2009 – Last of the Summer Evening Walks

Sue and I set off from The Swan With Two Nicks at 7.30, without even Andrew to accompany us.  The dusky light didn’t stop us wending our way through the fields to Dunham Woodhouses, where Barns Lane led to an easy footpath that emerged at the familiar disused railway line just as it was going dark.

From now on we relied on the ambient light from the Manchester conurbation to illuminate our steady progress to Mill Lane and the sadly closed Railway Inn at Heatley.  A right turn took us down a ‘new to us path’ that appeared to reach a dead end behind a row of houses.  The 1:25000 map (not taken) now reveals that we should have walked across what appeared to us to be a newly ploughed field, instead of following the hedgerow.

Never mind, we returned to the lane, strolled down to the very much alive and well canal, and back along the towpath to Little Bollington.

There was quite a bit of activity from boaters outside the fleshpots on the other side of the canal, with some lovely reflections on the still, warm evening.  The camera was at home, so a trip with a tripod at some future date may be undertaken.

It was a pleasant enough walk – 9 km in a little under 2 hours along the following route:

The ‘postcard’ is of the canal, by the Bay Malton, during the eclipse earlier in the day.

Our next evening walk will be on Tuesday 13 October:

Around Latchford - start 7.30 pm from the Kingsway Bridge (SJ 625 880) for an interesting 8 km (5 mile) stroll – to reach the bridge take the A57 east from Warrington town centre, turn right into Farrell Street at traffic lights before the parish church, bear right at a roundabout, cross Kingsway Bridge, then park in any wide side street and meet on the bridge.

All are welcome.

Over there, Bob!

Here’s my entry in Andy Howell’s competition.

And for those of you needing the odd bit of kit - when he’s not setting fire to the countryside Bob can be found together with ‘Babe of the Year’ Rose at their magnificent on-line emporium here.

Monday 21 September 2009 – The ‘Big Macc Ramble’

I last did this on 24 July 2005.

I know that because I wrote all about it here.

It’s an excellent bike ride, with only one short section requiring a dismount.

So those of you interested in following the 22 km (14.5 mile) route should refer to that old route description, which remains accurate, and as the new surfaces referred to in my report on that trip have bedded in (sort of), there is now no need to dismount on the rocky descents, though if unsure you should do so, and please don’t blame me if you fall off!

The Trentabank Car Park is now pay and display, so it’s cheaper to park in the lay-by beside Ridgegate Reservoir.  I set off from here at 9.30 on a grey Monday morning, but that hadn’t lessened the smile on my face as I glanced at other road users during the hour it took me to travel the 23 miles from Timperley.  Business people, parents with children, workmen, van drivers, all striving to meet deadlines, whilst I was happy to potter along and pause by the reservoir before unloading the bike.

The variety of bird life here is actually wider than that at the lake by Interlaken which we saw ten days ago, with numerous Little Grebes and Tufted Ducks, as well as loads of Coots and a selection of other ducks and geese.

[At this point I apologise for the quality of the images on this posting, but they do go a little way towards capturing the ambience of the grey day!]

Leaving the geese to gander and the coots to squawk, the Leather’s Smithy was passed in no time at all, beyond which the hill down to Langley allows a 30+mph free wheel – perhaps the fastest section of the entire ride, and after only a couple of minutes.  At that speed my wheels seemed quite wobbly – perhaps the bike needs a service…

Tegg’s Nose Country Park provides the scenery for a while after Langley; here’s the trusty steed beside Teggsnose Reservoir – a domain of fishermen.

This is followed by a long sweaty ascent up to Walker Barn and the cycle shop that used to be a pub.  It was an excellent day for a bike ride – calm, cool and dry, despite the greyness.

Up at 475 metres, at the highest point by the edge of the forest, the Cat & Fiddle lay starkly on the horizon, just below the cloud that had already engulfed nearby Shining Tor, at 559 metres the highest point for miles.

Whilst cows dozed in the fields, a steady descent over sloppy stones led me to St Stephen’s, at Macclesfield Forest.

I always stop for a break here – a cup of tea on a bench with a plaque that asks:

WHAT IS THIS LIFE IF FULL OF CARE
WE HAVE NO TIME TO SIT AND STARE

There wasn’t much happening, actually!  But the views were good and the tea was refreshing.

Another steep descent leads to the Stanley Arms, near a place called ‘Bottom-of-the-Oven’.  If you are fed up with Robinsons, come here for a glass of Pedigree!

No such luck for the teetotallers!

Peak View tea rooms are passed soon after reaching the A537 after a long haul, and when open they do provide some very tasty goodies.

By the time I reached the Cat & Fiddle (back to Robinsons) it was engulfed in cloud.  A lone couple with a powerful motorbike looked forlorn in the car park.  We agreed that yesterday the place would have been full of bikers in the sunshine.  “We’ve got the wrong day” they bemoaned.  I’m sure they were happier than if going to work, though.

The new path across Danebower Hollow to the A54 road is a lovely ride.  Very few awkward stones to negotiate here, so wheel wobbling speeds can be safely attained.

The dull weather and the fact that I was on the bike inhibited the flower photos today, but Knapweed, Yarrow, Tormentil, Ragwort, Willowherbs and Ling were all hanging on, though some of their blooms could be said to be fading.

The short section along the A54 is pleasantly downhill, with views down to Three Shires Head, where the counties of Cheshire, Derbyshire and Staffordshire meet in the most scenic of spots.

The Big Macc Ramble turns the other way, down a rocky (cycle with care!) path beside Cumberland Brook, past a busy shepherd and two elderly walkers – the only people I saw on today’s paths - across an easy ford, and into the valley.  A left turn here would deliver me to the Crag Inn at Wildboarclough, but my lunch is elsewhere, so it’s a gentle ride up the valley for me, then a steep 100 metre ascent back to the edge of the forest, where there’s a plaque in honour of

WALTER SMITH 1872-1949
HISTORIAN OF MACCLESFIELD AND LOVER OF THE COUNTRYSIDE
”WE CLAMB THE HILLS TOGETHER”
                                        BURNS

With only half an hour to go, it’s time to take advantage again of my mobile tea shop.

The forest looked more of a scene of devastation than usual.

A major artery seems to be in the course of manufacture.  A logging road, or a recreational amenity?  Perhaps both. The Macclesfield Forest website, whilst being informative, doesn’t at first sight reveal the answer.

After a final very short steep section the bridleway plunges back down to Trentabank.  This descent is great fun, but today I picked up a puncture half way down, and being so close to the finish couldn’t be bothered to repair it.

So I finished on foot at around 12.15.

The Timperley Triangle: The Bridgewater Canal, Timperley Station Canopy, and JJ

If you have been reading carefully, you’ll know that these three icons of Timperley have recently been mislaid.

Yesterday we saw our first rain here for quite some time.  It obligingly washed in our Autumn Lawn Feed, and a short walk revealed this amazing sight:

Yes, the canal has reappeared.  Thank goodness for that.  And just in case anyone else is interested, the following picture was taken from roughly the same spot in 1900 – there were two station canopies back then.

No, I didn’t take that one!  Nor this one – circa 1960.

The remaining canopy is still missing today.  However, Trekking Britain’s wish for a return to ‘yellow’ has certainly been granted!

 

What of JJ?  Vanished.  Completely disappeared.

Sunday 20 September 2009 – A Taste of Trafford

On a beautiful late summer’s day we wandered into Altrincham to sample the wares of a number of our local restaurants and other local and regional food and drink producers and retailers.

This was the ‘A Taste of Trafford’s’ Signature event “Taste Sensation”, held at Altrincham Market, and very well attended, with a sort of carnival atmosphere.

The event had a special currency – Tesetas – the link explains all…

…so, armed with this new form of currency we had a very enjoyable hour or two with Al, Hazel, Andrew and Kate.  The beer from the Working Men’s Club was excellent as well.

These three were very mellow, especially the drummer!

The old covered market was fuller than on a busy market day.

Oca’s offerings were very popular….

…and a good time was had by all.

Alpine Exploits – 27 August to 15 September 2009

By way of an Index:

Day 1   -   A Home from Home
Day 2   -   Öeschinensee
Day 3   -   Path Bagging in Kandersteg
Day 4   -   Blue Skies over Switzerland
Day 5   -   First and Stand
Day 6   -   Kebabed in Kandersteg
Day 7   -   Relaxing in Kandersteg
Day 8   -   Hotel Restaurant de la Forclaz
Day 9   -   A Day Out In Italy
Day 10 -   A Second Home (from Home)
Day 11 -   Bad Pennies
Day 12 -   Mark the Mountain Guide
Day 13 -   Col de Balme
Day 14 -   Gentiana ciliata and the path to Hohtürli
Day 15 -   The Gasterntal and Kanderfirn
Day 16 -   Rote Chumme
Day 17 -   A Chance Encounter in Interlaken
Day 18 -   Studententorte
Day 19 -   A Quiet Day in Kandersteg

Links:
The Kandersteg Apartment – available to rent
Slide shows (to follow)
Web page (to follow)

Timperley Metro Station

I used to commute into Manchester from Timperley Metro Station.  The canopy was really quite useful on wet days.  It kept the commuters dry.

Here it is:

Here’s the miniscule image from Metrolink’s website:

So it was a bit of a surprise to return from holiday to find this:

What have you done with the canopy, JJ?

So, I’ll just wait in until it stops raining….

….actually, since we returned last week, I can’t recall more than a few drops of rain, so perhaps this is Metrolink’s preparation for global warming?

Friday 18 September 2009 – Route E4 from Roman Lakes

On a cool, dry, calm day, this bike ride was an ideal choice of activity.  It’s a shame it was cloudy, but you can’t have everything.

Roman Lakes is a good place to start this activity – a half hour drive finds us in this quiet spot with free parking, a drinks kiosk and toilets.  There’s plenty of space to gather the cycling gear from the car boot, and to change into clean clothes afterwards if it’s muddy.

The proprietors have produced a booklet with eleven suggested routes – 4 easy (up to 8 miles), 4 moderate (up to 20 miles), and 3 ‘Xtreme’ (up to 34 miles).  There’s also a ‘100 km Challenge’ route.

I’ve produced a summary of the ‘E4’ route in the past, and recorded it here, so there’s no map or route description within this posting.*

Soon after starting out I met a large group of guided walkers, perhaps from some sort of institution, emerging from here:

Perhaps there was light for them at the end of the tunnel!

I would hope that there is light at the end of the tunnel for this sad sight, which should be an attractive project for someone.

Whizzing past huge banks of Himalayan Balsam along the route, near a large dovecote in the centre of an ornamental lake, I soon came to a canal that despite its reddish brown colour is in fine fettle after some renovation work in the late C20 and even as recently as 2003 – the Peak Forest Canal.  Pleasure cruisers were phutting up and down the section I rode along today before dropping down into New Mills.

I stopped here, by the River Goyt, surrounded by industrial archaeology, for refreshments.

Returning to the saddle, disorientatation set in and I headed off in the wrong direction.  Either I’m very dim, or the geography of New Mills is quite intricate.  Possibly both, but I did have a déjà vu feeling from the other day when I thought the Bridgewater Canal should have been in view!  After fumbling around for ages, I eventually returned to the picnic benches and set off in the opposite direction, soon reaching the distinctive and attractive Millennium Walkway.

This little diversion perhaps provides the key to my speedo showing that I’d travelled two miles further than expected on this ride!

Some steep but straightforward climbing brought me eventually to The Fox Inn at Brook Bottom.  Sadly it was closed, for a new roof and other repairs.

Here’s what it used to look like:

But today….I nearly had to pretend to delete the following image when the workmen and their boss (in the foreground) noticed my high visibility yellow top and thought I was a Health and Safety man checking up on them. 

If so, I pleaded, why was I taking pictures like this?

 

They let me go, satisfied as to my insanity.

It’s a lovely ride back to Roman Lakes from here, high above the valley, with good views towards the skyscrapers of Manchester.

Past the golf course and on down the rough stony track to Roman Lakes, this excellent finish to the ride is over slightly technical ground that’s hard (for me) to descend quickly, but is easy enough at a slow pace.

* One of the most visited outdoor blogs – Alan Sloman’s – comments here on the fact that it only actually describes one route (albeit a long one) in any great detail.  That in itself will attract many visits from prospective ‘LEJOGers’, but Alan’s subsequent postings do not make a big deal of describing routes or gear.  That’s the beauty of Alan’s postings.  You never know what’s coming next.  I think he enjoys blogging as a form of therapy, and I’m sure he gains much pleasure from knowing that his writing is enjoyed by many others, including some professional writers.

My own efforts, as previously mentioned, are very much an indulgence, and whilst mainly outdoors related may cover any topic I consider worthy of interest, so it’s a bonus to me that anyone other than my mother and sometimes my trip companions should be inclined to visit this site.

However, I do enjoy detailing the various routes of the trips I describe, and it’s an added pleasure when people discover these for themselves and provide feedback.

So whilst I get far fewer visitors than Alan, like his LEJOG postings my route descriptions have proved to be a useful resource for some visitors.