Friday 21 June 2019 - The Old Man of Coniston Circuit - Some Photos

 

My posting relating to our walk up The Old Man of Coniston, see here, was restricted to the four images allowed to me by mobile blogging. Insert more pictures than that and the posting simply disappears. I've learnt the hard way!

 

So here are a few more images to illustrate that excellent walk. To view them as a slideshow, just click on any image and scroll through the pictures.

 

We drove up to the Swan at Newby, for posh coffee on a lovely morning.

 

The car park at the end of the Walna Scar Road tarmac is where the walk started.

 

The dominant plant in the verges of the track that's the continuation of the Walna Scar Road is, at this time of year, the foxglove.

 

An air force plane flew up the Coniston valley, some way below us.

 

Here's Sue heading on up the road, with our first summits in view.

 

There's a bridge to cross. The stream was hardly in spate, but it did provide a nice foreground to the view across Coniston to Grizedale and beyond.

 

Here's a panoramic view of the route ahead, with Brown Pike on the left and The OMC on the right. 

 

Our elevenses rock provided more good views in the direction of Coniston Water and beyond.

 

Brown Pike was our first summit (682 metres).

 

From Brown Pike there's a good view back to the high point of the Walna Scar Road, with the Duddon Valley beyond.

 

Now on Buck Pike, 744 metres, here's a panorama towards the Scafell summits, with Dow Crag on the far right.

 

The path to Dow Crag reveals fine views to Goat's Water and The OMC.

 

Dow Crag has a rocky summit - 778 metres.

 

We took the path you can see on the far right, and headed up The OMC, on a rising path with this fine view back to Dow Crag.

 

Once on the 803 metre summit of The Old Man of Coniston, (see the picture of Sue at the head of this posting) we were spoilt for choice with the views down to Low Water and Coniston village.

 

We enjoyed lunch with this magnificent panorama.

 

The descent was on the busy 'tourist' path, with remnants of the mountain's mining heritage close at hand by way of hawsers and tunnels and other artefacts.

 

The circuit finished with a very pleasant stroll on an easy path back to the car park.

 

We visited Jim and Cathy. We are envious of this view from their garden.

Jim and Cathy were in their second or third year at UMIST when I started a degree course there in 1967.

 

Here's the route Sue and I took - a shade under 11 km, with about 750 metres ascent, taking nearly 4 hours.

A fine day out. I hope you enjoy these pictures taken on a near perfect day.

Pyrenees HRP - 2004 - Day minus 1

Sue and Martin's Big Adventure

 

Day -1 - Saturday 24 July 2004 (by Sue)

An early start - a sign of things to come? Tea at 6.30, then a list of tasks to complete before we could leave for London Colney. For me, it was packing, after obligatory photo of kit (above), then a haircut that would have to last for over eight weeks, then a leg wax. Martin's list was somewhat longer and was more domestic - plant watering, shutting windows, and last minute additions to the website.

Martin collected our Alamo Astra from the airport and ticked off a couple more jobs in Altrincham. Our prepared picnic of sausage sandwiches was eaten at home and after last minute emails to alert folk to the website changes, we left home just after 2 pm.

Manchester was only 18°C and cloudy, but after a three hour journey, including a cup of tea at Corley, we arrived in the warmer (24°C) and sunnier climes of London Colney. Spent a pleasant evening playing in the garden with Jacob (Sue's nephew), whilst Alex mixed building materials and Helen and Martin prepared a barbecue and salad. Gin and tonics preceded an al fresco dinner, until it got chilly and it was Jake's bath time. That was my job, but it meant I had a bath as well. After stories, he finally went to sleep after 9.30. We weren't too long after that, after a glass of red wine and some TV.

Start of Trip
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Pyrenees HRP - 2004 - Prologue

Sue and Martin's Big Adventure

Prologue

In 2004 I left my job and Sue took a six month sabbatical. I'd already walked the central section of the Haute Route Pyrenées (HRP) in three separate trips, from Lescun to Andorra, in 1990, 1993 and 1994. My ambition was to walk the entire route, which follows the border between France and Spain in the High Pyrenees between the Atlantic and the Mediterranean, in one trip. It would take us about eight weeks; flights were booked, leaving home on 24 July and returning on 21 September. Julie Brown was organised to join us for the section from Gavarnie.

Whilst my subsequent GR10 (France) and GR11 (Spain) traverses of the Pyrenees were recorded on these pages, the HRP trip preceded 'Postcard from Timperley'. We did however record our passage by way of a rudimentary sort of 'blog'. That involved sending a daily text message to my daughter Kate, who periodically entered the text into a spreadsheet that was published on topwalks.com. That spreadsheet is still on the website, as is the summary of the trip that was transcribed from the postcards we sent whenever we had the opportunity.

No charger was taken for the Nokia phone, and the battery was still going strong at the end of the trip!

This year, 2019, we have no 'big trip' planned, so I'm hoping to enjoy re-living the 2004 trip, which was the first time I'd been away  from home for more than four weeks, and only the second time I'd been away for more than two weeks - so recollections of that four week trip - in the mid 1970s - is another project.

So for the next few weeks or months, diary entries for our current activities may be interspersed with recollections under a 'Pyrenees 2004' label. You don't have to read them, and some of the entries may be a little tedious, but you are most welcome to share in my indulgence.

I'll be trying to insert some pictures - this was a pre-digital trip so we have negatives and CDs that we got at the time the Fujifilm was processed. I'll also add some route maps using more recently acquired Anquet and Viewranger software.

The picture shown above is of the Georges Véron definitive guide book published by West Col Publications in 1991, our 'bible' for this trip.

Next posting
Index

Monday 24 June 2019 - A Bike Ride - TPT/Cheshire Ring Circuit

 

Monday morning: = a bike ride.

 

With none of my usual companions available I chose the 60km Trans Pennine Trail/Cheshire Ring circuit, leaving soon after 8 am in order to avoid the rain that arrived just as I returned home at midday. It's over six months since I last took this route - on 5 November last year - though the shorter Fallowfield Loopline route has been taken a few times since then, one of them being recorded here.

 

Of note, from the towpath, was a huge barge named Pauline, pictured above crossing the River Mersey in Stretford, with the M60 motorway in the background and the Metrolink tram line to the left. If you wait for a while at this bridge you should spot the seemingly unlikely sight of Kingfishers in this urban environment.

 

Attempts to converse with the skipper drew a smile but no voice - perhaps English wasn't his native language. Some sections of the Bridgewater Canal might be a bit tight for this vessel. I wonder where it is now? In the Irish sea?

 

I was pleased to find the towpath closures in the Ashton area were no longer an obstacle to progress, though the Canal & River Trust have closed the path in the centre of Manchester near lock number 89, so a short road section was needed to get from there to the Castlefield Basin. Not really a problem, and only a very small proportion, maybe 3km, of this 60km route is on roads. Most of this is near Stockport town centre, where I have yet to discover a good off-road route. I'm sure there is one.

 

Here's today's route - on this occasion I took the path beside the Mersey rather than go into Didsbury on the TPT. With just one tea and banana break at Haughton Green shortly before the route joins the Peak Forest Canal, it took me a little under four hours as I eschewed the attractions of the Velodrome café in favour of avoiding the rain.

Saturday 22 June 2019 (and Sunday) - The Canal Crew Visit Stratford

 

After the excitement of the family picnic, Sue and I moved on to track down 'The Canal Crew', who this year were pootling about on the Stratford-upon-Avon Canal, which seems to stray into the River Avon.

 

We found them near some locks at Bishopton, just north of Stratford. Sue embarked on the difficult choice between Pimms, beer or both, while I tried to identify an orchid. I settled for an Early Purple - that's the orchid, not the drink.

 

 

Lurking in his bedroom (aka the galley) we finally managed to locate one of the invisible trio who had successfully evaded us during the recent TGO Challenge walk. Roger was rather coy about his invisibility, which he hoped would continue on this trip when breakfast took place whilst he sleeps off the previous night's excesses.

 

I left him watching Louise concoct an experimental meal, and returned to the back of the boat, which was moored next to a house that had recently spent £1.5 million on redecoration (there must be a rich decorator nearby!) and was warming up for a party.

 

As usual, Robert was complaining about the lack of headroom, but at least there was a hatch that allowed him to stand up, albeit in just one position.

 

It was a lovely evening, and we were sad to have to return to Sue's parents' house whilst the Canal Crew tested Louise's culinary experiment. The barge didn't move much while we were there, but I think they floated it away from the noisy party a bit later.

 

Next day we parked at a convenient spot in Stratford and wandered beside the River Avon to the point on the canal where the Canal Crew were engaged in relieving themselves.

 

There are lots of swans, Canada geese, mallards, greylag geese and Aylesbury ducks in the Stratford Basin.

 

 

We found the Canal Crew near the lock shown below. The toilets had got blocked and a machine was being used to evacuate them. It was a smelly operation. Sue and I wondered whether the culprit was Louise's experimental meal.

 

After taking on yet more water - they had spent ages doing that last night - the barge was at last on the move, down a series of locks to join the River Avon in Stratford Basin.

 

Being near the centre of Stratford, there were lots of people around, including many tourists who, one assumes from their conduct, had never seen a barge before.

 

Gerry and Stuart were on their best behaviour and failed to lasso any tourists, most of whom were very small, with slitty eyes.

 

Here, a moment of relaxation before the final descent to the river.

 

The entry lock to the basin took two boats - there was a very smart 25 year old privately owned barge just behind us.

 

Once on the river, there was loads of space for everyone and the fleshpots of Stratford soon disappeared in our wake as Robert and Chris steered us towards some rapids.

 

Robert suffered a wardrobe mishap. I made more coffee. We all ate Stuart's millionaire's shortbread. Large pieces of it.

 

Suddenly the boat swerved to the left, sending kitchenware flying, as we took evasive action to avoid  getting stuck on a weir. Chris had spotted a convenient lock, and luckily the boat was low enough to fit into the steel cage provided, though Robert had to take care not to bash his head again.

 

Senior Management looked up with relief.

 

Very Senior Management played with one of the lassos that seemed to be strewn around the boat.

 

Gerry confirmed that she is bidding for promotion from Senior Management, to Official Photographer and Lassoist.

 

Sue and I could see that being a Contentious Issue, so we decided to abandon ship.

 

A group photo was taken, the success or failure of which could have a bearing on Gerry's promotion. I'll add that to this posting if the current Official Photographer decides to place it on general release.

 

Here it is - thanks, Chris.

 

 

And so, we left the seven mariners to float on in the peaceful surroundings of the River Avon, then I dropped Sue off at a Spa for a couple of days and returned home to sunny Timperley.

 

The map below shows our movements on Sunday, which tot up to over 10 km, and the boat icon shows where we joined the Canal Crew at Bishopton on Saturday.

Thanks go to the Canal Crew for having us along, and I hope the poetic licence taken in the above narrative doesn't cause any untoward upset - we wouldn't want any more toilet blockages...

Saturday 22 June 2019 - Another Family Picnic

 

Was it really two years since we celebrated Richard's 80th birthday in St Nicholas Park in Warwick? It seems so!

 

Anyway, about thirty of Sue's vast family turned up for a very pleasant afternoon of sunshine and chat. It was good to see everyone, but a little disturbing to realise that most of the babies and small children who were present when Sue started to organise these family gatherings are now away at universities. Time really does fly past.

 

 

The park is next to the River Avon. I went to the bridge to look for some friends who we knew were somewhere nearby. There was no sign of them, but there was an impressive castle that we should visit sometime.

 

This bug took a liking to Sue.

 

Some huge bubbles were blown, and frisbees (out of shot) were thrown.

 

Sue stayed away from home with her camera, so I may add more pictures to this posting when I find the camera dumped next to this computer.

Saturday 22 June 2019 - Hanley parkrun number 403

 

 

 

 

As we were travelling down to Warwick, Sue and I decided to pause our journey just off the A500 in Hanley for a bit of welcome 5km exercise with 266 other people on a warm day.

The natives were friendly and despite being far from our quickest times, we both managed to come first in our age categories on the hilly course.

A great way to start the weekend. Full results are here.