Thursday 31 May 2018 – A Stroll from the Dun Cow

The first of Andrew’s ‘Deepest Cheshire’ walks brought a series of apologies for absence, leaving just four of us to enjoy this lovely summer’s evening in the Cheshire countryside.

The walk started with an intimidating public footpath through property owned by the wealthy founders of Boohoo.com, who see fit to place Alsatians and other vicious looking species of dog either side of the footpath, albeit behind high fences. This is wholly unacceptable and we hope that whoever has recently strimmed the pathway (I’m sure the Boohoo people would want it to be overgrown and disused) is ‘on the case’.

Anyway, we probably won’t be there again for a while, so why get worked up about nasty rich people. After negotiating a recently fallen tree we continued over Marthall Brook to field paths – at this point easy walking over compacted soil.

Jenny had chosen to stay away today. Possibly just as well, as her fear of animals may have resulted in mild panic as a field of young bullocks raced over to investigate.

Their curiosity was not matched by any form of bravery, so these tasty beasts were not really troublesome.

The ongoing path – which heads directly towards the white house on the left, was less than distinct.

After turning right past friendly dogs at Ollerton Hall, we entered a field of attentive sheep and horses. Their friendly nature indicated that they may be pets.

Shadows were lengthening as we took an indistinct but well signposted path through a field of buttercups.

After passing through Ash Farm and dodging the traffic on Seven Sisters Lane, Andrew led us through Windmill Wood, where even the current spell of dry weather had failed to eliminate the last remnants of mud, and the remains of a huge tree lay splayed across the path.

Soon we were back to a friendly welcome at the Dun Cow, where both staff and customers appreciated, and were perhaps a little envious of what we had been up to.

Here’s our route – about 8 km, with about 50 metres ascent, taking a little over 2 hours.

PS Blogger problems:
I noticed yesterday that the system that automatically notifies me by email of comments received on my postings didn’t seem to be working. Searches on the internet for this problem implied that my settings might be wrong, so I checked them out and spent some time trying to resolve the problem, without success.
Why do I continue to waste time on such exercises? It’s always Google’s fault, and so it proves in this case. This morning my searches revealed a thread that has been joined by countless users of Google’s Blogger software with exactly the same problem. It’s not of great concern to me as I don’t receive many comments, but if you have commented and haven’t received a response, or you are a user of Blogger and don’t appear to have received notification of expected comments, Google, who recently ‘retired’ an assortment of functions related to their Blogger product, say they are trying to fix the problem. In the meantime the problem can be circumvented on a posting by posting basis by making a dummy comment after posting your blog, with the ‘Follow-up comments will be sent to (email address)’ box ticked, then deleting the dummy comment.
All rather tedious, and yet another example of Google creating a problem and causing mass wastage of time instead of notifying users of that problem and their attempts to fix it. Shame on them.
(I know it’s a free product. I’d be happy to pay for it if that would result in improvements. I suspect that moving ten years of postings across to Wordpress, the obvious alternative, might give rise to more difficulties than my non-technical brain could cope with. Any offers?)

Wednesday 30 May 2018 – Another Dunham Massey Walk

After trekking across Scotland in his lightweight kilt, JJ reverted to more normal garb for this stroll to Altrincham on another warm day.

Waiting at Timperley Bridge, I took this picture of the newly converted Nelson House office block, from where an old adversary of mine, ‘Devious David’ (now in Hale) used to ply his trade. It has been converted to apartments which are now up for sale, with some fine views of the canal, and vice versa.

The Canada Geese were being protective of their young. The swans seem not to have any offspring this year.

A few holiday barges were enjoying the benign conditions.

But it was generally very quiet on both the canal and the towpath. Perhaps because we started at 8 am.

An attempt to source coffee and cake at the Lavender Tea Rooms failed due to our early arrival. We did however enjoy cake and scones at a convenient picnic table, but despite dallying no staff arrived and we continued our stroll across the golf course and into Altrincham.

Several coffee shops evaded us, and we declined to pause at others. Eventually we wandered in to the Market House to satisfy our cravings. This is where one of the characters of Wythenshawe parkrun, Owen, works, thanks to the owners’ willingness to employ staff with special needs.

Owen was a little puzzled to see me. I expected him to say “You shouldn’t be here, you should be at the parkrun!”

There’s a very nice piece written about him and another lad called Tom, in ‘Altrincham Today’, here.

I’ve reported on this route before, but here it is again. It’s a good 10 km, to which a couple of km can be added for peripheral wanderings, that can be covered in anything between an energetic hour (or less, that’s the challenge) if the mood takes you, or the more leisurely three hours we chose to take today. (As usual, click to enlarge the picture.)

The Bridgewater Canal in Timperley – Monday 28 May 2018

The canal is a five minute walk from our house. It was a delight to stroll along the towpath last Monday night after a visit to Dot in Eccleshall. There was a sole mallard disturbing the glassy surface, and Mandy (our lone Mandarin duck) was rooting around before being disturbed by a mother mallard and her nine well-grown children.

So nice to be ‘out in the countryside’ whilst being very close to a major city centre.

Sunday 6 September 2015 – Descent to Rifugio Cristina

Deadline met for the Valmalenco Photobox book, with just a few hours to spare. Over 350 images in a 100 page book, plus text from my contemporaneous blog. It’ll form a great record of that trip. There are numerous similar exercises on my ToDo list!

So this is the last of these Valmalenco entries (apart from an index), today’s recalling the descent from 2615 metre Passo di Campagneda to 2233 metre Rifugio Cristina.

Here’s Rifugio Cristina, with 3323 metre Pizzo Scalino towering above.

If you like hut to hut routes, and haven’t walked this one, we wholeheartedly commend the Alta Via di Valmalenco.

Saturday 5 September 2015 – Descent from Rifugio Marinelli Bombardieri

Another Valmalenco memory. Sue poses on an outcrop during our scenic descent from Rifugio Marinelli Bombardieri to Rifugio Carate Brianza.

Tuesday 1 September 2015 – Alpe Mastabbia

Whilst I was travelling up to Montrose last week, Sue bought a 100 page credit from Photobox for a photo album at a very good price (less than £25). The trouble is that it needed to be used within 14 days. So I now have two more days in which to create a book, which will recount our trip to the Valmalenco area of Italy in 2015.

I could have posted a picture of today’s walk to Dunham Massey with JJ, but I think I prefer this reminder of our Valmalenco trip, taken at Alpe Mastabbia on the second stage of the walk.

Marine House, Montrose

Last week Sue and I stayed in Alison’s apartment within the impressive building called Marine House, overlooking the golf course in Montrose. It’s an impressive building, dating from 1907, when it was built as an hotel.

However the site has been occupied by buildings for much longer than that. In 1781 the town of Montrose was unique among Scottish towns and cities in being the first to have an asylum for the insane. The Montrose Lunatic Asylum, Infirmary and Dispensary was completed after the institution of a subscription by local woman Mrs Susan Carnegie of Charleton, following concerns about "mad people being kept in a prison in the middle of the street".

It was described as "a house and garden in the links of Montrose". It occupied the site now bounded by Barrack Road, Ferry Road and Garrison Road, approximately where Marine House and the Fire Station now stand. A plaque to mark the site was mounted on the wall of the first Marine Hotel, which was apparently originally the Physician Superintendent's house, but unfortunately this building was demolished a few years ago and the whereabouts of the plaque is unknown.

The second, and current, Marine Hotel is a large gabled 2-storey, attic and basement, tall 3-bay house with extensive 4-storey and attic wings to the rear forming approximate an L-plan.

Alison’s and other apartments now occupy the large wings to the rear.

It’s a Listed Building, the current Category 3 listing arising from the interest of the east facing house, surprisingly vertical, and disguising the expanse behind, as pictured below (with thanks to Pinterest for this picture).

Thanks again to Alison for her generous loan of the apartment.

The above information is all I could find on Marine House. It is scant and slightly contradictory. Were there really two Marine Hotels? Any further information would be gratefully received.

Saturday 26 May 2018 – Montrose parkrun number 46

After the excitement of this year’s TGO Challenge had abated and we had enjoyed our last full cooked breakfast at the Park Hotel, said our goodbyes, packed the car, and popped Alison’s door key back through her letterbox, we realised that it was Saturday morning.

Time for a parkrun!

The venue in Montrose is on the links very close to where we were staying, so an excuse not to delay our departure from sunny Montrose could not be found.

All parkruns provide a friendly welcome to ‘tourists’ such as ourselves and Anne Kelly, who had found an excuse to avoid her ‘home’ run in Stretford this morning, but the welcome in Montrose was exceptional. It was a lovely event in which to take part, if a bit breezy for really fast times on the fast, flat (apart from a few rabbit holes) course.

I managed to finish in what may be my quickest time of the year, as I’ll be unable to run properly for a couple of months given the imminent hernia op, whilst Sue took her time and chatted to Hilary Murdoch as she walked round the 5 km course. It was a delight to run down grassy tracks lined with the coconut aroma of the bright yellow gorse bushes.

I’ve included a few pictures below. Note the green vests of some of the runners. These have large numbers on the back which indicate that they are pacers for particular times, the next but one picture being of Keith Black, who was today’s 25 minute pacer, and he succeeded in dragging in Hugh MacKenzie in just under the target time. Well done! I tried to follow the 22 minute pacer for a while, but couldn’t keep up. The full results are here.

Here’s the route, which is on the links close to Charleton Fruit Farm, to which fleshpot runners are encouraged to gravitate after the run.

We duly adjourned to the café at the fruit farm, as did a few others who are out of shot, one LTD having crept in to the next picture. Hello ‘Lucky The Dog’!

Yes, it was something of a surprise to find the cross dressing Pie Man (whose entertaining blog enjoys a vast readership) enjoying elevenses with his entourage. He proudly exhibited his 14th TGO Challenge t-shirt and vowed in front of his family to continue in his bid to become a 20-timer. This man is crazy!

Then we went home…

A Hot Day in the Control Room

Some were camped nearby, but forty or so more Challengers arrived before the 5pm deadline, Richard Flint being last to sign in shortly after 4pm (only behind Nik Lawcock by virtue of me having collected her from Stonehaven).

It was hot. Ice creams all round seemed an appropriate way of celebrating the successful conclusion of this, the 30th TGO Challenge  (formerly known as the Ultimate Challenge).

Around sixty stayed for the Friday night dinner at the Park Hotel, a very jolly affair during which John Burt received a foot massage by way of compensation for having had to give up near Aboyne!

A Busy Day at TGO Challenge Control

A very busy day here in Montrose.

Past the campsite on my early morning run, then a full day in the Control Room.

Great to see so many old acquaintances and to do micro catchups with them in between washing up and other random duties.

I am the Biscuit Man!

Montrose

Here are three images of Montrose taken on today's 'biscuit run'.

A great day without too much pressure on the TGO Challenge Control Room.

But only about 100 Challengers have finished so far. That leaves around 200 to come in, most of them tomorrow. It'll be a busy day.

Lovely evening with nearly 40 at dinner, including a number of very good friends who we haven't seen for some time. No pictures due to battery failure on this old phone. Replacement is imminent.

Good news of the day: hernia op fixed for 8 June, so we can now make plans for the summer.

TGO Challenge Control on a quiet day

The lull before the storm. Only thirty or so finishers to process so far. Over 300 to go. It'll be all hands to the pumps:

Goodie bag

Dinner tickets

Pin badge

Sock swap

Sign in

Write out certificate

Provide tea and coffee, biscuits, cake and shortbread, wash up, replenish

Sell mug, extra t-shirt, pin badge if not ordered

for each of these finishers....

A Trip to Tarfside

Many TGO Challengers pass through Tarfside, which is between one and three days from Montrose, depending on which way you walk. A small team of volunteers at St Drostans provides sustenance for those passing through. They nearly ran out of beer last night, so I was despatched on a mission of mercy, via a convenient liquor store.

The team was pleased to receive the delivery and posed gratiously behind Ann's delicious scones. I was obliged to test them, straight from the oven, with Ann's home made jam.

Delicious, as were some of the views on the 40 minute journey. Meanwhile, Montrose spent the day engulfed in sea fret.

Scurdie Ness

Scurdie Ness, seen here from a vantage point during an early morning bout of light exercise, is a favourite finishing point for TGO Challengers like Stefan, also pictured. 

Stefan, who took a route from Mallaig to St Cyrus, was this year's third finisher, much earlier than most due to work commitments. He had enjoyed this year's wonderful weather, despite which the drop out rate of more than 10% is greater than usual.

We were pleased to welcome Sue to the team at Challenge Control. She had a journey from Manchester that started with the excitement of an audience with garishly dressed Michael Portillo and finished with a lift from Arbroath after a meltdown of the east coast mainline train service due to a broken down train. Luckily she was just in time for tea.