Tuesday 20 June 2023 - Lyme Park Midsummer Trail 10K

Sue and I enjoy a midsummer celebration. In the old days I would watch sunrise from the top of Helvellyn with Jim (whom I visited last week) and others. Then we took to an evening ascent of the Old Man of Coniston and kipped at Jim and Cathy's house by Coniston Water before heading to work the next day. More recently we chose evening visits to South Lakes outlier hills. Times move on, and this year Sue and I chose to celebrate by way of this 10km event in nearby Lyme Park.

It was a lovely warm evening, just right for a gentle run. A selfie was taken, then pictures in front of the hall.

Out of 924 entrants, just 693 turned up despite the lovely conditions. Sue went forward and I started at the back, from the entrance to the hall. The first 1.5 km took us gently downhill - speed limited by the congestion on the path, then there was a long uphill section to The Cage. I walked up here, pausing to take some photos, ahead and behind.

After that, a steepish downhill lost most of the height gained, then a left turn took us on a good track to Kennel Wood, where the ground got very lumpy and the presence of a wall stile stalled the run. Everyone queued up in the order in which they arrived. I was effectively stationary for nearly six minutes.

After pleasant woodland, and care needed to avoid slipping on tree roots, a very steep ascent to the Lantern had most of the people around me walking again. The resident violinist got slowly closer. This was a highlight of the run - he was very good.

After more delightful woodland we eventually emerged at a gate with good views to central Manchester.

The descent took us all the way down to the car park, where we met runners approaching the finish, 2.5 km ahead of us. I got a wave from Anthony Harrison, who was a couple of minutes ahead of Sue.

I think the next two photos were taken somewhere on this final 2.5 km loop, perhaps Pursefield Wood or Hase Bank Wood - Sue's picture was taken about 15 minutes before mine.

Another high point was reached, before a lovely fast downhill section.

After another short woodland ascent through Hase Bank Wood that I've often cycled up, the last km was a fast downhill experience, taking me just 5 minutes. The time from the start shows 1:16:51, but my chip time, in position 535 out of 693 was 1:15:35, including the 6 minute delay. I was 6th out of 6 in my age group, though I was ahead of many folk in younger age categories!

Sixteen minutes earlier, Sue had managed a very creditable chip time of 59:51, coming 2nd out of 20 in her VW55 age category.

The finishing area was quite busy.

We got a marshall to take an 'after' photo. Despite the rough nature of the course, with slippery tree roots, holes in the path, congestion and other obstacles, we saw no evidence of any fallers or injuries. Well done, everyone!

Here's the 10 km route (click on the image to enlarge it), including over 200 metres ascent. Very enjoyable. We may do it again next year.

Monday 19 June 2023 - Spirit of New Orleans farewell to Eagley

Sue and I enjoyed a performance of this band for the last time at Eagley Jazz Club. Band leader for 22 years, Dave Pogson, has decided to retire at the age of 82, so it was goodbye to Spirit of New Orleans.

Most of the musicians will however be seen in the various different bands in which they appear as members or guests. Richard Slater, on trombone, seems to pop up everywhere these days!

There's a full programme of great bands at Eagley - details here, and we wish all the members of this band well, and thank them for their performances over the years.

10 to 17 June 2023 - Around Timperley, Wythenshawe and Didsbury

Friday = Isabella Day for grandma Nell. They made a pie and then they swept the patio.

Saturday afternoon at home in Didsbury saw Isabella enjoying a new toy that creates lots of bubbles.

The playground in Didsbury Park is a favourite destination.

Learning to fly?

It's quite a long walk from home though, especially if you have little legs and a bear.

Meanwhile, in Bacup, Kate and Jessica were gorging themselves.

Back in Timperley, some good friends - Robert and Chris (aka Bodge It and Scarper) sorted out the rotten end of our car port. They brought an amazing amount of equipment.

Very good. Thank you for sorting this out, albeit Scarper left the gutter not quite draining in the right direction. Minor adjustments are imminent.

The canal towpath gets frequent visits, and at present this family of coots is living near Timperley Bridge.

De Quincey Park is very green - except where the feathery tree blossom makes it appear to have snowed. In 28ºC?!

Saturday morning saw the 527th running of Wythenshawe parkrun. Richard the Run Director for the day encouraged use of the perfect conditions by the 354 participants to achieve personal bests, and Sue - on her 200th run at Wythenshawe - duly obliged with a time of 23:44 for the 5km. Well done Sue, and all the many others who achieved PBs. I tried my best and got within 7 minutes of my PB. Must try harder! Full results are here.

Jeanette wisely walked it.

The Pony Cafe was shut, so we enjoyed coffees and Sue's cake at the Courtyard Tea Room.

That's it for now from this on-line diary...

Wednesday 14 June 2023 - Around Chadkirk with SWOG

This was an outing with about 25 of SWOG's evening wanderers. We started from the car park next to the Midland Hotel in Marple Bridge, heading uphill, along an overgrown path behind the tennis courts, and soon crossing the Peak Forest Canal.

We then followed a series of ginnels that led to the site of a once magnificent building - Marple Hall. This is the site of the hall, about which there is lots of information here, from which I've copied extracts below this rather sad picture.

The date of the original house on the Marple Hall site is uncertain. It was probably built by the Vernons of Haddon Hall during the reign of Henry VII. The Vernons held the manors of Marple and Wybersley through several generations, the last being Sir George Vernon. He died without male heirs, so the estates were divided between his two daughters. Margaret, the eldest, married Sir Thomas Stanley, second son of the Earl of Derby. The other daughter was the famous Dorothy Vernon who married Sir John Manners.

The demolition of Marple Hall in the late 1950's was a tragic loss to Marple's heritage. 300 years of history swept away almost without trace is a sad reflection on the Council of that time and also the members of the Isherwood family involved. That so little remains in Marple today to remind us of this historic place is deeply disappointing, as is the disgraceful vandalism which brought about the hall's demise.

In 1954, when Marple Hall was derelict and abandoned to the vandals, thankfully someone had the foresight to preserve a small part of the treasures it contained. The stained and painted glass shown here was salvaged from the entrance hall and reinstalled in the vestry of the ancient Church of Bunbury in South Cheshire, where it remains to this day.

Local man Alan Newton won a cycling medal in the 1952 olympics. He is celebrated in Stockport by way of a route that is named after him.

We continued through ginnels and lanes, eventually - after rescuing our leader from a wrong turn - reaching a relatively new bridge across the River Goyt where a ford previously provided the only means of crossing just here.

After huddling to one side to allow some horses to pass, we crossed this substantial bridge and headed towards Chadkirk Chapel.

A monk stands guard outside the chapel, the current building of which dates from the 1740s.

We enjoyed an unexpected audience with King Charles 111.

... and some Jerusalem Sage.

The Peak Forest Canal is nearby. We followed that back to Marple Bridge.

Soon we reached Hyde Bank Tunnel - about 300 metres in length - through which there is room for boats to pass, but no towpath, so barges had to 'leg it' before being reunited with their horses in days preceding the advent of motorised transport.

There's more information here.

The evening light was reflected by this wall of ivy by Hyde Bank Farm.

Then we proceeded along the towpath, over the aqueduct next to the later viaduct, and up the flight of locks to our starting point near Marple Bridge Station.

Here's our 8km (2 hours, 150 metres ascent) route, that tonight finished with beers in the sunshine outside the Norfolk Arms. A lovely outing.