February Strolls
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| Sunday February 7th. Handy for Andy. 9 a.m. from Whitworth, 20 miles but it seemed more! 24 attendees - at various times. Look at the place names we visited on this walk - Lobden, Brown Wardle, Middle Hill, Hades, Trough Edge End, Gauxholme, Rochdale Canal, Calderbrook, Watergrove, Manstone Edge, Syke Common, Healey Dell. It’s like a cast of characters from a Dickens novel! We started from Station Road, Broadley and hadn’t gone five hundred yards before Andy’s mobile was ringing – a lost late-comer! It turned out to be Pete Balshaw and his mate and they subsequently joined us at Lobden. We had many visitors on this walk; Frank and Dave from the Irregulars plus Judy, Karen and friend from West Yorkshire, good to see you. An hour in and the rain started. It poured for an hour or so but waterproofs were still needed due to a very damp mist which haunted us for most of the day. You felt certain that somewhere enshrined in that mist were beautiful views. There were lovely moments; the hillside dropping into Todmorden, relected images in the canal, the peacefullness of Watergrove reservoir. Bernard took one look at the climb coming out of Walsden and decided to catch the bus back to Bolton. Thankfully he was ok, just a little under the weather on the day. Bob suffered with blisters due to new boots and missed the last loop of the day. Helen and Nigel joined him in an early finish. We got back to the cars by 4.00pm with aching legs telling us that we had just participated in the first tough Sunday walk of 2010. Well done Andy! We hope you enjoyed the singing of 'Happy Birthday' at lunchtime. Wednesday February 10th. Fish, Chips and Peas. Start 10am, Finish 3.30pm. 12 miles. Leader Reg Kingston The lure of a fish & chip lunch (a 1st for East Lancs) & a decent weather forecast enticed 26 walkers & Maude out on this mid-week walk. Our starting point was the Bay Horse pub where the landlady had kindly opened for use of the facilities. Whilst waiting for some latecomers who had struggled to find their way from Horwich to Adlington, our leader Reg gave us a brief history lesson & showed us a photo of the pub from bygone days. He then lead us eastwards via the Street to cross the reservoir. Heading north now we passed Jepsons farm & the impressive Manor House close to which was formerly Jacobs ladder. The steps leading to the ladder are still intact but sadly the ladder was nowhere to be seen. On to White Coppice (our lunch stop) where Reg had arranged for our fish & chips to be delivered by a kind hearted neighbour. Our food arrived with perfect timing even accompanied with cutlery & free use of cruet. Well done Reg. On towards Brinscall where we turned south to Heapey & the Tamworth pigs & then to Chorley reservoir. Passing the site of a former munitions factory, Bill & Norman treated us to a re-enactment from 'Where Eagles Dare' or was it 'Dads Army'? The sky darkened & we had a mini blizzard before the sun returned. Passing the site of the former Heath Charnock Isolation Hospital we returned to the Bay Horse for a welcome drink. Thank you Reg for a great walk with lots of local history information thrown in. |
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