Sunday 9th March 2014, Brooks Drive Bimble

….and a bit about the TGO Challenge Spring gathering thing.

Last night was the TGO Challenge Spring Gathering, held at the Snake Pass Inn which is situated on the A57 Snake Pass. Well it would be, wouldn’t it? It was a cracking evening and we were lucky enough to share a table with the very excellent Mick & Gayle. Much fun was had – not difficult in their company! It’s good to know that we’re using the same TGO Challenge start point of Torridon.

Lots of Challengers attended, including Judith, Alan (who organised  the affair), John M – our glorious Controller, Graham Brooks (famous for wrecking aircraft), Alistair & Lynsey, Martin & Sue, Bert & Suus…..the list just goes on. It was lovely to be able to catch up, there just wasn’t enough time to speak to everyone. The Snake Pass Inn is under new management and the new people take their food and beer quality very seriously. I’ll be back next year. and before I forget – thanks once again to Alan Hardy for being the organisator of the gathering.

Anyroadup, it had been a rather later night so I’d promised myself a late start on the Sunday morning. This wasn’t to be because (fanfare of trumpets)…. spring had arrived! Woo-hoo!

The morning air was fresh and warm, the sun was shining loudly and the birds were singing brightly. The Long Suffering Rick had an idea – we should go for a walk. A wander down Brooks Drive was the plan. I needed to be back home for around 12.30 – No1 grandson was hosting his first birthday party and it wouldn’t do for me to be late.

Rick suggested a 9.30am departure and so he arrived at JJ Towers promptly….at around 9.55am.

  Rick, Brooks Drive….and sunshine

The sun may be shining but there’s still mud around

It never ceases to amaze me that pleasant countryside is just a short walk from my front door. All these photographs were taken close to Timperley and a matter of a couple of hundred yards from busy main roads, roads that my neighbours will use on an almost daily basis – yet they will be blissfully unaware that such peace and tranquillity exists so close to their doorsteps.

A tree. In pleasant countryside, not far from my front door

Bowdon and Hale have long attracted the affluent. In order to get round restrictive planning rules and regulations they buy up older properties, often with very large gardens….and then demolish the houses.They then build a new house on the site of the old one – usually completely out of character with the neighbouring houses. Like this one:

On the return leg we had to use some tarmac through Hale where we spotted a fine example of a Vauxhall Victor – over 50 years old and still being used on the road:

Rick doesn’t hang about when he’s out for a walk – he’s a man on a mission. We were out for around 2hrs 35mins and covered 9.5 miles….so we got back in time for the birthday party. It was a dead easy (if quick!) walk and just goes to prove that you don’t have to travel miles just to go for a walk.

This is where we went: