Saturday 22 January 2011

Cheshire Ring canal walk, stage 4, Sunday 23 January

Cheshire Ring canal walk, stage 4, Sunday 23 January

Hyde to Sale

On arriving at Hyde, I was delighted to see that our usual crew of Tracy, Sue, Linda, Margaret and myself had been joined by Stevie B and Howard. It was a still, cool day; ideal for canal walking.

We set off along the Peak Forest and Ashton canals. Our first refreshment stop was at Tracy’s gaffe in Fairfield, where we were treated to homemade scones : very yummy with lashings of butter, jam and cream; lots of calories, I know; but then there were plenty of miles to come to walk off the effects. We walked through the Moravian community area to get back to the canal. This enclave is like coming across a different age amidst the urban sprawl of the east Manchester suburbs.

We stopped for lunch in view of the hallowed grounds of the City of Manchester stadium (although, I was not feeling so chipper after the previous day’s City debacle at Aston Villa). We proceeded via a subterranean interlude under Piccadilly, by way of Canal St, Castlefield and on towards Trafford Park.

It was about this time that I began to have concerns as to how we could get Linda and her bike back home. Why did Linda have her bike with her?? That’s another story……. Sure enough our attempts at Stretford to smuggle Linda’s bike on to the tram without the driver noticing failed lamentably. We had to detrain back on to the platform whilst the tram (and Howard) disappeared towards Manchester……..

After hasty deliberations, it was agreed that myself and Linda would carry on along the canal to Navigation Rd, where we would be able to catch a ‘proper’ train, whilst the others returned on the next tram.

Left on the canal, we decided it was high time for a pub stop, and called in at The Bridge Inn at Sale; most welcome. As usual we stayed longer than planned and we then had the obligatory dash to the station just in time to catch our train back.

It was a splendid, enjoyable day of contrasting scenery and thanks to all who came along.

John H