Boxing Day Walk 26/12/2014

Paul and Pam led a walk 11 miles. From Poynton Pool via Nelson Pit , Four Winds, Lyme Park red deer sanctuary . Stop at The White Lion Pub at Disley where other members joined then return.

Pub night 24/12/2014

Christmas eve pub night at The Crown Heaton lane Stockport.

Mulled Wine Hayfield 21/12/2014

Mulled Wine Hayfield 21/12/2014.  John G. led a walk around Hayfield area with flasks of hot mulled wine mince pies. Tracy provided chocolates. Some festive silly hats, ear rings etc. Colin had a kit for raising money for a bowel cancer charity. After the walk we went in the George pub Hayfield.   

xmas buffet 17/12/2014

SWOG Christmas buffet 17/12/2014 20.00 in the Grapes pub on A6 in Hazel Grove. Thanks to Sue W. Joan H. & Heather for the catering.

Christmas Arnside YHA 13 to 14/12/2013.

Saturday 13/12/2914 Christmas Meal at Arnside YHA and Sunday walk 14/12/2014 .
Jack M. wrote
Several members of the group set out for Arnside the day before the Christmas meal. We were rewarded on the Saturday morning by a crisp clear day. The views from the hostel over the estuary and towards the Lake District made a fitting accompaniment to a magnificent breakfast. Afterwards we set off to follow the coast round to the village of Silverdale. The going was made rather easier than normal by the fact that the estuary mud was frozen.
On reaching Silverdale the we took the opportunity of refreshments in the local hotel before setting off back over Arnside Knot to the hostel. By now most of the other weekender's had joined us. Soon we were tucking in to a magnificent Christmas Dinner, many thanks to the staff for working so hard on our behalf. After our meal, we played a few games, one of which involved making a suitable hat out of wrapping paper.
Sunday dawned a rather damp day. The main party of people set off on an 8 mile walk. Some of us who didn't fancy getting too wet had a rather shorter walk. Despite the bad weather on Sunday, it was altogether a very pleasant weekend.
Jack

Pub Night 12/12/2014

Harvey hosted a pub night Friday 12/12/2014 20.30hrs in the Magnet Wellington Road North Stockport.

The Hindu Kush

Wednesday 10/12/2014 20.00hrs at Hazel Grove Civic Hall. Pete H. gave an excellent talk on his trip through Pakistan in 1970s ending in the Swat valley at 6000M. Pete had paid for his old slides to be converted to digital format at superb clarity .

Sunday 07/12/2014 walk

Sunday 07/12/2014 walk. Peter and Helen lead a walk around Macclesfield countryside 10 miles.
Weather was variable no photos.

Godley Hall Inn

Friday 05/12/2014 Sue W. and Pete N. hosted a pub night at the Godley Hall Inn at Godley Hyde.

Disley walk Thurs 04/12/2014

Thursday 04/12/2014 Sue and Steve B. led a walk from Disley south then east from Lyme park to Newtown then east to the The Torrs CP

then Millennium bridge then river Goyt back to Disley then to their house for tea mince pies and mulled wine . Sue and Steve did their best to deny a large hungry Ram their sandwiches. (by request photos of Sue and Steve and the ram have been removed from the blog).

Ingleborough 30/11/14

Chris H. led a our group up on Ingleborough in Yorkshire on fine clear day ( no photos forwarded yet ).

Thanks Denise

Thanks Denise C for blog posts for the last 12 months, you have made this a hard act to follow. Chris S.

Winkle Walk 13/11/2014

Denice C. led a walk around Winkle 8 miles.

Hartington, Big Sing Weekend, 7th/8th November

Hartington YHA

Hartington, Big Sing Weekend, 7th/8th November
We arrived at Hartington Hall Youth hostel on Friday night. This is probably the poshest and most comfortable hostel in The Peak District. After a hearty meal, a convivial evening was spent either in the hostel or down in the village pubs.

Saturday morning came round only to find it was rather wet. We split up into two main parties. One composed of the more long term members set off for an old watering hole, The Quiet Woman at Earl Sterndale. After several dishes of ale they returned by bus.

The rest of us set off on a very muddy and wet walk to Pilsbury, returning via Sheen. Along the way several people decided to return by more direct routes in order to get out of the weather. Those who persevered were rewarded by a roaring fire in the Staffordshire Knot public house. We got back in the middle of the afternoon, just as the rain stopped.

Saturday evening brought us to the main event, 'The Big Sing'. We were fortunate to have our orchestra back in the form of Sue on uke, Geoff on guitar and John Pudduck on accordion. We also had John's friend Wayne who did some splendid renditions of folk tunes.

The highlight of the evening was the 'Last Night of the Proms' where we were most honoured to have the services of our guest conductor, Sir John Gregorolli. Perhaps the highspot of this was when Simone gave us her very own interpretation of 'Rule Britannia'.




 Many thanks to Simone for stepping in at the last minute and performing completely unrehearsed. (you wouldn't have known???!!!)

Sunday dawned a sunny day and we took full advantage of it. I led a walk down Berrisford and Wolfscott dales before climbing up to Alstonfield. After refreshments we carried on over the tops and back to the hostel for a cream tea. Denise did a shorter walk down Berisford Dale and up Biggin Dale before returning.

I think everyone agreed it was a splendid weekend and if I have the stamina, I will try to organise a similar event next year.

Amsterdam weekend

Chris H. organised a weekend in Amsterdam 24/10/2014 staying at Vondelpark hostel.

Denise’s Walk Sunday 28 September 2014

Denise’s Walk Sunday 28 September 2014

 After a grey overcast start the day improved steadily and was mostly sunny and fair as 11 of us set off from the Piethorne Car Park at Ogden Reservoir by Newhey.

Crossing the foot of the Ogden dam, we ascended steadily via Carr Farm to cross the M62 footbridge and take a morning tea break in the lea of Castle Hill which cut the traffic noise.

 Returning under the M62 eastwards a long steady incline took us up to Tunshill Lane, part of the Rochdale Way. Chris Shea said he thought the name indicates that it was once a packhorse way to transport barrels aka tuns.

Descending with Norman Hill Reservoir to our left we then turned westwards through a lovely mixed woodland path through Old Ground wood and enjoyed lunch by the path across the meadows above Kitcliffe Reservoir with fine views. Up and down again and alongside Piethorne Reservoir there was another long steady climb almost up to the main A672 north of Denshaw. Short of there we went west past Rooden Reservoir and gently down to the south side of Piethorne where the road took us back past Kitcliffe to Ogden reservoir and our start point.

My “stringometer” indicated 9.5 miles, but with all the ascents and descents, it was probably nearer 10 miles after which 7 out of the 11 went to the Bull’s Head for a swift drink up on the flowery terrace still in the afternoon sunshine. Amazingly no "getting lost adventures" for a change on my walk!

Denise Walk

Sunday 3 August Denise’s Walk

 After the copious showers on Saturday, it was a great relief to wake up to a clear blue sky on Sunday. There were 10 of us in total, including a new face, Tracey who had seen the Meet Up site and was duly given all info by Jack. We set off north from Thornsett, crossing pastures to Aspenshaw Hall and then into a lovely beech wood with fine views to the west across the gentle valley. Past The Old Mill At Rowarth, which has re-opened again, (needless to say well before Sunday opening) we carried on up the lane to Rowarth village where we had a coffee break by a field with 5 miniature ponies who all looked hopeful, but only received an apple core. This part of the walk was peppered with the sound of gunshots ringing out from Rowarth Gun Club behind the pub.

 

Up the rough hill to Cown Edge, where the views were tremendous on such a clear day. Past an attractive pine wood, we turned east to the steep fall away from Cown Edge and with a small zig-zag  to the south found a small disused quarry which gave  us ideal shelter from the brisk wind for the lunch stop.

After lunch we headed south on the Pennine Bridleway and at the junction for Lantern Pike, 7 headed up to the Pike, while 3, including yours truly the leader took the low road, as my lungs have been giving me grief recently (despite being a non-smoker). 

As the 3 waited by the road junction, we admired the lovely flower-filled gardens on the small terrace of houses. The 7 were surprised not to find us at the foot of the Lantern Pike path, which we had sailed by on the downward slope, but realised we must have gone on and re-joined us, to take a shady lane down to Sycamore road, thence the Sett Valley trail and a path through the woods past a murky looking pond below Thornsett back to the start point.

We adjourned after what Jack’s GPS indicated had been a 10.2 mile walk, though he thinks it over-reads, to The Printer’s Arms in Thornsett for a well deserved refreshment at a sunny table outside.  (Note I have not so far confessed that the northernmost part of the walk had been un-recc’d, so a couple of wee “diggles” en route as per most Denise walks).

Denise

Chrome Hill Walk

Fourteen of us set off from Longnor to conquer what was out of bounds before the 'right to roam' act-Chrome Hill and for some of us Parkhouse hill as well. By lunch time the sun was breaking through making the climb a sticky one, sanctuary was found in the 'Quiet woman'-the pub that is, for an old fashioned pint.
Harvey

Formby WAlk 15th JUly

This weeks walk was a little bit different than what we are used to. 17 of us assembled at Formby Railway Station to catch the train to Southport. Despite a few minutes of light drizzle at the start of the walk, the clouds soon dissipated and we were bathed in glorious sunshine.

 Early in the walk we encountered a footpath blockage at Birkdale Golf Club where the Ladies Open Championship was taking place. After some negotiations we were able to proceed with a slight diversion. We were soon on our way over the sand dunes where a magnificent array of wild flowers were to be seen. Our golfing fans were also able to spot a bit of the championship.

 On reaching the beach someone had to go for a swim in the sea, the rest of us had a quiet sunbathe. After a walk back across the dunes we returned to our cars for the journey home.