Bollington

13th May 2015

BOLLINGTON, WHITE NANCY, KERRIDGE, BULL HILL LANE, WALKER BARN, GUNSHAW HOLLOW, BERRISTAL ROAD,  THORNSETT FARM, ROBIN HOOD AT RAINOW, OAKENBANK, DOG AND PARTRIDGE AT RAINOW.

Distance: 8 miles​​Ascent/descent: 1650 ft

Difficulty: Moderate

Weather: Glorious Spring day, sunny, warm,clear

Walkers:  Tom Cunliffe, Laurie Fairman, Steve Courtney

Apologies: , George Whaites (Spain), Micky Barrett (Turkey), Alan Hart (Cuba)), Jock Rooney (I of M?), Julian Ross (w^*king), Colin Davison (Spain)

Leader: Fairman,also scribe for the day

Starting point: Free car park opposite Spinners' Arms, Bollington

Starting time: 9.35 am​Finishing time: 1.15pm

We rejoiced that the weather was just the job for walking – sunny ,warm but not too sweaty)- what a change from last week’s downpour.

The Cheshire countryside looked at its best, multiple shades of green and bright yellow dandelion and buttercup fields. What could go wrong a lovely walk good company and best English ale? We felt superior to those missing walkers enjoying brown bare fields and over – cooled lager.

Little did we know what was in store for us.

Rather than plagiarise Mr Hart’s excellent account of the walk I have attached it as a seperate file as we last did the same walk in January of this year.

I will just draw attention to the differences. Few but critical!

Tom set a cracking pace after finding the public toilets in the car park had been removed, he kept this up for all the walk. His diet is working and new slim Tom is bounding with energy ( and urgency)

White Nacy was decorated overall with a commemeration of the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo

The pace was such that we reached the picnic tables near Tegg’s nose at 10.50 – a record.

Ther was no stopping the frantic pace we reached the Robin Hood at 12.05 – another record.

To our dismay it was CLOSED – though the pub sign read open 12- 12 there was no sign of life.

Local inquires revealed the landlord’s and staff disputes made opening times variable and generally no lunchtime openings

This caused Tom some discomfort and Steve an I an unslaked thirst, just as we finished our sparse lunch round the corner came Ken and Tony equally  shaken.

Nothing to do but press on to the Spinners which was also CLOSED- fortunately we had had the presence of mind to stop at the Crown and enjoy a pint or two of Doombar at £3.35

I met up with Ken and Tony at  the Dog and Partridge where we were joined by a much improved and fitter looking Geoff

Next Week

We will go on the Lathkill Dale walk to look for early flowering orchids, have an expensive pint at the George in Youlgreve and afters for those that need it; sustenance at Weatherspoons in Buxton

The meeting place at 9.50 will be the layby some 300m past the village on Monyash at the head of Bgshaw Dale on the B5055