Pictures by Colin Davison
B Team walk by Tony Job
Storm Aileen threatened dire things, but the B team are not easily deterred, especially when all equipped with bus passes.
We began with the 09.44 394 bus to Marple Bridge, walked past the excavations of Samuel Oldknow’s mill, got well soaked passing Roman Lakes, and sheltered in the railway viaduct. When rain stopped, we paused for elevenses, crossed Roman Bridge, and reached Strines road, where the 383 bus runs from Marple to New Mills. Terry adopted the role of IT man, and rang GMT to find time of next bus, which was 12.06 from Strines, so we walked in the sun for few stops, passed The Sportsman, which claimed to be open all day (but wasn’t at 11.40), and got the promised bus to New Mills bus station, located almost outside the Peveril in the Peak. This was open, and we enjoyed pints of Jennings at £3.40 – dear but good. After another one, we crossed the road back to the bus station, to get the 13.25 61 bus to Furness Vale. Miles walked so far were only just ahead of pints supped, so we dropped down to the canal where we found a wall flat enough to sit on for lunch, still in the sun, and completed a Spurrell loop back to the Soldier Dick. Wainwright’s and Directors’ bitters were in good order. Something had run into a post by the bus stop, knocking it into the bus stop, and shattering 5 0f the 8 panes of glass. One of the advantages of the Soldier Dick is that the dedicated drinker can see the 199 bus to Hazel Grove passing, so enabling him to time his drinking and departure to get the following bus 25 minutes later. We completed the day’s exercise by getting the last 199 bus before the school bus, about 15.15.
Distance walked: under 4 miles.
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