Walk 2

Sunday 13th March

Biggin Dale with the Stockport ramblers

Parked in Biggin- 24 of us gathered on a sunny day and set off along the Tissington Trail.
After a few miles we turned off towards Alstonefield with a deep descent to the river.
After some muddy stretches and waterlogged fields we turned right along Miller's Dale to Biggin Dale which felt cut off and remote. There was a gentle rise back to Biggin so an easy and leisurely walk.
A pint at the Waterloo Inn concluded another enjoyable outing.

Still no gardening

Its a wet and gloomy Sunday, so time is available to put down a few thoughts here. About time too  my reader might say!

The weather has been very strange lately. Some lovely sunny days a couple of weeks ago, but cold and frosty nights and even a couple of blizzards, so definitely not time to be planting anything out yet. I have been to the allotment occasionally through March and April, so I will say that its looking pretty tidy- prepared for the planting to come- but still no sign of that being possible. Hopefully not too much  longer now.

So what else have I been up to during April?  No more rambles as weather definitely not fit for us. I'm sure hardier people than us have been striding round the hills, but we are definitely fair-weather walkers.

Plymouth Grove has occupied some of my time and this month I even organised a public event, the first since work days. April 21st marked Charlotte Bronte's 200th birthday and my dear friend Libby and I put together a short programme of readings from Elizabeth Gaskell's Life of Charlotte Bronte. These readings were placed round an afternoon tea, in 3 segments. Scones, jam & cream, Yorkshire Curd tart and small patisserie, left our audience replete . The event was a sell out and seemed to be well-received. We hope both Elizabeth Gaskell and Charlotte Bronte would have enjoyed it too.

Otherwise I have continued with my regular days at the House, though I haven't been seen in the garden there lately.

I have caught up with some very long-standing friends this month. A day-trip to Shrewsbury was very enjoyable, meeting up with someone I first met 43 years ago!  We haven't met that much over the years, but they seemed to have flown by. We had a lovely lunch in a restaurant I can thoroughly recommend- Csons.

Last weekend I met up with my real, longest standing friend Mary for a few days away. We hit Whitby, Scarborough, Robin Hood's Bay and Staithes over the course of 3 days and had a great catch up and some good meals. The decades have given Mary more isssues to deal with than me, but its wonderful how she manages to stay basically the same, no matter what life throws at her.

Otherwise, reading, history course, visiting mother, shopping and making plans. Life never seems dull and time never hangs heavy, for which I am very grateful.

Rambling

Sunday 28th February and we went out with Stockport Ramblers for the first time. I  joined us up at Christmas but what with wet weather and various other activities this was the first opportunity we have really had to go. The walk was scheduled to be an easy 6.5 miles starting at New Mills Newtown and the weather forecast was excellent. Chilly but sunny and dry.

I joined us up because we love walking but often don't get round to making plans or deciding where to go. When we do get out we are not always very good at finding our routes- though we have never had any major disasters- we do sometimes find ourselves puzzled and struggling to get out of fields. I thought that this would make us plan to go out more and would relieve the stress of route-finding. I also hoped that we would discover walks we hadn't known about before and might even enjoy the company.

If this first experience is typical, then I'm not going to be disappointed. Because of the good weather and the short route, there was a good turn - out- over 30 people and some other novices as well. We quickly found ourselves talking to other people and the general feeling was friendly. Several people seemed to be there on their own and so keen to chat.

The route was easy. Up out of New Mills, crossing the main road and following a track through fields. We turned right and soon found ourselves on a mini-Edge- looking across to the back of Lyme Park. We could just make out the back of the cage appearing above a lower hill. The view was tremendous right across the valley to Manchester and the hills beyond.

We then descended again through some reed beds and started bearing left, surprisingly passing right by a residential school (High Peak School) which I had never heard of before. A gentle climb took us up and over a small hill with Lyme Park now behind us. A short pause & detour to a "Dipping-stone" gave the walk leader time to tell us some  history and folklore.

We paused for lunch in a lovely field with a handy stone wall that could be sat upon and which gave us views across Whaley Bridge in the direction of Chapel and another valley.

From there it was downhill all the way to join the canal just outside Whaley Bridge. Then along the canal towpath all the way to New Mills and for us, at least, straight into the Beehive Pub. The pace of the walk had been perfect for us. We weren't striding ahead in the front "bunch" but nor we right at the back. Just going at a pace that seemed right for us in the middle of the group. I guess in a smaller group then pace might be an issue- possibly too slow or too fast- but in a group of this size, hopefully everyone can feel comfortable.

We found the experience very enjoyable. The general atmosphere was friendly. We certainly didn't have to worry about the route, so could relax and enjoy the countryside. We also found ourselves on a route and looking at views we had never seen before, so all my boxes were ticked. On the train home I found myself looking at the programme, already looking forward to going out again.

January slump

This is it. The first week I have faced that looks relatively empty. This is what I have been worrying about since before I retired; how would I feel when my time isn't full? I guess it isn't full because the outside isn't really beckoning at the moment, When the sun shines its good to get a walk but, despite the climate, gardening is on hold. I'm really hoping that we do get a cold spell soon to hold the gardens back for a bit longer. The ground is too wet to walk on but bulbs and buds are growing. If everything comes out now we are going to have very bare gardens later in the year.

 Some thoughts are turning to holidays and trips, though with such flexible time its quite hard to focus down on dates and plans. Yes we can go away a lot now but when is it best to go? Should it be the Northern Lights or long summer days in Norway? Just where and when should we be in Scotland? Oh yes, we want to go to Berlin, but I also want to go back to Austria; and we musn't fly too much because of the environmental impact. Its the old problem that besets us in the "first world" of too much choice.

I know we will get organised eventually. In the meantime I should, and do, appreciate time to read more, potter about the house, watch the various TV series we are currently hooked into. It just all feels a bit quiet and not what I'm used to.

Almost a whole month has gone by since I posted anything here. And I can't say its because I have been busier. Or can I?  The weather has taken a definite downward turn, so the garden and the allotment are definitely in the background at the moment. Tho' 10 or so bags of weeds do keep calling me to move them.

Just what have I been up to in the last 4 weeks? I thought it might be interesting to make a list and then review,  whether in my view, it is enough activity- or not!

2 sessions in Elizabeth Gaskell's garden- planting bulbs and clearing leaves.
4 full days in the house- running the tea room and room-stewarding. Last week, 8 members of my reading group came for a visit, so I showed them round and entertained them to tea and cake. When Elizabeth Gaskell moved in to Plymouth Grove, she said she wanted the house to give pleasure to others.  That spirit seems to be being revived satisfactorily.

In the interests of increasing my knowledge I attended a showing of Gaskell manuscripts at John Rylands library. As always, on these occasions, the knowledge of other Gaskell Society members put me to shame. I wonder if I will ever be as expert? Not without reading alot more I won't!

And finally on the Gaskell-front I put in an extra helping session at a visit by the Lancs & Cheshire Antiquarian Society last Saturday. Helping was minimal, so I was able to sit in  on a couple of talks. This is the great side of volunteering- it is, at its best, mutually beneficial. I get to gradually learn more about a writer that I am interested in- and at the same time can help others to discover her as well.

Has there been anything else? Well, our local independent cinema has recently reopened and needed to be visited. In the last month I have been twice, to see Suffragette and a collection of archive footage of the suffragettes and their context- odd little film that! I missed both Hamlet and A Winter's Tale for different reasons- will have to learn to book up in advance as the venue is proving very popular.

2 outings with "old" library friends i.e. good friends as opposed to aged ones. Once in my current favourite cafe Sugar Junction, once to new Tapas Restaurant Lunya- both v enjoyable. Also a lovely meal out locallywith good friends, ostensibly for my birthday which was months ago. That really is the birthday over and done with now!

We went to Leeds to visit the son and heir and attended a concert by the Hepton Singers in Chetham's Baronial Hall which was lovely. Last Sunday we had our occasional Christmas outing to Little Moreton Hall- always a lovely place to go at Christmas time (or any other). I can recommend their cafe highly. Expensive of course, unless you are National Trust Members

And otherwise- shopping ! Visiting Mum, starting to write Christmas Cards, reading (am just getting stuck into Purity by Jonathan Franzen)- and a tiny-weeny bit of housework.

I'm glad I've written all that down.It looks like quite a lot of activity and a pretty sociable month too. One of the anxieties about finishing work is  that one might get cut off from other people, That doesn't  seem to be something I need to worry about at the moment.

I think a new year resolution will be taken about another volunteering role -more on that later. In the meantime- time to get festive!

Not sleeping

So here I am, 3 am again and not able to sleep. Second time this week that this has happened and I can't think why. I've been doing all the things that usually work- not using my laptop or phone for several hours before bed, going up at a fixed time, reading, thinking about my "favourite" place, eating a piece of toast (no butter!) last thing. So I'm up- drinking hot chocolate and trying to distract my brain.At least I can be sure that its not work that is on my mind!

Only a handful of people came to Elizabeth Gaskell's House today. Looks as if the wind down (or should that be the build up?) to Christmas has begun. Last Thursday was very busy but today was the opposite. Visitors are almost always very interested to ask questions and hear more about both the restoration of the house as well as Elizabeth Gaskell herself. Ifind it very enjoyable trying to bring a little of the character we think we know  about, to life for people who have taken the time to seek out her house.I'm always conscious though, that other volunteers know far more than I do and seem much better at remembering dates. Maybe that's how I should get to sleep- reciting lists of dates to myself?

This week we have been trying to think of ways in which we can encourage people to vote for Elizabeth Gaskell in the "woman of Manchester" statue ballot

http://www.womanchesterstatue.org/vote/http://www.womanchesterstatue.org/vote/

 I am trying to articulate something about the length of time that she has been a "champion" for the city- she wrote about it in her lifetime, brought the conditions of the poor in Manchester to the attention of the reading public and her work has lasted and continues to be read today. Perhaps she has represented Manchester over a longer time span than any of the other candidates? More research to be done.

One October weekend

Yesterday I went to Rochdale's festival of Literature and Ideas. I heard Bonnie Greer speak about the Brontes but also more broadly about the value of reading, especially the classics. She owes her own education and many values and attitudes to her father and compared this upbringing  with Patrick Bronte's influence over his children. 

Great to see so many people there on a Saturday early afternoon. The audience included many young women who I'm sure went away inspired.

After a break something completely different. Dom Joly, best known for Trigger Happy TV. I was never a big fan of that programme as I have never liked seeing people being hoaxed- and always been over-anxious that it would happen to me. But hearing him talk about some of the stunts from his perspective was truly entertaining. While the unacknowledged costs of some filming caused an intake of breath, he is certainly someone with an imagination and able to describe  his experiences vividly. The audience of fans went away from this very happy I'm pretty sure and I was definitely won over.

Back to Manchester for my favourite curry in a familiar and relaxing restaurant, ended a lovely day.

Today Sunday and an extra hour to come round slowly before heading for the allotment and some fresh air.

In the afternoon , unusually, we headed off by bike to the Whitworth Art Gallery to attend a Manchester Literature Festival event. This was a discussion between novelist Sarah Hall and environmentalist and politico George Monbiot who I have long admired, since reading that he had covered 4 allotments with fruit trees.

His particular passion at the moment is the idea of "re-wilding", that is re-introducing species to wilder parts of Britain which he believes will restore the ecology and bring about environmental benefit. Sarah Hall's most recent novel, The Wolf Border, also deals with this topic. Their discussion was interesting but what particularly came through from George especially, was the notion that rewilding is about more than just  physical change to the landscape.It is also an attitude of mind and he believes that we need to recapture the wildness deep within ourselves to free our imaginations and creativity. I like this notion.

Regrettably, that's all the "book" events for this year I think. But after even only a few, I know there is a pile of books I have been inspired to read over the winter months. 

What a good weekend- and I haven't mentioned the friends met, the banter on the tram to Rochdale, the allotment discussions and the energising impact of fitting a cycle ride into this as well.