John had to employ some heavy-duty deviousness to take us on paths we hadn’t used before to get from Shiloh Road to New Mills via Rowarth and Birch Vale.  The other important feature of this walk was that, for the first time, Steve was able to join us.  On the way home, we were spotted by ex-chorister Rob Pimlott but our bus arrived just as he came up for a chat.

Major bridge, taking traffic away from the heaving metropolis of Rowarth.

Des Res.  Off the beaten track and in need of modernisation, but still serviced by regular bin collections.

Pause – for John to consult a map and Steve to consult a gadget.

The descent into Birch Vale was ‘enhanced’ by light rain, as was lunch in the park.

Heading towards Furness Vale without our regular fungophile, we were unable to identify this specimen (8cm across, white gills and stem).

The same area had been visited by fans of AA Milne.

Steve wearing an excellent mask customised with one of his own photographs.
(The quilting makes me suspect that in an emergency it will double as an oven glove.)