On New Year’s Eve, social distancing regulations were such that we were walking in two groups of two.  (This occasionally strung out into four groups of one.)  The starting point was Offerton Green, and the path at the bottom of the hill alongside the brook.  Continue reading →

We advertised this walk for a Wednesday, but since the weather was foul and nobody was tied to the day, we changed it to a much fairer Thursday.  The party took the snake path from Hayfield up onto the moor, then dropped down below Kinder Reservoir to cross to the foot of Kinder Low End.  The path up is well established on the ground – indeed, part of it is, in effect, a staircase – but not marked on the OS map.  Down via Swine’s Back, Edale Cross, bridleways, field paths and a deal of mud. Continue reading →

This was absolutely typical of the standard of counting you get from choral singers. If a score requires them to count to seven, you’re lucky if they get as far as three. (This walk was planned for seven people.)
The walking group also seems to have developed a fixation on bottoms. Last week it was Broadbottom, this week John’s walk took us through Mousely Bottom and Brookbottom. (One of the many Brookbottoms in the area, owing to the many brooks, but the nearest one to Mousely.) Continue reading →

By a strange coincidence, three members of Marple Choral Society rode the 394 bus and all got off at Gamesley.  December first is the start of “meteorological winter” (because it’s easier for weather forecasters to work in calendar months!) and we were rewarded with enough frost to put a thin crust of ice on the puddles of the field paths (but enough sun to melt it quickly in the exposed places). Continue reading →