Saturday 21 March 2026 - Northallerton parkrun #472

               Martin Ban, Sue, Keith, Carol, Andy Mac, Martin Beet and Jo

To start a rentahostel weekend in Osmotherley (see later posting), seven of us took a short drive to Northallerton to take part in their 472nd parkrun. It was a misty morning, quite cool, good for jogging for three laps around a course that I liked but which others weren't too thrilled about.

We gathered as normal. and attended a first timers' briefing that I usually ignore (just follow the person in front and be guided by the marshalls).

Milling around at the start

I didn't stop to take pictures this week, hence a faster than usual time on the flat course with a mostly tarmac surface.

Andy Mac was enjoying his first outing since breaking a hip by falling off his bike on a patch of ice. Sue had finished long before I lapped Andy, and the two of us walked around with him on his third lap.

Andy was cheered into the finish by the rest of us.

Here are our results:

Full results are here.

A breakfast stop outside the popular Central Café, where we were joined by Richard and Jenny and their blankets, was a very leisurely affair. Sue and I enjoy breakfast before the parkrun, but others enjoy the full monte afterwards.

Then we went back to Osmotherley for a good walk - see next posting.

Thursday 19 March 2026 - more fine dining at Aspire

Thanks to a very last minute cancellation from a party of 18, the Aspire staff spent some time contacting regular customers with the offer of a prized table at this popular restaurant. Sue and I were luckily able to take advantage and enjoy another fine meal designed and cooked by the students of South Trafford College with a little help from their tutors.

A selection of breads comes to the table on arrival - not mentioned on the menu, but most welcome despite apparent rationing of butter!

A very tomatoey consommé

Chicken Ballotine

Delicious marinaded grilled salmon - my favourite course

Pork fillet with Ham Hoch Hash - the pork was a little chewy - our first minor criticism in many visits

Coconut sponge, mango pavlova and creamy custard

After the menu, coffee is served with a selection of delicious chocolates

We walked home (10 minutes) feeling very spoilt yet again.

Tuesday 17 March 2026 - Cuddington to Mouldsworth (Altrincham to Chester Stage 4)

Rick, Sue B, Paul, Sue W, Jeanette, Andy and Rufus

From starting points ranging from Deansgate to Hale, seven of us managed to congregate at Cuddington for this short but pleasant walk through Delamere Forest and its surroundings. We started by retracing our steps to a railway bridge near Ravensclough where the above photo was taken.

The snowdrops have gone, to be replaced with banks of daffodils and lesser celandine. Bluebells are imminent.

We were soon heading west, after those walking faster than me were called back from an erroneous attempt to follow the Whitegate Way towards Northwich! (That was last time.)

 

Fences barricaded us from the railway line on our right, and a sand quarry on our left. For some reason the small pyramids of sand reminded me of more natural mounds seen in Turkey.

Anyway, a lovely swathe of grass, with a good path, saw us moving fairly quickly along the route that I'd chosen for this stage of the walk to Chester.

Our route encompassed some of the Oakmere Way, Oakmere being a nearby village. Thanks go to Jeanette for this and other pictures, and also to Sue, whose photos are mixed up with mine.

Our route continued towards Delamere station.

A slight jink in the path, signposted with a strange horseshoe marker, brought us past fine stands of Scots Pine to a good picnic bench for elevenses.

 

After a chat with a dog walking lady who was trying to learn from 'Merlin' how to identify various birds by their calls, we continued past a new housing estate with miniscule gardens.

Goat Willow catkins towered above us as we passed the entrance to Delamere Forest Golf Club.

 

Bird's-eye Speedwell had taken hold in one area - almost crop-like.

The next fungus is False Puffball.

Sue fell back and re-joined the group, exclaiming "Deer Vomit". We wondered about this ID. There must be deer in the forest, though do they vomit?

It turned out to be 'Deer Vomit Fungi', a new one for us.

Nearby, Birch Woodwart Fungi.

Anyone not sure where they were would be reassured by the signs in the next picture.

There are lots of routes through Delamere Forest from here, and some of the party were called back from the road that leads to Go-Ape and the Visitor Centre.

We crossed the railway, and the Sandstone Trail, and passed through a clearing with a few sculptures.

For a while, we followed the Sandstone Trail to the edge of the forest at Manley Common.

Another lovely Peak & Northern sign, but this lunch spot lacks a picnic bench.

Sue B's rucksack became home to a diminutive (2cm wide) Brindled Pug moth.

A well adorned post directed us away from the forest. Do people have a tendency to become lost hereabouts?

Good paths then took us on a roundabout route to Mouldsworth.

Opposite the station, the Goshawk pub, but we continued past it to check the train times.

Our plan was to catch the 16:08 towards Altrincham. The time was 14:30.

Here's our route - 15km with 200 metres ascent, taking a bit over 4 hours.

It was a lovely afternoon to sit with a refreshing beer outside the Goshawk. Most of us went back to the station to catch the 15:08 train, but Paul and Jeanette took advantage of the opportunity to spend a further hour in the pub, waiting for their pre-purchased tickets to become valid.

What a lovely day out.

Next - Thursday 26 March:

Altrincham to Chester - Stage 5 - Mouldsworth to Chester, by a roundabout route.
9:36 train from Altrincham to Mouldsworth (10:26), then walk to Chester, approx 18km. Return on 15:56 or 16:56 train, or more likely later after refreshments in Chester.