Yesterday

Featured objective - to get a bit of climbing in, which we did, just over 2000ft, but at the expense of miles.  A useful and thoroughly enjoyable morning saw JtE, Nic’O, NLN and EtU start off UTUP.  Out to Two Lads, Trespass Stone and up to Winter Hill where JtE decided to enjoy the run off back to Lower Barn.  Remaining three carried on to Hordens Stoop taking the diagonal to the ‘Fire Road’ where EtU carried on round and back to LB.  Nic’O and NLN struck out for the Bomber Memorial thereupon meeting a delightful couple Margaret and Alan (Jones?) the lady being a former member of Bolton and the gentleman a former Horwich RMI runner.  They both new all the usual suspects at Horwich and we spent a very pleasant quarter of an hour chatting with the pair before trotting back to LB.  12.59 miles in total.  Anticipating a very low mileage this week as a fairly weary FSS combining with poor weather today will probably result in an ‘enforced’ visit to the pub rather than a run out – shame I hear you all say.

FSS completed the High Peak Marathon(http://www.highpeakclub.union.shef.ac.uk). as member of the ‘Rucksack Club Youngsters’ – the team also included a guest appearance by Albert Sunter.  They acquitted themselves well,  starting at 11.30pm Friday and completing in 12hrs 40 mins (42 miles in the dark over Kinder etc) finishing half way down a quality field which included the current Vasque team and several others with all the local gen from Dark Peak, Macc Harriers, etc.   FSS’s comment ‘One of the hardest things I’ve ever done – including 2 BG’s.‘   Will he do it again ‘Probably’!  Is he ‘Barking’, ‘Certainly’.   Full commentary to be posted at fss55at55.blogspot.com.

Looks like we can look forward to some exciting new images from JtE.  Well done to Matt 3rd V70 at Pendle and commiserations to TF foiled by early retirement of the Marshalls I’d say – don’t be discouraged TF.

I was reminded by EtU’s offer of a loan of a booklet on local terrain (which I’d like to take up) that I am in possession of an electronic version of a compilation by Dave Lane entitled ‘Winter Hill Scrapbook’.  This is a fascinating 160 page analysis of – yes you guessed it – Winter Hill and surrounding area.  This includes geological data, social and industrial historical information – in fact everything you ever wanted to know on the subject of – Winter Hill.  If anyone is interested in receiving a copy drop me an email and I will forward it to you.

Below are a couple of extracts from the book:

“Near to the bleachworks (believed to have been just downstream from it below the footbridge) and owned by the works owner, there was an alehouse managed at onetime by a Mr Brindle. This seems to have been no ordinary alehouse for it was not only unlicensed but sold mainly illegally brewed alcoholic drinks (it was known
locally as a “hush shop”). Mr Brindle was obviously not afraid of offending the authorities, for he commissioned a local artist to paint a sign for the drinking establishment and this sign was decorated with the heads of two tigers. This is believed to be why the clough is locally referred to as Tigers clough and not by its “official” name of Shaw’s clough!”

Could this have been the forebear of Brent and Wilf?

“On the modern day maps there is little marked on the chart but on earlier maps Shaly Dingle lies at the confluence of three streams, the water being channelled into Springs Reservoir which lies on the other side of Belmont Road. In this small area, there are wells, an old coal mine and a quarry.”

You’d never have guessed it yesterday!

One to take to the trig point

Have a good week – look forward to seeing fellow UTUP-ers next Saturday.

NLN