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NO WALK THIS WEEK (but something to amuse !)

What's this a picture of ?

More than twenty years it is

Each Thursday we've been walking

Around the Country side and Towns

Not just walk but "Talking"

Did we explore each compass point ?

East South North and West

Ribchester East and Garstang North

The others you'll  have guessed

Here walking as a happy band till..... "COVID"

All together ?  "not allowed"

Lest we should spread the curse around

So two...that's it... in this Pandemic cloud

We walked before. We walk again

A friendship tie still strong.

Looking now at different styles

Keep walking but a change of "song" 

In length though walking fewer miles

Good days still lie ahead. Pure gold

Should fitness now turn upside down

Toned bodies now are not the aim

It's mental health we now aspire

Look to our friends and without shame

Love the slowness, banter, joy we all require

FINALLY

Enjoy the walk though pace is slow

No longer young we still can go

Down the years with friendship still

So, see you Thursday ..... Take the pill (s)

What's this a picture of ?

"ACROSTICS"

 

POULTON-le-FYLDE

 KALEIDOSCOPE  A gentle potter

LUMINARIES :-  Jim,  Anthony, Mike and John

What an unexpected delight Poulton turned out to be. The title of the blog refers to the incredible range of ages, designs and colours of the buildings we walked amongst in the town centre.

After parking in the town centre helped by a friendly parking warden and an attractive young lady who pressed all the right buttons for us. ( On the parking meter of course .... slapped wrists all round !)  We soon found ourselves in the delightful main square at the head of which was St Chad's Church.

St Chad ?  Not a very common name for churches in our region we must discover more about him. 

The church was our starting point and Mike had planned to take the church in later in the walk. So we did not linger and were encouraged on our way by a dangerously "overhead " pigeon.

No nearer Jim. It's up there waiting it's chance.

So we left the church (to return later) and very soon came to a cafe . 

Pre-ambulatory brew everyone ?  YES !

Across the road from the cafe we saw ourselves reflected in a shop window. Cried out for a photo. Not a great photo but the Telephoto was at it's limit.

Our route now took us round the back of the cafe through a passage way into an area  now occupied by a supermarket but once the main agricultural produce market.

Here Jim is pointing out one of several rings built into the wall which were used to tether animal, often bulls brought to the market.

Leaving the "Bull Rings" behind us we went round the back of the supermarket to follow the edge of the railway track. 

We emerged from the rail side path at the Poulton Station itself.

On either side of the main door to the station where different initials .

L Y R   Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway

L N W R   London North West Railway ?

One of the delights of the shopping centre was the number of independent traders as opposed to "Chain" stores. Some of them quite eccentrically named.

See what I mean !

Just a little further back towards the centre was this mediaeval half timbered thatched cottage.. WELL............... Hardly a cottage ............ Not thatched and................ definitely not Mediaeval . It's a pub !   In fact both Jim and myself live in houses older than this early 20th century building.   Ah but ..... it WAS half timbered. 

The ancient predecessor of this was built on church land to provide refreshment for weary worshippers after a hard session in church. Priorities yu see.

Diagonally across the road from the "Thatched Cottage"  (Black and White) was this red brick building.

Atop this building was evidence of Poultons close partnership with the sea  and sea farers. Originally the"SHIP INN" when Poulton was a bustling and busy centre possibly centuries before Blackpool even existed. The name POULTON would appear to be linked with it's proximity to the River Wyre or even the Black Pool  which gave Blackpool it's  name. The maritime link was confirmed as we looked upwards towards the roof.

Wither now "Native Guide" ( Mike is on home ground round here).

"Up here" said Mike. Leading us up an alley alongside the churchyard. It led to "Chapel Street Court."

The retaining wall of the churchyard (graveyard) was once the front walls of some houses. Looking carefully over Mikes shoulder you will see a filled in doorway and the stone doorstep of those houses.

Churchyard court led us back into the lovely Market square.

At the Southern end of the square were ;-

The stocks

The whipping block

A stone "Table" where fish were sold 

The old Market Cross. 

Possibly a unique collection of ancient artefacts.

A left turn at the end of the square took us to further historic sites including the oldest section of cobbled passages in the town. The cobbles then led us into a small square which was once the home of a JAM factory.

Above the passageway and the shops beside it was a frieze which portrayed the turning of the seasons. Surely Vivaldi didn't come here.  Did he ?

Nothing would surprise me in this surprising town................. 'ang on that's an oxymoron or something isn't it ?

There were further wonders to discover but soon we were back at our starting point, St Chad's Church.

"Mike the Bike" is making it quite obvious that he wouldn't be seen dead using a bike like that.  Rather fetching colour though.

Once in the churchyard our elderly gentlemen sat resting in the sunshine a good and proper thing to do especially if  you will be 80 this year. Far be it from me to tell you who. Mike could tell you though,

The interior of the church is described as magnificently GEORGIAN.

............and once gain we are reminded of the town's affinity with the sea and shipping.

By now it was early afternoon and rumbling tummies led us back to the  New Penny cafe where we had a very pleasant lunch.

And so back to the car and home, But not before a shamefaced JW discovered he had left his stick in the cafe and lazily accepted Jim's offer of going back for it. JW SHOULD HAVE GONE BACK HIMSELF 😞😔

Ah Well  .....  sigh

Well done Mike for taking us on a "different" kind of walk. Visually and mentally stimulating and physically easily manageable. Just the sort of walk/social occasion we need to plan more of. Brilliant !

ST CHAD. Was a much revered Anglo Saxon monk of the 7th Century. Closely associated with the Norh East of England and St Bede.

THAT'S ALL FOLKS

JW

CHORLEY (Yarrow)

 "HIDE & SEEK"       2 Miles

SEEKERS :- Jim,  Mike, Anthony, Danny and John

Arriving in a very crowded car park as a 'phone call from (to ?) Jim announced that he was already there waiting for us. But there was no sign of his distinctive silver top amongst the bobbing heads moving around the car park.

He was in fact just a few hundred yards away in the Garden Centre car park, close to the cafe, which was planned as our final venue not the first. He was soon with us enjoying a start of walk brew in the Country park cafe.

Now all together we nodded our greetings to the old tree man and set.

With a an overflowing Car Park and a plethora of dog walkers we expected to be walking alongside lots of others but by the time we had gone beyond the weir there was hardly a soul about, This was a good thing. It showed that the park catered for those wanting a short bout of fresh air whilst taking the dog for it's  obligatory walk......... 

"TAKE THE DOG WITH YOU !"    

.......whilst also offering keen walkers a chance to stretch themselves. Meanderthals do not fit into either category........ Once perhaps but the years........

Soon passing the rather exciting children's play area.

Notice boards provided plenty of information as we walked along through this well planned and equally well laid out and maintained country park.

A well constructed path led us between the largest of the lakes on our left and a river (presumably the Yarrow) down a steep edge to our right.

A few minutes later we arrived at the "Birkeacre Weir".

As well as the weir itself there was a fish ladder which can be seen on the right of the above photo.

We lingered here a while , enjoying the warm sunshine and the sound and sight of the weir. This had been quite a busy industrial area in bygone days but there was little evidence of this now.

You will have noticed that Anthony was a little higher than the rest of us as he was on the steps which would lead us away from the water.

The path at the top of the steps was merely a worn but well defined  track through a grassy, sloping field.

As you can see this path then took us back to well defined, hard surfaced , track.

But as track took a sharp right away from the lake we turned left to follow an unsurfaced (but good) track back down to our original path.

Good Heavens. That's Danny IN THE REAR he's usually leading the pack.

You may have noticed a green arm leaving a photo above so Danny, the writer thinks, was  actually taking his jacket off in the warm sunshine and packing it away.

 
As we arrived at the main pathway a notice advised us that the land to our right was a special nature reserve. It certainly seemed to be as it was alive with birds.

As well as this rather super Owl box there were many other smaller birdboxes scattered amongst the trees. There was one box at which a bird was busily pecking. A bit of DIY alteration before moving in perhaps ?

You can just see the DIY bird in this photo but we couldn't identify the species.

No explanation needed !

Back at the large lake the ducks, mostly Mallards, were all paired up with a few hapless bachelors chancing their arm (or wings). In this photo a coot was busily building or repairing this nest site. It was however camera shy and tootled off before I could get a decent shot of it .

Top left of this photo is a pair of Canada Geese. This would appear to be the only time of the year when these geese are not together in large flocks.
We turned right here to follow the opposite side of the lake back to the car park.

There were fishermen scattered around the edge of the lake.

OOH ! Glad I wasn't sitting on that bench when the tree fell. It would have been rather a "Hairy" experience. It may have been positioned "Artistically " of course.

A rather unusual sculptured seat.

The anglers below appear to be set up for an overnight session.

back at at the car park we jumped into the cars for a short trip to the BIRKACRE Garden "Restaurant". 

Here we were rather amused to be given an alarm and told the restaurant was full but the alarm would buzz when a table became available for us.

 A bit " upmarket " on our usual cafe visits. The food when it came was good and not expensive.

Here's Mike holding his  "Vibrator" ........   Well you know what I mean 😉

In the shop there was a very anachronistic looking band playing. Looks more like the "60's"  than the third decade of the 21st Century. Your writer should know.   He played in remarkably similar bands in the 60's.

The writer also bumped into  a delightful lady,  Lorna (in Red),  who taught for him when he was a headteacher. (Many years ago)

We lined up and paid for our lunches and soon were on our ways home.

HIDE & SEEK ?

Well I've already told you about losing Jim. 

As your writer arrives home the first thing he does is download the photos from the Camera.   NO CAMERA !

Out to the car to fetch it NO CAMERA !

Search the bag he carries stuff in  NO CAMERA !

Search all the pockets of the clothes he had been wearing NO CAMERA !

Ring Mike whose car we travelled in. NO CAMERA!

PANIC !!!

Repeat all the above actions NO CAMERA !

FLASH ! No,   not the camera but a thought that came into his head

Ring JIM whose car he travelled in for barely a minute.

Jim's searches his car...................... CAMERA !!!!

and here it is.......

Thank you all my good friends who happily joined in the search for the idiot's camera.

THAT'S ALL

JW