PENWORTHAM

 SURPRISE ! SURPRISE !  3 Miles

Taken by surprise were :- Jim, Mike, John, Anthony, Danny.

Here we are parked up at Kingsfold leisure centre seemingly in no hurry to set off.

Barely twenty yards from our cars was a stile leading through a thickly growing hedge and into our first surprise.

Once through the hedge we were straight out of the urban and into a rural setting. And what a setting , a large area of sparkling white grassland created by the previous night hard frost. Beautiful !

The icy whiteness continued as we left the fields and took to the farm tracks.

What's this ! looks like the bottom end of a pair of shorts for an elephant.

No....... it's a large stump of a tree with a perpendicular cut to keep it from sticking out into the road.

Our next "SURPRISE" came as we  came to a "normal " farmyard (Holme Farm) only to find a large farm shop cum entertainment venue . the surprise continued as we were invited to step into the shop and have a free coffee

And here's the gentleman making our coffees.

.......and Anthony bringing his coffee out of the shop.

....to join the others of the group with THEIR free coffees.

The shop sold a huge range of goods including including many flavours of milk.

Off again through the fields ...... (will the reader please take note of the stile)

Whilst the grass was losing it's white, frosty sparkle there was still ice in the ruts.

It was still seriously cold as the steamy breath coming from Danny and Anthony bears testimony.

Well yes it's a bridge but as you have to climb over each end your writer feels it qualifies as two stiles.

The footpaths were not always straightforward or easy and as the sun melted the surface frost the fields became rather soggy.

Thinly scattered along the country lanes,  old and dignified dwellings mingled with high end new builds. Both in their own ways attractive.  Their much sought after and expensive isolated privacy is soon to disappear as the area is earmaked for extensive development............  GOOD  or BAD ? All opinions exist.

The area was definitely "Horsey" .  With barbed wire absent and wooden or  electric fences predominating.

Is that a bridge over a railway ?  Yes !  We've gone too far then. "Back we go." says our leader.

We soon found the narrow footpath we should have taken earlier and no. That's not barbed wire but a very serious bit of electric fencing. 

As we turned into this footpath there was a couple of young persons innocently chatting as we passed............................... there was also a strong smell of some exotic "Weed". 😕😝

In no time at all we were back at the cars where john invited his companions to bid faewell to his car as he would be changing it the next day.

We now drove to the local Booths Supermarket for a light lunch. Your writer did not take any photos of this activity as he considered our reader had seen enough of old fellas stuffing their faces........... He's lying again........ he just forgot !!!

SEE YOU ALL NEXT WEEK

J.W.

Did I mention STILES ?

Well proceed with caution each stile is unique. Some are simple, easy and helpful . Others seem to have evil intent. and  they get BIGGER  and  BIGGER as the years roll by. (or is that just my imagination)

Some are a delight with well spaced steps ,often with chicken wire stapled to their surfaces for grip. Others are slippery or rotten presenting a real challenge to those of us whose limbs and joints are no longer supple. On our walk today the additional hazard of ice made them quite EXCITING !!!

At the beginning of our walk our leader ( He for whom "The pipes, the pipes are calling") said there maybe a couple of stiles........ Yeah Well !

Good walk though.  Well done.

SAMLESBURY 90

NONAGENARIAN 

CELEBRANT :- James (90)

ACOLYTES :- John(78) Anthony(78) Jim(72) Mike(79) Danny(76)

(Living proof that age does not necessarily bring wisdom)

No proper walk today but rather a gathering to celebrate James Drew's 90th Birthday.

Samlesbury Hall is a place James has "Connections" with so it seemed an appropriate venue for a celebratory get together.

Danny suggested that as we had turned right on entering the hall a few weeks ago we should turn left this time to see what we had missed. However, as our started times are now a little later, we are often ready for a brew when we arrive at our destination. So off we went to the cafe.

A photo of the snowcapped Alps

(with rocky outcrop in the middle)

As we left the cafe this rather startled looking lady told us not to miss the recently renovated attic rooms. we thanked her and assured her that we wouldn't.

So we made our way back to the left hand side of the hall. Stopping briefly... 

.....for Anthony to have a tinkle on the Grand Piano.

...To look once again at the fireside priest's hidey hole.

..... and to give our regards to the magnificent rocking horse.

Here James explaind that two of his children, on their mother's side were directly related to the original owners of the Hall. ("Deuyas" - Before the Southworths occupied it).

As we passed one room we came across this collection of bottles of various ages. All firmly glued to the table.

James also told us of his time spent at the Hall as a Toxophilite.

We couldn't actually spot him in the following photo although he assured us he was there.

 I think these ladies should release their arrows and then quickly get out of the way before the people at the other end start to release their arrows at the targets we can see.😧😨.

As we looked for the "Attic" rooms we passed this poster. It seems to predict a "Spooky" experience.

The attic rooms were indeed very dark and spooky as you can see.

YES. Definitely some spooky characters appearing as we look around.

"Did you hear a noise just then ?"

The beautiful lady in the painting is reputed to haunt these rooms after being murdered by her husband. Perhaps she was wearing a dress similar to this one.

Out of the Hall and a short walk through the Car Parks to the "Restaurant".

Where we await our order of Mushroom and Tarragon soup .......

....or roast Ham sandwiches.

They soon arrived along with a bottle of Pinot Grigio. Paid for by James... THANK YOU !

Then..... sponsored by Hohner and Dolmetsch.  A Duet from Jim and John accompanied the singing of "Happy Birthday".

A very pleasant gathering of our regular "Meanderthals".

James certainly seems to have enjoyed his Birthday treat

Look at the coat.....(s) on James' seat. You will meet them later.

ALTHOUGH THERE WERE SIX 👍

Soon after we walked back to the cars and drove home.

"Oh Happy Day "

THE END

Not Quite.............We are not unaided in our weekly forays.

We are aided by our glasses when reading Maps, directions or information displays

WE need our hearing aids to communicate with one another

We need our sticks to aid us in the fight to remain upright.

And (thank God for the NHS) we need our medication to aid us in actually keeping alive.

Oh Yes !  

 I mentioned the coats. James and Anthony both hung their coats on the back of the same chair. On leaving they each put the others coat on. They soon realised but only after wondering why there were "Foreign" objects in the pockets.

SEE YOU NEXT WEEK -  WITH A BIT OF LUCK 😏😕👍