WHAT A YEAR !

 FELIX & MEANDERTHALS 

BOTH KEPT ON WALKING

The Meanderthals started walking almost 20 years ago. At first just one or two. The group rapidly grew until a couple of years later we frequently had a dozen or more walkers each Thursday. Looking at my email addresses I see that about twenty members still receive notification of each week's walk. 

Age and health issues have begun to take their toll on what is now a group of ELDERLY MEN. Nevertheless we still turn out each week to walk.  This year alone we have walked together 40 times. We have to admit that a few weeks ago, for the very first, time a walk was cancelled because of the weather. Otherwise, come rain or shine, we're out there. Our walks take us all over Lancashire and even into "Foreign" places like Yorkshire and Cumbria. We have even been spotted in exotic places such as Merseyside and Greater Manchester. 

Several Meanderthals even joined a holiday group staying in Scarborough. Walks were,of course, inevitable/

                      Mike H,      John W,      Danny,    Martin,     Anthony, John R.

Our walks are sometimes challenging but always enjoyable.

I have picked out some photographs from the last 12 months. I wonder if you can guess where they are. Some easy peasy  Some a bit tricky.

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7.................................................Yes Smithills Hall. But Where's that ?

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Answers down below

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1 . Liverpool (Anglican Cathedral)

2.  St Annes   (Les Dawson Statue)

3.  Darwen Tower

4.  Ramsbottom (steam Railway)

5.  Blackpool

6.  Hurst Green   (Cromwell's Bridge)

7.  Bolton

8.  Scarborough (Grand Hotel ?)

9.  Whalley  (the Abbey)

10. Burnley  (Towneley Hall)

Did you get them All ?

BAD NEWS

 A TRAUMATIC WEEK

Dear Readers, with the festive period upon us it is our usual practice to take a break over the Christmas and New Year days.

We had planned to have our annual get together in the local Wetherspoons to Eat Drink and Chat. Unfortunately fate intervened and our plans were cancelled.. 

Two of our companions sadly found themselves having to attend funerals of friends and family (two funerals)

Late on Monday evening, however, a very distressing incident occurred, Martin, whom you would have seen in the blog over the years, had a bad fall and had to go by ambulance to the Royal Preston Hospital. 

Here it was discovered that he had cracked several vertebrae in his neck. He has undergone an operation and we are all hopeful that he will make a full recovery. it may well be a slow process though.

We are of course visiting him and look forward to a time when he will be able to join us once again. It will be great if I am able to report good news in the very near future.

John Whittle.

Liverpool (Santa Saunter)

The honour of hosting this years Santa saunter has been given to Liverpool, the city where one of our Meanderthals (Jim) spent his childhood, and is always keen to pay a return visit. Here we are making our way to St Georges Hall to meet up with Mike, who also has affiliations to Merseyside.

We had our morning brew in the small cafe in St Georges Hall. Mike was running??? late, but met up with us afterwards.

Lots of entertainment and a variety of food outlets and craft stalls were on hand at the popular Christmas market.

                                          On our way to the cathedral quarter.

             Arriving at the Catholic cathedral of Christ the king, dubbed Paddy's wigwam.

On a bright sunny day like today, the interior of the cathedral can be seen at it's best. The sunlight streaming through the stained glass windows made a great natural light show.

                            The crib was on display in one of the many side chapels.

The three wise men have arrived early, so will have to camp out with their camels over Christmas and New Year. They do this every year😕😕.

                               Back out into the cold, but bright sunny afternoon.

      

A short walk down Hope Street past the Everyman theatre and the famous Philharmonic pub with the sun in our eyes brought us to the mighty Church of England cathedral.

Once inside we headed straight for the cafe. I have never had sweet potato soup before, and have to admit, it is not one of my favourite soups. When we came out of the cafe into the main body of the cathedral, lots of people had gathered, and were being entertained by the excellent Cathedral Choir. We stayed around for a while listening to the carols ourselves, but time was marching on, so, much as we would have liked to have stayed longer, we headed back to the city centre, to catch a Mersey-rail train back to Ainsdale where we had left the car.

                                   A liver bird at the entrance to central station.

                                                                       DK

 

LIVERPOOL

 CATHEDRAL ?  

WE'VE GOT ONE TO SPARE

4 Miles

 HOLY HIKERS :-  Danny, Vic, Anthony, Jim C, Mike, John.

Many years ago your writer played and sang in folk clubs around Lancashire. Although not in fact a folksong,  a song written by Pete Mcgovern was so popular it became part of the Folk   "tapestry" of the 60's.  Driven, perhaps by the Beatles, Gerry and the Pacemakers and others, Liverpool, at that time , was the place to be and to sing about.  "In my Liverpool Home" was one of the most popular songs.

In my Liverpool home

In my Liverpool home

We speak with an accent exceedingly rare

Meet under a statue exceedingly bare

If you want a Cathedral 

We've got one to spare

In my Liverpool home

At each end of Hope Street stands a Cathedral The Roman Catholic "Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King" at one end and the Anglican Cathedral of the Risen Christ (not always called this) at the other end.

These were the destinations of todays walk. Typical Scouse humour decided that two Cathedrals was greedy so one Cathedral could be considered a "Spare".

We drove to Ainsdale, picking up Jim on the way, and caught the train to Liverpool Central.

Ainsdale Station

And here comes the train. Mersey rail is always excellent with a train every 15 minutes.

From Central Station we walked towards St Georges Hall and the magnificent Library building.

This was slightly confusing as the surrounding streets were filled with stalls from the ubiquitous "German Market". Liverpool, it appears, also has it's own "Nelson's Column".

"No. you cannot have a go, We are not taking a giant Teddy back on the train !"

Mike was already in Liverpool where he was meeting up with old work colleagues for an annual reunion. He was to meet us at St Georges Hall cafe.

The streets were busy and crossing the equally busy roads was quite hazardous as the low sun was blinding if we had to look towards it,

The cafe underneath St Georges Hall was warm and welcoming.

Leaving the cafe we met up with Mike who is in this photo.   'onest !  

(you can just see his left leg and shoulder.   Really Mr photographer you've got to do better than this.)

At several points as we walked we encounter these.....

Electric scooters provided by the city

Our walker were not wiled by the temptation to use them though we saw several persons whizzing along the pavements on them.

It wasn't long before "Paddy's Wigwam came into view.

The photographer must apologise for the lack of photos in and around the Cathedral as he was engaged in a conversation with the "receptionist"

Who was eager to tell him all about her recent guided tour of Preston which she thought was wonderful.  (Have we missed something ?)

Lunchtime was upon us and as the cafe at the RC Cathedral was temporarily closed we set off to follow Hope Street to The Anglican Cathedral where the cafe was reputedly "Excellent". 

Couldn't resist this shot of the sun casting coloured shadows through the stained glass.  The Meanderthals can be seen to the right.

Walking along Hope street photography was difficult as the strong, low sun was shining directly down it.

It only took a few minutes for us to reach the massive Anglican Cathedral.

And in we go.

To our amusement the "Greetings Clergy" met us with the words. "The cafe's over there," Lets get our priorities right, Eh ?    True to the forecasts the cafe was indeed excellent and very busy. 

The cafe overflowed into the main body of the Cathedral where diners were being entertained by members of the Cathedral choir, The singing , as one might expect, was "Glorious".

The Meanderthals were enthralled by the exquisite singing of Christmas songs. (Rudolph did NOT figure !)

After a short visit we left the Cathedral and as the day was getting late we decided to make our way directly to the station and the journey home.

Our way back to the station was easy to follow as it was next to the tower to the right of the dome.

On previous walks we have taken the route through "China Town" and down to the Albert Dock, As we get older , however, the pace of our days becomes slower. Soo.... Tempus Fugit !  back to the station.

As we walked this young lady was happy to have her photograph taken or more particularly HER BOOTS.

"I wonder if they do size Nines ?  ........  "GIVOVER !!!!"

One more photo opportunity with an escaped "LIVERBIRD"

And so onto the platform at Liverpool Central and onto the train to the car and home.

THE END

JW