GRIMSARGH

 NEVER RAINS ON THURSDAYS 😆 

Aggregate Mileage 7 

Water Babies :-   Anthony, Danny, Mike, Vic, Dave, 

                              John R, John W.

As we set off from John W's house it was raining. Two hundred yards towards Preston and we took a left turn down Douglas Lane. Although JW had walked down Douglas Lane many times he still managed to end up in the wrong Cul de Sac. Up stepped Vic ( Grimsargh's rambling king) and set us on the right path.

A short way down this track and a narrow gap in the hedge took us down a steep valley and across a narrow bridge.

As Danny took this photo Mike (front of line) saw a little mouse (aren't ALL mice little ?) skip past behind him. Apparently it stopped briefly to wink, wave and make a rude gesture behind Danny's back. 🐁 (There actually was a mouse !)

I saw a mouse. Where ?

There on the stair

Where on the stair ?

Right there.

 A little mouse with clogs (hiking boots) on

Well I declare !

Across a couple of fields and out onto ELSTON Lane.   It was RAINING !

As we emerged onto the lane a rather smart residence lay to our right.

We followed the lane for a few hundred yards before leaving to the left to follow a farm track heading East towards ALSTON  Lane.

Coffee time arrived but in spite of there being cover from the rain........

John R chose to eat "Al Fresco". 

"Yes we have no bananas.......... "   " I 'ave ! "

The rain continued and although the entrance to this field was by no means inviting we still stubbornly went into it before realising this was NOT the correct way,  by which time we were into the NEXT  field......... ABOUT TURN.

Get yer act together leader (J.W.)

Back to the muddy gate and then continue the walk in the CORRECT fields . As we crossed these fields we had a brief but fierce burst of hail.

Hail filled the air , blasted by the wind and for just a few minutes the world took on a greyish tint.

Once past two large fields we arrived at ALSTON Lane and looked around for a spot to have lunch. Not much available.

We eventually stopped by the gates to the UCLAN  observatory centre.  Firmly locked.

" Enjoying the walk so far fellas ? "  Oh dear.  It would appear that everyone was sitting on the fence (or next to it)  on that question.

What's Danny up to ?

Oh,  I see he's,  trying to take a photograph the observatory.

Lunch over. time to continue our walk and look - blue skies and sunshine just for a while.

At this point Dave wisely decided that the very inclement weather and the roughness of the terrain experienced so far was a little too much and he left us to walk back to his car and home.

The rest of the group continued to the bottom of Alston Lane's steep hill. Along the hedgerows the Hawthorn is still in early leaf but the Blackthorn was in flower.

At the bottom of the hill a stile took us over the hedge and back into the fields. I say "hedge" but there was little of it left. The areas hedge and bushes looked as if they had been attacked by Sweeney Todd using a chainsaw, a machete and possibly a bulldozer . They had definitely had a "bad hair day". 

That sign post doesn't look too well either.

On the stile was a small emblem telling us this was part of "St Michael's lockdown walks" This particular stretch was more "Knockdown" than "Lockdown".

Our path now took us steeply uphill through heavily grassed fields (difficult to walk through).

At one point we dropped down to cross a busily gurgling stream by a sloping and slippery "Temporary bridge".

Anthony very cautiously crossing the extremely slippery "Plank" bridge . A dip in the turgid brown stream was not an inviting prospect.

There was even a crocodile waiting for the unwary walkers.

Soon the fields ended and we joined a track leading through a farm yard,

As we passed through the farm a very amiable farmer came out to ask John "What can I do for you governor ?" a most unusual greeting for our motley crew. Looking past John , however, he immediately recognised Vic as the local wandering "Nosey Parker".

Mr Ibbison the farmer told us  he was feeling rather sore as he had just been tangling with an excitable bullock and was somewhat bruised. He also told us that one of his sheep had just given birth to FOUR lambs.

Just before we left the farmyard an equally amiable young cow (heifer) popped out to greet us and give our hands a thorough, rasping lick.

Onward to the next farmhouse  (Jenkinsons Farm) 

which had an exceptionally well maintained garden.

A little down the lane we came across an unusual patch of wildflowers. Danny took some photographs. They were the fairly rare Snakehead Fritillaries.

Further down the lane something is amusing Danny and John R,

I'm sure that if you lived through the 70s you will have heard about "Chicken in the Basket" ......but  ........ "Lambs in the Bucket" ?

There were two of them . Anxiously bleeting and trying to get out.

At the end of the track there was a rather unusual B + B sign.

Just how old were the proprietors ?

A short distance along Alston Lane before taking once more to footpaths through the fields and arriving back in Grimsargh.

A thoroughly damp day with both difficult and interesting incidents keeping us alert. Not so JW whose lack of alertness led to several "cock ups" and brought him near to having his leadership" licence revoked ! 😔

That is DEFINITELY all

THE END

JW