BLACKPOOL

STANLEY PARK... and beyond  4.5 Miles

There are many words beginning with TRI....    Tricycle, Trident, Trifle, Trinity, Triangle etc. and they all mean three of something ( TRIPE doesn't !)

So here's today's TRICKY TRIO. Danny, Anthony and John

We parked at the southern end of Stanley Park.

and made our way through the sports area heading (of course) to the cafe.

We had made an early start, It was 6.15 (?) when we arrived at the clock tower.

There is an old Irish saying " May your shadow never grow less" In this case it should have grown less, as John's shadow has completely hidden the Lion's Head "Font"

Before we reached the cafe we crossed an immaculately tended "Square" . It was actually circular so not sure what it is termed.

The rather splendid "Art Nouveau"  building beyond the water housed the cafe. A bit early (10.40) we had coffees and then set off to explore the rest of the park.

 The park had obviously had issues with dog walkers and issued this dire warning. 

In recent weeks we have seen (and photographed) several such signs, not all about dogs.  Are we becoming a more dictatorial society or conversely a more careless one ? Not sure !

We followed a narrow footpath as it took us along the edge of the lake.

Here's a tree growing in a pleasingly artistic manner,

but  what on earth is this ? An art installation yes ! But what is it meant to be ?

Various suggestions where made. Some unrepeatable and none entirely satisfactory.

The lake was alive with birds . Sorry about the sun flaring the lens.

The trees around us were also full of birds, We even saw a Tree Creeper. It was TREE CREEPING 😃. The native wildlife was obviously thriving in the park.  BUT WHAT'S THIS ? this was no native species.

A terrapin ?Almost certainly a discarded pet. However we were reminded that the Zoo was just across the road from the park,

Could that be a Hippo down there ?

....... and there is definitely a "Croc" down there 😉 We had been warned.

But the there were friendlier creatures...

Lots of bird feeders and the pigeons picking up the seeds scattered by the smaller birds.

and just look at this cheeky squirrel raiding one of the bird feeders.

The wildlife was not particularly "Wild" . Here's a pushy swan interrupting these gentleman's conversation

From here the path took us alongside the road until we reached the bridge back into the main park.

As we reached the bridge Danny suggested that we cross over the road as there was "Dell" with good seating a short way into the woods.  There was a dell with good seating but I'm not sure that 1.5 miles there and back , passing the hospital, would be considered a short distance (My ailing Knee certainly didn't)

As we went in search of the dell we passed this sculpture. Is it a bat ?

Are there some very large people in Blackpool ? These Tables were very large and solid.  We were almost expecting "Fee Fi Fo Fum" to echo out of the surrounding woodland.

Lunchtime over we set off back towards Stanley Park. The narrow path meandered it's way close to the road.

Just as we approached the junction with the main road we came across this historic building.  A wartime Pill Box complete with a soldier on top.

Anthony approaching the pill box as it appears through the shrubbery.

From the Pill box we were soon back at the bridge we had left earlier.

Over the bridge and back into the main body of the park.

I wonder what's so interesting down there.

Along the lakeside just beyond the bridge were several Carp anglers seemingly all set up with their tents for overnight fishing (in the park ?)

Both on the water and on the footpaths there were numerous birds. If you look closely you will see that they were not ALL pigeons. 

We had noticed when we stopped for coffee that there were delicious cakes to be had from the cafe and being weak willed we succumbed to the temptation.

There were several cheeky pigeons hoping for a share but Anthony was having non of it.

Cakes reduced to crumbs, MOST of which were eaten by ourselves, we set off towards the cars through the circular "square" again.

Past the footballing lions.

As we walked past the fountain Danny went over to ask the groundsman what he was planting. "Bellis" he replied which is a perennial, multi coloured , daisy like plant.

Would you believe it ? we entered the Park at 6.15 and here we are leaving at 6.15. Amazing !  Or am I missing something ?

JW

PENWORTHAM

 PENNY FOR THEM ? 4.5 Miles

Thinkers :-  Anthony, Mike, Danny, John W, ... Jim C.

PENdle , PEN y Ghent, PENrith, PENwortham, What do they all have in common. Easy Peasy........... Three letters P E N. which in old English means "Hill"  (or head)

Town on the Green Hill ..... PENWORTHAM  (Wort like the french Vert meaning green and Ham, a settlement.) and we already know what Pen means

From Fulwood we piled into Anthony's new car (his second "Hybrid") and drove off to meet Jim at the cemetery car park at the end of Hill road.

All met up !  we set of to explore that area of Penwortham.

It was raining !

Jim, our leader for the day, told us that the path through Hurst Grange Grange park could be very wet and muddy . So he took us along a parallel path next to the park.

Still raining !

As we walked we passed various gates into the park, which we ignored, and carried on along our chosen route. Eventually we arrived at Cop Lane. one of Penwortham's busiest roads.

Just across this busy road was the neat white bungalow where another of our walkers, John Russell lives. He was not at home but we had some mail to push through his letter box.

We carried on through an area of almost classical suburbia and down one of the alleyways we came across this ! What was it ?  The locals didn't know. (We asked them !) It seemed to be there to prevent cars driving down the narrow alley way. 

Previous encounters with similar objects left us to believe it was a stone from out of a cheese press. There was a guiding groove (filled with concrete) and a ring to pull it up or let down.

In one of the gardens we saw this. It was either a VERY adventurous child or dad had put it there to STOP  the adventurous kid !

Coffee Time. Which was taken at Booth's Supermarket.

Jim insisted in paying. Thanks Jim.

We left the cafe and walked back to the by-pass junction. In the middle of one of the roundabouts on the new by-pass road were these sculptures.

"I wouldn't mind buying one of these for the garden." says John 

"No. Better not.    THEY'RE  TWO DEER "😖

If you read the list on the right hand side of this notice it seems an excellent way to tell spectators to control their emotions when attending school children's (and teenager's) matches. 

After passing All Hallows school we turned right to follow the roads through a large area of fairly modern housing.

John W is very much a fan of encouraging "Wildlife" into his or any other gardens ......... But there's Wildlife and there's "WILDLIFE". A bit over the top this perhaps ?

JW through either astonishment or amusement couldn't even get the horizon level.

Once through this lengthy area of suburbia we found our way into the delightful Hurst Grange Park and into it's equally delightful cafe.

LUNCHTIME!

Here you can see a very contentious "Bacon Butty". Danny ordered his first but Mike got HIS first nearly resulting in fisticuffs at dawn. This is a slight EXAGGERATION  There was FALSE outrage accompanied by much laughter and joking.

Why is John listening so intently ?

 

As it was "National Poetry Day". JW had made the request that we each prepare a poem to be read or recited to the others. He was most agreeably surprised that everyone had complied with this unusual request. Thanks Fellas !

Jim came up with an amusing Limerick

Danny gave us a piece with a strong Lancashire accent (Dialect) called "God Bless these Poor Folk"

John gave us "Inversnaid" by Gerard Manley Hopkins A poem about a moorland brook.

Anthony recited "If I should die" from the poem "Soldier " by Rupert Brooke about his thoughts during the first world war

Mike readout "The Night Mail " by W H Auden.  (There is  wonderful film of this poem scans in a way which illustrates and demonstrates how the poem simulates or emulates the rhythm of the train's journey).

Danny is not used to holding cups so he watches closely as Jim demonstrates. "Which finger goes where then ?"

All finished ..... let's go........  IT'S RAINING !

  

Here's a lucky umbrella and luckily Danny already has one.

It was now only a short walk down through the park.

Past the Gate House.

Out into Hill Road

and back into the car park.

An excellent walk in what was , to JW at least , unknown territory.  

Well done Jim. (Who still had a further half mile to walk. )

THE END

JW