Ribble Way Part 3

Our adventures seem woefully inadequate having just read Ben’s latest blog all about Thanksgiving. It sounds a lovely idea for the whole family to get together especially at Big Bear in the sunshine. Saturday was the usual – gym for me, some food shopping then both J and I did some work and generally lazed the day away. I am sure rugby featured on somewhere during the afternoon!
Sunday didn’t look too hopeful with lots of black clouds about and very wet from the previous night’s rain but we set off undeterred to Clitheroe (end of walk) and then Ribchester to start the third stage of the Ribble Way. We walked past the badger wood but no sign of them; they must have been tucked up in their set. The river is very wide and with all the recent rain was very high as well. There was a long stretch through fields which were incredibly muddy and J quickly had very wet feet. He had new waterproof trousers which kept the outside nice and dry but didn’t breathe so got a bit damp inside!! The wooded stage was even slipperier with all the mud and leaves and it was quite a relief to get on to a hard surface for the final part of the walk. About 2 miles from the end we found a nice little tea shop where we had sandwiches and fresh orange juice which managed to revive us for the final stretch. They had a book called ‘Tea shop walks in Lancashire’ so I shall be ordering that!! We saw Stoneyhurst College in the distance which is where Tolkien’s son studied. The area around there is supposed to be the setting for Middle Earth in the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings. We didn’t see any Hobbits but then it was very wet underfoot and it wouldn’t have done their fur any good. By the end of the day it was lovely and sunny and we got home around 4 pm just in time to cook a roast and chill out. Do you remember doing a walk near Stoneyhurst one Christmas Mandy? It was equally wet that day!!
I am hoping that my car will be back either tomorrow or Wednesday but I must admit I am very pleased with the Polo, perhaps they would like to do a swap. Mel and I are going to the Lowry tomorrow night to see Arnold Bennet’s The History Boys. We went to see the film of it a few weeks ago but then someone at work mentioned that it was on in Manchester so I managed to get 2 tickets – not necessarily together but not far apart! I hope I don’t get stuck on the M62!!
I have just come back from the gym so thought I had better catch up before I forget what we did!! Love to you all xxx

The alternative version!

My poor new car received a bump to the side last Wednesday! I was not in the car and a new driver was reversing out of a drive opposite and didn’t have quite enough room. I thought it would be easy to solve but the garage I took it to just for a look thought it would have to have a whole new side panel welded on!! I have therefore left it to the insurers to sort out and they are coming to collect it tomorrow. I picked up a nice silver Polo tonight to use until mine is returned home. Very annoying when it was so new but at least the girl involved waited to tell me that she had run into me which I thought was very honest of her.
The Ribble Way is going well if somewhat muddy especially when you have slippery shoes (not me!) but we have been really lucky with the weather and it is very exciting seeing deer (spotted by Tracker John) with the unlikely prospect of badgers next time. I have now got a gym programme which only lasts an hour rather than 1.5 hours but as a result everything is now up a level so it is hard work but better. Mel and I went to see the Taming of the Shrew at the Playhouse last night which was really good and very funny. J declined the invitation and is currently watching Liverpool playing football at the mo with Mel. (Mel isn’t playing football). Mel and I went to see Borat last Saturday which was probably one of the worst films I have ever seen but I am sure Ben would find it hilarious.
I hope the wok chef soaked and precooked the black beans- it is easier to buy a tin!! Chinese 5 spice is readily available from the spice rack section of all major supermarkets. They had it in Asda in Skem!! We have just had the third lot of savoury rice which J made on Monday but turned out rather more than he expected, hence why we are still eating it!
Keep up the good blogs, it is lovely to have them to read. Take care and love to you all.

Preston to Ribchester

I'm sure Ben will like the 3B village I've produced to show my 'Ribble Way' Photographs to date. 3B is an 'alternative' Browser that combines a '3D walk through' with web links; at work I've produced a 3B Village of Websites I use day-2-day. There are a number of different types of 'village' for the photographs I've chosen 'Art Gallery'

To view my 3B village, please download the 3B browser. Then click on the picture to open Weekend Walks 01 Ribble Way village.

The walk on Sunday was blessed by good weather again but for most of the walk the fields in particular were boggy! We did however see two deer along with a wide range of flora and fauna.
The vase-shaped fungi was of particular interest! Seen high above the Ribble in woodland; the climb up was a struggle as the bank was very slippery. Your mother managed to stop me slipping back down to the bottom... What a star! As you can see, the birds wont go without this winter! Plenty of berries in the hedgerows.
I'll update the Live.local map of the Ribble way walk when I get a few mins; watch this space... I think Chris was upset that the cafe, that we visited last time we were in Ribchester, was closed; the alternative visit to the pub (a local pub for local people) was not good! We ended up buying sandwiches from a shop and eating them while watching 'boy's football'; The traffic Warden arrived... Many of the dad's had to get parking tickets very quickly! Looking forward to the next section; Chris quite excited as we pass the wood where we went to 'see the badgers'!

Ribble Way

Sorry Mandy/Dave, the choice was the
Ribble Way! Mainly because we didn't have instructions for the Bronte Way. (We have now). We set off from the Dolphin out towards the marshland beside the river; Signs told us not to feed the donkeys in the next field and to keep out of another field as there way clay pidgeon shooting in progress (It's worrying if they couldn't they tell the difference between a clay pidgeon and us!)
Your mum was wrapped up against what was a very cold wind. The path was well walked and clearly signposted. Along the river there was a huge range of different water fowl and other birds including geese, cormorants, various breeds of duck, oyster catchers etc. Pity we didn't have the binoculars with us.

The cold onshore winds had hastened autumn and many of the more exposed trees had lost all their leaves; however in sheltered parts the warm October/November had brought the gorse into flower (what a contrast!)Ben, I'll say sorry now but, I couldn't resist the temptation of taking this photograph...
I know it was one you always planned to take but the opportunity was there and I couldn't resist.
Once we were past the entrance to Preston Docks, the walk became much more interesting and the autumnal (fall for those who still have to learn English) colours added to the beauty of the scenery see the photographs on Flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/acljohn/?saved=1
Ive also plotted the map, as usual, on Live.Local and the link is http://local.live.com/?v=2&cid=A379F4C664F7684F!638.
Pushpins 1 to 24.

We stopped on the way back from the walk at one of our 'eating houses' the Owd Barn. Chris had Thick Onion Soup and I had a cheese & Onion Toasted sandwich; Date and walnut cake to take away. Your mum was impressed that the cake was cheaper to take away so it will be take-away from now on. Look after the pennies...

Wycoller Walk

The question on Sunday was "where do we go now the Lancashire Trail is completed?"

The answer was located on the internet and it was
Wycoller! On the Bronte Trail (that is a possible walk; Chris is keen!) Wycoller is a very attractive Lancashire Village. The, now ruined, hall was possibly the inspiration for one of the buildings mentioned in Jane Eyre (Chris may get round to telling you about it in more detail) A visit to the information centre in the converted barn provided us with maps for three walks; the walk we did can be found at: -
http://local.live.com/?v=2&cid=A379F4C664F7684F!595
Images can be found by pausing over push-pins or at...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/acljohn/sets/72157594231686898/
We now have to decide if we are going to do the Lancashire Coastal path, the Ribble Walk (mouth to source) or the Bronte Trail. Watch this space...