By Angie Taylor on behalf of SLH
This article was originally written for the March edition of Heatons Post, https://www.heatonspost.co.uk/
Well the world has certainly shrunk for us hasn’t it? No pubs, clubs, theatre, concerts or cinemas. No meals with friends, not one glass of wine. “Try not to use the car“, they say but do exercise every day. So we’re jogging and cycling and walking and talking and discovering a
myriad of paths and tracks that we never knew existed right on our doorsteps.
Every morning Lizzie (the dog) and I have a quick think. How long have we got? What’s the weather like? Where can we go for a change Off to the Common at the back of Priestnall School, then round by the pond. Not for a soggy day as the path can be waterlogged …..ok if you’re wearing wellies! A gentle stroll along the paths can easily last all morning if we bump into friends. From the Common we sometimes cross Didsbury Road and head down to the Mersey. Do you remember the first time that Mole saw a river? “This sleek, sinuous, full bodied animal, chasing and chuckling, gripping things with a gurgle and leaving them with a laugh…” Horizons open as I think of it pushing towards Liverpool and on to the sea.
Sometimes we come home up the cobbled road, passing the old cottages and “The Crown” where we used to be served by a lovely bloke called Norman over 40 years ago. Sometimes we’ll follow the river to The Pyramid. In the summer the trees hide any sign of the buildings that cling to the sides of the gorge and there’s only a distant murmur of traffic. Up along the side of Parfetts to Green Lane and home. Lizzie loves this walk as she can be off the lead most of the time. (Also fun for little people on scooters and bikes!)
On another day we might cross the golf course to Errwood Road and Cringle Fields then up to McVites on the A6. Mostly it’s a dry(ish) walk but recently the path along Errwood Road was very, very muddy. Back home to a warm fire and a cup of tea and a tired dog stretched out on her cushion.
This morning we stood with a friend and watched two parakeets squabbling as they investigated a hole high up in an oak tree. Crocuses and daffodils were pushing up through the grass that glistened in the early morning sun. The wind, the rain, the cold, the sun, the blue sky. All this for free and on our doorsteps. We are so lucky, here, in the Heatons.
Visit the Cycling, Walking and Transport section for more information about local walks. There is also a longer version of the above video here