Join for free
Page 3 of 190 < 1 2 3 4 5 13 53 103 > Last »
OldGreyFox's Avatar
OldGreyFox
Chatterbox
OldGreyFox is offline
South Yorkshire
Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 21,202
OldGreyFox is male  OldGreyFox has posted at least 25 times and has been a member for 3 months or more 
 
16-02-2015, 12:04 PM
21

Re: Bob's Bits.

Specially for Alice76
This was taken at the other end of the bay on the Great Orme. We were lucky to have good weather, it's usually blowing a gale up there.
OldGreyFox's Avatar
OldGreyFox
Chatterbox
OldGreyFox is offline
South Yorkshire
Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 21,202
OldGreyFox is male  OldGreyFox has posted at least 25 times and has been a member for 3 months or more 
 
16-02-2015, 04:49 PM
22

Re: Bob's Bits.

I found this while trawling the internet. It's why I do it...
OldGreyFox's Avatar
OldGreyFox
Chatterbox
OldGreyFox is offline
South Yorkshire
Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 21,202
OldGreyFox is male  OldGreyFox has posted at least 25 times and has been a member for 3 months or more 
 
16-02-2015, 06:04 PM
23

Re: Bob's Bits.

Because my adventures don't start until it gets warmer (Wuss) I thought you might like to read a previous report.......

Gringley to Clayworth

For eight years I drove round the country delivering parcels and other miscellaneous items as a self employed courier, it was ‘the’ best job I have ever done. Along with sandwiches and a drink, running kit was also considered an essential item to carry in the back of the van, and upon a successful delivery, I would study the map to find interesting places to fit in a cheeky five mile run. But the job always came first, and as I sped around the network of roads to deliver a time sensitive parcel I would pass places that would call out to me to explore. One such place was the Chesterfield Canal at Worksop. I would gaze down at the towpath as I drove over the bridge and wished that I could walk along it. Where did it go? What interesting things could be seen along it’s meandering course?........ But at that time it was just a dream. Jobs came and went, and an opportunity to retire presented itself on my sixtieth birthday, so I accepted.
I still had the desire to walk the full length of the Chesterfield Canal, and so it was on Thursday 21st March 2013, that I set foot on the first five mile stretch. I would walk ten miles each week, five out, and five miles back to the car. It was cold and muddy along this first stretch, and the running shoes I had selected to walk in didn’t grip so well in the mud and I was slipping and sliding most of the five miles. It was a very scenic route that started in West Stockwith on the banks of the River Trent and followed the path where two walks merged: ‘The Cuckoo Way’ and ‘The Trent Valley Way’ and the GPS watch had notched up five miles by the lock at Gringley-on-the-Hill....Just a walk back then......
The next week, with the sun streaming through the window, I set off to join the canal where I left off last week at Gringley-on-the-Hill. The canal banks were a lot firmer today, and going was good, in fact so good, I felt guilty not running, sometimes it’s just nice to dawdle and take in the view though. The canal winds it’s way through woods and farmland, until you arrive at the road bridge that carries the A631 Bawtry to Gainsborough road. You can not pass through the tunnel, so instead you take a dirt track over Cuckoo Hill and then back down to the side of the canal. The shorts I brought might have been okay for running, but it was too cold to walk in them. Although the sun was poking out from behind the clouds now and then making it very pleasant, when it went in; Monkey’s and welder’s sprung to mind. A couple of bridges later you come to Wiseton, a very nice little meal stop, there’s even a seat to watch the world go by, whilst devouring a Tesco Tuna and Cucumber Sandwich, I doesn’t get much better than this. But it was too early for lunch, so I’ll stop here on the way back. Carrying on, you arrive at Clayworth, you see the church on the hill first, and the building in front with the conservatory is Royston Manor, where, in the past, on several occasions, I have sampled their fine cuisine and entertained many a young lady. Pressing on, you pass by the boat people, an assortment of occupied narrow boats, eventually arriving at the Retford Boat Club. This is as far as we go today, GPS says 5 miles. With a good off road car park, and toilets, this will be my starting point next week. I did jog, all the way back to Wiseton, the seat, and Dinner, but I was beaten by three walkers and a mangy Jack Russell. Bugger.....
To be continued........

Myra
Chatterbox
Myra is offline
my wee toon
Joined: Jun 2014
Posts: 9,010
Myra is female  Myra has posted at least 25 times and has been a member for 3 months or more 
 
16-02-2015, 06:38 PM
24

Re: Bob's Bits.

Lovely story and lovely pics Robert

We're thinking of walking the West Highland Way. We've done parts of it, but not the whole lot. We would do it the easy way of course. Get our bags taken from place to place. I'd just love to be able to say I'd walked it all!

So far the longest walk I've done is 14 miles from Longniddry to North Berwick. A lovely walk, lots of different terrain. If ever there was an excuse to have a beer, then it's at the end of that walk
Abbey's Avatar
Abbey
Chatterbox
Abbey is offline
Scotland UK
Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 9,067
Abbey is female  Abbey has posted at least 25 times and has been a member for 3 months or more 
 
16-02-2015, 07:09 PM
25

Re: Bob's Bits.

Great pics and loved the story !
OldGreyFox's Avatar
OldGreyFox
Chatterbox
OldGreyFox is offline
South Yorkshire
Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 21,202
OldGreyFox is male  OldGreyFox has posted at least 25 times and has been a member for 3 months or more 
 
17-02-2015, 11:49 AM
26

Re: Bob's Bits.

Entry:-170215
Thanks to everyone who has commented on my previous posts I appreciate it.
Today's lively effort consists of a five mile run in a more urban setting than Sunday's run out into the country.
6:10 am and there is a scratching at the door, dressed in just a minimum of clothes I open it and peer round, cold air rushes in and engulfs my body like an icey cloak, Maddie the cat also rushes in and barges her way past me in an attempt to get to her dish of food: she has spent the night patrolling her territory and keeping it free of rodents, after eating, she will sleep the rest of the day.
The sky is cloudless, and there are still a few stars visible, the lawn sparkles with a layer of frost. My decision to leave the windproof running jacket and gloves behind would be a foolish one, so I remove them from the cupboard and position them carefully. Within minutes I am jogging down the empty street, occasionally I feel my running shoe slide on the frosty surface but I manage to maintain my balance. I guess it must be around zero degrees, but no colder, and the sharp morning air picks at my bare skin; legs and face.
It's been a good winter so far, and I've managed to run in shorts throughout. I crunch over the fallen leaves as I jog; first through the woods, and then along a cycle track past a row of houses. As I join the main road, I see a bright orange disc rising from the distant hedgerows, another week and I reckon the sun will already be hoisted in the eastern sky before I set off on my runs.
I feel a surge of energy and step up a gear, it's great to be out here doing this.
After three miles I turn into the cul-de-sac that will lead me to the lane, I make my compulsory phone call to my O/H, I am excited by the sunrise and my apparent turn of speed, I try to explain how I feel, but gasping for breath it's hard to speak so I sign off and continue with my run.
My legs are getting tired now as I dodge the frozen puddles and muddy grooves on the lane but I manage to hold the pace until once again I step onto my drive and stop the watch. I glance down, and am rewarded by a very fast time...
Abbey's Avatar
Abbey
Chatterbox
Abbey is offline
Scotland UK
Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 9,067
Abbey is female  Abbey has posted at least 25 times and has been a member for 3 months or more 
 
17-02-2015, 01:24 PM
27

Re: Bob's Bits.

Loved the story . I felt I was with you all the way ! I was out at that time too walking my dogs . Best time of the day . Nobody about and the whole walk all to myself .
OldGreyFox's Avatar
OldGreyFox
Chatterbox
OldGreyFox is offline
South Yorkshire
Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 21,202
OldGreyFox is male  OldGreyFox has posted at least 25 times and has been a member for 3 months or more 
 
17-02-2015, 08:59 PM
28

Re: Bob's Bits.

Continuing my travels on the Cuckoo Way, here is the next chunk......

CLAYWORTH TO RANBY

Today’s walk was a little different, instead of walking 5 mile out, and 5 mile back, I decided that by using the bike I could do a ten mile stretch of the Chesterfield canal in one go.
I dusted off the bike, it’s been over two years since I rode, so I did a test run the day before. Just four and a half miles turned my legs to jelly, you would have thought that all the running I do would have kept me in decent shape. Never mind, it’ll be alright on the day, I thought.
The day started off sunny, not a cloud in the sky, but by the time I reached Ranby some clouds had gathered and a brisk cold easterly wind had struck up. I retrieved the bike from the back of the car and tackled the small climb out of Ranby. I passed the prison and noticed all the cars parked in the car park, there must be more people work there than there are inmates, I felt lucky to be on this side of the fence. But only just, don’t let anybody tell you that it’s flat round Retford, and with the easterly in my face I was struggling. Another hill on the road out of Retford and on to Welham and Clareborough, from here you are taken on to the B1403 to Hayton and finally on to Clayworth, It’s so flat round here, brilliant, I thought, but the long straight road to Clayworth is open and points north east, which incidentally is exactly the way the wind was blowing from. Down to ten miles an hour at least, I couldn’t tell for sure, because it was that cold it was making my eyes water and I couldn’t read the GPS. So, staggering round the car park at the boat club with rubber legs, I attached the bike firmly to a fence and made my way along the canal bank towards Retford. I hope it’s still there when I return. From Clayworth to Retford the canal bank meanders through the flat countryside of arable fields, approaching a bridge is the only highlight, or an electricity pylon. I know...... it’s still nice to be out, and it not be raining, or up to your armpits in mud.
The going was very good, nice and firm, at this rate the trainers won’t even need cleaning when I get home. What a contrast when you arrive at Retford, with small docks at the end of gardens that lead down to the water, and basins containing narrow boats and other craft.
There is a lot of parkland too, with seats by the canal, with a rumbling tum demanding attention, I parked myself on one of the seats and had lunch. I passed by a large cemetery as I left the outskirts of Retford, and under a bridge carrying the main East Coast Line, Kings Cross to Edinburgh, trains thundered overhead every five minutes, and then I was back into open country, peace and quiet once again. My ten miles were reached, and I could see the car, always a relief, but I had intended to walk as far as the tunnel under the A1, so passing the car, I reluctantly covered the mile to the tunnel. Shoes were as clean as when I started, and the weather would have been perfect had it not been for the icy wind, so no shorts today, may be next time. The bike was still where I left it, well, it’s not worth much it’s an old one done up, a bit like me really....

Hope the bike will be there when I get back...

It just looked interesting.....

This Lock is called 'Whitsunday 2'

The main East Coast Line, passes over the Chesterfield Canal.

Forest Mid Top Lock.

Ten miles covered, the end of todays walk. Lorries thunder along the A1 where it crosses the Chesterfield Canal.
To be Continued......
Anita's Avatar
Anita
Senior Member
Anita is offline
Midlands, UK
Joined: Mar 2014
Posts: 1,748
Anita is female  Anita has posted at least 25 times and has been a member for 3 months or more 
 
18-02-2015, 12:35 AM
29

Re: Bob's Bits.

Ah now I know about the bike, saw the pics on your profile before I saw this.
Will read it fully tomorrow as falling asleep here.
Cheshire Cat's Avatar
Cheshire Cat
Chatterbox
Cheshire Cat is offline
Cheshire, UK
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 20,629
Cheshire Cat is female  Cheshire Cat has posted at least 25 times and has been a member for 3 months or more 
 
18-02-2015, 11:46 PM
30

Re: Bob's Bits.

I've just caught up with your posts.

I just felt like I was with you there on your run! Enjoyed the stories. I was going to ask where your avatar was but it was answered earlier - on top of the Great Orme. I've been there but took the train.
 
Page 3 of 190 < 1 2 3 4 5 13 53 103 > Last »

Thread Tools


© Copyright 2009, Over50sForum   Contact Us | Over 50s Forum! | Archive | Privacy Statement | Terms of Use | Top

Powered by vBulletin Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.