WALKING GROUP
We had a full complement of walkers for our trip to the Five Pits Trail, led by Bob Cable on a damp, cloudy afternoon in December. As we left the cars in the Timber Lane car park, the rain stopped and the whole of the afternoon was mild and dry. Originally Bob had thought to take us off the paths to make the walk more interesting, but on a previous recce he managed to get lost, so we stuck to the paths, which was a good idea as most areas are knee-deep in mud.
We set off towards Holmewood passing Williamthorpe Local Nature Reserve. The ponds, reed bed and woodland are a wildlife haven, hidden from the surrounding housing and main road. Heading towards Grasmore we arrived at Wolfie Pond, five fishermen were in the process of packing their equipment away and we were informed that they had all had a very successful day, netting perch, bream and roach.
As usual, the paths were put to good use by people walking a variety of dogs; we were passed by quite a few bicycle riders and a heron in flight was spotted by the most observant of our group.
Back at Bob’s home, Ruth was ready for us all with a choice of home-made wines, followed by a variety of soups. We finished off the supply of mince pies after an enjoyable get-together in front of a blazing fire. Thanks to Bob and Ruth for a wonderful end to an invigorating afternoon.
The next walk will be on Sunday 3rd January 2016 when we will eat our packed lunches in the warmth of the Parish Room before walking to Holmebrook Valley Park and Linacre Woods. When walking this out recently, our leaders, Trish and Evelyn, battled with mud, mud and even more mud, so Wellingtons may be the preferred footwear for this.
We will meet at the church gates at 12noon as usual, before moving into the Parish Room. Any new members will be very welcome to join us. For more information please contact Evelyn Lowe, the telephone number is on the back page of the magazine.