The weather forecast throughout the week predicted bad weather preceding the scheduled church walk on the first Sunday of January. And so it turned out, we woke up to two inches of snow in Chesterfield as did much of the rest of the country.
As we live on a hilly estate Julie and I decided that we would not be able to drive to church so once again ‘Church Walk Sunday’ became a Sunday walk to church for us.
We trudged through the slushy snow in Hasland, the main roads looked passable but there was not much traffic around. At the bottom of Hady Hill a number of cars had been left at the side of the road, evidence of earlier problems getting up the hill. They may have belonged to hospital staff, their cars abandoned at the side of the road so they could walk up to the hospital.
It took us just over an hour to get to church where we joined the other 14 hardy souls in the congregation.
It was a forgone conclusion that there would be no walking group today so after the service we had coffee and biscuits in the Parish Room then got ready to walk back home to Hasland.
We chose a different route back, walking through the estates to and then down Peveril Road. As we approached the junction with Sheffield Road we noticed a couple of large recovery lorries parked up. This was because an Asda delivery lorry had jack-knifed whilst leaving the store and was stuck. We watched whilst one lorry winched the trailer unit sideways so that it was better aligned with the tractor unit, the lorry could then pull out onto Peveril Road and continue its journey.
Crossing Sheffield Road we walked down towards the Casa Hotel, then along the cycle path running parallel with the A61 Rother Way.
Crossing the A61 via a footbridge we joined the Trans Pennine Way, walking alongside the River Rother.
Soon we reached Brimington Road which we crossed before walking under the railway line on Crow Lane, then once more alongside the River Rother to reach the bottom of Hady Hill then retracing our steps back home.
If anyone wishes to join us for the next walk then meet us outside church at 12pm with a packed lunch on Sunday 2nd February.
You will be made very welcome.
Steve Franks