Scafell Pike ...

A 360 degree panorama from the summit - Photoshop strikes !!

... last Sunday ...

'Twas daughter's 30th 'birthday weekend' ... her plan was three peaks in three days - so she and mates did Snowdon on Saturday, Scafell Pike on Sunday and Ben Nevis on Monday.  

Me and Mrs Smiffy chipped in for the Sunday gig - after work for me on Saturday we headed up to Nether Wasdale to set up camp before the arrival of the others from Wales ... we were supplying food - not just any old food but a proper Nepalese "banquet" - Veg Curry and Dhal Bhaat (plus rice) - something we picked up a few weeks ago  !!  By heck ... it chucked it down with rain early Saturday evening but .. then it stopped - all ate food, early night and early up on Sunday to do the "Big English Mountain".  All done and dusted by 1400hrs, so we left the hardy crew to head northwards ...

Just a few piccies from the day at

Scafell Pike - 12Jun16

... naturally missed both the England and Wales games in the Euro 2016 - but I'm catching up big style now  !!  Also that bloomin' Flying Scotsman came through Mossley  again on Tuesday - just had the cameraphone this time .. this one turned out not too bad ...

 

England game tomorrow ?? Probably manage the second half ...

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Flying Scotsman thru Mossley ...

Mossley Station is the other side of the bridge in the distance ...

... yesterday ... arrive back in Mossley to be told the rumour that said train is coming through Mossley about 1500hrs - yikes !!

Mad dash home - grab camera, making sure I put a bloomin' memory card in it (no time to change lens either !) and mad dash back down - time was tight so I didn't make it to Mossley station - but as there were loads of peeps there anyway - I ended up with a different angle I suppose. Didn't take too many so I'll stick the 'best' few straight on here ...

... and - in an instant - it was gorn !!
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Greater Manchester Boundary Walk - Part 3

 Part of the new Manchester Airport Relief Road - which caused probs early on !

It's been a while since Part 2 - but good weather saw us out on Sunday doing a chunk from Poynton to Wilmslow.  A few hiccups at the start due to new/unfinished roads - as pointed out before the book IS 20+ years old - but we got there in the end !   Not as photogenic as I would have liked - but hey ho ...

Pics at

Boundary Walk - Part 3 - 05Jun16

So far - using public transport has worked OK - and the next bit (Wilmslow to Ashley) has also been planned out - watch this space !
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Bank Holiday Weekend

Oh the joys of working with Royal Mail (aargh !!!).

Finished work on Friday - headed off to our weekend cottage near Buxton to meet up with friends from Derbyshire and Northamptonshire - gentle Friday evening. For me ... up at 0430hrs on Saturday morning to drive back to Oldham to put a shift in (have you ever tried to get a Saturday off at Royal Mail ??? More chance of plaiting fog !).  Got back to cottage about 1530hrs so missed the Saturday stuff (a wander round Castleton).  Good Saturday nosh and (naturally) asleep in front of TV (me anyway !).

A bit of the Roaches ...

Sunday we all headed down towards Leek for a walk round the Roaches - excellent weather always helps !! Back for more excellent nosh before "breaking camp" on Monday morning. 

"Revenue Generation Unit" on A54 - nowt to do with road safety of course ...

Monday saw me and Mrs Smiffy then fitted in a 9 miler around Gradbach, Three Shires Head and Wildboarclough - again the weather was kind.  (Not many) Pics from the weekend at

Buxton May Bank Holiday Weekend

Then - home - tea already prepped by the boys - and then today - back to normal ... 
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Whit Friday ...

  ... more like Wet Friday to be honest !!

The "Annual Holiday" up our way - and working in one of the villages can play havoc with the postie job - hence an 0430hrs get-up in order for an early start/early get-out at work.  Avoided most of the havoc and finished - to be honest - a touch early (but in true RM style we weren't allowed to get away with that ... and were held back to our appointed finish time ...).

Home - relax - eat tea - and then a wander up the canal to Friezland to see some of the bands - as noted, the weather was "not good" (!!), so after a couple of hours it was back home on the train (grabbing a pint in a packed "Railway" at Greenfield where many people had taken shelter from the storm !).  Just a few pics from the evening at

Wet Whit Friday 20May16.
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Weekend in Chester

 A bit of Chester Cathedral ...

Took a rare "Saturday off" and sloped off to Chester with my Mum and Mrs S.

Late get-up (oh joy !!!), whizz down to Stafford to pick up Mum and off back up to Chester.  Check-in and then straight out for a wander.  Evening meal out - late get-up on Sunday - and another wander (meeting nephew - who lives/works in Chester) on the way ... whilst trying to avoid the Chester Half-Marathon !!

All in all a good break - and we were blessed with the weather as well ...

Pics at

Chester 14/15May16
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One Walk ... One Week Late ...

"Hello ... are you lost ???"

 
Spent so much time goofing about with Nepalese memories last weekend's walk took a bit of a back seat !  'Twas an interesting walk to say the least .. spent a couple of hours "lost" (or at the very least 'slightly mislaid') on top of Black Hill - still we made it in the end ... where was Gopal when we needed him (actually a couple of AAs for our GPS would have sufficed !!)

Pics at

Crowden Walk 08May16
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