Snowdrops

Posted on February 25, 2024 Posted in Memories, UncategorizedTagged Cold, Growing, Health, Rode hall, snowbells, Snowdrops, Spring, Staffordshire, Time, Tired, Visit, WalkLeave a comment

I went with a friend to Rode Hall today to take a look at the snowdrop walk, an annual event where people can walk round and see snowdrops growing by the lake and in the woods. Sadly we are at the end of the snowdrop season so a lot of them have finished flowering. But it was good to get out.

I’ve been hiding away recently. I don’t like driving very far as my health has deteriorated. But going out with a friend made me feel safer. I hung onto her on the slippy muddy bits. I feel like I’m teetering forward all the time. My balance is off, but I managed to bend down and take a photo of the snowdrops (galanthus ?) I know Rode Hall has lots of varieties of snowdrops and snowbells?

I got home and fell asleep, I was so tired, but I’m glad I went. Spring is on its way.

Rode Hall is off the A34 Road near Scholar Green in Staffordshire.

Bluebell memory

Posted on February 6, 2024 Posted in Memories, UncategorizedTagged bluebell woods, Boat, Lake, Life, mud, Rode hall, Sailing, Staffordshire, Stoke-on trent, Walk, Westport lake4 Comments

One spring a few years ago we went to Rode Hall in Staffordshire and walked round the bluebell filled woods. Hubby took his little red motorboat to try and sail it on the lake but there is not a safe place to launch it from, so I took this photo of him looking longingly at the lake, boat in the bag next to him.

He did sail his boats on the smaller of the two lakes at Westport later in the year. One day he sailed it and it ran out of power a few feet out from the shore. He tried to pull it back in with a broken branch. It drifted further out! So he took his shoes off, rolled up his trousers and waded out! As he clambered out with the boat his legs up to his knees were covered in black mud. We didn’t have a towel so he had to sit on a couple of carrier bags in the car. The mud was very smelly so we drove home with the windows wide open! He was always adventurous bless him X

Tree with a face…

Posted on February 3, 2024 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Ent, Eyes, Fun, Lake, Staffordshire, Stoke-on trent, Tree, Treebeard, View, Walk, Westport lakeLeave a comment

Westport lake tree, off the beaten track, down a side path.

Somebody has taken a sign off this tree, they have left two “eyes” in place. My friend saw it first and it made me laugh. Is it an ent? Is it Treebeard… I can imagine a mouth and nose! It was good to escape even though it was drizzling and grey. Good to enjoy time outside.

Oh to be out and about x

Posted on August 19, 2023 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Escape, Getting out, housebound, Imagination, nurse, Places to visit, Seaside, Stuck, Walk2 Comments

Let me step out with confidence, stay upright, measure my steps. Just hoping I can do this again soon. It doesn’t matter where I go as long as its somewhere out of these four walls. I refuse to become housebound. I’m too young for this!

Talking to the nurse this afternoon, I explained how I’d originally hurt my leg, the car door had been caught by the wind and had swung into my leg. She said it happens more often than you think.

Places I want to visit? The seaside, relatives, local visitor centres, anything interesting.

Rode hall today

Posted on May 5, 2023 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Bluebells, Cold, Hail, Lightning, Rain, Rode hall, Soaked, Thunderstorm, Upset, Walk, Wet2 Comments

We went to see the bluebell walk at Rode hall today but stopped to talk to a lady that was very upset and distressed about something.

As we were chatting to her we all got caught in a thunderstorm with hail and heavy rain. We got soaked and decided to abandon the walk. Thankfully I had a discussion with someone from the hall and we can go back on Sunday. Above are pre bluebell walk photos with lowering dark clouds.

The hall is off the A34 between Scholar Green and Rode Heath:

Rode Hall, Church Ln, Scholar Green, Stoke-on-Trent ST7 3QP

Tree views

Posted on February 12, 2023February 12, 2023 Posted in UncategorizedTagged bund, Day out, lakes, Life, Photo, Staffordshire, Stoke-on trent, Trees, Visit, Walk, Westport lake, wildlife centreLeave a comment

Trees on our walk today. (somehow I seem to have posted the same thing twice so I’m editing this into a new post). Anyway this was at the far end of the big Westport Lake where a large plot of land has had tons of hardcore rubble placed on it I don’t know if its an industrial site or housing, but they have builf a huge bund (piled up slope) hopefully to hide it from the lake. Previously it was a muddy rocky mess adjacent to the nature reserve and the main train line that runs to one side of the reserve. I’m glad these trees have been left to screen off the area.

Today’s amble

Posted on February 12, 2023 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Day out, lakes, Photo, Staffordshire, Stoke-on trent, Visit, Walk, Westport lake, wildlife centreLeave a comment

Two lakes, the smaller in front. One is a quarter of a mile to walk round, the other a mile. Its at Westport in Stoke on Trent in Staffordshire. A bit of a haven for water birds. It’s also a reservoir for the Trent and Mersey canal I think. It’s a flooded area of old coal workings or marl pits I think? Sorry not to have better information, I shall have to check. Its run by Staffordshire Wildlife Trust. There’s a cafe there and wildlife csntre. The only thing is the local council have bought in car parking charges (it used to be free). Its sad because in this day and age people might be put off coming because of the cost of living crisis.

Canal boats

Posted on February 12, 2023 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Art, Boats, Canal, Painting, Staffordshire, Stoke-on trent, Traditional, Trent and mersey canal, Walk, Westport lake2 Comments

On our walk today round Westport Lake we incorporated a bit of the Trent and Mersey canal. We saw a few canal barges as we walked along the towpath. It made me think of a song we sing at choir which goes ‘fifteen miles on the Erie canal’. Most of the boats were painted dull blues and greys but there was a more traditionally painted cafe boat in primarily green and red but with yellow and white details too. It made me smile to see it.

Went for a walk

Posted on January 30, 2023 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Escape, Exercise, Legs, local area, Relaxation, starting out, Streets, Time, Tired, Walk, Walking3 Comments

We went for a short walk today, just round the local streets, back past an avenue of trees. It was only about a mile but I came back aching, cold and a bit breathless so it was far enough. After months of illnesses and problems I was pleased to drag my hubby out into the cold air. No rain today, no chance of slipping, just the chance to stretch my legs and think I can start again. I hope we can extend our steps a little bit each day. I didn’t measure them because I forgot to take my phone. Now I’m just trying to relax the aches out of my leg and back. But it’s good to feel able to exercise again.

Green man at Rudyard

Posted on January 8, 2023 Posted in UncategorizedTagged @ivans_uk_tours, Green man, Leek, North Staffordshire, Rudyard Kipling, Rudyard lake, Rushton Spencer, Staffordshire moorlands, WalkLeave a comment

Hubby went for a walk yesterday and his friend Ivan who runs Ivans UK Tours (@ivans_uk_tours) took this photo. Ivan had arranged a walk round Rudyard Lake in North Staffordshire. It’s a canal reservoir near Leek. I pinched this photo off his Facebook page because it is so lovely and I love the Green man design. They walked all the way round the lake starting off at the Rudyard Lake Hotel around the east side of the lake along the lanes because you can’t walk along the shoreline. Then up into the woods to the north end of the lake up steep pathways and along muddy tracks. They came back along the path of the old railway line that runs from the lake up towards Rushton Spencer. However they were walking South to the dam at the south end of the lake. From there you can walk back across to the hotel car park. Approximately 7miles.

I think Rudyard Kipling was named after Rudyard Lake I think…..?

I’ve not been well enough to go and when my hubby described the route I don’t think I could have managed it even if I was well!

Mallaband-Brown

Tag: Walk