Just This and That really.

An invite from Martin Banfield to join him on a wee walk from Failsworth into Manchester.

Roughly (From Memory) the route that we took. 

Martins blog will include a more accurate trod along the Brook area.

I decided that i would travel to Failsworth from home on the new Metrolink from the centre of Rochdale. I hadn’t been on this route before so it had that feeling of exploration about it.
Its quite a meandering route and i was surprised that it takes over 1/2hr. But i suppose it has to follow the urbanisation to ensure it gets passengers to pay for the service rather than the quickest route.

Anyway it was a pleasant journey, through Milnrow, Shaw, Oldham, Chadderton, Hollinwood before alighting a bit early at Failsworth. Due to my disliking of being late i was particularly early, 1/2hr in fact.

After i finished reading The Metro newspaper and returned it to its stack on the station platform Graham appeared across the way. Graham is a Challenger and a regular on Martins walkies.
Then Peter from the LDWA and Martin and Rick arrived and Don also LDWA a few minutes later.

Rick, a walker, musician, Morris man and a mate of the missing JJ is always up for a bimble that includes a visit to the curry emporium This and That.

L-R Rick, Moi, Peter, Don, Graham and Martin.

Photo kindly nicked from Martin.

So the 6 of us headed off in the general direction leading us to the Rochdale canal. This goal attained, i was surprised that we headed in the opposite direction from Manchester. I didn’t say anything derogatory about Martins map reading and very shortly he pointed out this fact and that we were heading for Moston Brook.

Moston Brook has recently been an urban project to bring a green area back to life from what used to be a waste tip. They have done a good job but it still needs a lot of money spending on it. Our path was a muddy one with the occasional duck boarding across the boggier bits.

It was all pleasant walking and numerous feathered friends were spotted. Grey Wagtail, Goldfinch, Magpie, Crow and Kestrel.
The brook was relatively clean considering its environment and history and it eventually ended at a culvert. We could see no light at the end of the tunnel and decided that we wouldn’t “DO” it this time but wait for a warmer and shallower passage sometime in the future.

Away from the brook we passed numerous delightful car scrap yards, body shops, sprayers, tyre services, fly tipping etc and eventually regained the canal a few hundred yards west of where we initially joined it.
This time we headed in the direction of Manchester.

As with many canal walks, especially those heading into a city, there is much industrial archeology to view as well as the decay left behind from demolition and of course, urban squaller. Many of the old mills survive and have been turned into apartments and such like. I quite enjoy looking at local historical remains.

As we approached the city centre our way was blocked by bridge building works adjacent to Bengal Street. The 2 workmen just shook their heads sideways when we asked if we could go across. I think we could have gone, quite safely but it was a no no.

We had to detour quite a bit through the now delightfully modernised canal basin which leads to the Ashton canal and the rebuilt Islington for the towpath into town.
Town was exceptionally busy as we headed towards Shudehill and our goal of This and That.
I think we did the last mile in about 4 minutes, the aroma of the curry quickening our pace.

Three of our party had not sampled the delights of this establishment before and on first impressions i can understand it putting a few off but by the end of the meal all were in agreement that it was first class.

 Were going where!

 Ballet dancing through the boggy bits hidden by the Autumn fall.

 The footpath alongside Moston Brook

 The Brook disappears but Martin has spotted a Japanese sniper or was it Len?

 Back on the Rochdale canal and heading for Manchester

 An unusual pair of ducks. (Any suggestions of what they are will be welcomed)

 Modernised old mills

New Islington info.

This and That Curry

Thanks for the invite Martin. It was great to be out after a spell of working on the house. Have a good time in Madeira and we look forward to reading the story in due course.