Meaningful Meanwood

Wednesday 28th September 2022.               Meaningful Meanwood 

Today the Lads are duly paying their respects to their dear friend Eddie who sadly left this world 3 years ago.

 They intend to cover one of his favourite walks, which will  incorporate part of the Meanwood Valley Trail an area of north Leeds.

It was a group of 7 that fulfilled this journey, which proved to be full of trials and tribulations so to speak. Nevertheless it was done with great determination and sentiment. 

Our group consisted of John, Malcolm , Colin, Brian, Derek, Dave and Alan as the guide, owing to the fact that he had accompanied Eddie on this particular journey along with many other outings. With the lads congregating at a bus stop in the city centre at about 11 o’clock  in order to board a No 51 bus that would transport them to the area of Meanwood, a journey of approximately 25 minutes. Plenty of chatter about the route the bus was taking , however we eventually arrived close to the entrance of the local park and soon began our journey, once out of the parkland we now entered a wooded area and began to follow the Adel beck. At first this pathway was easy to contend with but once through the ring road underpass the conditions became somewhat difficult to negotiate, eventually a sort of lunchtime seating area was found which enabled a few of us to consume our sandwiches courtesy of Greggs.

From this point it was just a short distance to one of our intended points of interest, the Seven Arches Aqua-duct a Victorian construction built to carry a water supply to the city in about 1840 , not in use anymore but as been giving a grade 2 listing status.

 

From this point we continued our journey on towards Golden Acre Park this particular stretch of the adventure proved to be a test of our endurance and not succumb to the treacherous underfoot conditions, ie wet and slippery rocks and tree roots that at any moment could spell disaster ,fortunately we managed to avoid any mishaps and eventually emerged from this particular location only to find we were somewhat short of Golden Acre Park,

 

local knowledge was now required from some kind person ie a cottage dweller who gave us 3 options, we took the one we all seemed to agree upon and soon found ourselves in the grounds of the Church in the Village of Adel, quite a lovely building with a wonderful arched doorway , leaving the church behind us we now made our way through a relatively newly constructed  housing estate and out on to the main road , at this point we were still about a mile or so from Golden Acre Park , so feeling rather exhausted we decided to take the short bus journey to the park instead of continuing with our walk, eventually we found ourselves sat at a table with drinks in our hands in the grounds of Golden Acre Park, much to the relief of everyone concerned.

This had been a tough undertaking much to our surprise, not a vast amount of distance covered but very time consuming due to the terrain in certain areas. After a short while reminiscing it was off to the nearby bus stop and take the return journey back to the city centre in order to connect with our respective homeward modes of transport.

Cheers Everyone 

Mansion House Memories

 Wednesday 21st. September 2022.            Mansion House Memories 

For today’s adventure the Lads have made the decision to return to the Mansion House, situated in Roundhay park. This venue is aptly suited for our dear friend Tim to attend without much difficulty due to his mobility issues. A suggested time of 11:30 was set for meeting up at the Mansion House so seven of the lads have made their way there either by

 

train or bus ,both or car. 

So it was Colin, Malcolm, John, Brian, Derek, Keith and Dave that were there to welcome Tim to this gathering. What a wonderful time was had by All concerned, over two hours of recollections of what happened years ago in a factory environment here in the city of Leeds, the numerous names of former employees were being banded about with almost every letter of the alphabet covered. Plenty of tea being  consumed punctuated with numerous bouts of hilarity about the many, many happenings in that said factory.

About an hour had passed when along came yet another former employee a young man named John Emmonds just happened to be passing by, maybe a little bird had told him about this gathering!.Any how he pulled up a seat and joined the merry throng. He added a few more names to the mix, all in all about 50 names must have been recalled from the distant memory. 

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With the time moving on at such a pace, by now it was approaching 2:15 we had to bid farewell to Tim for his wife had come to pick him up . Keith also left us at this point whilst the rest of us took a relatively short walk to a nearby bandstand, then from here we returned to the bus stop in order to catch a bus back to the city centre, once back in the city each of us made our respective arrangements for getting home.

What a truly remarkable day out, pleasant weather along with even pleasanter company made it all worthwhile. 

Cheers Everyone.

Hebden Heaven

 Wednesday 14 September 2022

Mytholmroyd to Hebdon Bridge 

Hebden Heaven

Malcolm, and I rendezvoused at Leeds Railway Station for the 10:18 to Wigan which left two minutes late. We would be alighting at Mytholmroyd at 11:09 where John was waiting for us. 

We made our way from the Railway Station down onto Burnley Road where we searched for the Canal. 

After an aborted attempt at going left we returned to the Railway Station and effectively turned right and searched for the Fire Station that a local had pointed us in the direction of with just the one Fire Engine to serve the small town. We then turned immediately right along Red Acre Lane and onto the canal towpath and down towards Hebden Bridge. 

The journey would take about 90 minutes where we stopped at various points for John to take a number of illustrious photographs and he was still revelling in his new role as Dave’s understudy. 

Dave was on holiday in the wet south as we now basked in glorious sunshine and the day now opened up from a wintery start to a wonderful summer’s day.

The walk was pleasant enough and very relaxing although not particularly long but beautiful views all around and certainly worth a visit. This was the first time any of us had actually walked along the canal from Mytholmroyd to Hebden Bridge so it was a special day for us all. 

We then left the canal and back onto Burnley Road for the stroll into the Town of Hebden and into the centre for our lunch which would be on a bench in the busy central square with Colin taking it upon himself to feed the local tame pidgeons who were there in abundance. 

After forty minutes relaxing and eating our wares from the Pie & Sandwich shop on the corner we made our way to Hebden Bridge Railway Station for the 13:32 back to Leeds via Bradford where John alighted for his bus to Bingley. 

Malcolm and I  returning to Leeds Railway Station for our respective Buses. 

Another great day out proving you sometimes don't need to travel all that far to achieve greatness and we certainly did that once again today!

-- 

Colin Hendrick Ward

 Wednesday 7 September 2022

Skipton Castle Woods!

Malcolm, Derek, Brian and I rendezvoused at Leeds Railway Station for the 10:26 to Skipton which left on time.  

We arrived in Skipton at 11:09 after picking up the Tour Meister at Bingley at around 10:44. 

We made our way from the Railway Station across the road and onto the canal towpath and down to Skipton across Belmont Bridge towards Stanforth’s famous Pork Pie shop where we all bought our lunch with varying pork pies and ate them on the hoof until we reached Skipton Castle Woods where after a quick study of the map we set off for our stroll around this lovely wood which was quite busy on this lovely sunshiny day. 

We stopped at various points for John to take a number of illustrious photographs and he was revelling in his new role as Dave’s understudy. 

The walk was pleasant and relaxing although there were some steep inclines so taking it steady we soon mastered these. 

We left the Woods after a couple of hours by the top path and exited by the main road which took us down at to the far end of Skipton the way we had come in. 

We now made our way to Cooper’s returning over Belmont Bridge to relax with a coffee and either a slice of cake or Waffles with Honey and Yogurt topped with blueberries!

After forty five minutes relaxing we made our way for the 14:47 back to our respective homes, John bailing out at Bingley and the rest of us returning to Leeds Railway Station for our respective Buses or Train in Derek’s case. 

On the way back we discussed our future sortés and a trip to Ely via Peterborough seemed to tickle our fancies so watch this space with Wednesday 26 October pencilled in and looking good and just before British Summertime Ends!

Another great day out proving you sometimes don't need to travel al that far to achieve greatness and we certainly did that once again today!

-- 

Colin Hendrick Ward

Nature Trail at Newmiller Dam

 Wednesday 31st. August 2022.      Nature Trail at Newmiller Dam

Today’s adventure would take 4 of the Lads to the woodlands surrounding the area of Newmiller Dam a well known beauty spot on the outskirts of Wakefield. John Malcolm and Brian will be making their way by train and bus, for Dave it is just a short walk from his home. A time of 11:30 was suggested for meeting up , then from the bus stop it is just a few hundred yards to the lakeside. A steady walk in a clockwise direction was now pursued on past the boathouse cafe and on to the footbridge crossing, once on the other side a short rest stop was taken with a chance to mull over a few ideas on future adventures etc. From this point the lads now deviated away from the main pathway and on into a more wooded area less noisier and far less dogs. A slight uphill challenge now for a few hundred yards before levelling off and a much wider pathway to walk along , this part of the forest is encased in very tall pine trees somewhere between 60 and 80 ft tall. Hidden in this part of the wood the lads stumbled across a large carved wooden bear in all it’s glory just waiting to be photographed, which is indeed what took place.

Saying farewell to Bruno the lads now ventured further along the various pathways that would eventually lead then safely back to the car park then from here on towards the Beuley Cafe for a well deserved lunch time meal, sausage egg and chips was the order placed by all 4 of the Lads, taking an outside vantage point to consume their meals. The weather conditions had been very favourable with prolonged sunny intervals with a distance of approximately 4 miles covered. A hurried dash to the bus stop now ensued with our meals all but finished, as a bus every hour is the schedule on this particular route. No ice cream for some of the lads today.

Yet another great day with the Lads 

Cheers Everyone 

Hornsea Heaven

 Wednesday 24 August 2022

Hornsea Heaven   

Malcolm, John, Derek and I rendezvoused at Leeds Railway Station for the 09:34 to Hull which left on time.  

The train journey to Hull Paragon took less than an hour discussing our next ventures with holidays on the horizon and interruptions inevitable arriving at The Paragon at 10:30 giving us ten minutes to get to stand 32 in the Paragon Bus Station for the number 24 to Hornsea which departed at 10:40. 

The bus took around seventy minutes to reach Hornsea which seemed to take an eternity to leave the suburb’s   of Hull. 

Arriving on Cliff Road in Hornsea we espied Alan and we all gathered wondering where Kevin was as he’d not replied to John’s frantic calls or texts. 

We meandered down the front which was very pleasant with great views out to sea and Bridlington in the distance. As it had turned midday by this point John thought it prudent to have a bite to eat so that Colin didn’t go hypoglycaemic we then saw Sullivan’s fish and chip shop where we all purchased our dinners and sat on a wall to consume them in glorious sunshine. Kevin suddenly appearing  to the delight of everyone there. 

On leaving the wall we went to view the old Hornsea Railway Station that were now residential houses. They looked resplendent in these settings and recognised that the conversions appeared to be a huge success. 

We then continued down the green corridor until we came to a huge orchard where local residents could help themselves to apples. There was also a picnic table where you could sit to enjoy an apple or two after your picnic. 

We then sought out a huge lake called the Hornsea Mere which is the largest freshwater lake in Yorkshire, England, and lies to the west of Hornsea in the East Riding.

It covers an area of 467 acres (1.89 km2), is 2 miles (3.2 km) long, 0.75 miles (1.2 km) at its widest point and 12 feet (3.7 m) at its deepest.

Hornsea Mere is a centre for bird-watching and a tourist attraction offering rowing, sailing, boat trips and fishing. It is a designated Site of Special Scientific Interest and a Special Protection Area for birds; it accommodates many species throughout the year, and is of international importance for a migratory population of gadwall. It's shallowness results in a diverse range of swamp and fen plants.

Here we enjoyed an ice cream outside the café and then realised as we set off to circumnavigate the area there were much better places to have consumed our ice creams overlooking the lake itself. We know for next time. 

We then made our way back towards Hornsea and stumbled upon a folly built by a local dignitary which allowed his staff to see when he was returning from his business trips and a meal was prepared for consultation on his arrival. From the top of this Folly you could see for twenty miles  about and out to sea. 

It is known locally as Bettison's Folly this tower is in Hornsea, East Riding of Yorkshire, England. Also referred to as Bettisons Tower and the Forgotten Folly, it was built some time between 1829 and 1853 by William Bettison. At the time, Bettison was a Hull-based brewer who built the folly in what was then his garden.

We came to the bus stop where we decided we had walked far enough and waited for the No 25 bus which would take us to Beverley Railway Station. Unfortunately the journey time was in excess of our anticipation so we abandoned the bus to run through the Streets of Beverley and just caught the 16:30 train which was arriving on platform 2 just as we got there. 

Ten minutes later we were back in Hull Railway Station in plenty of time for the 17:04 back to Leeds arriving in Leeds four minutes early to allow John, Derek, Malcolm and Colin to catch their respective trains and buses home. 

Another destination ticked off in splendid weather and we were all happy we had made the effort to visit this delightful seaside town. 

Another great day out proving you sometimes don't need to travel al that far to achieve greatness and we certainly did that once again today!

-- 

Colin Hendrick Ward

Outing at Outwood

 Wednesday 17th August 2022.            Outing at Outwood

Today’s adventure for the lads was more of a get together than an adventure, the arrangements were for most of the gang to meet up at the Wetherby Whaler restaurant situated in Outwood at around midday. John Colin Malcolm and Brian getting there by means of the 110 bus from Leeds, Keith Derek and Dave arriving by cars. The staff at this venue soon found us a suitable table and we were handed the menus in order to make our choice of a lunchtime meal, this process not being straightforward as per usual. It took the waitress Stella to eventually sort things out, not before too long our meals began to arrive with serving’s of soup for some of the lads accompanied with tea coffee and bread and butter for us to share. Soup consumed now for the main meals of fish and chips with either mushy peas or beans or served with a salad. Yum yum. All the while different conversations where taking place amongst the lads with plenty of banter going on about which adventure to consider next. Eventually a trip to the East coast resort of Hornsea was agreed upon  and that would take place next week. In the meantime there was dessert serving  to be taken care of, ie ice cream or sponge pudding with a fruity sauce topping. Our meals proved to be a success with all of us enjoying this occasion which was primarily a joint belated birthday celebration for both Colin and Dave. 

We thanked the staff for taking care of our needs etc and duly exited the establishment a few minutes after 1:30 in order to make our respective journeys home.

Yet another great day out with the Lads 

Cheers Everyone.

Meaningful Meanwood

 Wednesday 10 August 2022

Meanwood Valley Trail   

Malcolm, John and I rendezvoused at Infirmary Street for the No. 1 to Holt Park alighting at Woodhouse Moor to start our walk on the  Meanwood Valley Trail. 

We found the starting point which was the Statue of H R MARSDEN on Woodhouse Moor and exited onto the road below which we followed until we found Delph Lane onwards to Woodhouse Ridge where we picked up the Meanwood Valley Trail. 

Fortunately it was heavily wooded and shaded for the most part and we managed this leg without too much trouble but after our lunch break it became apparent that to get to Golden Acre Park was not going to be possible at least today which we all agreed. 

We decided to use John’s  contingency plan of breaking it down into two stages due to the intense heat which had now reached 30° Just after midday. 

We had our lunch on a Civic Trust Talking Bench donated by Leeds City Council at the side of Shaw Lane which was ever so peaceful and discussed our future plans for visits to The Wetherby Whaler at Wakefield for the birthday meal, Hornsea and Skegness. 

Fully replenished we continued on towards the beautiful Meanwood Park which was full of residents who were enjoying the sunshine whereas we unfortunately now having to endure it.  

Whilst we were in the Park John espied an ice cream van and we stopped for a cool-down break which more than confirmed our decision to stop at this stage.

We finished our vegan ice creams John and Malcolm enjoying Rhubarb and Raspberry and Colin going for the more avant-guard Ginger and Pear ensemble!

On leaving the park we headed up towards Meanwood Road and noticed a bus stop where we could catch the No. 51 back into Leeds which was due in eleven minutes. At this point we realised we had a starting point for the restart of stage two from Meanwood Park to Golden Acre Park

Duly our bus arrived and we were transported all round Meanwood and other areas including Little London eventually arriving back on Vicar Lane at around 14:30 where we all alighted to catch our relevant transport back to our homes. 

Another great day out proving you sometimes don't need to travel far to achieve greatness and we certainly did that once again today!

-- 

Colin Hendrick Ward

To Smithybridge and Beyond

 Wednesday 3rd August 2022.         Smithybridge and Beyond 

For today’s adventure the Lads are boarding a Wigan bound train leaving Leeds at 10:18 .

Colin and Malcolm have joined the train at this point with Derek and Dave getting on at Dewsbury, John is hoping to join them at Hebden Bridge which he did, not too many passengers aboard this train just a handful of small children with their carers going on some outing etc. The train eventually arrived at the intended destination of Smithybridge a few minutes later than expected  11:45 due to some problems on the line. From the railway station it took the lads until midday to reach Hollingworth Lake a location in a picturesque setting here in Lancashire.

The lake or reservoir was established  in Victorian times and as now created a local attraction visited by many people of various ages young and old alike even the Lads on this occasion. With a time slot of about 4 hours the lads now started their circumnavigation of the lake heading in a clockwise direction ,following  the now well established footpath and roadway taking in the countryside views from this vantage point.

The weather conditions were favourable with sunny periods from time to time along with a rather stiff breeze at certain locations especially at the Pavilion Cafe where the lads participate in their lunchtime meal. Upon reflection this was a well under par establishment much to the lads surprise considering it’s prominent location, however it didn’t spoil things. From this point their journey continued around the far side of the lake until the Lads found themselves back in the hub of things so to speak, a roadside location packed with several eating and drinking establishments along with the many visitors that thronged this place, before not too long the lads found themselves sat in one of these  pre mentioned establishments the Kraft Cafe taking in the atmosphere whilst enjoying a well deserved coffee break.

 

With the time now reaching quarter past three the lads bid farewell to Hollingworth Lake and began the short walk back towards the railway station at Smithybridge in order to catch the 15:55 train heading for Leeds.

As with the outbound journey John left the train at Hebden Bridge, Derek and Dave at Dewsbury with Colin and Malcolm leaving it at Leeds.

Yet another great day out with the Lads

Different location but enjoyed with the same enthusiasm and fun.

Cheers Lads.