Willaston and Hadlow Old Village 10th January 2008

Lunch time at Hadlow Road Station - a train didn't arrive all,of the time we were waiting!

Lunch time on Hadlow Road Station Platform.

Walk stats: Distance: 9.95 miles +(1.05 miles twitchers' extension for some!);

Climb: 553' (seems a lot!).

Time: 4 hours 7 minutes; Walking average: 3.0 m.p.h.(a record for the group!);

Overall walk average: 2.4 m.p.h. (also a record for the group!).

Group: Martyn, Richard, Sue Pelissier, Celia, Annie H, Fran and Tito, Sylvia and Dave J.

This walk wasn't the most inspirational walk that we have done, but it did allow us to visit parts of the Wirral that we hadn't visited before and stride along footpaths that in the past we didn't even know existed. It also allowed most of to test just how waterproof and mud proof our walking boots really were. On better days we could have witnessed racehorses testing themselves on their training gallops, but today we had to content ourselves with the tact that weather overall was much better than expected. In fact after lunch it was positively barmy! Lunch was taken on the platform of Hadlow Road Station, where we took over all of the available3 seats, and Tito surprised some visitors as he changed in to a fresh shirt, at the same time displaying a fair amount of bare skin to all and sundry. We also impressed one young lady who was pushing a pushchair along the Wirral Way, when she commented in passing "Its so unusual to see a group who are all walking at a good pace". Is this a complement or an insult!

After the main walk most of the group retired to the Wheatsheaf Inn at Raby where cups of tea (with UHT milk!)were the main order of the day. Martyn and Richard decided to join the bird twitching fraternity for the day and headed off a coupe of miles down the road to Ashfield hall farm where a Cattle Egret had been seen on the 7th and 8th of the month. They arrived on site with great expectation, only to be met by another birder who had spent some time unsuccessfully looking for the bird. Undeterred the intrepid duo set off along the farm drive and were rewarded by some excellent views of the bird in the small field in front of the building . just beyond the gate on the drive (Grid ref:SJ93792). What a wonderful end to the day. Seeing this bird for both of us was a "life tick!"

Other birds seen or heard today: Blackbird, carrion crow, Jay, Magpie, Nuthatch, Robin, Buzzard, Chaffinch, Blue tit, Great tit, Long-tailed tit, Mallard, Coot, Goldfinch, Moorhen, Pied wagtail and Fieldfare.

One of the beers enjoyed at the Wheatsheaf was the locally Brimstage brewed Trappist Tipple, an excellent refreshing beer at 3.8%. Tito tried an Italian Lager, but was it really authentic?

A day to be remembered for at least two of us!