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When? Started: 1993 Who? Started with staff and friends from U H S, Chester. Organiser: Martyn Harris We walk every Wednesday and Saturdays, New Years day and May Day. How many walk? Walks take place as long as there are at least 2 wanting to walk on that day. More walk on a Wednesday than on a Saturday. Most ever: 29. Current group size walking: 2-10 in mid-week and 2-4 on Saturday. Where do we walk? Saturday: Anywhere in North and Mid-Wales, Peak District, Shropshire and the Long Mynd and as far North as the Trough of Bowland. Thursday: Anywhere within about 40 miles of Chester. Type of walk: Distance: 6 – 14 miles (but usually under 10 miles). Climb: up to 4000’ (but usually very much less!). People involved on walks in 2020:- Martyn Harris, Fran Murphy, Sue and Michel Pelissier, Mike Dodd, David Savage, Wendy Peers, Celia de Mengle, Wendy and Ian Peers, Roger Smith, Paul Collinson, Ed Meads, Nigel and Elaine Taylor, Celia de Mengle, Sue Pearson.

Thursday 13 February 2014

Bunbury and More 13th February 2014

St Boniface's Church, Bunbury, the start of our walk.
Not the best photo, but a singing Song thrush is always delightful to hear and see.
xA superb panorama as we approached Beeston and the Beeston  cattle market.
On the canal heading towards Bunbury, all of us, but I'm only a shadow of my former self, I wish!
Evidence of the strong winds yesterday!
Roger striding across one of his favourite types of terrain.
It's alway good to capture a photo of someone enjoying the experience!
Spot the "hanging" tree.
Walking stats: Distance: 9.6 miles. Climb: 564'.
Time: 5 hours 3 minutes. On the move walking average 2,3 m.p.h. Overall walk average: 1.9 m.p.h.
Group: Martyn, Roger, David S., Phil, Annie, Sue and Dave P.
Another great day for walking, the Beeb got it right again! After the storms of yesterday, some of the group were complaining that they were too warm (having decided to wear their thermals), but at least I decided to walk without a jacket, just regretting not wearing shirts! 
 We were expecting many of the field paths to be on the boggy side, but as far as Beeston market they were better than expected, however the section from Wardle onwards made up for it!
 This walk provided some superb views of Beeston Castle and at time Peckforton Castle.
  I didn't expect the birds seen or heard today to offer any new additions to our 2014 bird list, but we in fact had two. First we saw a flock of about 10 Yellowhammers and as we walked along the canal towards Bunbury, David S shouted "Kingfisher", and some of us were fortunate enough to see it twice!
 Lunch was take just after passing Bunbury Locks, 4 had the comfort of a bench, and 3 of us had to rough it by sitting on a fallen tree a little further down the canal towards Calverley.
 I won't mention much about the sections after lunch, except that one or two don't want to experience the delights of boggy, muddy fields again.
 Birds seen or heard today included: Greenfinch, European robin, Common blackbird, Chaffinch, Mallard, Song thrush, Redwing, Great cormorant, Winter wren, Eurasian jay, Jackdaw, Common crow, Common buzzard, Collared dove, Great tit, Skylark, Black-headed gull, Common starling, Blue tit and Kingfisher.
After walk drinks were enjoyed at the Dysart Arms, Bunbury, but I wasn't tempted to have a takeaway!
The Pearsons missed out as they had to dash off to Telford to pick up their grandchildren to take them to todays match of the day - Chester v Halifax1

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