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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: 2-7 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 2024:- Martyn Harris, Fran Murphy, Sue and Michel Pelissier, Mike Dodd, David Savage,, Ed Meads, Nigel and Elaine Taylor, Winston Feather.

Sunday 25 October 2020

Welsh "Stay at Home" Lockdown Walk 1: A Sunday Afternoon Stroll By the River Dee 25th October 2020

A Sunday Afternoon Stroll By the River Dee.
Looking towards Queensferry from the Saltney Ferry Footbridge.
Looking towards Saltney/Chester from the Saltney Ferry Footbridge.
There is a Grey heron there somewhere.
This is as far as I can legally go under the latest Welsh "Stay at Home" Covid-19 restrictions.
Moel Famau from the Mold Junction Road Bridge.
Distance: 4.8 miles. Climb: 105'.
Time: 1 hour 48 minutes. On the move waking average: 3.0 m.p.h. Overall walk average: 2.7 m.p.h.
This is the first of my Welsh  "Stay at Home" Lockdown Walks that I will do in the seventeen day lockdown period.  It is was my first Sunday afternoon walk since I started atttending Waverton Evangelical Fellowship in the nineteen eighties. after watching the WEF online YouTube Service this morning, I decided to take advantage of the forecast dry afternoon to stretch my legs a little.
At Saltney Riverside, I met a local nature enthusiast, Sam Riley, who identified one or two local patches worth exploring once things are back to normal.
It wouldn't be a solo local walk post, if I didn't complain or grumble about something.  Not today the cyclists, although I didn't see one turn back at the Wales / England Border (this also applied to walkers as well),  but several off-road motor cyclists using the Salney Ferry Footbridge forcibng their way past you and then racing along the Wales Coast Path. Three bikes, one adult (probably the father) with a small child (pillion in front of him) and two very young boys on their smaller bikes. Illegal off-roaders - putting others at risk, on a shared use for walkers and cyclists.
The most amusing thing I saw today was a couple walking their very large dog, it started with it amusing me that Charlie (the dog) seemed to go about fifty yards in front,stop and sit down to wait for its owners. Shortly I saw one of the owners, picking up the message Charlie had left behind, started to wipe the dog's bottom. When I commented "That's above the call of duty", the reply was "I was just removing a slug" that had fixed itself where it wasn't wanted.  I had forgotten how far dog owners will go for their "best friend"!
Birds seen or heard today included: Moorhen, Black billed magpie, Common gull, Lesser black back gull, Herring gull, Black-headed gull, Grey heron, Moorhen, Mallard, Long-tailed tit, European robin, Carrion crow, Great cormorant and Pink footed goose.
An enjoyable walk, that no doubt will be repeated over the next two weeks.

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