Card Tricks to Culketh

Card Tricks to Culketh

      Book: 165 Card Tricks & Stunts by Jean Hugard

      Miles Travelled: 30 9diversion to work and back included)

      Tumbles Taken: 1

So book 1 was a magic book and strictly speaking fell outside of the rules but remember rule 1 – these are just guidelines. This was an order from the ailing online empire but was just 10 miles away as the crow flies so was duly chosen as book 1 of the nascent project

Its worth saying at this point that I hadn’t really thought through what would be in each posting so I can’t tell you much about the book that Amazon doesn’t other than I bought it in a job lot of magic books on ebay and when they arrived they stunk of cigarette smoke – I had to stick them in the garage for months before I could go near them. Magic and cigarettes -  that winning combination.

I can’t tell you much about the recipient other than he shared a name with a Premiership football manager and appeared to be still in bed at 10:30 when I delivered the book (all the curtains being closed a giveaway – perhaps it was a late night of smoking and practising card tricks?)

As for the journey it was a pleasant enough rural road ramble north and west from Altrincham to Culketh on the other side of the M60. Two notable landmarks passed on the way: Dunham Massey Park (of which more in a later post) and the Warburton Toll Bridge which crosses the Manchester Ship Canal and is free to cyclists but charges all of 12p to cars (or at least did the last time I drove across it. As a cyclist it’s an unavoidable bridge as the only other crossings are a good way away and are in the main Motorways…. It’s here that the listed tumble (see above) occurred much to my chagrin. On this particular crossing the traffic was being controlled by lights and down to one lane. The first crossing I waited and let traffic through before me. The second crossing I stole a march and barged into the cordoned off area where I though I’d pootle along on the ‘pavement’ area. The cast iron ‘kerb’ had other ideas and in the wet condition unceremoniously dumped me on my arse – oh how the driver first in line must have laughed – the b*stard! I'll spare you the gory, bloodied knee picture.

Wikipedia can give you the lowdown on the bridge:

Warburton Bridge is a privately owned Statutory Tolled Undertaking which incorporates a public highway road length. The high-level cantilever bridge crosses the Manchester Ship Canal on the B5159 road, connecting the A57 with the A6144, and was commissioned under the Rixton & Warburton Bridge Act 1863. The original stone bridge spanned the River Mersey prior to its later diversion into the Manchester Ship Canal. The toll operation has a significant impact with maintaining the smooth flow of traffic into the surrounding areas. Along with the detection of unauthorised vehicles, attempting to use this three ton weight restricted route. Both bridges and the unadopted approach roads are privately maintained. It is one of the few remaining pre-motorway toll bridges in the United Kingdom, and the only one in Greater Manchester

So one book delivered and more to come – onwards and upwards.