Heatley & Warburton Station (Disused)

• Book: The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe Movie Storybook
• Distance Travelled: 20 miles
• Mud churned onto bike: at least 10kg

On Paper this was a lovely Sunday ride. Out on the Trans Pennine Trail to Warrington and back along the Bridgewater Canal. In the main it was pleasant, if a little cold. However with lots of recent rain the stretch of the canal from Warrington to Lymm was like Glastonbury in a bad year. Mud everywhere – a nice 20 mile route felt more like a hard 30 – but all to the good I suppose.

The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe

I enjoyed this one for another reason. The lady that responded to my latest Freecycle ad had a purpose. She provides transport for a young man with Learning Disabilities who has an obsession with the Chronicles of Narnia and with Harry Potter and this book would be very well received. She’d wanted to pick it up on her to the young man as he lived near me but I explained my project which she really liked and I lined the weekend up for delivery – I’m told the book was well received.

I wanted to talk separately about the section of the Trans-Pennine that I ride on quite a bit. This particular section, from Altrincham to Warrington was once known as the Lymm Railway but has been transformed into a walking / cycling / running / horse riding thoroughfare. Like many such railways it became increasingly little used as a result of the growth of the motor car ad roads to support – it became one of many victims of the Beeching Report – testaments countrywide to the once formidable power of the railways. Many lines are being reopened largely due to volunteers but I doubt this would ever see the return of trains – only in ghostly apparition, smoke billowing in the night.

The Station

About 4 miles into the straight, flat stretch there is a station building and platform, overgrown, but recognisable – I often think when I pass it that if I won just enough money to indulge passions I’d but the station and set up a little cafe for the many passers by whatever the mode of transport. Perhaps a corner of the cafe could contain history of the railway and any images we could find that folk could peruse whilst sipping their tea and eating their homemade cake / bacon butty. There would be space for locking of bicycles and chairs along the platform to drink in the sun when it deigned to put in an appearance..... And back to reality

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.