New Ventures

Although there have been no listed walks, members of the Greenwalks group have not been idle.
Nick took advantage of the BankHoliday to visit The Knot in Rushton Spencer. The pub used to feature on our walks but it gradually became a cheap restaurant rather than a pub and walkers and non-eaters were not welcome - knives and forks on all the tables etc. But then word came out that it had changed hands and there was a beer festival over the Whit weekend prompting Nick's visit. And indeed it has changed - there were four handpumps on the bar with a further five gravity-fed barrels stacked behind, all with well-kept real ales. Food is still available but does not dominate the pub - and in fact it is very good indeed (the home-made meat and potato pie was outstanding). This pub will feature regularly on our programmes.

This was followed by the Cheshire Folk Train - a new venture organised by the Rail Users' Group, although there has been such a train to Edale for some years. The train is a regular service to Crewe from Manchester but on this Thursday evening the usual commuters were joined by a three-man folk group and a large number of music lovers of all ages. The group was "Tap The Barrel" who sang a mixture of Irish and Lancashire folk/work songs throughout the journey to Goostrey and led the supporters to the Red Lion pub where they played for over an hour before leading the parade back to the railway station and the musical return to Manchester. The pub and the train were packed and the Landlord's Dick Turpin was welcome.

The new programme should be out shortly.