rigsby:
You don’t have to be old to be grumpy , look at dan , he’s only a bit of a lad .
Dave/Pete,
You pair have got me taking the mick out of my own holiday!!
Got to do that trip to the garden centre, sorry “Santas workshop” to hear some sixth form drama student hype the kids up by getting them to pour glitter onto bird food (sorry “reindeer food”). I can’t get out of it as it’s been booked after the traditional building trade/quarry shutdown.
Hopefully the “little elf” with the brown hair and ■■■■■■■■ will be there for me to perv at, I mean listen to. 
Are you fully prepared for your expedition pete . Woke this morning to a very christmassy scene , it’s not too deep yet but i’ll have to check on the huskies to make sure they are ready . There’s only a couple of inches down yet , but it’s still coming down . I have to go shopping later so it’s a double bah humbug from me . Dave
rigsby:
Are you fully prepared for your expedition pete . Woke this morning to a very christmassy scene , it’s not too deep yet but i’ll have to check on the huskies to make sure they are ready . There’s only a couple of inches down yet , but it’s still coming down . I have to go shopping later so it’s a double bah humbug from me . Dave
Yes Dave, all prepared. Lovely here, sun splitting the paving stones and the Pug Partner is almost loaded for the expedition into unknown territory. Just the axle weights to check before setting off, don’t want those nice VOSA chaps making me unload Mrs W’s smalls (I wish 
) on the side of the Chapel by-pass for all and sundry to see! We go via Chatsworth and Peak Forest so avoid you Buxton lads, bound to be nice and sunny over Tidza Moor.
Might not be online for a week, t’internet was very poor last time we used this cottage, but maybe they have replaced the Hamster now as he looked a little knackered pedalling away on the generator wheel? These Lancashire farmers sure know how to spend their cash! 
Pete.
rigsby:
Are you fully prepared for your expedition pete . Woke this morning to a very christmassy scene , it’s not too deep yet but i’ll have to check on the huskies to make sure they are ready . There’s only a couple of inches down yet , but it’s still coming down . I have to go shopping later so it’s a double bah humbug from me . Dave
Hi Dave,Pete no.2 here!, ain’t bothered about the weather, cottage has got a log burner so I can always rely on a local lad who has a blue sprinter with trailer for log deliveries!
pete smith:
rigsby:
You don’t have to be old to be grumpy , look at dan , he’s only a bit of a lad .Dave/Pete,
You pair have got me taking the mick out of my own holiday!!
I’m sure that you will enjoy it Pete, as long as the trains don’t keep you awake! I reckon the best part will be the journey back home… 
Pete.
windrush:
pete smith:
rigsby:
You don’t have to be old to be grumpy , look at dan , he’s only a bit of a lad .Dave/Pete,
You pair have got me taking the mick out of my own holiday!!I’m sure that you will enjoy it Pete, as long as the trains don’t keep you awake! I reckon the best part will be the journey back home…
Pete.
Pete,
I can sleep ok, plenty of practice in lay bys!
Are you planning a visit to Carsington Water pete ? I can recommend it , plenty of easy walking , bird hides if you are interested and a good restaurant . water sports as well ( No not that sort ) . We go there quite often for a quiet day , natives friendly . Dave
rigsby:
it’s not too deep yet
Sounds like my Mrs on Christmas morning.
Steay on Nathan or there’ll be another mini muckaway next autumn .
pete smith:
Pete,
I can sleep ok, plenty of practice in lay bys!
Haha, only four trains per hour now Pete, though the sugar stone train from Middle Peak Quarry rumbles through around 1am but as it only runs at 10mph it shouldn’t wake you. Hope the cottage was cheap… 
Anyway, here we are in snowy Lancashire high on the moor above Edgworth. Had a decent run up (stopped for fish and chips in High Lane) until we reached Hazel Grove, “Ah, I will do a left and go via Poynton” says I…big mistake as it was solid traffic from the garden centre! Then we hit the M60 (I still call it the M63 Dave!) and from the ship canal to the M61 took an hour. Two skateboards broken down in the roadworks didn’t help, and why does joining traffic assume that it has priority over the main carriageway eh? 
The ‘poor farmer’ and his wife are arriving back from Lanzarote this evening, ha blooming ha!!!
Pete.
You should have gone round torkington lane and got on the m60 at bredbury , you’re lost when you get past newhaven .
rigsby:
You should have gone round torkington lane and got on the m60 at bredbury , you’re lost when you get past newhaven .
Hardly lost Dave, we surfaced most of the M60 from Bredbury past Denton and allt the deviations around Blackley, Oldham and Ashton and did all of Trafford Park and the Carrington link from Ballidon plus all the Bolton/Oldham/Rochdale/Milnrow work we did. Never away from the area at one time until Bredbury tar plant opened. Jim Fairbanks reckoned the A515 wanted bricking up at Newhaven as there was no easy money to be made North of there compared with the Warwicks, Coventries and Stratfords etc. Still got to hit the traffic somewhere on the M60 though, if we had gone clockwise we would have been in just the same queue and anti-clock would have joined it all heading down Death Valley, unavoidable on a friday afternoon. Could have gone up to Bury and across I suppose, just a bad time to be travelling especially in snowstorms as folk panic!
Pete.
I’d have gone stalybridge m60/ m66 .
It can be a real ball ache up mottram cutting when it’s busy dan .
rigsby:
It can be a real ball ache up mottram cutting when it’s busy dan .
Don’t remind me Dave! We used to join the queue under Dinting viaduct somedays, and that little island on the left turn before the river bridge made things worse before you even reached the A628. I guess that it hasn’t improved much in the 16+ years since I last went that way as there is twice as much traffic now? 
Pete.
Ecky Thump Windrush, you must be gagging after driving through that snow storm up int tills but don’t worry, I am sure that the rain will wash away all the snow very soon.
May I suggest a couple of local hostelries in the area that might still be worth a visit.
The Strawbury Duck at Turton, The Pack Horse on Watling Street, Affetside and The Fisherman’s Retreat in Shuttleworth where I highly recommend the Haggis or the Venison pie. 
It’s a shame that you are a fully paid up member of The Bah Humbug Club as you would of liked The Ramsbottom Dickensian Christmas Markets and I think that you have already missed The D Day celebrations this year at the Rammy railway station. You could of got yer old suit out of the wardrobe and blended in with the rest of the crowd.
Don’t forget Pete, if it gets a bit cold where you are you can always jog round to the Krypton Factor Assault Course.
P.S. Is this Dennis in the red suit with the white beard.
youtube.com/watch?v=qkuqAqJLcrY
Have a great week, Pete.
rigsby:
Are you planning a visit to Carsington Water pete ? I can recommend it , plenty of easy walking , bird hides if you are interested and a good restaurant . water sports as well ( No not that sort ) . We go there quite often for a quiet day , natives friendly . Dave
Hi Dave,
I like the sound of the restaurant,is it licensed?
pv83:
windrush:
pete smith:
I’m only 47 mate, still living the dream…I think,Only 47…ONLY 40 BLOOMING 7!!!
Pete.
Wouldn’t have thought you were that young at heart Pete…good thing though nobody knows my age, I probably wasn’t aloud to join the club if that was to come out…er…does anyone’s got a problem with a special kids corner then…
Cheers, Patrick
Nearly slipped through the net Patrick! I’d guess your in your 30’s and your most welcome as a member of this happy upbeat club!
It’s ■■■■ ,get up to the Royal Oak at hurdlow ,but book first .