Indiana Hinks and a walk in the rain
Des Junior’s feeling very Christmassy as he dusts off his walking boots once more, for a festive stroll around Heaton Mersey
Wednesday 18 December 2024
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Afternoon all!
It’s been a while since my last Streets of Stockport walk, but last week I ticked off a large chunk of Heaton Mersey. I’ve now got just one more day remaining, and that’ll be the whole of SK4 done and dusted. Just the rest of the town to contend with then…
Today’s edition is sponsored by Lynx Taxis. A big thank you to Ehsan.
Finally, I’m currently walking every street in Stockport to raise money for mental health charity Mentell. If you’d like to make a donation to help me reach my target, please click here.
Total distance so far: 192.73 miles
Total steps so far: 311,804
Total raised so far: £2,192
Total completed streets so far: 474 (Click here for the full list, which includes reports and photos from every day of the walk.)
Further information on the walk can be found by clicking here.
Des Junior
Bloody hell, it’s over four months since my last walk. I knew I procrastinated, but I didn’t realise that much time had passed since I last put my walking boots on. This is actually my first walk as a 40-year-old. Since my last stroll, however, I have smashed through the £2,000 barrier in my fundraising quest for Mentell, which I’m extremely chuffed with. A huge thank you to each and every one of the 113 generous people to make a donation so far. Click here to join them!
Today’s walk is a fairly straightforward one. It would be a fairly wonky triangle, but if you imagine Didsbury Road, Mauldeth Road and Burnage Lane as a three-sided shape (ish), my plan is to tick off all the streets within that area.
After taking a photo of a Cadbury advert in a bus stop (oh come on, it is December…), Cloister Road is my first of the day, opposite The Dog and Partridge. I keep bobbing back onto Didsbury Road as I complete more of its side streets: Woodlands Road, Harwood Road, Grundy Street, St Johns Road.
Knowing I’ll soon be heading off Didsbury Road for an afternoon ticking off the many residential streets of Heaton Mersey, I take an early lunch at The Heaton, which also provides me with an opportunity to use the toilet and charge my phone.
A delicious bowl of lentil soup gives me a warm glow inside, as does the laughter and merriment coming from the other side of the pub, where a gaggle of young whippersnappers are enjoying their festive lunch. I use my crusty roll to mop up the last of my soup, with “Frosty the Snowman” playing in the background, before finishing off my orange juice as the catchy “Feliz Navidad” bursts into life, which I end up singing to myself for most of the afternoon. I’m feeling rather festive.
By the end of this latest walk today, I’ll have ticked off another 70 streets. It’d be fairly dull to list them all (although there is photo evidence, as you can see) but I feel I should certainly include a few that fit in with this afternoon’s Christmas theme. There’s a Kingsbarns Drive, a Greenbank Avenue, a Priestnall Road, a Pinewood Close and even a Cherry Holt Avenue for the old dears who like a glass of that on Christmas Day. (Yes, I do know it’s sherry, but it’s staying in. Just be glad I haven’t cracked my hilarious joke about really craving a bowl of soup after walking down Croton Street.)
The reason I try and find a pub each day on the walk (and not just because I do love a bowl of soup and/or a jacket potato) is to have something to write about. When I’m off the main roads, with just a load of houses to look at, there’s only so much I can put down in writing. I do, however, make a note of anything interesting that crops up on my travels, such as the chap pulling into Pleachway before winding down the window on his van to ask me: “What number are you after?”
Pleachway is a cul-de-sac, you see, which means Man In A Van will have seen me walk down the road, follow the pavement all around the circle at the end, before coming back on myself. That must look a tad strange to a casual observer. In fact, when it comes to walking the cul-de-sacs of Stockport, I’m surprised I haven’t aroused more suspicion. (Even in a cul-de-sac I’ll do an entire loop of the pavement for Strava purposes.)
“I’m just going for a walk,” I reply, sheepishly, before scurrying back to the safety of the main road, where I blend into the surroundings more easily than I do on a cul-de-sac with only one entrance and exit.
As I reach the bottom end of Mauldeth Road, it starts to rain. I’m just about to let out an audible “oh, for fuck’s sake” when the number 42 bus drives past, displaying an advert for the new Indiana Jones film. I think to myself, if Harrison Ford can handle Nazis and assassins and rival archaeologists, then surely I can stomach a bit of drizzle, and so I crack on without complaining. Even with the rain, there’s plenty to lift my spirits anyway: a grumpy cat, a County car sticker, and some very punctual reindeer on a front lawn. It’s only the 9th of December today. There’s no sign of Santa. He’s either finishing off his cookies somewhere, or he might have been apprehended by an inquisitive van driver on Pleachway.
My feet are starting to ache towards the end of the day, but my spirits are lifted by another little pick-me-up on Upton Avenue. Two workmen are doing some work down the side of a house, blissfully unaware their stereotypical builder’s bums are on full display for all and sundry to gawp at, whilst they sing along to “Merry Christmas Everybody” on their portable radio.
And on that note, I reckon the 1973 Slade hit is a perfect way to round off today’s article. I can’t deliver that same sentiment with the style and panache of Noddy Holder, but I’d still like to say merry Christmas everybody nonetheless.
Here’s my other photos from Day 12 of the walk:
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Photos of the day
Opera House, Manchester
Jason Manford watching the Manchester derby in his Cinderella dressing room on Sunday. Wouldn’t normally celebrate a United victory on here, but this did tickle me. Just need City to get a monumental points decision now, ready for us to spank them (yet again) in the Championship.
Today in SK
🎬 Cinema
Two films at The Savoy Cinema (SK4) today. It’s A Wonderful Life (U) at 5.45pm, followed by Red One (12A) at 8.30pm.
🥃 Food and drink
The Nelson Tavern (SK1) have a great range of offers throughout the week, including £5.50 for drinks off the Doubles Bar, a comprehensive range of shots for £1.50, and 3 for £7 on Jägerbombs.
Feeling festive? Get down to The Dog & Partridge (SK2) for a pint of Tom & Berry. With an exciting blend of Robinson’s Old Tom with the taste of winter berries, it’s the perfect drink to get you in the Christmas mood.
Pop in for a pint at Heaton Hops (SK4), CAMRA Pub of the Year for Stockport and South Manchester.
Bitter £2.30 a pint all day at The Cross Keys (SK8).
Cocktails are 2 for £12 at Flute & Firkin (SK12) from 3pm till 7pm.
A number of venues are featured on The Scarf My Father Wore such as AMP (SK1), The Crown (SK2), The Alexandra (SK3), The Crown Inn (SK6), The Steelworks (SK6), The Three Tunnes (SK7) and The Ram’s Head (SK12). Support them this festive season by popping in for a few drinks.
Random photos of County players at other clubs
#77 – Elliot Newby, Barrow
Elliot Newby’s currently at Barrow – his second spell with the Bluebirds. Made his County debut in a 1-0 defeat at Weymouth during Covid, going on to make 37 appearances for the Hatters, including our title-winning afternoon against Halifax.
Do you need any of these products or services this December? Support the businesses that support The Scarf My Father Wore
🖼 Art & Gifts: Kate O’Brien Art
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👷♂️ Builder: C E Building Services Ltd
🧱 Builders Merchant: MKM Manchester South
🍰 Cake Maker: BB’s Kitchen
🧽 Car Valeting: Rub A Dubz Detailing Ltd
🧼 Carpet Cleaning: A Star Clean Ltd
🏠 Carpets & Flooring: Kingsway Carpets & Rugs Ltd
🐈 Cat Flaps: That Cat Flap Company Ltd
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🚙 Coatings: Colourtone Ltd
🐶 Dog Trainer: Forever Home Dog Training
🚘 Driving School: CFN School of Motoring
💡 Electrician: The Electrics Guy
🏠 Estate Agent: The Agency UK
💷 Financial Services: The Mortgage Mill
💐 Florist: The Flower House
💻 IT Services: Bridge Computer Services
🪚 Joinery: SAW Contracts Ltd
🔌 Kitchen Appliances: SW Appliances
🍳 Kitchens: Kitchenwise
🌳 Landscaping: Dylan’s Developments
🔑 Locksmith: APL Locksmiths Ltd
💪 Male Weight Loss: MAN v FAT
🖌 Painter & Decorator: BGM Decorators
📸 Photographer: Adam Edwards Photo
🧱 Plastering: DT Plastering Services and Damp Proofing Specialists
🚚 Removals: M34 Removals & Maintenance Services
🛖 Roofing: Pate & Lever Roofing Ltd
👨💼 Solicitors: B.J. McKenna & Co / Parkers Solicitors Ltd
🍹 Spirits: Guerrilla Chicken Spirits
💆♂️ Sports Massage: RobMcRunning
🪨 Stonemason: LM Stone Creative
🚕 Taxi Hire: Lynx Taxis
🀄️ Tiler: Top Marks Tiling
☀️ Travel Agent: PTF Travel Ltd
👩🏫 Tutor: Conexus Tuition
📺 TV Aerials: SDS Aerials
🧰 Vehicle Repairs: C J Motors Stockport
⚖️ Weight Loss: Slimming World Reddish & Bredbury with Shlean