Canalside view

After Friday's excursion we return to nearer to home with a canal cottage, one built for employees of the canal operators in traditional, locally sourced brick.

It has kept a number of the original features such as the wooden framed windows and doors plus the gate.

I have remarked about modern developments and much of that which is present here goes to the early part of this century with agreements (covenants) controlling the use any ground that goes to the canals edge while two narrow boats head towards Middlewich and Runcorn.

A little local history

 This area is blessed with history, both within ones own County and in the neighbouring one.

It isn't long from here before you enter the town of Sandbach, just inside Cheshire which has a high proportion of historic buildings where in the City Region much was obliterated by the Industrial Revolution and replaced with two and three story brick built structures.

This is The Common, not be confused with the Scotch Common a short walk into the centre that has many public houses going back to the Seventeenth Century, tudor buildings and the Saxon Crosses that were painstakingly repaired after being deliberately smashed by the Puritans who believed they were false idols.

Locals hid the bits and it reminds us of the dangers of such ideological purism and fundamentalism.

This area was strongly pro Cromwell during the English Civil War in that blood stained period in our history.

Staying at the hall

Here we appear to be on visit to the grounds of a old hall surrounded by a large filed with woods to back and side.

Looking closely, this must be their base as their are tents to the left of the building, which might well be a dart board and some inflatable object too.

Actually old halls were and remain a passion of mine having visited a good many in my (original) youth with their period features, sometimes creaky floors and tales of landowners  and famous people in history who stayed there, shaping events.

We are very fortunate in this region to have a good many from the Tudor right through to the late Georgian period within reasonable distance, all well maintained by various bodies including the National Trust.

Equal opportunities

Scouting is for all boys regardless of social class, religion if any or colour who are prepared to uphold the Scout Oath and Law as it applies to the section they wish to join and follow the rules.

There are people usually of left-wing political stance who tend to criticize scouting for being "too middle class" "too white" or "militaristic".

Anyone whose been involved knows working class boys have and still form a large part of the scouting family especially in the urban centres and that the uniform together with the rules is more for a sense of belonging and keeping good order is which is desirable in itself in society.

While all backgrounds and ethnicities are respected, such differences are not elevated above what every boy has in common each being expected to earn their badges  on their own merits with the support of the local pack leaders.

Modern day scouting is very much inclusive from the leadership to the children and young people in it.

The natural state

You can almost smell it with it being how it has, needing to really brush and scrap my shoes having been out in the last few days inbetween the showers.

Indeed I've hung my blue jacket inside out to try to deal with trapped moist air on the sleeve lining because while it's warm, you seriously couldn't entertain the idea going out without a waterproof jacket as you'd get soaked in a downpour in no time.

Fingers crossed in two and bit weeks time I'll be away to get back to more of this, exploring with support for hours woodlands and fields, no doubt getting mud where you wouldn't think it would apart from on my legs and that.

I just love it.

More flowers and things

The weekend was pretty much a wet one being dull, hardly suited at all for being out, just getting a bit of exercise in with a rain proof jacket on but still ending up with wet legs and front of shorts.

This is an interesting section of a garden locally that has much colour that I noticed the other day.

We did have some great meadowland but that got mowed over unfortunately although this section did manage to escape although the ground was soft when I took this picture.

My Sunflowers are just coming to the end of their natural life.

Summit

A proud group of scouts have made their way up the mountain, tired no doubt for all the physical effort required to have made it this far.

They stand and sit looking out at the beautiful scene they have by their own efforts have got themselves to enjoying it.

They can indeed stand tall holding their heads up high for they have shown the true spirit of Scouting.