Bartimaeus

On Sunday night we were very pleased to find that arriving early enough at Kambuja allowed us to get a table despite the reserved sign, as long as we ate in less than an hour and a half. If they served promptly then we would manage that easily and I remembered prompt service last time. We tried different dishes and we’re still very pleased. Shane chose a different beer. I chose the same beer but got a spare few centilitres when they filled to the brim in stead of the half pint mark. I didn’t complain.

It has been a dreich couple of days. Yesterday Shane asked if there were any indoor attractions in Marple. I found a gallery named online but it said it wasn’t open. There was a cinema, but the film was showing only in the evening. All the other Marple attractions were outdoors (Memorial Park, Marple Locks) or eating and drinking establishments. We settled on a walk regardless of the damp weather. We found the gallery was not just closed on Mondays but permanently closed.

This morning the mist was still apparent. I have been hoping to get some lovely autumn peak district photos but the distance was just too hazy when I tried. This is the normally stupendous view from the top of the locks.

I was looking for some bread or bakery product for lunch, while Shane was filling up with water. I got bread at the baker’s but the pasty I wanted wasn’t available. I had a look in another bakery but nothing appealed so I went to look in the butcher’s as I had heard they had some good pies. I was amused by their sign but didn’t see what I was looking for. 

I remembered we were low in margarine and went to Your Local Shop, opposite the butcher’s but I was out of luck again as their fridge was being replaced and they had no refrigerated stock until next week. He was very apologetic. I bought some chickpeas and headed back. The season of mists had brought some stupendous leaves.

Back at the water point, we met a couple we had seen before on the Huddersfield narrow canal. They were avoiding taking their shiny boat to Standedge Tunnel but the guy has got himself booked on a trip through it anyway in a different boat. She had no desire to go in the tunnel at all and said she would watch a video of David Johns in stead. That way she got the visual experience from the comfort of her couch with a glass of red wine in her hand. I remarked that she didn’t have to go through a curtain of water that way either, and didn’t get water in her wine, so she was even more pleased with her choice.

They were heading into town and staying in the area over winter. We recommended Kambuja and parted company. We set off and before long passed their boat. I hadn’t remembered the name, being Manx but it was distinctive.

On the way out of Marple is another distinctive sight, an old red brick mill. GOYT is the name of the nearby river, not the name of the mill owner or initials for the company. There are still a number of businesses based there. It is supposedly haunted – getting well clear before Halloween is a good idea.

We spotted a few more interesting boats on the way. Seeing Ruby Tuesday reminded us of a conversation we had before where Shane had seen a boat name and been sure it was a Beatles song but he had been thinking of Eleanor Rigby. We didn’t think this was the boat but was this the song? She looked a bit faded, but not unloved. A couple of old TV programmes were represented in the boats today too.

We could see it was looking a little brighter ahead. We couldn’t see the sun but the clouds were a lighter shade of grey. Shane saw some flashing lights ahead. There were some workboats. Getting closer we saw we would not be delayed as they were working close to the towpath. A red doorframe directed walkers to stay in the middle and a red sign warned everyone to go slowly. We were not speeding and the workmen seemed relaxed.

The sun didn’t quite sneak through but for a damp Tuesday in the last week of October, we met quite a few other boats and it was mild. Shane saw a jay while I wasn’t looking, just a a quick flight, but he recognised the colours. I saw a robin on the towpath and later while I was driving I saw a flash rising from the canal and darting into a tree and got a great view of a kingfisher with a fish in its beak, perched on a branch. The leaves and berries were bright too. Shane, looking for the kingfisher, was at first confusing the orange leaves with its russet breast. 

We saw some geese flying in formation too, shortly after we had seen a weather vane in the same theme. There was no honking from the weather vane.

Our target was Bollington and as we pulled in I saw a smart boat and we agreed that was a better contender for the song title/boat name Shane had confused with Eleanor Rigby than Ruby Tuesday – how strange we came across both in one day.

We had time to walk round the town and up the hill. We enjoyed an old sign painted on a wall, hopefully by the sign writer, but with the background paint flaked or faded, the gilder’s gold paint was almost invisible.

The poppy bunting was out round the church and more red berries were bright. The ascent of the hill was by a steep path but though there were many wet leaves they were not slippery, just a coppery carpet.