East Cheshire Ramblers celebrated the New Year with Keith’s ‘Sherry’ Walk – a 12-year-old tradition started by long-standing member Keith Hartley from Bollington, who has since stepped down from running the event but is still a regular attendee.
Jointly organised by Lorraine Tolley, Melanie Davy and Jake Ezair, this year’s walk attracted a record crowd of 38 ramblers, including four new members, who set off from Jackson’s Brickworks, Higher Poynton, and made their way along the Macclesfield Canal and through farm fields towards Ryles Wood .
After a brief pause for coffee at Parkgate, the party entered Lyme Park and climbed the incline outside Lyme Hall to reach the Cage where Lorraine and Melanie handed out beakers of sherry to toast in the New Year, accompanied by a generous supply of mince pies provided by Jake.
Suitably refreshed the group then returned to Higher Poynton by heading downhill and crossing a footbridge to exit the park at Bollinghurst Brook and then following the Goyt Way along the brook to rejoin the canal back to the brickworks.
“It was a particularly mild day, with nice temperatures for walking but, being Cheshire, there was a lot of mud“ said Melanie ruefully. “A bit of frost might have made the going a lot easier ! Even so, it was very enjoyable and a great way of seeing in the New Year.”