RUMBLINGS…

Thinking of coming along on the 26th? Wonderful!

But please give me a bell beforehand if you haven’t already, to reserve tickets. They’re selling faster than expected and quite a few people are already travelling long distances to be here. I would hate for anyone to arrive on the night and find the place full.

The level of support is already terrific. If you’ve already booked tickets, many thanks indeed. If, however, you find that you’re unable to come on the night, please let us know so we can release the tickets being held for you on the door.

The number to ring is OI729 822547. Look forward to seeing you there!

If you’d like to help with promoting the event, the poster above is downloadable. Feel free to print it out and stick it on your fridge, village notice board, have it printed on a T-shirt or plaster it on a passing ice cream van. Or you could do like Phil Lambert and pop it on your own blog or website - many thanks Phil, it’s worked wonders (Mike Knipe’s coming…!).

The third and final talk in a series organised for the South Pennine Walk & Ride Festival takes place tonight.

Author and journalist Andrew Bibby (below) will discuss his fantastic book Backbone of England (pub Frances Lincoln), at the Coach House in Littleborough, just a stone’s throw from the Pennine watershed which he walked over a lengthy period - a route that’s probably as close to the original vision for the Pennine Way that legendary access rights and footpath campaigner Tom Stephenson proposed back in the 1930s.

That the route is walkable today is only because we have new access rights bestowed by the Countryside and Rights of Way Act. - if the water gatherers and grouse moor owners had their way, we’d still probably be banned from the watershed of our own country.

Andrew’s talk will be illustrated with images taken by photographer John Morrison, who’s travelling all the way from the Lake District to take part in tonight’s special event.

The talk starts at 7.30pm and will be held at the Coach House in Lodge Street, Littleborough, OL15 9AE (GR: SD938164).

The cost is a mere £3 and refreshments will be available.

The pic above shows Hebden Royd Town Mayor Coun John Beacroft Mitchell, author and tonight’s speaker Andrew Bibby, Pennine Prospects chair Pam Warhurst, myself, and Graham Joyce, head of Pennine Prospects, on behalf of whom I organise the South Pennines Walk & Ride Festival. The picture was taken at the festival launch in Hebden Bridge on September 12.

The South Pennines Walk and Ride Festival now has its own website, where you can browse the rich variety of events taking place over the fortnight of September 12-27.

The festival, now less than a fortnight away, includes more than 100 outdoor events, from guided walks and mountainbike rides to horse rides, orienteering events and more, all linked by the themes of exercise, exploring the heritage of the South Pennines and, of course, fresh air.

The new festival website means that the links in my previous blog entry are no longer valid. Instead, head over to the new website or download the programme directly by clicking here.

John Manning

John Manning

A project I’ve been working on closely in recent months is drawing closer to fruition – you can download a programme for the 2009 South Pennines Walk and Ride Festival here (note: download starts immediately).

The festival will take place from September 12 to 27, and features an incredible 108 events, ranging from short nature walks to yomping great strides over the South Pennines moors, from introductory mountainbiking courses to road cycling adventures and orienteering events of all levels to, for the first time for this particular festival, two horse riding events.

Most of the events are free of charge, and only a handful require pre-booking. Most are reachable by using the area’s excellent public transport network, both west and east of the Pennine watershed.

It’s the ideal opportunity to discover and explore the South Pennines, an area of deep valleys and expansive moorlands, rich in industrial and natural heritage, wedged between the more crowded Yorkshire Dales and Peak District National Parks.

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