NO GOLF in Hawk Green, Marple

We saw this NO GOLF sign on our daily walk on The Green in Hawk Green, Marple, Stockport.

Petanque at the Memorial Park in Marple

A look at the Petanque piste at Memorial Park in Marple, Stockport.

We found another Petanque piste while out on our daily walk on Friday. It's at Memorial Park in Marple, Stockport.

It's in a nice setting

We're looking forward to playing Petanque on the piste in the future. We haven't had a game in a while

Last month we saw a sign for a Boules area at Bramhall Park. But couldn't find any trace of the terrain itself.

We play for the Woodstock Petanque Club at Alexandra Park in Edgeley, Stockport.

Social distancing at Cheadle Makers Market

We went to our first outdoor market during the coronavirus pandemic on Saturday morning.

It was an interesting experience indeed.

There was a lot of social distancing signage and a good range of stalls.

There were lots of people out and about too too. Unfortunately not everyone understands what arrows and warning signs mean.

We didn't stay there for too long, but did buy some nice gin and mixers from DS Artisan Food & Drink before we scarpered.

I've been posting snaps of the wide-range of social distancing posters and signs I see on my daily outdoor exercise during the time of coronavirus. You can see them here on the blog and on my Instagram. I've seen some interesting, colourful and clear ones. And some really terrible ones too.

Pubs of Stockport during the coronavirus pandemic lockdown

A look at Stockport's pubs during the lockdown.

I've been photographing the pubs of Stockport while out on my daily exercise.

This is No. 131 - The Jolly Sailor in Davenport.

The Jolly Sailor is the first of the pubs we've seen open during lockdown, albeit in a very limited manner. They are serving takeaway coffee and cakes.

Here are the social distancing signs and measures they have put in place.

You can see more of my Stopfordian Pub photos on Instagram.

We're looking forward to when pubs reopen and it's safe to visit them again.

We've missed going to the pub for pub quizzes, but have been doing quite a few during lockdown.

Social distancing and Covid-19 signs

Have you seen any particularly good, bad, or downright ugly social distancing signage during the pandemic?

I think the signs at Stockport bus station are nice and clear.

It's going to be interesting to see how social distancing signs change and develop over time and as more places reopen.

Recording the signs

I've been snapping signs I see during my daily outdoor exercise and logging them on Instagram.

Social distancing minigolf

The first social distancing signs at a miniature golf course we've seen in person were at Bruntwood Park's Pitch & Putt course last month.

Social Distancing Miniature Golf

Seeing social distancing miniature golf in Cheadle.

We saw social distancing measures in place at a miniature golf course in person for the first time today.

The additional rules of Pitch & Putt during the current 'new normal'

It was at Bruntwood Pitch & Putt in Bruntwood Park, Cheadle, Stockport.

Spacing lines for queuing at the course

We were out on a bike ride for our daily exercise and cycled through the park.

The green of hole 1

The lady at the course said they'd had a good morning with players enjoying a game on the 18-hole layout.

A view of one of the holes at Bruntwood Park's Pitch & Putt course

We saw a couple of pairs out on the course just after a downpour.

You can just make out two golfers playing the course in the distance

There was clear signage and spacing marked out for queuing to the kiosk. There were also spaces marked out on the approach to the first tee.

Social distancing signage at the entrance

Spacing marked out on the approach to the first tee

Playing at Bruntwood Pitch & Putt

Bruntwood Park's Pitch & Putt was the 695th course we visited and 414th played on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour. We played there on Miniature Golf Day 2016.

Playing hole 1

Visit the Bruntwood Pitch & Putt website for more information.

I always keep my minigolf scorecards, but someone had discarded theirs elsewhere in the park. Sad to see

Related blog posts:

• Cheadle
• Stockport
• Coronavirus
• Social Distancing
• Bruntwood Pitch & Putt
• Crazy World of Minigolf Tour
• The next normal rules of minigolf
• Competitive socialising in isolation
• The Coronavirus (Ham & Egger) Files

Check out the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour Newsletter archive and sign-up to receive future editions

Stay alert. Control the virus

I was alert on my government mandated outdoor exercise time today.

Boules at Bramhall Park in Stockport

Spotting a sign for Boulles (sic) in Stockport.

We visited Bramhall Park for the first time yesterday. Crazy really as it's more or less on our doorstep!

We've been to so many other parts of the Metropolitan Borough of Stockport and surrounding areas since moving here in 2016 but have never got round to go going.

While there we saw a sign for a 'Boulles Court'.

It should be 'Boules' with one l. And it's a terrain or piste rather than 'Court'.

And really it should be called 'Petanque'.

We couldn't find the 'court' and we got a bit lost in the woods too

Petanque in Stockport

We play for the Woodstock Petanque Club at Alexandra Park in Edgeley, Stockport.

Bramall Hall

We're looking forward to visiting Bramall Hall when it reopens. In the meantime we'll spend some of our outdoor exercise time exploring the grounds during lockdown.

Bramall Hall

Related blog posts:

• Petanque
• Boules
• Bramhall

Merseyway Comic Con in Stockport

There should've been a comic con at the Merseyway shopping centre in Stockport today.

Another casualty of the coronavirus.

Here's a snap of me on a Star Wars speeder bike at the Merseyway's first comic con last September.

Having fun in Stockport last year

Hopefully there'll be a return of retailtainment events in the future.

There was going to be a Stay Puft Marshmallow Man at the Merseyway comic con.

I'm so glad I went to Urmston last October!

South Park Miniature Railway in Cheadle Hulme

Revisiting the Miniature Railway at South Park in Cheadle Hulme.

We took part of our outdoor daily exercise at South Park in Cheadle Hulme and had a look at the excellent miniature railway there.

South Park is home to Stockport & District Society of Model Engineers

It's a real treat to ride the model railway and I highly recommend a visit in the future when it is once again safe to do so.

To the trains

Old arrows at the entrance - they look well spaced out in the times of social distancing

The turntable

A view of the loop

A pair of park benches with a fine view of the miniature railway

We first found out about it back in May 2017, a year after we moved up here! 

End of the line

The Metropolitan Borough of Stockport is home to three miniature railways - the one at South Park, Brookside Miniature Railway at the Garden Centre in Poynton and the Dragon Miniature Railway at the Garden Centre in Marple.

Related blog posts:

• Miniature Railways
• Cheadle Hulme

Link:

• Stockport & District Society of Model Engineers

Finding a lost Golf Centre in Stockport

We found a lost golf centre yesterday!

We went to Heaton Mersey for our daily exercise and while having a wander we took a turn into a side road we hadn't been down before.

Half way along it we spotted a gate with the word GOLF on it so had to take a closer look.

Cranford Golf Centre was a golf driving range. It closed down on the 31st October 2014.

Looking online there were plans for the area to be turned into housing.

It's amazing how much we've still got to explore of the Metropolitan Borough of Stockport.

Bladerunner 2009

Finding a futuristic barbers in Stockport.

On our daily exercise in the Reddish area of Stockport yesterday we spotted a fun shop sign.

Blade Runner is set in dystopian Los Angeles in the year 2019. It's crazy to think we're living through our own dystopian times with the coronavirus pandemic and ongoing lockdown.

I wonder what life will be like in 2049...?

Mario Mini Market in Reddish, Stockport

Finding a super market in South Reddish.

We took our daily exercise in the Reddish area of Stockport yesterday and while having a wander we spotted Mario Mini Market on Gorton Road.

There's another branch in Levenshulme, Manchester.

I've also seen Mario and Luigi ice cream vans in Buxton and Hathersage, Mario movers in Newcastle, Mario's takeaway in Barnsley, and three Mario, Luigi and Mario & Luigi takeaways in Blackpool!

L is for Luton

We took our daily exercise in the Reddish area of Stockport yesterday and swung by Luton Road.

We lived in Luton for 16 years before moving north to Stockport.

Interestingly both towns are famous in the hat industry and have hat musuems. In fact it was the growth of the hat trade in Luton that contributed to the decline of the hat industry in Stockport. While millinery is not as big a trade in either town nowadays, the history lives on in the nickname of Luton Town and Stockport County football clubs as they are both 'The Hatters'.

Bridgehall BMX Track in Stockport

I found a BMX track on my daily walk yesterday.

It's only 5 minutes away from my house too!

Amazing.

It's hidden in plain sight if you know where to look.

And there's me thinking I'd explored all of my local area!

Pub quizzes during lockdown

Have you played a virtual pub quiz during lockdown?

Is anyone else missing that Friday feeling at their local as we all stay home?🍺🍻

Are any Stockport pubs hosting online pub quizzes? @TheVirtualPubQ1 are hosting an online pub quiz tomorrow evening: https://t.co/xA1JVtPqpy

📸@putting_gott pic.twitter.com/F762opT4rc

— Stockport Council (@StockportMBC) May 1, 2020

Our local The Micker Brook in Cheadle Hulme has been running a weekly online quiz with the excellent Mike Prince since lockdown began.

The Micker Brook in Cheadle Hulme

It's brilliant fun.

I've been taking snaps of the pubs of Stockport I pass while out on my daily exercise. You can see more on my Instagram.

Saw something on my daily walk. Made a meme about it

Saw something on my once a day outdoor exercise walk. Made a meme about it.

What do you read it as?

A postcard of Piccadilly Gardens in Manchester

A look at a postcard of Piccadilly Gardens in Manchester sent from Stockport in 1970.

The most recent Stockport postcard fair at Stockport Town Hall was a treasure trove of old miniature golf postcards. However, one that also caught my eye was this card showing Piccadilly Gardens in Manchester.

Piccadilly Gardens, Manchester. By Lilywhite Postcards., Brighouse. Published by Colin Richardson Printers Limited. Posted from Stockport in 1970

It's not just the image on the front that caught my eye as the message/address side has a very nice Stockport postmark cancellation celebrating the 750th Charter Anniversary of the town!

Ancient boroughs were historic units of lower tier local government.

The stamp has been removed and so some of the postmark is missing, but you can see it was sent from Stockport, Cheshire to Malvern, Worcestershire.