Yesterday an old friend let me down. We were planning to meet up for coffee and endless conversation but something cropped up and he needed to drive back to Devon with his wife as soon as possible. "Next time", we agreed. There was uncharacteristic panic in his voice
Anyway, so there I was at loose ends. Promptly, I decide to catch a train to the very heart of South Yorkshire and quickly printed off a map to assist a hastily planned walk. I was off to Wombwell... or "Wonderful Wombwell" from my imagined advertising campaign for the little town.
A special monument in Wombwell Cemetery
I arrived in Wombwell at two fifteen and caught the four twenty seven train back to Sheffield so I had just over two hours of walking and exploring. And I am so pleased that I bothered. It more than made up for two hours of chinwagging in "The Greystones" public house.
Art in the underpass - below Dearne Valley Parkway
On the path to Hemingfield
New housing near Wombwell Station
Golfers waiting their turn at Hillies Golf Course
You work hard with walks to get all kinds of material for your blog.
ReplyDeleteIt seems to work Keith.
DeleteThe name Wombwell triggered a happy memory! When I went to see Steve for the first time at his home in Wath-upon-Dearne, he met me at the airport in Manchester. We took the Transpennine Express into Yorkshire, and for some reason he thought getting off at Wombwell would be more practical than in Barnsley (Wath didn't have its own train station), and take a bus to Wath from there.
ReplyDeleteIt turned out that Wombwell was rather deserted, public-transport-wise, on that late Friday evening, and we waited at the bus stop for what seemed like a very long time, carefully watched by a group of youths who looked a bit up to no good.
Never mind, we were newly in love and had plenty to talk about while we waited. I never set foot into Wombwell again, but from your description and pictures it looks and sounds like a good place.
Wombwell and Wath are nine miles apart. Steve should have taken you to Rotherham or Swinton. There would have been more buses.
DeleteI'm glad you were able to turn a potentially disappointing change of plans into a satisfying day! I hope your friend's panicky voice doesn't signal anything too awful.
ReplyDeleteHe and his wife had had a very disturbed night because of a barking dog. Much of the panicky tone was related to that. It's a long drive back to their home in Devon - around six hours.
DeleteAnother peaceful English village. Two old men on the bench waiting their turn, whilst out in the wider world chaos reigns. I hope it doesn't get to them.
ReplyDeletePerhaps golf is a metaphor for life. Sometimes you end up in the rough but we are all heading to the same clubhouse when we have played our eighteen holes.
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