A walk in the refreshing Yorkshire rain

A nice English Breakfast and coffee, then off to meet Matt and Phoebe to go for a walk. We also went to his house, crossing the little river, where a heron was standing immobile in the water, and climbing up a hundred steps. His house is on the Manchester Road. The front of the house is close to the road, but view from the back windows is all of the treetops of the wooded hillside we climbed.

Then along the Manchester road, and cut down to walk by the side of the canal, to the next little town called Marsden. Apparently it is where  Simon Armitage our current poet laureate was born. An inspiring valley surrounded by high moors. We had a good canal side walk in the bracing Yorkshire rain, and ended up having a cheeky cup of coffee in a cafe before catching a bus back to Slaithwaite. 

Here we went straight to Hillside Harmonies, where Reuben had been holding the fort, to meet old pals of Lorraine's Lesley and Jeremy, who live in a town not too far away called Diggle where we stayed once. Lovely people. They both play in brass bands, and immediately fell into esoteric brass band talk with Matt, who has played in and conducted brass bands too, and knows the local scene and many of the people.  

We then went to The Handmade Bakery nearby, a bakery and cafe, and had a bite to eat and cups of tea. Lots of chatting, and hearing about families. Really nice people. It was a busy day for them today, with it being remembrance Sunday, and they were wearing their brass band uniforms. They had already played this morning, and were off later to do another performance this evening. As we left the cafe, the bakery was just closing for the weekend, and gave away some loaves and other bits, which Lesley and Jeremy gratefully accepted.

Having arranged to meet Matt later, we went back to the B&B for a rest. We ended up having another Indian meal just opposite the Spinning Mill bed and breakfast where we were staying. And then met Matt and had a quick drink in the Little Brick Cafe Wine Bar. Matt talking about doing another collaboration, which would be great fun. A piece for flute and voice.

Below the view from Matt and Reuben's back windows. Other snaps on our walk, where it was raining, mainly along the Huddersfield Narrow Canal, between Slaithwaite and Marsden.