My travels around the country this last year and a half have taken me to lots of places I've never been to before...Tonight I had one of the best experiences so far.
I rocked up at the Hollin Hall Best Western just outside of Macclesfield, after a twisty-turny journey over the Cat and Fiddle Pass from Buxton, and then used my phone to find somewhere for an evening meal and some decent ale. Discovered the Vale Inn was about 15 minutes walk away, so wandered down the hill and across the Macclesfield Canal to find a cricket match in progress (and a neighbouring football match...)
Discovered that the area is called the HAPPY VALLEY.
One thing that made me particularly happy was the beer: White Nancy - named after a distinctive folly on a nearby hill, which can be seen in the image below. A few pints, a warm evening, an engaging cricket match, and lots of local people who were obviously fairly chilled and friendly all made for a good combination...
Wandered back up the hill to my hotel in the late evening sun...
Image by j.a.arnold on Flickr - Creative Commons licensed
I'll try to go back some time soon - if only for a pint of White Nancy....
Here's the Vale Inn on Street View - pop in if you're in the area...
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