Weekday Wander - Previous Outings

Weekday Wander - Mildly meandering around Urmston Wednesday 30 April 2025 10:45 A cunning ploy to collect a few Mild Magic stickers. Urmston can be reached by both bus and train, but with the train considerable quicker we will be travelling this way. For those living in Didsbury (with its shorter travel time) the bus might be an alternative.
Weekday Wander — An ale of three cities (almost) Tuesday 1 April 2025 11:20 From massive cotton mills to steelworks via a race horse stable and Germany. A vaunt around Compstall, Romiley and Bredbury where we will meet something old, something new. nothing borrowed but the language may become blue.
Weekday Wander - Rawtenstall (Tattooed lady not included) Wednesday 5 March 2025 This sojourn is outside the bounds of Greater Manchester, just, so beware if buying a Bee Any Bus ticket. The singing of Rawtenstall Annual Fair on the journey isn't compulsory, but words and music supplied!
Weekend Wander - Sowerby Bridge Saturday 22 February 2025 * * * U P D A T E D * * * A trip to the Venice of the West Riding, Halifax's little know side-kick. Sowerby Bridge is a hub for travel options, from pack horse routes, not one but two canals along with two cross Pennine routes and finalyl the late comer, the railway. As would be expected all the pubs are housed in old buildings reflecting the history of the region.
Weekday Wander - Astley Bridge Wednesday 5 February 2025 Returned by popular demand: This visit will take in every real ale pub in Astley Bridge, ie the Bank Top Brewery Tap which, with around eight beers available is a day out in itself, but we will also take in a couple of Bolton pubs on the way home.
Weekday Wander - Among the dreaming spires of Oxford (Road) Tuesday 7 January 2025 A Wander around the learned bit of Manchester traversing not one but two universities, the Royal Northern College of Music and the Manchester Business School. Until recently there was a third university, UMIST, but that was being greedy.
Weekday Wander - W6 or stamp collecting in Tameside Wednesday 4 December 2024 This is both a Weekday Wander incorporating Winter Warmer Wander stickers and on Wednesday, hence WWWWWW or W6
Weekday Wander: Pie Eating in Wigan Wednesday 30 October 2024 10:30 A day out in Wigan eating pies with the occasional beer as well. For those more adventurous there is also the Wigan Kebab to try!
Weekday Wander - Gallivanting in Glossop Monday 30 September 2024 11:30 Utilizing the train to Glossop the intention is to visit four pubs there. There is then the option to take in a fifth outlet which doesn't open until 5pm, with a later return home.
Weekday Wander - A return to Rochdale Tuesday 3 September 2024 11:25 Rochdale offers a variety of pubs, from a National Pub of the Year, through a Greater Manchester Pub of the Year (twice) to innovative modern bars. We will be taking in two pubs with outstanding interiors (one on the CAMRA National listing). Rochdale is also the origin of the Co-Operative movement and it even has a Gracy Fields tribute pub.
Weekday Wander - Winging our way to Woodford Wednesday 7 August 2024 11:40 For this month’s Weekday Wander we are concentrating on some hard to get to, or less visited pubs within the branch. (Yes! — I know, Weekday Wanders were originally envisaged as a means of educating members of the worthwhile but easy to get to pubs in local branches.)
Weekday Wander - Green Field and Greenfield Wednesday 3 July 2024 11:45 We are off to Greenfield (the village) but with an added attraction of a green field, in the guise of a nature walk, before commencing drinking. Meet at 10:45am for the walk, but take an extra hour in bed and meet at 11:45 if nature isn't your thing!
Weekday Wander - Horwich Wednesday 5 June 2024 11:20 We are going West yet again – is the branch is going downhill? Were off up in to th‘ills to not one but two brewery taps!
Weekday Wander - West on a quest to Valinor Monday 29 April 2024 11:00 Well we are not quite alighting on the grey ships and departing across the Belegaer ocean to the land of the immortals, but this trip into Salford may encounter balrogs and dragons!
Weekday Wander - A homage to Nena Tuesday 2 April 2024 11:30 This month's Wander offers a (slight) nod to Gabriele Susanne Kerner (Nena) featuring not 99 red ballons but the 199 red bus.
Weekday Wander - Ramsbottom Wednesday 6 March 2024 11:00 This trip to a tup's backside is definitely going ahead (weather permitting), but is still a little tentative as to which pubs will be visited,
Weekday Wander - Astley Bridge Tuesday 30 January 2024 11:15 This visit will take in every real ale pubs in Astley Bridge, ie the Bank Top Brewery Tap which, with around eight beers available is a day out in itself. We will also take in a couple of Bolton pubs on the way home.
Weekday Wander - The Western Approaches Friday 5 January 2024 11:30 Hopefully not as bleak and fraught with danger as the film of the same title, but a sociable saunter around the pubs to the west of Manchester City centre.
Weekday Wander - A Walk on the Dark Side in Tameside Tuesday 5 December 2023 11:10 This, not very cunningly disguised, Wander offers an opportunity to gather a few Winter Warmer stickers as well as having a grand day out around Tameside.
Weekday Wander - Rawtenstall (Roll up, roll up see the tattooed lady!) Wednesday 1 November 2023 11:15 Our first sojourn outside the bounds of Greater Manchester, but only just. The singing of Rawtenstall Annual Fair on the journey up isn't compulsory, but...
Weekday Wander - Prestwich Tuesday 3 October 2023 11:40 This month's Weekday Wander heads north on the tram to visit Prestwich. We will cover an eclectic mix of historic, old and new modern bars on this trip.
Weekday Wander - Littleborough Wednesday 6 September 2023 11:30 This month we are off up into the hills, where we can partake of grand views across Greater Manchester, that is if the weather is fine. Otherwise we might be stuck in the clouds with nothing but sodden sheep to stare at. For the energetic a short moorland walk can be partaken of between pubs 1 and 2 - stout shoes recommended.
Weekday Wander - Eccles Tuesday 1 August 2023 We're going west this month, but in the geographic sense and not in the everything going downhill meaning! This month's Wander should be titled LAND O' CAKES, but this isn't a trip to Scotland, rather a visit to Eccles, purveyor of a curranty cake not to be mistaken for one from Chorley!
Weekday Wander - Wigan Wednesday 5 July 2023 A day out in Wigan where we should be eating pies, but with the occasional beer as well.
Weekday Wander - East Manchester Tuesday 30 May 2023 A visit to some of our lesser visited pubs in East Manchester, taking in a country pub(!), a traditional Edwardian boozer and new modern bars (one only opened two/three months!). Along the way there will also be a tutorial in different road surfacing, with the emphasis on the difference between cobbles and setts (with flagstones and tarmac thrown in for completeness).
Weekday Wander - Stalybridge Wednesday 3 May 2023 We are returning to Stalybridge, not only because there are several good pubs, but because there are no less than three area stickers up for grabs if participating in Mild Challenge.
Weekday Wander - Altrincham Tuesday 4 April 2023 This month's Weekday Wander is a return trip to Altrincham for two very important reasons:<br />1) Because it is a mighty fine place to visit for a beer or two.<br />2) Anyone partaking in Mild Magic can pick up two areas.
Weekday Wander - Northern Sixteenth Tuesday 28 February 2023 This Weekday Wander takes in not Manchester's Northern Quarter, but about a quarter of the Northern Quarter — hence the title!
Weekday Wander - Oldham Tuesday 31 January 2023 A trip to a norther outpost on the tram. This month only three pubs are on the timetable as all are worth lingering in, however a fourth is suggested because it is in the National Inventory of Historic Pub Interiors. We can decide on the day.
Weekday Wander - Compstall and Romiley Wednesday 4 January 2023 After getting over all the drunken debauchery of Christmas and New Year, this Weekday Wander will be a complete contrast, an afternoon out in four quiet local pubs starting in the picturesque village of Compstall
Weekday Wander - Bolton Tuesday 29 November 2022 A trip to Bolton which will expose us to the Victorian splendour of Bolton a.k.a. the Town Hall, Cenotaph, Library and Museum along with a market hall outlet, a traditional town pub, a medieval outlet complete with stone flagged floor and finally a modern brewery tap.
Weekday Wander - Urmston Wednesday 2 November 2022 Urmston can be reached by both bus and train, but the timings are such that there is little difference in journey times from Stockport, but shorter by bus from Didsbury, so this is the transport plumped for.
Weekday Wander - Rochdale Tuesday 4 October 2022 Rochdale offers a variety of pubs, from National Pub of the Year, through Greater Manchester Pub of the Year (twice to modern bars both little and large. Rochdale is also the origin of the Co-Operative movement and it even has a Gracy Fields tribute pub (not actually visited).
Weekday Wander - Marple & Marple Bridge Wednesday 31 August 2022 Back and forth on the 383/384 bus to cover the different opening times while visiting Marple and Marple Bridge.
Weekday Wander - Greenfield Wednesday 3 August 2022 We are off into the hills again for this Weekday Wander. Greenfield used to be part of Gods Own Country (the West Riding of Yorkshire) but {sadly according to most locals} it is now in Oldham.
Weekday Wander - Hayfield Tuesday 5 July 2022 We will be bounding off in to the countryside for sun (hopefully!), views, beer and the option of a short walk through a traditional meadow.
Weekday Wander - Chorlton Tuesday 31 May 2022 Having visited Chorlton Green in a previous Wander, today we will visit the main part of Chorlton around the Wilbraham Road/Barlow Moor Road junction.
Weekday Wander - Stalybridge Wednesday 4 May 2022 We headed for the hills with a visit to Stalybridge, but this is nearer than you think, with travel time only 40 minutes if timed correctly to catch the half hourly connection at Piccadilly.
Weekday Wander - Hyde Wednesday 6 April 2022 A Tale Of Two Cities - okay two options. We could stick entirely to visiting Hyde, or potentially straying just over the border into Denton
Weekday Wander - Altrincham Tuesday 1 March 2022 Weekday Wander we will be visiting Altrincham, a near neighbour in train travel time, but the end of the world if a bus is used!
Weekday Wander - Glossop Wednesday 2 February 2022 Utilising the train to Glossop the intention is to visit three pubs there, then move back to visit a later opening fourth.