30 www.lep.co.uk Saturday, October 17, 2015LANCASHIRE EVENING POST

Weekend walksW

NO BUSINESS LIKE SHOW BUSINESS

Karren Brady, Alan Sugar and new boy Claude Littner are back in the boardroom for a new series of The Apprentice

Remote ControlBY PHILIP CUNNINGTONphilip.cunnington@jpress.co.uk@rilthy

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If it’s Prokofiev’s Dance of the Knights, then it must be The Apprentice(BBC1, Wednesdays, 9pm) rearing its hair-gelled head once again.

Surrallan (sorry, Lord Sugar) is once again searching for the least offensive Gordon Gekko wannabe to take his £250,000.

This series kicked off with a double bill. The first episode saw the teams (Versatile and Connexus – because it’s like Latin, and it, like, ‘connects us’, geddit?) go to Billingsgate market and buy fish, which they then had to turn into stuff to sell London-types for lunch.

One team went for the lowest-priced squid they could find and then left it in the sun all day – which must be a winner in anyone’s book. While the other team made salade nicoise and tried to charge punters £9 for it. I know it’s London, but £9 for a salad!?

Anyway, Dan (“I can’t sell, I can’t do maths, so shoot me”) was fired and the rest lived to cock up

another day. Thursday’s task was the, by now, traditional advertising farrago.

They had to come up with a brand identity for a new, cactus-based, shampoo, and shoot an ad.

The men’s team targeted their own demographic and came up with, astoundingly, a decent brand and a decent ad – discarding their first idea, Manly Moist. The women’s team didn’t, and project manager Aisha got the boot.

The thing with the Apprentice now is that it has become so formulaic. We know that walking Nuts magazine Mergim (“I’m thinking sexiness... slow motion women looking at his... face) will turn out to have been supporting his entire family since the age of seven.

We know that Negative Nancy Elle will turn out to have been born in an orphanage and earned her pocket money selling lemonade to miners.

We know that – in at least one task – the team which appeared comically inept will turn out to be the winners.

It doesn’t stop it being entertaining, though. And you will end up rooting for someone by the end.

All together now... dum-de-dum-de-dum-de-dum-de-dum-de-dum-de-dum-DUUUMMM...

Tucked behind Manchester Airport the National Trust property of

Quarry Bank Mill is one of the best preserved examples of an 18th century textile mill to be found anywhere in the world. It was built in 1784 by Samuel Gregg, taking advantage of the River Bollin to power new spinning machinery.

Richard Arkwright, of Preston, patented his water frame in 1769, which allowed large-scale spinning to take place on a single machine. The development of the factory system marked a profound change in the way goods were produced, and is seen as a major landmark in the Industrial Revolution. Previously making things was small scale, family-based and carried out in people’s homes or small workshops. Arkwright changed all that. Factories were built on a vast scale especially to house machines, which required a large and disciplined workforce whose time at work was governed not by the hours of daylight but by the factory clock. Until the use of steam power many factories were sited in what were then remote locations so that water power could be harnessed. This necessitated the need for housing. Generally, the quality of housing in rural industrial communities like Styal was of a better standard than

that which followed with the advent of steam power.

Factories were noisy, unhealthy and crowded environments. There was a widespread use of child labour. Yet the production of cheap cotton changed the way we lived. Soft and comfortable to wear, especially in summer, as well as being easy to wash created a huge demand which has continued to this day.

A visit to Quarry Bank Mill will provide a fascinating insight to what made Lancashire into the world’s first industrial society. The displays and exhibits tell you about textiles and textile making, water power, the mechanisation of spinning, and the world of the factory owners and workers .

But apart from all this, the setting of the mill in a lovely wooded valley is worth exploring in its own right. At this time of the year the colours are spectacular. So, combined with a tour of the mill, this makes for a

perfect half-term day out. The walk described below is an example of what might be done. The reader is strongly commended to visit the National Trust website and download the routes available there.

Directions: From the mill yard, follow signs for the Southern Woods. The path quickly leaves the complex, passing the gasholder site, and then a children’s playground. To the right, the mill pond comes into site, part of the water management from the early days of the mill. Branch off right and descend towards the weir, and then continue on a path between the River Bollin and mill pond.

At the end of the pond, bear left to be reunited with the main path through the woods. The next feature to pass by is the old quarry. Climb a slight rise to cross Heron’s Pool Bridge, and then continue to where the path divides at a large boulder. Here take the right fork and

continue through woods to reach more open ground. The kissing gate leading out to Twinnies Bridge on the B5166 marks the edge of the National Trust estate. Here, the reader must decide whether to go back to the mill or continue on a walk which has a rather different character.

For those continuing, turn right to cross a pedestrian bridge alongside the road bridge. The track drops down to the western entrance of Carrs Park. After

crossing the river by a brick built bridge to the right, turn left into the main park. Following the river to your left, keep ahead through this charming amenity. The way leads to another wide bridge. Cross this, and then follow the main path as it brings you to a children’s playground and entrance on the edge of Wilmslow.

Autumn in all its StyalBY BOB CLAREwww.lancashirewalks.com

START: Quarry Bank Mill SK9 4LADISTANCE: 4 miles, 6k for the full walk to WilmslowTIME: Since this is a ‘there and back again’ linear walk it can be cut short at any point by retracing your steps back to Quarry Bank Mill. To complete the walk described 2-3 hours will be needed - 2 miles out and 2 miles back. GRADE: EasyMAP: OS Explorer 268 Wilmslow, Macclesfield and Congleton

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marks the edge of the National Trust estate. Here, the reader must decide whether to go back to the mill or continue on a walk which has a rather different character.

continuing, turn right to cross a pedestrian bridge alongside the road bridge. The track drops down to the western entrance