# urmston meadows



## rowan666 (10 May 2014)

Does anybody keep their horses around there? I used to keep mine there as a kid but havnt bin back since i was about 12 (16 yrs ago) Is the hacking still as good as used to be? Or did they build houses all over it? Can you still get to the bit where everyone used to take the ponies swimming?


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## dollymix (10 May 2014)

I used to love in a similar area and my pony was kept at the bottom of fairy lane in Sale. I live up in Lancashire now but have friends who still stable down there.
I miss that hacking! Used to love a gallop down the banks, and we used to take the horses to paddle I'm either sale or chorlton water parks!


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## fatpiggy (12 May 2014)

dollymix said:



			I used to love in a similar area and my pony was kept at the bottom of fairy lane in Sale. I live up in Lancashire now but have friends who still stable down there.
I miss that hacking! Used to love a gallop down the banks, and we used to take the horses to paddle I'm either sale or chorlton water parks!
		
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Hi Dollymix, were you at the Piggeries?


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## dollymix (12 May 2014)

I was for a little while yes!


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## LovesCobs (12 May 2014)

I've moved now but was there the past 3 years, the hacking is mostly the same as it was years ago (though the new tram line goes over the mersey by sale golf club/fairy lane) there are still some yards fairy lane (all basic) and a few others around the urmston and carrington area


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## dollymix (12 May 2014)

Yes it was very basic when I kept horses there too. The hacking was brilliant though and I do miss that.

Its about 11yrs since I was last there though. I also learnt to ride at The Oaks Riding School which was turned into a housing estate and I bought my first pony off one of the riding instructors at Cloverfields Riding school which was also on Fairy Lane.


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## LovesCobs (12 May 2014)

cloverfields is now a livery yard for a few horses. run by the daughter of the lady who ran the riding school. the hacking is excellent, rarely any road work, though when I was a teenager I probably scared a few people racing past on the banks of the mersey  you could go for days on a ride if you wanted to


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## dollymix (12 May 2014)

I know! I loved it! It was ace to be able to ride for miles without roadwork, through beautiful fields and woodland! Have find memories of riding bareback to chorlton water park and riding wither deep in the lake!


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## fatpiggy (13 May 2014)

I was on Cloverfield too.  I left mainly because of the tram and motorway works but although the hacking was great, it was slowly being ruined by idiots on quad bikes/motorbikes and all the loose dogs everywhere (my girl was attacked and badly bitten on the field by the Princess Parkway estate)  Dollymix, which pony did you buy?


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## dollymix (13 May 2014)

Pony wasn't from Cloverfields, it was one of the riding instructor's first ponies....a 13hh liver chestnut mare called Beauty. I am going back quite a while now....maybe 17 years? the RI was called Nadine.

It's a shame if the riding has been ruined. I live in the middle of the countryside now but loved those woods and tracks so much! I still visit my parents who live in south Manchester and I must admit I noticed the tram works starting when driving by on the motorway and being relieved I wasn't keeping horses up there anymore. Such a shame really.


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## fatpiggy (13 May 2014)

Yes, I remember Nadine. She started teaching when I stopped.  The Mersey banks have largely been tarmac'ed now to allow disabled access - makes it lovely for the scrotes on their wheels unfortunately.


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## PolarSkye (13 May 2014)

I'm sorry . . . I can't hear "Urmstone" without thinking of Dinnerladies . . . just me?  

I'll get me coat . . . 

P


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## rowan666 (13 May 2014)

When did they build a tram line!? We were originaly on jimmy taylor's after the hollies in carrington then moved to "tina's". It was fab hacking, stretford hills, charlton ease/logs and sale water park. Was going to box up and go down for a hack for old times sake but i wont bother if they ruined it with trams  

Polarsky.. Hahaha loved that program!


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## LovesCobs (14 May 2014)

I think the tram is just by fairy lane and Jacksons boat pub. Not been for a couple if years but I think the rest is ok?


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## fatpiggy (14 May 2014)

LovesCobs said:



			I think the tram is just by fairy lane and Jacksons boat pub. Not been for a couple if years but I think the rest is ok?
		
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The tram comes across Hardy Fields behind Jacksons Boat, over the Mersey on a new bridge, then up beside Rifle Road, across the corner between the new Sale junction on the M60, along the side of Fairy Lane in what was Lorraine Duffy's fields (I used to turn out there so another good reason to move away), then across the M60 on another new bridge towards Wythenshawe at the edge of the University playing fields.  Had they planted the forest on the horse field when you left Rowan666?  That was the beginning of the end as far as I was concerned.


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## dollymix (14 May 2014)

fatpiggy said:



			The tram comes across Hardy Fields behind Jacksons Boat, over the Mersey on a new bridge, then up beside Rifle Road, across the corner between the new Sale junction on the M60, along the side of Fairy Lane in what was Lorraine Duffy's fields (I used to turn out there so another good reason to move away), then across the M60 on another new bridge towards Wythenshawe at the edge of the University playing fields.  Had they planted the forest on the horse field when you left Rowan666?  That was the beginning of the end as far as I was concerned.
		
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I remember them planting the forest on the horse field (you mean the fields near Chorlton water park where there used to be a figure of 8?)

Can you still ride from the area round Sale water park and risk the track alongside the tram (I remember you had to wait for one to pass, then canter like crazy down the track and under the bridge before another came) and then back on the other side of the rive by Chorlton Brook? Or is that area now covered by tram tracks?


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## fatpiggy (15 May 2014)

dollymix said:



			I remember them planting the forest on the horse field (you mean the fields near Chorlton water park where there used to be a figure of 8?)

Can you still ride from the area round Sale water park and risk the track alongside the tram (I remember you had to wait for one to pass, then canter like crazy down the track and under the bridge before another came) and then back on the other side of the rive by Chorlton Brook? Or is that area now covered by tram tracks?
		
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Yes, that's the field.  You can still go down the side of the embankment as far as I can see when I go by on the tram.  I must admit I never worried about trams passing, it either didn't happen or my horse wasn't bothered (can't remember as it was a few years ago now).  There was however, a flasher down there apparently - but I always missed him!


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## dollymix (16 May 2014)

I never saw a flasher there either! Although I did twice in Kenworthy woods lol! Maybe it was the same guy 

I think the track along the embankment was more my fear than the horses to be honest.. And an excuse as a teenager to bomb along it flat out!

I still do miss that hacking though. It's very beautiful where I live but vast quantity of roadwork and bridle paths that are only really decent on a dry summer.

I know my friend still rides round there and whenever she posts on FB about having a lovely canter along the river I am very jealous!


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## fatpiggy (16 May 2014)

A friend of mine came across a flasher in the Mazes. He tried to grab her pony's rein so she wacked him with her whip and scarpered!  One time I was riding on the banks on the Chorlton side and my mare stopped dead and stared across to the three hills opposite.  We waited a moment and then a totally naked man came out of the trees and down to the river bank, pootled around for a bit then went back up the hill into the trees.  Another time I was riding on the old tip next to Chorlton WP and came across a sunbathing nudist. To my eternal shame my horse stopped beside him (he was right by the path) and took a very close look at his todger.  She always was dead nosey and something of a nympho!  The flasher by the tram line was a regular apparently.  My friend who was riding about 3 minutes behind me on the way to Urmston show saw him once, I managed to miss him entirely.

Did you ever come across the chap practicing his bagpipes on the Chorlton bank, towards Northenden?  I imagine his wife sent him there


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## dollymix (16 May 2014)

hahah just burst out laughing at the image of the naked man on the three hills lol

Don't remember the bagpipe guy either? Feel like I have missed out!

I do remember meeting up on Tues mornings (It was when I was at uni and Tues were my day off!) with a couple of mounted policemen at chorlton water park....it was usually every other week. I always thought what a nice job they had lol


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## melliebobs (19 May 2014)

Yes. Hacking is the same. I've kept horses around Urmston for 30 years (gulp, feeling old) and hacking is just as good as ever. Flashers still about too!!


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## rowan666 (19 May 2014)

Is it still the flasher that wears the blue shell suit on a bike? Haha horrid old creep he was giving young girls a nasty fright, hes scared me for life!


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