And then within 100m from the heron, there's a scene of an entirely different manner. Styal Mill, a regular feature of summer runs and training sessions, last night was a film set for the TV series 'The Mill'. My run came to an abrupt stop, albeit on spongy fake cobbles, as I was on the back of a march, a workers protest or something. They were in rehearsals, so it was ok to pass, but found myself in a scene that was fitting for its surroundings. Local history is, or can be fascinating, if you choose to explore it.
I've marvelled at this place before. So often we run by it without a second thought, perhaps an appreciative glance upwards at the architecture. The huge water wheel that used to power the looms and the civil engineering that takes on nature and wins. But rarely is there a consideration for what kind of place this was to work in times gone by. Happy we are to scramble along the paths, laughing and smiling. By all account, the Greg's were good to their workers, but it's a relative notion.
