I RECENTLY took my children, aged three and six, for a walk through Redisher Woods to paddle in the river in their wellies and throw sticks for our dog.

The trees there look superb at this time of year, with the sun shining through the leaves and their changing colour. The waterfalls are equally impressive, being under full flow from the recent rain.

We walked out of the woodland valley to traverse the adjacent hilly ridge close to Holcombe Hill, which provides a view of the top of the woods below and wide panoramic vistas of Bury, Rochdale and Manchester in the distance.

However, these will not be there for much longer as, to my dismay, this hilly ridge has been densely planted with pine and oak saplings. And I don't suppose it will be long before the woods will be similarly intefered with the introduction of paths, fences, pontoons, direction signs, car parks and the like.

My message to your readers is: go there now and enjoy it before the powers-that-be wreck the place for ever.

TADPOLE