Bradford Millennium Way

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The following is John Woodcock's piece on walking here, which was an entry we much enjoyed for our 2011 Travel Writing Competition. Thank you, John, for bringing this walk to our attention! 

Life-Changing BMW Walk 

"Who would employ a 59-year-old woman like me?" Maggie said to her husband as they walked along the Yorkshire countryside for the first time. 

"Don't worry, Maggie." He turned up his jacket collar to protect him from the strong wind. "You can retire now, given I've been promoted." Tim continued, "In fact, when we eventually buy a house in this area, we'll depend on you to make it into a home!" 

Maggie smiled as they continued walking... with their dog. "Oh, this is lovely countryside." She looked up at the high wooded moors above them. "Very scenic." 

"Yes," Tim replied, "and we should start house-hunting in these Yorkshire villages, not Leeds." Maggie nodded in agreement. 

They'd recently sold their house in the south, moving north for Tim to start his new job in Leeds. Tim's hotel company were paying for their self-catered accommodation while they house-hunted in the area. 

As they walked along this pleasant footpath alongside a stream - on a windy, but dry day - their Labrador suddenly burst into a sprint, chasing a squirrel. 

"Yorkie! Yorkie!" Maggie cried out as the squirrel launched himself up a tree to escape from their dog. Their Labrador barked at the base of the tree trunk. 

"Oh, I've suddenly realised," Tim said, "how appropriate our dog's name is, now we're moving to Yorkshire." 

"Yorkie, come here!" Maggie repeated, and their dog returned to them on the footpath alongside the stream. 

"Oh, our Yorkie always obeys you, Maggie." They continued to follow the stream, with Maggie thinking it had turned into a river. 

"Cor, that's a surprise." She pointed ahead. "There's a waterfall just there!" 

Tim looked up and took a deep breath, delighted with this scenery. Maggie took her camera out of her handbag as they approached this small but impressive waterfall. But suddenly their dog, Yorkie, jumped into this small river, swimming towards the waterfall.

"Oh, I forgot, he always likes a swim!" Maggie exclaimed. She raised her camera pointing it at Yorkie enjoying his swim in front of this small waterfall. She bent down on the edge of the river. "Yorkie! Yorkie!" She tempted him out of the water with some of his dog biscuits. 

Tim, standing behind Maggie, was relieved. "Oh, you're so good with dogs, Maggie."

They both smiled, enjoying this, their first walk in the Yorkshire countryside. 

The signposted walk then rose from the river onto the moors. Almost a mile further the walk led them on to an ex-railway viaduct. Maggie and Tim were enjoying the lovely view of the valley from the edge of this now-tarmacked viaduct when their dog suddenly sprinted away from them for the third time today. 

"Oh, he's disappeared again!" Tim exclaimed. 

Swiftly turning they saw what had attracted their Yorkie - another Labrador. They saw Yorkie trying to 'mount' this other Labrador. Maggie sprinted towards the woman who was shocked to see her dog suddenly being 'raped'. 

"Yorkie! Yorkie!" Maggie shouted approaching the two labradors... and the woman dog owner. Maggie leaned down and pulled Yorkie's collar. Embarrassed, Maggie then looked up at this elderly, startled woman. "Sorry. So sorry!" 

The woman simply looked down at the two dogs, now face-to-face, tails wagging, and reacted with, "Well, at least he's chatting her up now."

The two women smiled at each other, with Maggie thinking this lady was a very traditional northern ironic humour monger. 

The adults went on to introduce themselves to each other - as were the dogs! 

Maggie and Tim discovered this elderly woman was a Ramblers Association representative, responsible for keeping this Bradford Millenium Way (BMW!) walk up to the Ramblers Association high standards. 

This woman, called Helen, in her professional anorak and walking boots then revealed, "I'm just finishing..." she raised her arm and waved it around this viaduct, "the whole 45 miles of this 'BMW' walk... before I go on holiday this weekend." 

"Where are you going? - and this lovely dog." Maggie asked. 

"Oh, I'm not taking my dog. I'm flying out to Majorca for 10 days. Lovely walks." She then furrowed her brows. "But that's become a problem today. My mother offered to look after my dog, Jenny," she pointed at her dog, "but this morning my mother discovered she's having a hip replacement in a couple of weeks' time. So she can't take my Jenny for a walk every day - which my dog needs!"

Maggie looked at her Tim, knowing what he was about to suggest. 

"My wife is so good with dogs," Tim looked down, "and these two are getting on so well. I think my Maggie would be happy to look after your dog while you enjoy your holiday." 

All three adults smiled at each other - the women having many questions. 

Tim and Maggie explained how they had just moved to the area and were living in self-catering accommodation while house-hunting. All three ended up walking the next mile together... with their dogs. Helen then offered Maggie some money to look after her dog for ten days. 

A week later the two dogs lay down in front of the gas fire Maggie had just turned on. 

"I think these two are in love with each other," Maggie said pointing at the two Labradors. "They've never separated during those bits of that BMW walk I've done." 

Across in the other armchair in this lounge Tim looked up from his newspaper. "That Helen will be delighted you've done sections of her walk with these two dogs."

"Anyway," Maggie continued, "Helen has given me a great idea for celebrating my 60th birthday next month." 

He looked up again from the property pages of this local newspaper. "What's that?" 

"I'm going to attempt the whole 45 miles of that lovely Bradford Millenium Way walk."

"That's a challenge, but a good idea." Tim looked down at the dogs enjoying the warmth of the gas fire. He smiled. "But our Yorkie won't want to do it without Helen's dog!" They both smiled as the dogs licked each other's faces. 

Tim suddenly held up his local newspaper. "Oh, I'm on the property pages, and there's a detached for sale just down the road from here, in Cullingworth... with a double garage."

Maggie looked confused. "Why would we need a double garage when we just use your company car?" 

He lowered his newspaper, smiling. "Well you've earned money this week looking after that dog, so I was thinking we could convert the double garage into a kennel - a 'hotel' for dogs, seeing as I'm in the hotel business... and you're so good with dogs." 

Maggie smiled. "Oh, that's a super idea. You've given me a new profession... up here in Yorkshire. I'm going to be so busy: making our house into a home; launching a dog kennel business... and training for my 45-mile BMW walk for my 60th." 

"You're going to be so active up here!... while I'm at work." Tim said. Smirking.