Reasons for Reasons
I was ‘raised’ – to use a phrase from our American friends – in south Lakeland and it has always remained home. Even though I left to study when I was 18 and didn’t return untill September 2010. A lot of years.
During those interim years I have had a great life, travelled and met some wonderful people and also have a managed to bring up my son fairly successfully. So, it although it was sort of ‘on the plan’, my move back North was not without trepidation.
As part of my ‘self affirmation’ that I had made the right decision I started a Facebook album ‘Reasons To Move North’. This has had wonderful comments from my friends but I never had the courage to make it public. Then recently I went on a Travel Writing Course with Zoe ,and much to my delight and surprise received more affirmation from positive comments on my travel writing. Something else which has always remained strictly within closed leaves.
A mindful review of my first year here followed and I realised that I had had an amazing twelve months. Yes, I have travelled away, but I have also done more here in the North West than I would have previously thought possible. And I have had so many visitors! People like it here! I have become a guide for friends and acquaintances who then spread the word about how wonderful the Lake District is. This led to my providing itineraries for weekends or longer visits. Some I accompanied, others I simply provided a ‘bespoke’ itinerary, with or with accommodation booked.
So, now it’s time to go Global!
And now I have built my own blog I have used my technical, from a previous life in IT, to build one for the Howgill Harriers. If you would like one put together then please contact me for a quote.
Competitions, women and the RSPB
As some of you know, I recently entered the RSPB Rainforest Reporter competition. All the details are on the Together for Trees website. I managed to get to the regional semi finals last week by writing a piece on the importance of the Rainforest and a few other topics. I was pretty impressed with myself as there were only 25 semi finalists and I have only been publishing since Nov last year. I did not make it to the top five but I have had a lot of fun along the way. The semi finals involved putting up a tent – not a problem to a festival...
read moreNorthumberland Weekend
The recent visits to Leighton Moss with my Rainforest Reporter entry, sent me back twelve months to a few days I spent in Northumberland. The objective of the trip was to ‘photograph a puffin’ . Success many times over on that score, with other wonderful things thrown in for good measure. Alnwick Castle was impressive, stylish and beautiful presented. From the Poison Garden to the Harry Potter lawns, the flowers and fountains. Everything was beyond photogenic. I just wish we had been able to sample the delights...
read moreFountains not Mountains
Slightly east this weekend at my good friends in Nidderdale (accommodation details here). So lucky to have a base to visit Yorkshire. The dales this weekend were somewhat dark and brooding so we decided to put our National Trust memberships to use and visit Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal. My last visit was on a primary school trip, so I was in need of a memory refresh. The deer park and grounds of Studley Royal exhibit the designs of John Aislabie and the Georgian era in all its excessive pomp and grandeur. Coincidently there was a...
read moreRed Screes from Kirkstone Pass
After the pretty dreadful Easter weekend it did eventually stop raining and so at the first opportunity when sun was sighted, I just climbed high. One peak that had eluded me to date was Red Screes which towers over Kirstone Pass. Just a note, we approached Kirkstone pass from Troutbeck taking a small road, Mislet Brow turning into Moorhowe road. This not only cut off a big corner, but gave the most amazing view of the Cumbrian Hills from a road I have seen. Apparently, as it is west facing, it is worth going at sunset. I am reliably...
read moreOn the Lake in the Mountains
Another day for those who do not want to or can not hike up a mountain. The lakes and mountains can still be enjoyed. Easter Sunday was a family day. Three generations to please, oh don’t forget the dog. What better than a ‘cruise’, well a boat ride. Ullswater Lake Steamers ‘cruise’ up and down in a round trip of just over two hours. We drove up to Glenridding where parking close to the lake is easy, and there is a small park to exercise the dog in later. Dogs are welcome on the steamers for a small fare of £1. The ride is a easy way to see...
read moreLakes in the Mountains
Just to continue the watery theme of my last post, a lake prominent here. Not by design but by meteorological conditions. One of my ‘Twelve things to do in 2012’ was to climb another of the three peaks. On Easter Monday a friend, who had walked Snowdon with me came up for a couple of days. The plan was to ‘do Scafell’. Well, it didn’t happen. The forecast was for gale force winds and I can confirm that it rained pretty much non stop in the Lake District on Easter Monday. But after someone has come all the way from pancake Warwickshire we had...
read moreLakes but not Mountains
Leighton Moss Nature reserve is somewhere I have not been to since myself and friends were encumbered with ‘small boys’. Now with much ‘larger boy’ we were inspired to visit again and were not disappointed. The RSPB have succeeded in creating a ‘something for everybody’ place. For the serious ornithologist the hides are protected from wind and rain so that impressive ‘mine is bigger than yours’ lenses can be used without fear of weather exposure. Yet within these ‘huts’ are information sheets for the rest of us to identify the different...
read moreThe Howgills
Some how the Howgills had lodged in my mind as a ‘soft option’ to the Lake District hills. Well on Friday I learned better! They may not be as high, The Calf being the highest peak at 676m, but they are steep. Lots of facts and figures can be found here . We started from the southern edge, Sedbergh, and the footpath is not a gradual ascent. It hits you straight on and up! Mercifully the views give a valid excuse to stop and look back as the dales stretched out. As height was gained, even on the dull day it was, more of the earth tipped into...
read moreWalking Volunteer
One of my Things to do in 2012 was to ‘volunteer’. Good idea, several of you have emailed me on this. But it is quite difficult to fit in with work and life in general. Recently I had an email forwarded to me from South Cumbria Rivers Trust. Like many environmental organisations they are being hit hard by reduced government funding and therefore lack of man power to do surveys and gather data on the health of our rivers. The new project they are promoting is for volunteers to take basic data on the health of streams in...
read moreBrocken Spectre on Ill Bell
There are some days which surprise you. Some days when I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else or swap places with anyone else. Yesterday ticked all three boxes. The surprise? It was difficult to anticipate the latter two points, when, at the beginning of our walk around Kentmere Horseshoe I took the picture of feet, making the comment that as visibility was so bad this was possibly the only clear photo I was l likely to take. How wrong was I? The mist was not thick so there was hope, especially as the forecast was good, that it would burn off,...
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