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.
Readers Ramblings
What is your favourite walk? Where did you go this weekend? Can you recommend anywhere? Add a good guide book? It would be good to get some new ideas. There are so many places and so many reasons, why not share? Add yours to the comments below. Pictures too!
read moreRandom Reviews
I had a bit of a ‘melt the credit card’ session at the weekend. I really don’t do shops very much but the internet does tempt at times. My purchases were, not surprisingly, walking related. Three new OS maps, Yorkshire Dales OL2 and Howgill Fells OL19, both adjacent to my home map, then Nidderdale OS 298, a frequent weekend stop-over. To match the maps I bought some books. My blog has frequently referred to South Lakeland, which covers: the central fells, around Coniston Water and Windermere, the eastern fells and dales and the limestone...
read moreTroutbeck to Ambleside
Although it was wonderful to be out in the snow again, unfortunately the ‘mist’ filter was sat firmly across Cumbria. The cloud base was around about oak tree height so a broad well marked path was the best option – hence the Drove Road. Cicerone suggests starting in Troutbeck, walking the Drove Road and then finishing off over Wansfell. We began in Ambleside and did the hike up Wansfell first. Just as in my December post, it was a white out, but this time from the sky as well as on the ground. Living local and being able to walk the area...
read moreStaying Close to Home
Sometimes we miss the things on our door steps. Until the weekend I did not even know of a little lake called Hawes water, less than 5 miles from my home in Gait Barrow Nature Reserve. The watery light ensured were no great vistas and most of the wildlife heralded by Natural England was hidden away. Only the snow revealed the tell tale tracks of rabbit and deer. A lone woodpecker was just about the only sign of any wildlife at all. Lacking the range of a clear day makes me look for macro vision and brings to notice colours which may normally...
read moreCrinkle Crags
Days like this are a total affirmation of my ‘reasons to go north’. Any doubt that I may have had vanished with the anticipation of a good day on the hills, then when it materializes in to the sheer pleasure of snow, ice and isolation there is fulfilment. Even as I pulled the plastic cover off the car the -4 frost was sending tantalising contradictions to my senses. The sky was blue and the sun was shining and yet, how would the weather be in the mountains? Obligatory coffee at what is becoming a habitual meeting point in Willf’s meant we...
read moreBishop’s Castle
OS216 SO324886 The book titled this walk ‘Life and Death in Bishop’s Castle’. I am not certain why, must be something to do with the battles between the Welsh and English? We began in the quirky, colourful town of Bishop’s Castle. The little town is South West of Shrewsbury and, apparently the smallest town in the country, and has an eclectic collection of cottages painted from purple to yellow. The description of the walk, can be found here, but it’s rather clinical explanation does no justice to the countryside it covers. The most...
read moreWelsh Borders Walk and Offa’s Dyke
A literal change of scenery for my boots and I this weekend. I swapped my Lake District maps for those of Shropshire and Wales and joined some friends for a couple of days walking close to Shrewsbury. Having never been to the area before I had no idea what to expect and was surprised at the beauty of the scenery and the remoteness of the towns and villages. Offa’s Dyke is one of the most walked trails in the area and we followed it for about 4 miles from the delightful little town of Knighton. Knighton straddles the Anglo Welsh border,...
read moreWarm Weather Walking
With the wind and rain yet again upon me, I have found myself browsing through some pictures of somewhat warmer days. Florida is not somewhere you would usually associate with walking, but it is surprisingly easy to escape the crowds and return to a landscape pre Disney. Split Oak Park is a reserve only 15 miles from Orlando and incredible for the scenery of swamp and scrub. If you are lucky as I was, you will see birds, such as Sandhill Cranes, Spiders, toads and even armadillos. So if you do the Florida thing, take a rest from the theme...
read moreHockney is so right about light
Ever since Country File ran an interview with David Hockney about his recently started exhibition at the Royal Academy, I have been avidly reading and looking at, anything I can on the amazing images of his native Yorkshire Wolds, I am just seriously annoyed that I did not ‘get around’ to buying tickets last weekend as the first round have now sold out. Put myself on the email list and hope… About the exhibition Hockney says “The paradox of East Yorkshire, is that, though the landscape is essentially unchanging, its weather is very...
read moreJanuary Sunshine!
A walk planned a couple of weeks ago, when looking out from a rain beleaguered kitchen table, was to give myself, three friends and my dog, a long overdue shot of vitamin D and a day in the hills from which we did not wish to return. Setting off from Grasmere we walked up Far Easedale and Grasmere Common. Lulled into a false sense of an easy stroll along the valley, while going a little gaga at the site of the tops of mountains. After weeks of rain and drizzle we had to just ‘stand and stare’. From the valley there is a gentle but steady...
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