Tag Archives: Lakeland

The end of an era …?

Are we referring to a Duke and his driving?

No, there is a closure at the foot of this piece (don’t scroll down!), but first, after eight and a half years, it was time to ‘let Harry go’.  It was obviously a bit sad to see him leave, but he’s off to new adventures, or maybe not-so-new because the person who bought him intends to live in him while house-hunting in France!

 

Harry waits for the new owner to come and collect him.
Harry with Franky behind and Rachel’s little Pur-Pur as well.

And then, for the New Year, ‘in with the new’, a VW camper van with 5 seats and a ‘pop-top’. He’s been named ‘Barney’ after the man I bought him off, and he takes up a lot less space on the drive!

– I can open the garage without moving the van, which is an immediate benefit, but the challenge of downsizing all the gear which came out of Harry to what will fit in Barney is almost as great as the house move, which is still ongoing.  Franky is still with me, with a ‘for sale’ sign in his window, but I haven’t done any serious advertising yet. He hasn’t said much … maybe he’s sulking. Maybe the days of chatty vehicles are over ….

Between Harry’s departure and Barney’s arrival came Christmas and New Year. I think we had a really good Christmas. The family (Sharlston branch) arrived on Christmas Eve in time to decorate the tree

 

before the traditional pancake-fest. (Traditional? Well, it has been in our families since the late sixties, so I think that qualifies!)

 

Shannon’s not really that tall – she’s standing on the step-stool,
I like cooking with wine …

Suitable preparations were made for Santa Claus to visit – the essentials did indeed appear as if by magic, because I didn’t provide them!

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…  and on Christmas morning we all gathered in the living room at a fairly civilised 7.30 for Shannon to open the stocking’s contents.

 

 

Then they left me! Cinders in his scullery!

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No, they asked whether I would like to be left alone or whether I’d like one or more persons to stay and help. I chose the former and sent them off to their own church in Wakefield (it’s not that far away). Turkey was roasted, veg and trimmings prepared, yes, sprouts too at the last minute, none of this stewing them nonsense! and the table set festivicately:

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All in good time for everyone to have a good time!

But – what? no holly? There has to be a bit of green on the pudding ….

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(What I forgot, and no-one else noticed, is that after I’d had the garden cleared I’d planted a shrubbery down one side with a variegated holly bush at the centre!)

Then it was presents

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and on to the next event (which might become a tradition) – crumpets, cake, candles and crackers.

 

 

The next day, of course, was the Feast of Stephen (when Good King Wenceslas is supposed to have looked out) so Stephen-Keith prepared a feast, helped by Rachel.

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The family from Linthwaite had been invited to the Boxing Day Bash and Barbecue, which began with a walk to the playground just down the road, where some adults couldn’t keep off the children’s playthings.

 

 

Attempts to get the fire going on the patio were only partially successful, so we gave up on the idea that some items such as pigs in blankets might be cooked on top (there was either too much flame, or not enough!),

but folk had fun, and ate plenty.

There was another exchange of presents, some disco dancing and carols by candlelight, but the only pictures taken were videos and the screenshots I’ve made show faces which mustn’t be seen here.

Later, there was a hearty home-made cock-a-leekie soup for grown-ups, while small people chose more familiar tomato …..  what happened to Shannon’s portion will remain untold!

Family left on Thursday 27th, and after a few days on my own, I decided Cumbria was calling and found a bargain (I think) B & B for New Year’s Eve at the Scafell Hotel in Borrowdale. £75? I think that’s a bargain. I could have spent another £65 on the Gala Dinner-Dance, but I chose to eat in the adjacent bar, where I found agreeable company (from Yorkshire!) and was still able to enjoy the private fireworks display in the hotel garden after midnight.

New Year’s Day was beautifully sunny, and the only difficulty was driving into the sun  for most of the day. I began with the ‘far side’ of Derwentwater, then turned south past Thirlmere to the usual spot between Grasmere and Rydal Water. No question of not going whiffling through the Tulgey Wood (OK – wandering down through Penny Rock Wood if you’re not into ‘Jabberwocky’) to spend a few moments in meditative remembrance at the lakeside. No new photos; I have so many, but these may not have been used before and are suitably seasonal:

 

 

Two days later Rachel and I took Shannon to visit Florence (Kirkby) in Newcastle. We had a nice lunch (though I say it – I prepared it the day before) and I showed F. photos of 141, my August Adventure, and our Christmas. Before we left, Shannon sang some of her Christmas concert items. Now for the sting in the tail ….

Less than a week later, we learned that Florence had died in hospital, after several falls in the last few days. I’m so glad we made that visit …

miss florence kirkby mbe

 Florence Kirkby MBE  1921 – 2019

A life-long friend.

R.I.P.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mainly Memories …

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More about Grasmere later. But first, Franky!

Yes, Boss?

You’ve been in trouble.

‘Ave I?

Well, I have, thanks to you.

What, me clutch and that?

‘That’ being your flywheel, aye.

Aye, well. It were them slow drives to Leeds to get you better – jiggered me clutch an all. At least you realised it were wrong, like, before we ‘ad a total breakdown.

Yes, and I had a nice new ‘Cactus’ as a courtesy car from the Citroën dealer, but you cost me a lot of money I didn’t really have.

Sos, like. Weren’t my fault.

Hmmm. …..  He’s right, some of the drives to Leeds were very slow and crawly. But one of the amazing features of the Bexley Wing at St. James’ Hospital (the cancer centre) is the hotel on the 7th floor. This is free to patients, and is a splendid facility – no breakfast available up there, but there is on the ground floor, though I didn’t want it the twice I stayed there, because the reason for staying was the very early appointment the next morning. The views from the rooms are remarkable:

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though on the first occasion I couldn’t find how to raise the venetian blinds, which were between the layers of the double glazing, so taking photos was tricky.

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On the second occasion my room was on the other side of the building – and no blinds!

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But the important thing is that the treatment is over, and apparently successful –

No more daily trips to and from Leeds, then? Well, I’m glad of that!

You and me both, Franky, lad. I think all readers of this will already know about the bell ringing ceremony on completion of treatment:

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After lunch together at the Golcar Lily, Chris had another commitment that afternoon, but after dropping him off at 730, Manchester Road, Rachel and I went the short distance to ‘Rudi’s’ and indulged in a celebratory helping of ‘Kaffee und Kuchen’. We should really have had one portion between us! …

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Er, no – that wasn’t the whole portion, but just one slice of that 6-tiered monster was too much!

Leaving Manchester aside for a moment, the next family event was school sports day for Chris’s two, a joint event where their school, Wellhouse, join with another, Clough Head, and compete, not school against school, but jointly in their houses, Earth, Fire, Air and Water. Grandad’s taxi –

Is that me?

Aye, it is an’ all. – was very useful in getting the children up the hill in the morning, after which Chris and I had breakfast, then we went back for the sports in the afternoon and took them back home afterwards. Having been reluctant to take part in previous years, S & N were both keen participants, S. being part of a winning relay team, and coming second in his year’s ‘cross country’ race (i.e. twice round the field). Their House, Fire, was second overall, and it was a really enjoyable occasion, helped, of course, by fine weather, good, but relaxed organisation, and a good-humoured competitive spirit. Can you imagine a better setting for such an event – surrounded by fields and hills? –

 

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Well, that was Wednesday, 24th May, less than 48 hours after the awful event in Manchester. I felt I had to go, perhaps because, as a teenager in the early sixties, I spent many an evening in Manchester – back then, if you wanted to see the big films soon after they were released, you had to go to the cities; it could take months for them to reach a town like Accrington. And although I wasn’t into clubs or concerts (weird!) I was into G & S, so whenever the D’Oyly Carte were at the Opera House several visits were a must, some with parents, others alone or with friends. The greatest danger, as far as I can remember, was the risk of misjudging crossing the road (one-way streets in big cities could be confusing to a former Essex boy brought up with the ‘kerb drill’.) So taking a few red and white roses from Yorkshire to Lancashire, I took the tram from Oldham and tried to find St. Anne’s Square. I don’t think I was given best advice as to how to get round the closure of part of the line, but at Piccadilly, some nice officials told me I didn’t need a ticket for the next ride saying, with a nod to the roses, ‘you’re here for the right reason’. But I still had a long walk, and the unrepaired hip didn’t like it!

Eventually arriving at the ‘Church’ end of the square, I had to find a way through the mass of world-wide media to get to the tributes. But no-one minded, in fact someone asked if I wanted to get through and made space for me.

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Most people had approached from the other side, where there were fewer cameras and vans:

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The candle – in the little ramekin dish – was burning when I left it –

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and I hope one or two folk read my three quotations before my card got buried:

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Remembrance of a different kind at the weekend. I’m a bit reluctant to admit that I got the date wrong! I’d made plans to be in Grasmere on the 28th, but, of course, it should have been the 27th! However, in the event, it turned out to be a happy error, since the 27th was very wet, and I probably wouldn’t have got to the lakeside at all. The 28th was sunny, but not too hot, and very busy, so I made several ‘passes’, hoping to find parking near the lake, and it was late afternoon before I did. But we’d driven past Thirlmere and down St. John’s, as well as back to Ambleside for an Ice Cream at Hayes.

So that’s why we kept gannin up and down same bit o’ road – tha wor lookin for a space to park.

I wor. Yes, I was. Then it was down to the ‘special’ bit of beach:

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But ‘funny’ things began to happen; arriving at the beach, there was a fork lying beside the water’s edge. Why ‘funny’? Well, one day, years back, when walking up Mosedale with Hilde and family, Carol spotted a fork in the grass at the side of the road. Being Carol, of course, she picked it up and took it home. So what did  I do with this one? Brought it home, of course …

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I’d heard a piece on radio about the properties of the herb rosemary. Apparently, scientists are finding that there is some evidence for the folklore (mentioned in Shakespeare) that rosemary is ‘for remembrance’. I have some rosemary  on my doorstep, so I thought I’d bring a sprig. Then I thought I’d lost it, so I bought some more at Morrison’s in Kendal (I was staying at an excellent Guest House in Oxenholme – The Glen – highly recommended.) Then I found the original bit:

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So I floated them on the water – ‘for remembrance’:

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I settled down to do a puzzle, choosing a variation of sudoku – the idoku which Carol used to do as her special one – and at the left hand side of the puzzle page in the ‘i’ there’s the ‘Daily Recipe’; that day’s recipe just happened to be ‘Krema Kataluna’, a type of Crème Brulée which is on the desert menu of most restaurants in Languedoc – especially those areas nearest the Spanish border …. funny that.

Falling off my chair wasn’t funny! Just trying to get comfortable, using my fleecy jacket as a cushion, I leaned a little too far to the left, and over we went! I landed on the repaired hip, and for a moment, I thought I was in trouble … but it seems there’s no harm done.

The beach under Loughrigg Fell has memories, too: when Rachel was little, maybe 9 or 10, we were picnicking there and a seagull came and stole her sandwich out of her hand! She let out a very irritated ‘Hey!’

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This is the path back to Franky: you’ve seen it before, nicknamed the ‘Tulgey Wood” (It is very tulgey.) It’s taken me years to remember its real name: Penny Rock Wood. But you wouldn’t get a Jabberwock whiffling through Penny Rock Wood, would you? Naa …

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Monday was wet n ‘orrible, weather-wise, but remembering the family adage that ‘the Lake District has a character of it’s own in the rain’, and after the excellent breakfast provided at The Glen, we set off up Kirkstone Pass, down past Brotherswater and through Patterdale and Glenridding – where the work is still ongoing following the floods of December 2015 / January 2016 – past Ullswater, and over the ‘temporary’ bridge at Pooley. Still ‘remembering’, and taking the scenic route, we went over Celleron and down to Askham, then to Helton, and paused to take a through-the-window photo of the spot at Helton where, after a picnic with Philip and Family, Rachel, Chris and I set off on the ‘Keswick Chips’ of all Lakeland walks – the one compared with which all other walks would have some redeeming features. But there was – as we kept telling each other during five miles of trudging through the heather – a great view of Ullswater when we got to the top of Loadpot Hill.

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The scenic drive was completed by driving up through Rosgill to Shap, where we joined the motorway. The weather didn’t improve, and there was the added challenge of fog, or low cloud as we crossed the Pennines, and more as we came over from Marsden to Meltham.

Well done, Franky – but don’t let’s be having any more big repair bills.

He’s gonna go on about that for ever …. weren’t my fault …

A birthday, two returns to Grasmere and one to Coniston.

…and some traumatic dentistry ….

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July 15th was Shannon’s 3rd birthday, and there was a party the next day, being Saturday. A week earlier, however, I’d had all remaining bottom teeth extracted (only six!) and that has had a profound effect on just about everything ever since, as anyone who has had a similar experience might understand. Not to go in to too much detail, I’ve had considerable difficulty adjusting to the new dentures, and enjoyment of meals is very much reduced for now.

Is that why you don’t cook like you used to?

Yes, Harry, exactly, – it is. But never mind, it’s getting better, bit by bit.

Bite by bite?

No, that’s not what I said!

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Anyway, there’s another picture of birthday girl during her party.

On July 18th I had a further consultation with my “Hippy Man” (orthopedic consultant) and having received a communication from the oncologist, saying that she was happy for at least one hip replacement to go ahead before the cancer treatment, he agreed to proceed with that, hopefully sometime in September.

July 30th. Franky?

What? Oh, aye – that really slow trip up tut Lake District! That were a bad un!

Yes, it was, but we met with Chris and family in Bowness and they asked the staff at the pub they’d chosen about where an old man with reduced mobility but no blue badge might park, an they said to drive up to the bollards right outside, in spite of the double yellows and it would be OK. And it was. We had a good lunch, and I managed jacket potato with baked beans – but had to ‘lose’ the teeth part way through! Then we got lucky in finding a roadside space not far from the boat moorings so that we all enjoyed a cruise round the islands of Bowness Bay.

 

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After the cruise we went on to Grasmere – Helm Grag is in the centre of the photo, with the ‘lion’ clearly visible, but not the ‘lamb’ from this angle – and made our way down to the lakeside, though not by the ‘usual’ route because the lay-by was fully occupied. Chris and family then left for a tea-time visit to friends in Kendal, and Franky and I moved on to to Grasmere village where I was staying at the Red Lion. Last time I was there they were in the middle of renovations, and had offered me a free B & B for one night to compensate, so I was taking avantage of that. This time my room was at the front of the building with Dollywagon Pike (centre left overlooking the village) in the view: DSCN3610

Parking were difficult in Grasmere, weren’t it?

It were, aye. – It was, yes. No chance to park within or near the hotel grounds, so I had to leave you on the far side of the green. (The green is just visible above the red car in the photo.)

It were OK – I were bothered for thee and tekkin luggage across t’green.

I didn’t have much. I was disappointed by the reaction of the receptionist when I explained about my eating problem. He said he was sure I could find something suitable on the menu. Well, I couldn’t – not at a price I wanted to pay, anyway. So I made do with what I’d brought with me – a hard boiled egg and some potatoes and mayonaise. Breakfast was better – I was able to choose suitable items from the ‘full English’.

July 31st: I brought Franky round to the hotel car park to pick up the luggage,

Then we had a reet good drive round yon lake –

Thirlmere

Aye, up one side, and back down t’other.

Yes – Helvellyn is still scarred where the torrents came down and destroyed the road, but the views of Thirlmere are so much better than they used to be – they’re reducing the forest and replacing with more ‘natural’ species.

I had some soup at the Grasmere garden centre, and having left my folding chair in Harry, went on to Hayes in Ambleside to buy another, better, one, and doubling back to Grasmere to sit by the lake for a while. No photos – they’d look the same as previous ones!

The M6 was slow again on the way home, so I thought I’d drive the Trough of Bowland instead. I was following signs OK, but I must have missed one, and found I was back on the A6 and re-joining the motorway! But it was flowing better south of Lancaster, so we got home OK.

First week of August included a return to the dentist, who agreed there was a problem with the lower denture. She said the socket which had been infected was going to be a ‘slow healer’, but she filed the plate down a bit, which has made it a bit better. I also got a British MoT for Harry – not easy with his French plates, as they couldn’t find him ‘on the system’ until they entered his former (UK) registration. So they had to put UK plates on him, which I took off again when I got home! I’ve completed the paperwork to re-import him (with Rachel’s help), but it’s not straightforward. European standardisation, eh? I can’t insure him in the UK as I haven’t lived here for 12 months! Never mind the previous 67 years!! I picked up some new specs from Specsavers, too.

So Harry?

Ja?

Want to do a bit? – your fan club have been asking to hear from you – all one of ’em.

Dass ist aber nett! How nice! What can I say? You packed me up very slowly over several days and set off for Coniston on Monday –

8th August –

Ja, richtig – When we got to the Caravan Club site there were already Rachel with husband, daughter and stepdaughters. With also their Wohnwagen.

Caravan.

So you call it. They have reserved us a pitch nearby. So  – you park me up, and don’t move me for a week. Well, at least it wasn’t two months. And it wasn’t cooking hot*. In fact it was raining.

Not all the time!

Mostly.

Yes, well that’s Cumbria in August. You’re allowed one fine day per week. I was there six days, and I missed it. I decided to hire a car, if only to get around the camp site, but that meant getting to Kendal, and although the hire firm came for me, it still took out most of the day on Wednesday.

It was easier with Sally.

I know …..

On Thursday – the wettest day of the week – I drove over Wrynose and Hard Knott passes, taking Rachel’s friend Jane with me (and a little deaf dog). She was camped on the neighbouring site, Coniston Hall, which is where, many years ago, the whole camping / campervanning / motorhoming adventure began. Imagine! Me and a little 8 year old girl in a tiny 2-person ridge tent and a Citroën Dyane! Someone would call the police these days!

Anyway, there were no views on that outing, but the cascades were magnificent! We did Hard Knott both ways, with lunch (more soup!) at Dalegarth Station, but didn’t come back over Wrynose, choosing to follow the Duddon valley instead. Lots of white water.

Next day I took the family for a ride on the Lakeside and Haverthwaite Railway to visit the Aquarium at Lakeside – that is, they provided the transport and I treated them to the ride and the visit.

Shannon seemed to enjoy the train rides:

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Engine ‘Victor’ runs round the train to connect at the other end:DSCN3612

While steamship ‘Tern’ approaches to make the connection:

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Shanon watches, and Mummy photos ‘Victor’ bringing the train in to take us back:

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On Saturday I took the hired car back to Kendal (do American firms really close at 12 noon on Saturday till 9am Monday morning? Or is all that TV advertising just ‘Enterprising’ propaganda?), then used my bus pass to get a 555 to Grasmere to meet the family there. I tried to take some photos from the bus of views we can’t get from a car. Top deck would have been better, of course, and open-top on a fine day better still, but I wasn’t up for the stairs! Here are the Langdale Pikes across Windermere:

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I wanted to be in Grasmere that day – it was Carol’s birthday. Again, the garden centre was the most convenient place to park for lunch, but the soup didn’t appeal, so I managed a piece of fish, without chips. Thanks for that, family.

The weather wasn’t ideal, but we got down to the lake side – with more than usual difficulty in my case, and finding ‘my’ beaches occupied by fisher folk, we moved on to the spot where we had set up a base on July 9th last year, which was not inappropriate.

Shannon and Mummy do a ‘paddle dance’ while half-sister Becky prepares for another plunge into deeper water. (She stayed in for an hour!) I sat and watched, not feeling on top form  …..

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I’ve had a mild form of tinnitus for some time, but on Saturday morning something seemed to ‘move’ in my left ear with a sort of ‘twang’ which hurt a bit. That and discomfort from the teeth was partly why I just sat by the lake with my hood up. Since then, I’ve had ‘total face-ache’ on the left side affecting teeth, nose, ear, temple, eye and head. Also today, Tuesday, the symptoms of migraine. I’ve taken all the pain killers I can lay my hands on (I would have taken some of Carol’s left-over morphine if I had any here, but I haven’t, as far as I know, which is perhaps just as well.), so I saw a doctor at the local practice yesterday and he agreed with my suggestion that it was probably neuralgia. He added amitriptyline to the medicines I’m already taking, but it could take up to two weeks to take effect!

Anyway, I got Harry packed up on Sunday morning and completed the job by doing the ‘waterworks’ with Rachel and Sean’s help. The drive home was striaghtforward and uneventful, but I didn’t want to go on to Wakefield to park Harry up and bring Franky back. And I haven’t wanted to do that yesterday or today, either. Tomorrow I have a pre-op appointment at the hospital (though no date for an op yet!) and Chris is planning to join me afterwards to get the job done.

So – you plan to leave me bei Rachel again?

Yes – but you’re very useful there. You provide me with a bedroom without going upstairs. And there’s electricity for you, which I can’t provide here.

As you would say, M’sieur: hmmm ….

*Harry is remembering our time at Puivert in 2012, when we were on the one site for two months, two weeks and two days and he only moved once! And it was baking hot!