As mentioned we are now in Hartsop, an unusual little hamlet at the northern foot of Kirkstone Pass in the Lake district. We have been here before with our friends, Marilyn and Roger Sheridan, and had, on that occasion, driven to the top and had a wee drink at the pub which is up there. Well now it is our main route in and out of our cottage, although we can go North and thus avoid it, but that is not often the direction of our desire. I mentioned recently, I think, about the driving here in Britain. Well one thing that I forgot to say was that when turning into one of the wider streets, that's one with the little dotted line down the middle, you are just as likely to be confronted with a line of parked cars on your side....all facing you. It is about now you wonder "is this a one way street????" as you negotiate the one available lane on the right hand side, but no, they can park facing either direction, it doesn't matter. But getting back to Kirkstone Pass, our main route out. We have been over it daily since our arrival and until today, much to Mrs Currin's relief, the alternate route down the southern side has been closed for maintenance. All that changed today and so it was that we pulled off the main Kirkstone Pass Road onto "The Struggles". Now The Struggles is just like the main road but smaller, narrower and windier, but takes in some excellent scenery along it's way and was all completed without damage or divorce. The lady who owns the cottage that we are in is a botanist by profession and belongs to a horticultural group which own a garden that is open to the public and it is not far beyond the end of The Struggles Road and so became our first visit of the day. The rhododendrons are now coming into bloom and as this is a Himalayan themed garden, it was full of colour so well worth the visit. This lady is in her eighties and proudly showed me, yesterday, the work she was doing ("I'm an Apple person you know") on her Mac for the garden. She is producing the pamphlet for it and very professional it looks too. "A lot of members offered me photos that they thought would be nice, but they lack depth of focus, so I always do my own photography." I just think it amazing that this eighty something year old can do this. Her husband was a geologist and together they had travelled to New Zealand as part of a geology tour, staying on after the others had left to walk Abel Tasman.  Hartsop Moving on from roads leads us to another little idiosyncrasy one finds in these Isles....Public Footpaths. Now, as one drives along the little country lanes, nay any road, a small gap in the hedge or wall will almost always be accompanied by a sign proclaiming it to be a "Public Footpath" an there must be millions of these and they must go for countless millions of miles. The Public Footpath, in turn, brings us to the Rambler, the British Hiker or Tramper and there are more of these than there are people in Britain, or so it would seem. They are everywhere and they wear a sort off uniform, or at least they all look the same. The Lake District is jam packed with shops catering to their every whim. We have been amazed to see them out in their droves in what can only be described as very a poor conditions. I can only imagine what it must be like come a nice warm bank holiday weekend. Now these footpaths have been the subject of many a comedy sketch on TV, but it's all TRUE...they can literally go anywhere, and so long as it's on the ordinance survey map then Ramblers may ramble to their hearts content. I, myself, took to one of these footpaths (there are many of them radiating from the village) the other morning (one just went by our front gate, a rambler that is) and it is quite disconcerting to find ones self walking through the middle of a farmyard, house to one side sheds to the other, neither more than a few feet away. I finally came to a point that I figured maybe I had taken a wrong turn as I was headed through these peoples garden by their front door had I gone through the gate, so I turned around and headed back home before starting an international incident. Mrs Clark (Our Landlady) tells me no, I was perfectly entitled to have gone there and produced the Ordinance Survey Map to prove it.  One of the many mountain streams which tumble down by the footpath. The walk, had I completed it, would have taken me into the nearest village with a shop and it had been my intention to get Mrs Currin her copy of the Times to which she has become very fond. I have decided to lump the Lake district into one as there is a lot of to-ing and fro-ing, much of which overlaps. It is the most popular of holiday destinations in England and it is no wonder with it's mix of beautiful lakes combined with some of Britain's best mountain country. Yesterday we went on a road trip, culminating in a drive over Honister Pass, one of Britain's highest at 1700 ft and steepest with gradients of up to 25%. It is quite spectacular and was a great way to end a day on which the temperature had struggled from 3 at 120 am to a high of 10 at 3 pm. Wind chill and all that made it close to absolute zero I am sure.  Honister Pass  All in all a pretty rugged sort of place At least this road had neither stone wall nor hedge to impede our view. We had not been home long when the weather closed in and we were unable to see the view of mountain and waterfall to which we had become used from the cottage window. The sky cleared some 15-20 minutes later and our green mountain was now white, it happens that quickly. Heaven help any Rambler still out there. They have a very good mountain rescue service here, a very good idea. At the top of Honister Pass is Britain's only remaining working slate mine which naturally comes complete with gift shop etc. We have not been to a castle for a day or two now so decided to take one in. Sizergh Castle seemed to fit the bill. This castle has been the family home of the Strickland family since the 1200s and is Britain's "longest inhabited by the same family castle". You never hear about the shortest or the poorest. Anyway, the Stricklands it would seem have done their bit for king (and queen too I guess) and country over the years, having fought in most battles including Agincourt and both world wars, indeed, proudly on display is a fragment of James II bloodstained shirt, a memento of one such battle along with small locks of hair from James' two wives.  Sizergh Castle We also visited Lancaster and Morecambe, which boasts a statue of Eric Morecambe, how sad is that. Of more interest was this. The temperature as noted before was approaching absolute zero and yet out in the bay were a couple of kite surfers., they put on a brilliant display, but hey guys, have you not noticed the cold.  Kite Surfing at Morecambe  Lancaster Aqueduct (yes I still think they are neat) crossing the Lune River Throughout the Lake District are many fine villages, although they can be a bit touristy and very busy, and these can be full of interesting bits and pieces as this has been the home to many of the great poets and writers, including Wordsworth, Coleridge and Beatrix Potter. We went to the Beatrix Potter centre today where Peter Rabbit, Benjamin Bunny and Jemima Puddle Duck are all brought to life in a 3D display...oh to be a child again. Beatrix is thankful not to have been sent away to school as her brothers had as she feels this may have stifled her imagination, Anyway she has left an invaluable legacy for children forever and ever. Also, at Backbarrow is a motor museum, with a special display on Donald Campbell. It was during my first visit to Britain, that in January 1967, I remember watching a live broadcast of Campbell's attempt at the world water speed record when his boat did a reverse somersault and Campbell was killed. This boat is now in the museum. Of more direct concern to me was the fact that this museum also held examples of cars which I have owned from time to time, and I don't mean vintage doer uppers, no these were my regular cars. Hmmmp! Yes and don't you laugh Steve Callander, the Ford Pop. was there...black too.  Donald Campbell's K7 in which he was killed 1967  Motor Museum Backbarrow  All in all a pretty good museum One of the more amusing things one sights along the way around here are the sheep. They are of all colours and their fleece looks as though the Velcro which should be fastening it has pretty much given up the ghost.  The sheep all look like they are having a bad hair day  England's Green and Pleasant Land  View from our Cottage  Going down Kirkstone Pass to Hartsop  Rather a nice garden. This is not the end, there will be more you poor things. Take care David |
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