Return of The Lakeland Meanderer

He we go!!!!! Lovely day today, sunshine and warm as indicated earlier. Went to the Loweswater show, a really good, small country show. All the usual traditional craft tents and such like along with various animal classes. Must have been 20 or more sheep classes, gun dogs and hounds hounds. Various horse classes but oddly no cows or pigs. They also had the obligatory Fell Races, which for those who don't know what they are I will expand. Basically a load of idiots run up a hillside and back down again. In order to enter the fell race I think it is preferable to have the brain removed!!!! These guys, and some women are absolutely mental. The course was just a bit short of 3 miles and the winner did it just over 20 minutes. I reckon it took him 15 minutes to get to the top and 6 or 7 to get down. Going up the top ones make it look so easy and coming down they just go hell for leather though gorse and bracken leaping distances of 15 to 20 feet or more an a descent that is probably 45 degrees, and steeper in parts. The winner showing definite signs of serious contact with the undergrowth or a barbed wire fence!!! But was soon patched up . And on top of all that he looked as he had been for a walk in the park ! ! ! Hope to get round to get to sorting some photos later. Did have one minor near disaster, Anne was bitten by a mosquito of some sort. Doctor was a waste of time.....but the show Vet said the Mosquito will live ! ! ! So that took the worry away. Stayed til about 4.15 and then made our way home via Honister Pass (bet you expected that Vince!!) albiet not as enjoyable as it should have been cos we had a Landrover in front of us which was a bit disappointing, but it did give me chance to take a look at the dramatic countryside surrounding the pass. Then through Borrowdale to Keswick and back to Ambleside. Didn't come straight to the cottage, went to the Wateredge Inn down by the lake and had a couple of beers. Finally got back and spent 15 minutes talking to an old boy and his wife who live in the courtyard that we have got to know over the last few years. He still lives in the house he was born in and he must be nearly 70!!! He's writing a book about his life and recollections in Ambleside so we have already ordered our signed copy. He expects it should be finished early next year so we might get our copy next June/July. Needless to say I have offered my photographic services if he wants some pictures for the cover etc. It has just started to rain but the weathergirl earlier said the we might only have a shower or two tomorrow so that is good news. If it is a reasonable day hoping to take a boat trip 3/4 the way round Ullswater. Start at Glenridding, upto Pooley Bridge (where we had rain you may remember in July) then down to Howtown. Get off there and walk back to Glenridding along the lake sore, about 5-6 miles. So really would like a nice day. Well, that'll do for today's prattling on. Gonna look see if I have any piccies worth uploading later in the week with any luck.

No need to be perplexed Vince I was referring to wall space for the pic of the boat????

Rain all night follwed today by rain, sun, showers, rain, sun, rain,rain, sun, rain.......you get the picture!!!! So a shopping day for Anne was on the cards! She said she needed a couple of new fleeces and a winter jacket. Packed some sandwiches and bits and pieces and set off north to Keswick, lovely little town, even in the rain. Spent a couple of hours but nothing she liked. Headed across towards Penrith then down the side of Ullswater. Stopped by the lake for half an hour, in the rain, had our sandwiches, took a few photos (of the rain) and carried on to Bowness, via Kirkstone Pass. Even in the rain it's a great drive. Stunning scenery and a thoroughly enjoyable road. 2 hours in Bowness and managed to find a fleece that she liked. Headed back to Ambleside, surpringly in the rain, parked the car amazingly in sunshine. Came out of the cottage 10 minutes later to try the shops in Ambleside and low and behold it was raining yet again..... At least she did find a few things that she liked so it was a worthwhile exercise. Somehow managed to call into one of our favourite pubs for a couple of beers. had a chat about typical English topics...the weather and what's for tea. Decided on bacon, eggs and chips, nut ended up getting fish and chips on the way back from the pub. Much better idea....no washing up. Not sure what tomorrow is gonna be like yet so haven't a clue what we are gonna do yet. Wait and see what the morning brings I suppose. Might get round to posting some pics if I get chance tomorrow.

Yet another washout!!! Only rained twice today...Midnight to midday and midday to know and still raining. Should have been dryer in the southern parts of the lakes but ofcourse we went North.... Up from Ambleside via 'The Struggle' a great bit of road which goes upto the Kirkstone Inn at the summit of the Kirkstone Pass. A very steady run down the pass, behind a taxi of all vehicles, in fact for a taxi I would say it was very slow. Dodging running, and standing, water all the way down, but still enjoyable, for me anyway, not so sure about Anne!! Went to Glenridding to catch the boat upto Pooley Bridge with the intention of getting off at Howtown on the way back and walking 7 miles round the bottom end of the lake back to Glenridding. This idea was based on a web based weather map which showed an alleged spell of good weather.....LIARS!!!!! We had paid our £11 each for the trip to Pooley Bridge and down to Howtown. The full round trip price is £12.70. However common sense prevailed and we asked the ticket man if we could pay whatever the extra was to stay on back to Pooley Bridge.......'No problem' he said, very quickly followed by a very jovial 'Wimps' to which my reposte was 'Yes, but sensible wimps' to which he just laughed. Anyway they forgot to ask us for any more money so we won that one. Maybe just took pity on us.... On arrival back at Glenriddingg we fully intended to take a little walk into the village but by the time we have offloaded rucksacks etc into the car it was p***ing down again so we we set off for Ambleside. Got stuck behind a coach on the road towards the the Kirkstone Pass which was brassing me off cos no way did i want to be in 1st gear all the way up thast behind a bus. Was just about to pull over for 10 minutes when the bus driver very graciously had the same idea . . . . so we had a good run at the pass and a thoroughly good enjoyable run it was too. Turned off at the top to go down The Struggle and surprisingly Anne noticed before me that the road was quite dry, they had not had anything like the rain we had experienced up and down the lake. Thoight this is good we'll park the car, have a quick coffee and than have a little walk throught the park, along the River Rothay and up into the town. And what do you think happened next........If you said it rained you are almost right......it absolutely heaved down!!!! So that was bisically the end of yet another wonderful day in the Lakes. But at the end of the day we are somewhere we really like and in the last 4 years, about 11 or 12 visits, this is the worst we have had, so we can't really grumble can we. Haven't a clue what will happen tomorrow apart from  more rain, so will wait til the morning and decide when we get up. Still not sorted any photos so might have to wait till I get home home and do them properly, unless the rain is so bad we stay in.....

Just read all your meanderings Dave, been rather busy myself these last few days, looks like you had a great time, doesn't matter about the weather, the thing is you have had a break

Absolutely Karen. The place is more important, so easy to relax and take it easy. Although decent weather would not go amiss

Wet start to the day, looks a wet middle and possible a wet end as well so could be drive to Kendal or Lancaster today. Unfortunately also looks like the Westmoreland Show will be no go tomorrow. Car parking in fields doesn't really appeal after this much rain. no pouint paying £12 or £13 pounds for the pleasure of getting bogged down, plus it will probably rain anyway.....

Never been there Dave, but you sure make me want to go have a look, despite the few trauma's here and there that you endured.

Thanks for that Patrick. We have done this one before but well worth a thought for this weather.