Waterfalls Walk, Swimming & Cricket

The driest Thorton Force we've ever seen!

We ended up having a really busy day today.  Not sure how - but it happened.  So it dawned another lovely and sunny day (what's new - we have got to the stage where we don't bother drawing the curtains in the morning anymore to see what sort of weather it is going to be.  We know it is going to be hot and sunny - it's like living in a foreign country!!!!!!)

All Sudz were here at 9am,  Matt had tooth ache and booked himself an emergency appointment in Settle so we were without the car.  Neither me nor Tom have done the waterfalls walk for a while (me because of my bad leg and Tom because he's always busy doing other stuff!) so we headed out.  We were out early enough for it not to be too busy and we marched our way round - there wasn't really that much to see - it hasn't rained for ages now and of course it has been hot too.

Picking up a tree?

The river bed was wider than usual and when we got to Thornton Force, it was the driest we have ever seen it - just a dribble going over rather than the usual pounding water.

We continued on round the trail - it was very hot and muggy so we were both quite sweaty as we headed round, and with no little waterfalls on the banks as we headed round, we didn't really get the chance to cool down.

We did the course in record time (Tom is so fit now).  On our way out we met a lady with a blind spaniel and we stopped for a chat.  Get this they relocated here from 'near Reading' in December - wanting to live somewhere nice with hills.  They have a girl in Reception and another toddler.  Once she said 'near Reading' my heart sank.  Where near Reading I ask...'Burfield' is the answer.  Phew!  I say I used to live in Wokingham, to which she says, "Oh, I used to teach in Wokingham in a school called St. Crispins",  so I immediately get the heebie jeebies as 'that school' still gives me the shivers!  She tells me that it is a really good school now, however, she said she was aware of it being bad, in fact she says 'I hear it used to be called Dustbins it was so bad'  Yes!  That is what we called it!!!!!!!!!!  I can't get my head around the fact 'that' school could possibly be good now?!!!!  Anyway we laughed, it is impossible to get away from your past isn't it - no matter how far you move away!!!!!!  However, she's enlightened and has escaped too, so figure she has to be OK and she was one of the first to book on the 2018 camp out, so must be OK.  She said she would like to get involved in the PTA as well which is good as we are desperate for new blood and new energy.

Tom and I headed home, I had a shower, we got Tom's swimming stuff ready and then we headed to the swimming pool.  We were determined to get in today, so we grabbed some sarnies from the Co-op and went to queue.  The queue was full of people who hadn't got in earlier in the week, lots of people from school, so there was plenty of people to chat to and Tom had lots of friends to play with.  I therefore spent a very pleasant afternoon in the pool chatting to people and sunning myself.

We got home, made a quick tea and then headed off to cricket - a match for Matt and All Stars for Tom.  I stayed with Tom and helped where needed and chatted with Alice for the rest of the time.  We then headed down to watch Matt in his match.  Didn't get Tom to bed until quite late.