Easter Weekend

Putting up the tent

WOW what an Easter weekend.  It reached over 20 degrees every day with clear blue skies.  Summer wardrobe is out, but the woolly hats and gloves are still in reach just in case...

Friday - we decided a quiet day would be good as we were all aching a little after Thursday's exertions.

Camping

Matt and Tom were on scenery duties for Tom's model railway - Matt had got hold of some images to use as scenery to go around the model railway and a huge piece of plywood.  Today he sawed the wood into the right sizes and pasted them on.  Leaving them in the sun to dry.

We headed to Inglesport for lunch and spent the rest of the day faffing around.  Tom and Matt put up Tom's new tent.  The instructions said it would take 5 minutes - it took them 45!  Oh hum.  I was on laundry duty and did 3 loads as it was so sunny.   We then played some cricket over on the astro turf.  Matt was on the bar at Sheafstock at 5pm - so he headed over there.  Matt and I joined him later on.  We had a burger each over there.  Tom was off playing with the other kids and we chatted to whoever was there, there were loads of people we knew there - this is, I think the biggest event Ingleton has - and the amazing sunshine brought even more people out - so much so that the bbq ran out of food quite early and the bar too - they were on record takings on Friday at 7.30 - the bar didn't close till until 11!  A good time had by all - we only left because the last band of the night were a bit screechy and as they were called Sex Shop Ram Raid we figured it might get a bit fruity!

As Tom had put his tent up, he said we wanted to sleep in it over night.  He gave it a go, but came in twice - once saying he was worried he would get kidnapped and another saying he felt it wasn't quite right - so we tucked him up in bed.  Was a good try though.

Saturday - Matt and Tom had been invited by Pete and the boys for a bike ride up near Ribblehead.  They jumped at the chance.  Pete is very very fit, and has lived around here all his life and therefore knows a lot more routes than us.  He is also an early riser - so we had to get up early to make sure we had enough time to have breakfast and pack up the bikes by 9am - luckily we are punctual as they turned up 10 mins early.  I wasn't invited.

OVER TO MATT...

Tom and Harry on the Cam High Road

Yes, taking up an invitation from a (super fit) friend, we strapped our bikes to the car and parked up near Gearstones on the Ingleton-Hawes road. The first 1.5 miles or so of the bike ride was up the main road, which was less unpleasant than I'd imagined thanks to smooth tarmac, nice weather and very light traffic. Just near Newby Head, we turned east onto the Pennine Bridleway, and headed up up up on a rocky twisty path. Tom and Harry (who have identical bikes) cleared off into the distance (fit as fiddles, both of them), while Pete and I (and Charlie) brought up the rear while having a good chat.

All 5 of us

The weather was just perfect, and the views up up there, at nearly 2000 feet, are just stunning - the Dales at their absolute best. After 3 miles or so, we reached Cam High Road, an ancient drovers' road, which is beautiful smooth tarmac, so we bombed along to Dodd Fell, where we refuelled ourselves and headed back down to Gearstones along a logging trail. All in all, we did about 11 miles, and it was fabulous. As Nik mentioned, Pete knows this area as well as anyone, and that circular route was tremendous. We'll definitely be back. Might even drag Nik up there.

Near the top of the bridleway

I was beginning to get worried about them as they were gone so long, but having heard about their adventure and how many hills were involved, I'm quite glad I didn't go, think I would have got left behind.  Anyway I put the time by myself to good use: I weeded the front and back gardens and driveway, cleared up the back garden and did yet more laundry.

Once they were back they had showers and then we went to Bernies for lunch.  Then back home for a couple of hours to finish up the garden and then we cleared out and vacuumed the garage - yes vacuumed the garage!!!!!!  All of that manual labour worked up a thirst...where could we go....oh, yes Sheafstock!  Off we went and we found lots and lots of people we knew there.

It was another good night.  Tom went off and played Frisbee in the Community Field with some friends, whilst we stayed and listened to the music and chatted with friends.  Alice was singing with the Flaming Noras again so we stayed to watch her, Tom came to us absolutely shattered at 9.30 and basically asked us to go home, so we did.  He wanted to try to sleep in the tent again - and this time he was so tired he was asleep in minutes and stayed outside for the whole night - well done him!

The Flaming Noras

Sunday - another quiet day to recover from yesterday's exertions and late night.  We had a nice long lie in (we were treated to Tom's singing coming from the tent underneath our room - he was singing along to The Lancashire Hot Pots and The Perfect Pint).  He didn't come in until 8.30.

Eye on the ball at Barbondale

After yet more laundry we headed off to Hawes to purchase some cheese (Hawes was surprisingly quiet considering it was Bank Holiday - no problem finding parking at all - Ingleton on the other hand has been absolutely rammed with cars.  We did a quick circuit of the town - I bought some sandals and Matt a cool new shirt, then lunch at the creamery before the boys showed me the Cam High Road where they cycled yesterday.  Very very scenic and quite lumpy - glad I didn't go, especially as superfit Pete was there!

We then went to Barbondale for a dip in the river there before heading back home and one last visit to Sheafstock - well it would have been rude not to!  Lots more friends there again!  This time we came back home for tea - couldn't face another burger as good as they are!  Tom then slept outside in the tent again.

Monday - we had a quiet morning.  Matt and Tom fixed the new railway scenery to the model railway - looks good.  I did some cake admin, then we went out to Goat Gap for a spot of lunch, well I had a spot of lunch, Tom had a massive wedge of sausage roll and chips and Matt a bowl of bean and chorizo stew.

Messing about on the river

Ali and Tom

The afternoon was spent with the lovely Bickerstaffs down at the river in Burton.  Was a lovely afternoon - not been there before.  The river is deep here, meaning you can swim if you wish.  The Bickerstaffs bought a dinghy with them and we took Ali with us.  The boys got on really well and all 3 ended up completely immersed - brave souls!  I had my swimsuit but only my toes got wet - way too cold for me!  Whilst the kids played the adults sat, relaxed and chatted.  All very civilised and super chilled.  We very much enjoyed ourselves.

Got home, made a curry for tea and vegged.  The weather has turned a little bit - windy and therefore a bit cooler.  Tom was insistent that he wanted to sleep outside again.  This the boy who hates the wind?!!!  It was whistling around the garden.  I didn't really want him to sleep outside, but figured it was up to him.  We didn't have to wait for long, within half an hour of tucking him in, he came in saying "I regret going outside".  I was relieved and happily tucked him up in his bed.

Up to his neck in it!