Week 10

Looking for the sea at Hest Bank

So, half term came and what a glorious, glorious week it was weather wise.  It was sunny, it was hot, the countryside was gorgeous.  Unfortunately this meant that lots of morons came to the area to drop their litter, trespass and vandalise the village!  Where do all these people come from - and just why do they think it is ok to trash the village and surrounding countryside?!  It isn't just us who are suffering - this is happening all around the country.  Businesses are now thinking twice about opening up when they are allowed as they don't want these people to enter their premises - they show no regard for anything or anyone.  Also the huge numbers of bikers, using the area as a race track meant that the peace and quiet was completely gone.  The police were around, one car located itself in the car park opposite us.  We saw them escort a family out of the village and their presence meant the bikers slowed down which was good.

So, on Monday, I stayed at home the whole day and (shock, horror) did a deep clean of the house.  It sorely needed it - we had piles of dust all over the place.  It took me the whole day, but by the end I was quite pleased.  Matt and Tom went out for a bike ride in the afternoon to give me some space.  I was shattered by the end and sent Matt to the co-op to get some ready meals as I couldn't face cooking.  Get this I even scrubbed the oven and now have lovely shiny metal racks in it rather than encrusted ones.  We are all feeling better for it.

Serious business

Tuesday, we put the bike rack on the car and drove to Bull Beck (felt very naughty being in the car together and driving so far (about 15 miles).  We then cycled along the canal to Hest Bank where we had a picnic lunch over looking the beach, watching the tide come in.  It was lovely to see some different scenery and watching the sea is always relaxing.  We were expecting there to be lots more people around, being we were in a built up area - but actually there were fewer people there than in Ingleton, so it was a good choice!  We cycled back.  Matt almost lost his brand new go-pro which fell off his bike and very very nearly ended up in the canal!  Cycling along the canal felt very weird after many bike rides around here where obviously there are lots of hills.  Felt almost as if we were cheating!

Wednesday Tom wanted to do some more baking and requested my recipe for chocolate cake - I gave it to him, but told him I would kill him if he memorised it or told anyone what my secret ingredients are!  He did a great job - decorated it with melted chocolate and was a very happy bunny licking his fingers after it all.

I went to see the Drs in the afternoon.  They looked at my charts and were able to tell me that I don't have asthma - phew.  They think I might have exercise induced asthma and suggested that I use the inhaler before strenuous exercise to see if it helps.  Must say that I am on the whole feeling much better than I have for months, the combination of nasal spray and inhaler has worked.  I think my lungs were inflamed but with the nasal drip sorted, they are now healing as well.  I'm hoping I won't need any medical intervention at all in a month or two.  Would be nice to be able to exercise again without getting so out of breath.  Whilst I was at the Drs, Tom stayed at home and started his article about the Settle and Carlisle railway he is writing for a child-led railway publication put together by a friend of Matt's.  They are based in London and approached Matt to see if Tom would be their Northern correspondent.  Tom's not an enthusiastic writer but agreed to give it a go.  Will be good practise for him.

On the Stocks Reservoir walk

Thursday we did the walk from Ingleton to Burton to Bentham and back to Ingleton which we did at the beginning of lock down but the other way round.  It was very very hot, so we took it slowly.  We knocked on the doors of a couple of friends in Burton for socially distanced chats across fences.  We had a really nice time - took us 4.5 hours because of all the stops - everyone is so desperate to chat that you don't have a short one these days.  It really is a great walk, can't wait for pubs to be open again and it will become an outstanding walk.

Our Mountain Goat

Friday we didn't do loads as it was so hot.  Matt and Tom played cricket in the morning before it got too hot, then I was on smoker duty with some belly pork and ribs (came out really well).  We then went for a stroll around Storrs afterwards to try to get the digestion going.

Saturday we fled the village as once again it was really hot and the morons came in their droves and once again trespasses, vandalised, littered and (tried) to steal from one of the business here!  Matt had a brainwave and suggested we went to Stocks Reservoir in Bowland.  We've been meaning to go there for ages.  It was a good choice, we did a 8 mile walk around it in the heat, think we saw about 5 other people until we got back to the car park where there were more.  It was a really lovely walk with streams, hills, meadows, forests etc.  The reservoir itself was very very low though - won't be long until there is a hose pipe ban I'm sure.  Apparently May 2020 was the sunniest on record.  The next nearest being 1957.  The kids should remember this year for endless sunshine more than anything else!  Not a difficult walk, but very pleasant.

Resting at The Spout

Sunday, wanting to escape the crowds again we decided to head over to Sedburgh and the Howgills to Carlingill Beck, which Tom and Matt had visited before - a very unknown and remote valley accessed via a very narrow road.  We got there to find only about 5 other cars, fab.

We set off up the valley.  We only walked 4 miles in total, but it took longer and took more out of us than yesterday's walk as we had to scrabble up the banks on very narrow tracks - holding on to rocks, trees, anything we could.  Tom loved it - he was off in the distance for the whole walk - like a mountain goat scrabbling with no bother.  I, of course am a clumblebum, so it took me longer - I wasn't going to trip and fall - that would not be good.  We ended the walk at the head of the stream, by a waterfall where we had our picnic.  It was very lovely.  We walked back down afterwards, via a little hillock so we got a view.  We then went for a lovely paddle in the river at the bottom.  Even I put my feet in it - it was so lovely and Tom got to do some damming etc.  It was a lovely day and a lovely walk.