Thursday 3rd August 2017, 11.55am (day 2,170)
I sympathise. I’m sure we’ve all been there.
Being 42
Life, one day at a time
The joys of redecorating
Wednesday 2nd August 2017, 2.30pm (day 2,169)
Here went my day, and expect to see more of this at points over the next few weeks, as the house gets a much-needed lick of paint here and there. I did say it wasn’t going to be an exciting period. But I will do my best to retain the photographic interest.
Clare hard at work
Tuesday 1st August 2017, 5.20pm (day 2,168)
The title is irony — as this was an indolent day all round, back at home after our week in the Lakes. Don’t expect much to happen this week…
View from Blake Fell
Monday 31st July 2017, 12 noon (day 2,167)
Last day of our Lake District holiday, and therefore the last chance for a landscape shot — well, for a couple of weeks anyway. This does epitomise how the weather’s been this week; though can’t really represent not how cold and windy it was up here when the shot was taken. At least it wasn’t raining. Time to go home though, after fifty-five miles done on foot this week, I need a rest…
The lake in the distance is Buttermere, by the way. The distinctively-shaped fell behind it is Fleetwith Pike. This picture was taken from just below the summit of Blake Fell, here at about 1700′ above sea level.
Seventh-Day Advent-Hoppists, Whitehaven
Sunday 30th July 2017, 4.10pm (day 2,166)
Dialogue from Red Dwarf, season 3, episode “The Last Day”… I may paraphrase slightly:
Rimmer: I didn’t agree with my parents’ religion. But I wouldn’t have dreamed of knocking it.
Lister: What were they then?
Rimmer: Seventh-Day Advent-Hoppists. They believed that every Sunday should be spent hopping. They would hop to church, hop through the ceremony, and hop home again.
Lister: What’s that all about then?
Rimmer: Well, they took the Bible literally. Took it word-for-word. Only their version had a misprint. It all stemmed from 1. Corinthians 13, where it said “Faith, Hop and Charity; and the greatest of these is Hop.” So that’s what they did. Every seventh day.
The press box, Annan Athletic FC
Saturday 29th July 2017, 4.50pm (day 2,165)
With no desire to go out tramping on the fells again today, it was time to turn to the other thing I have started collecting lately, obscure football grounds: we looked at the map to see what games were being played and the selection was Annan Athletic FC v Ayr United in the Scottish League Cup. It paid off in terms of goals, with the visitors winning 6-1 (not that it seemed that Annan, or their fans, were particularly bothered by this). The local radio commentators were the most excited people in the ground it seemed, perhaps explained by the fact that the guy third from the left must be all of about sixteen years old. But I guess this isn’t a bad job to have: hanging around obscure football grounds on Saturday afternoons is increasingly appealing to me, so this may well be me in a few more years’ time, at least in some form.
Sheep on Rough Crag
Friday 28th July 2017, 3.50pm (day 2,164)
Back out into the mountains — for a long and rather difficult walk from Coniston to Eskdale. This shot was taken towards the end, by which time I had already done 12 miles and was feeling rather knackered. The sheep seen here probably wondered what I was doing out on their heaf. I was wondering this too, to some extent.
Cumberland wrestling
Thursday 27th July 2017, 3.35pm (day 2,163)
No walking today. Instead we made our way up to Rydal Park for the annual Ambleside Sports, an event where you can watch runners yomp up the fellsides, hounds follow tracks of aniseed around the same terrain, cycling, running and Cumberland wrestling, where strapping lads (and women, too) lock their hands round each other and attempt to get their opponent onto the floor first — best of three. While wearing natty velvet shorts, if you’re doing it in the full traditional manner.
Old winding gear, Coniston Old Man
Wednesday 26th July 2017, 2.15pm (day 2,162)
Coniston Old Man rises to 2633 feet above the town of Coniston, and its rocks have long been the source of much of the place’s income — whether as nowadays, where people like me turn up and want to climb on them, or in the past, where they were mined and quarried to a great extent. This is the only major Lakeland fell where you encounter the ruins of so much industrial activity, negotiating, among other things, the remains of this old iron ropeway as you haul yourself up the fell.
Great Langdale
Tuesday 25th July 2017, 5.15pm (day 2,161)
I’m a few days behind, due to wi-fi issues at the first place we stayed this week. But oh yes — I’m definitely in the Lake District 🙂
