Dalesway in parts

Sunday 3rd July - Lowgill to Patton Bridge

A welcome temporary escape from Wimbledon, football, and the complex rapidly moving political pantomime saw me heading north up the M6,  sandwiches and coffee-flask packed in my rucksack and a Britten quartet playing on the radio. Brother RR recently transferred all his cd collection onto a memory card and gave me a copy. There are over 80 composers, each one with several opuses. RR tells me continuous playing would last for over a week. They are listed in alphabetical order and so far I have just finished the Brahms selection with much enjoyment. Britten seems a harsh contrast, but fascinatingly inventive and full of interest.

To one whose first music purchase was a 78 vinyl recording of Sydney Torch's orchestra playing The Dam Busters March it is bewildering to comprehend the achievement of recording so much music onto a piece of plastic not much bigger than a postage stamp. The same volume put onto the aforementioned 78 format would probably weigh several tons requiring storage space in a warehouse.

I do like to get off early - if you are first on the trail you have a good chance of seeing wildlife.  That was not particularly the case today but I did pass a backpacking tent still hunkered down but too far off my path to hear snoring from the incumbent.

This section of the Dalesway was enjoyable but in contrast to most other parts more inclusive of cow trodden fields interrupting the feel of being on old established bridleways and footpaths. I was able to devise a return  by other footpaths, roads and tracks to the north; those paths were less evident on the ground than the well established Dalesway but I thoroughly enjoyed this 10.5 mile round trip. Having started at 8:30 am I was back at the car for 2:10 pm and back home in time to be reacquainted with sporting and political developments.

I watched the Formula E race (a race in London, Battersea Park for electric racing cars). The presenters were second rate and didn't seem to have a comprehensive grasp of this new technology and I changed channels before the end. Later I watched the Grand Prix highlights and the contrast with the knowledgeable and entertaining David Coultard and the rest of the team was marked compared with the E1 presentation, and the final lap with Lewis racing with passion for glory was an all time classic.

A lone backpacker - I was curious to know the model of tent so...

...I zoomed. It is a two man tent weighing 2.2 kgs - my Terra Nova (one man) weighs 980gms, so I hope two people were sharing this weighty abode

The ubiquitous bath used as a livestock water trough. Do farmers renew the bath in their farmhouse every year? That is the impression I get from the number I see like this.
The bridge crosses the M6

Just another hideously untidy farm

Collapsed bridge. The local authority notice forbids crossing, but that was just a challenge for me - well I'm still here

A progressively more radical collection of three for my "Relics" folder

The southern part is the Dalesway and the northern my contrived return.
Click to enlarge

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Another footballing observation.

All the players lined up before kick-off to sing the national anthems, BUT, most of them are not singing because they are not of the nationality of their team.