Katie's Pencil Case and other stories

Thursday 31st March 2022 - Walk with Pete - Hilderstone (nr. Burton-in-Kendal)

Through Lockdown etc. Thursday walks with Pete were suspended although we did keep in touch by phone. Walks were resumed  a while ago. I have not recorded those walks here because they are mainly short tarmac excursions of up to two miles often on  previously walked routes with no particular noteworthy items or occurrences, the main aim being a get together for two old friends, but today I thought I would update and include a couple of other items.

We parked at Cinderbarrow car park where there is a miniature railway with a mock station and a picnic site - I think it only operates at weekends for children's rides. My son W was amused to hear of us using this venue which he says has a reputation for goodness knows what after dark.

We walked up the adjacent lane in biting cold wind but with a better clarity of air than I have seen for sometime. The roadside spring flower colours were accentuated in the bright sunshine. We had been on this lane years ago but today we had splendid views of Farleton Fell, a limestone hill of note that I have only visited a few times in my twenty odd years living in Arnside - why so I cannot explain.

We passed a simple slate sign (at odds with the surrounding limestone) fronting a small wood informing us that this is the site of a Quaker burial ground - 1670 to 1820. I have seen some of these elsewhere on my travels and today I was motivated to do a bit of Internet browsing - there was nothing about this particular site but the following was gleaned from somebody's post-graduate thesis.  If you want to read more of this academia click on the link. 

CLICK HERE

"The Book of Discipline is, and was, a ‘definitive statement of beliefs and procedures’ (p. 11). The central tenet of Quaker life is ‘simplicity’. In funereal practices, this meant there was to be no set service and no distinction between rich and poor in grave furniture. Moreover, as all ground was God’s, there was no need to be buried on consecrated ground."

At age 87 Pete gets troublesome watering of the eyes from persistent wind, but fortunately he had is sunglasses today, but after three quarters of an hour we turned to retrace, glad now to have that wind at our back. 

As always we finish up for an hour at Café Ambio at the prestigious newly built livestock market and auction house at Junction 36 on the M6. Today it was quiet with no farmer's auction and we missed the hubbub of their company which for them is as much a social occasion as `a means of buying and selling their stock.

Cinderbarrow miniature railway with its adjacent car park. Recently Blogger refuses to enlarge the first photo when you click but the others do appear enlarged.

Left turn ahead. Spring colours accentuated in the bright sunlight and clear atmosphere

Hilderstone and Farleton Fell

We were intrigued about the shrubs used to plant this new hedge. Perhaps it is a kind of laurel - see close-up below?

********************************************************************

Model update

I have just finished the chassis for this:

Here the chassis is just primed and painted with the dark green body colour

Now some rust and weathering has been applied and then a coat of matt varnish. It is better seen if click to enlarge.

This kit is made in the Ukraine. There are about a dozen such manufacturers there mostly with a good reputation for precise moulding and quality. There is a movement in the modelling world to buy our next kits from one of these manufacturers. Even if they can't supply now it could give them a good order book if and when they can return.

*************************************************************************

Katie update

Granddaughter has now got her own phone and we have been communicating via her email address - It had to happen.

I asked if she had painted anything recently and she sent me this. It is her pencil case with a paintable surface stuck on. I asked what was the medium, snd she replied "paint", then as an afterthought "and a couple of pencils for detail."

I then noticed Katie had signed the picture "KR" but the K was wrong way round, so again I queried:

"It’s my art signature that I made up"