How to use a bank holiday

Daughter is presently awaiting an interview to reapply for her present job. Even if successful the new job description does not include a certain responsibility she currently holds, and her salary would be reduced. We have contingency plans to set up a combined retail/on-line business and I am helping with that.

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As a retiree I find bank holidays a nuisance and rarely stray far. My friend and commenter on this blog, Bowland Climber, visited on Monday. We drove twenty minutes to Halfpenny, a village near Kendal often featured on the North West Tonight news weather map. Enthusiastic followers contact weather presenters Dianne or Eno requesting the name of their domicile to be shown on the map.

We followed footpaths up the sparkling St Sunday's Beck, and walked on old tracks and through bluebell woods at their peak. We saw a stoat and watched an unbelievable aerobatic display put on by a crow chasing a buzzard from his territory. The only other beings encountered were people in their own domain, no other walkers hereabouts on this bank holiday. Crossing a long grass meadow there was a strip cut short down the middle. Distant buildings and a wind sock, and then a small aeroplane emerging from one of the buildings informed us of an aerodrome in the middle of our quiet country walk. The path went through this unlikely complex. We had a long talk with the farmer whose land we were on, and who was about to take off in his microlight. This guy told us of his shock horror on a one time visit to Bradford and surroundings, and I sympathise to some extent - I tend to panic myself these days if I get south of Carnforth. Later we watched our farmer pilot in the sky.

A well educated guy with a farm and horses seemed comfortable enough to treat his farming as a hobby. He had allowed sunken meadow to flood creating an attractive lake quarter of a mile long not shown on the OS map. We had another long, wide ranging chat here topics including the dearth of cuckoos and the undesirability of opening his lake as a commercial angling venture - "...you don't know anything about the people who would come or what they would get up to..."

Back at home I watched a likely all time classic final of the World Snooker Championship accompanied by a glass or two of vino.

Not a bad bank holiday.




St Sunday Beck and The Helm, our local mountain








Any comments on this recent development in agriculture?







One for you tractor fanatics. Judging by reg plate it must
be before 1962 and apparently still in use







An old root-crop chopper by Bamfords of JCB fame.
It's almost part of the tree












That's PROPER stile for the modern age of knee replacementees

Day 6. Thursday 1st May. Netherby to Arnside

It had rained heavily during that last night. The Terra Nova Competition hasn't leaked or flinched in gale force winds in over a hundred nights, but the atmosphere becomes damp and condensation gives a clammy feel. You have to move carefully to prevent the inner tent touching the condensation on the outer. Packing everything into the rucksack is demanding in the confines, and latterly agility seems to elude me.

I roughly stuff the rucksack and get all my belongings into the pristine heated toilet block and return to dismantle the tent, then regroup packing the sack correctly, and off we go.

There is damp fizzle in the air and I wear my waterproof, and the rucksack rain cover is deployed. The first fifteen minutes are slow and painful as my various joints accustom themselves. Such discomfort is familiar, but I know from experience that spirits lift after half an hour and pleasure can be taken from the surroundings and happenings, but today is not really like that because I have decided to return home for a reason that is unsettling.

I fall into a steady two and a half mph rhythm, and cover the five or six miles into Wetherby by about 11:30am. I have not eaten much in the last twenty four hours. I shamble into a confined rudimentary café, clumsy with my sack, wet gear and walking poles, and order a bacon and egg butty and a pot of tea, and then find myself re-ordering the same again. I am reluctant to leave the cosy, steamy protection of this haven to face the dampness outside. I go to pay and am almost embarrassed by the modest £5.50 and recklessly throw in an extra pound.

Fortunately the Tourist Information Office is only thirty yards across the road. I learn there is a bus to Leeds within twenty minutes, and the so called bus station is only a hundred yards down the road - things are looking up. They are looking up more when I board and find that I can use the bus pass I have only used once before in 2008 to travel from Penzance to Land's End.

It takes less than an hour to Leeds. Fortune continues. Leeds City railway station is only a couple of hundred yards from the bus terminus. Leeds to Lancaster and a short twenty minute wait will deliver me to Arnside by 3:55pm. When I flaunt my Railcard I find the cost is only £11.55! Wetherby to Arnside in three and three-quarter hours for £11.55 - that resonates well with my almost forgotten parsimonious Yorkshire birthright.

There is an eery feeling about the train journey as I reverse my route of the last few days and the train announcements relay the names of places I have walked through: Skipton, Gargrave, Giggleswick, and Bentham. I had not realised how closely I had followed the railway.




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Day 5 - Wednesday 30th April. Askwith to Netherby SE 331 469

Better news today. If made redundant they have been told will be paid to end of August plus redundancy pay so situation now a bit less critical and I will continue for the moment.

Steady country walking today. Farmers' fields, stiles (often broken). Hardly saw anybody all day. A bit lonely. Wanted to get to Wetherby but without crippling effort it was too far then I spotted Maustin Park caravan/camping site on the map. Excellent set up including a restaurant (that was the good news) , but it is closed on Wednesdays. Seeing my obvious disappointment they made me a huge cheese and tomato toasted sandwich which they brought to my tent (free of charge Gayle) and it went down well with a pea and ham cup-a-soup. There will be chocolate drink and a chewy bar to follow later.

I have had a go with the camera and will do more when I get somewhere with unlimited charging facilities.

1 6:00am Saturday, chez-moi

2. Another for my Signs collection

3. Typical Yorkshire Dales old lane - a delight for walking

4.the River Aire at Airton














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That last was at 8:00 am this morning, Thursday. I have now walked into Wetherby. It is 11:00am. Knowing the whole picture including details I have not given here I know that whatever the outcome my support will be needed.

I have enjoyed the walk so far but to be savagely honest with myself I now know my knees are not really up to it, especially with the weight to carry for proper back backpacking, so when I have my fill of bacon butty and tea in this café I'm off to the bus station to find out how to get home.





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Location:Sandy Gate,Leeds,United Kingdom

Day 4 - Tuesady 29th April - Thorlby to Askwith

Another good days walking. The old Roman road from Skipton over to Addingham is special. Had tea in the café attached to The Fleece in Addingham. That pub was one of our late night drinking spots back in the early 60s.

I am on Top Farm Camping and Caravan Club CL at Askwith . It is dump. People friendly enough but no toilet just a water tap. The place is like a scrap yard. They only charged me £3.

All this has now been overshadowed by news from home. Daughter Jill looks like being made redundant and she is going to need support. They are having to be interviewed for their jobs and hers would only be at reduced pay anyway, and redundancy money for her after 4.5 years service would only be 4 weeks pay, and possibly capped at that.

Looks like I may have to abort? Do not have motivation to write more here. Thanks for all your comments.

Also a big thank you for M for picking me and feeding me royally last nigh.


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Day 3 - Monday 28th April - Settle to Thorlby (between Gargrave and Skipton)

The King William the Fourth guest house in the centre of Settle was excellent. Immaculate decor, spotless, and very comfortable bed. Good breakfast and friendly welcome from Jaqui ( I think, sorry if I got name wrong).

Off to a good start in the morning feeling much fitter and gung-ho. Now much warmer and no wind. Fabulous walking after ascending to the tops often along those enchanting dalesway lanes with surrounding limestone hills, larks singing, and that on top of the world feeling.

Descent to Airton. Nibbling lunch on the bridge looking at the river Aire sparkling in the sunlight, and then over the tops again to Gargrave. I had arranged for my friend M who lives in Ilkley to pick me up. It was only 3:00pm so I walked another 3km down the canal to Thorlby where I was collected and driven back to splendid eating and an entertaining evening including a visit from M's friend J.

M is going to drop me off in the morning at Thorlby to re-start where I left off. I could have just carried on from Ilkley, but whatever happens I would like to think I have attempted to follow all of my planned route. At some stage that will be revealed in detail, but for the moment the outcome is uncertain with my knee problems, and I don't want to make myself look stupidly ambitious.

I will try and do the photo thing with the new camera next time if circumstances are favourable.





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Day 2. Sunday 27th April. Bentham to Settle. About 13 miles. - Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Packing up this morning I found THE HAT was missing. Must have left it at the pub last night.

Twenty minutes down the road a pleasant young lady was calling her cocker spaniel who had run after a hare. The hat story was told. Andrea knew the pub people and my campsite hosts and promised to retrieve the hat and post it home to me if possible. Eventually the spaniel returned from half a mile away at great speed - he'd had a great time - been across the river - great dog.

Farmers fields and elusive footpaths on top of still being weary from yesterday's big walk made for hard going. Some of the walking was on the old Dales limestone tracks. with the dramatic backdrop of Three Peaks country - that is great walking. I am still in familiar territory which is fine but I'm looking forward to moving into regions less familiar.

Weight is onerous for my old creaking frame and I am thinking of ditching food and reducing cooking equipment to one pot, one stove, one mug, tea, coffee, choc drink, and one small gas canister.

I am in a guest house in Settle. Have bought another hat - Jack Wolfskin - no chinstrap. I produced black elastic from the Miscellaneous dry sack, and with the aid of Swiss Army knife Wolfskin is now chin strapped.


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Location:Penny Green,Settle,United Kingdom

Day 1 follow up.

In the pub somebody stood on a Greyhounds foot. It squealed so loud everybody got a fright. A youth with some kind of problem came to my table every five minutes taking away sachets of condiments. I had no choice but to have a table near the pool table. Every so often somebody stuck their bum in my face whilst bending down to take a shot.