Objectives?

 Saturday 7th November 2020 - Whitbarrow

There has been discussion recently amongst fellow bloggers about having an objective for a walk. I am all in favour of that but at the same time, for me, it must not override.  At the moment I am dodging back and forth making a very detailed plastic model of a Land Rover. Years ago I was a Land Rover enthusiast and every small detail on the model brings back pleasurable jolts of familiarity, or in the case of the rear cross- chassis member, the drama of it folding in half as I was pulled backwards out of a deep quagmire by another member of the club. Fortunately the club chairman had a garage/workshop devoted to Land Rover dismemberment and reconstruction - he was a wizard with the welding gear.  So the value for me is in the making; the final result is of much less consequence. I looked at Internet quotations on the subject and almost exclusively they major on having a goal and sticking to it come what may. I wonder where that leaves me?

My objective today was to visit the less frequented subsidiary 187m spot height on Whitbarrow. The recognised summit at Lord's Seat is one and a half miles away but the view from 187 is far superior.

Whitbarrow is the massive limestone escarpment one sees from the A590 on the way to Grange. The steep dramatic white limestone cliffs front a huge undulating plateau that stretches back north for a couple of miles with many footpaths, climbing crags and archetypal limestone scenery - this has been an all time favourite location for me for well over twenty years.

The steep zig-zag path through the trees from Milll Side is of course familiar to me but today I turned off by mistake on an earlier zig or zag before the one that leads more directly to the elevated start of the plateau. I had not been on this path before, and as it became narrower and less frequented I was intrigued. Large limestone cliffs on the right were impressive, then round the corner a climber was belaying his girl partner who was just topping out on a bolted route fifty feet up. I tried for some conversation but he was somewhat taciturn and all I gained was that this was a French grade 6b. 

I pressed on realising I was now traversing the foot of the most impressive part of the crag seen from the road and heading in the opposite direction from my 187 objective. The path became more exposed with steep limestone scree dropping away to my left and stunning views down into the Witherslack valley and the Lake District Hills beyond. There is something magic about the colour combination of clear blue sky and white limestone. The path climbed heading towards, but still below the edge of the plateau and I branched off and scrambled steeply upwards. An enchanting march followed, rising  across a vast area of pathless limestone wilderness dotted with spiky hawthorn, miniature yew trees, brambles, heather, bracken and gorse and struggling birch, pointers to the direction of the prevailing winds, and much more, interspersed with lush green turf and gleaming white stone. I was up onto the plateau proper where many walkers plodded the trodden trail running south north. I crossed their route and circled round, heading across pathless country stopping on a group of convenient limestone boulders to munch my pasty from  our local bakery along with coffee from my flask. And so after soaking up the pleasures of an unplanned diversion from my objective I arrived at 187 and recharged with one of my all time favourite views. This little round of less than four miles was a gem of unexpected exploration and I now have a new objective: to continue with that airy path from where I ascended to the plateau and find put where it leads. On the descent I met another walker and chatted and she mentioned something about a cave in the region of the crags on that newly discovered path, so yet another objective - I wonder where all this may lead?

Out of Mill side. The village notice board with faded messages of now unlikely social gatherings

The zig-zag path to the plateau branches off just round the corner

The first zig to the left I took on the diminishing path instead of carrying onto the next one leading directly to the plateau

Getting narrower and more exposed

    

From 187. The Leven estuary flowing into Morecambe Bay. Arnside Knott above and my home nestling somewhere below. Photo into the sun and haze belies the sunny day

Approximate wanderings. The rock climbers were around the "u" of the word Buckhouse. The path continued roughly along the line of the access land but I climbed back onto the plateau

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The cross rear chassis member is the silver bit at the bottom. This is still work-in-progress and any imperfections are down to a new euphemism "weathering"

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Message for Martha in Pennsylvania, USA:

Delighted beyond words to know that your vote was not cast in vain. Let's all breath a little more easily now.

Three trigs I have not visited, or there's always a way.

 Wednesday 4th November 2020.

Why am I typing this at home at 2:15 pm when I had arranged with BC to  tick off three more of my trigs on OS sheet 103, and to meet him at Hoddleston at 9:00 am?

I arose in good time and breakfasted and went out to find there had been heavy frost so I started up the car and left it to defrost. After a suitable interval, and now running late, and in a bit of a flurry off I rushed. I arrived at Hoddleston with ten minutes to spare parking on the pub car park, so I decided on a swig of coffee. I went to start up to manoeuvre the car into a more sensible parking position and saw a warning message not previously seen "No key recognised."

My key was back at home. Because my engine was running from the defrosting operation I was a able to drive straight off without the key which I had left in the house.

BC arrived to hear the news. I phoned Greenflag. I landed what sounded like a young girl who incidentally was coughing all the time. As requested I gave my post code but she couldn't trace me from that despite checking it again. She then asked me for my membership number. I had to give that three times before she had it correct and found my records. I had to explain three times what had happened, and even after the third time she said "so your key doesn't work?" "No!" I said "I haven't got my key" All that took twenty minutes. She had eventually understood there was no point in sending a van.  A vehicle transporter would be needed to get me back home. After half an hour McAdams arrived with a van. The guy scratched his head and rang base and then told me it would be over three hours before they could get a transporter to me which he promised to organise, and off he went. I phoned Greenflag back and got a chap who was obviously more experienced and happily, was not coughing. He promised to sort things, rang off and then rang me back and eventually at about 11:15 McAdams arrived with a car transporter. The job was difficult because the front wheels were on lock with the steering lock. Large wedges were hammered in under the front tyres and the car winched forward onto the ramp sliding on the wedges acting like shoes, but the surface was cobbled and the wedges came out, the whole process having to be repeated three times.

I sat in the back compartment of the cab with a large polythene sheet cutting off communication with the driver and so I arrived back home with the car on a transporter much to the bemusement of my neighbours. So here I sit eating my sandwiches and looking out at the best weather we have had for ages. 

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NB - BC rang me last night to suggest this walk and I was not sure about travelling etc. vis a vis the Covid rules. I came off the phone and checked very carefully and concluded I would not be breaking any of the rules, and only then phoned BC back to say ok. 

Goodness knows now when I will be able to visit any more of those trigs.

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Thanks BC for staying around and keeping me company and apologies for trashing what should have been a welcome final day before the next lockdown is official.

Do it now.

I have just replied to my friend BC on his blog where he despairs at the recent ignoring of advice by the public and the obstinate refusal by the government to follow scientific advice, which I can understand to a certain extent with the need to keep at least some of the economy going. But the behaviour of much of our public, and especially the young who will inherit the aftermath of this mess is shameful. During the first lockdown the behaviour was commendable but why has that now been reversed ? There is a need for much stronger leadership and if required more rigorous enforcement.

My reply to BC:

"It’s not looking good. I feel ashamed to be British among this wholesale transgression by huge chunks of our population and the stupidity of not following scientific advice."

We seem incapable of taking decisive action about anything in this country. The following summary is not directly related to Covid but for me it outlines how things grind along hampered by the fear of MPs on all sides loosing their seats and the incumbent party loosing their majority. I am not writing this aimed at any particular party - they are all the same. 

Some issue arises, I am not writing specifically, but for instance it may be cladding on tower blocks. There is public outcry. The media fire up all sorts of erroneous information. A petition is mustered forcing a debate in parliament. Usually nothing comes of this but if it does it comes as an announcement that an enquiry will be set up. It likely takes several months to find somebody as the chairperson. After a year the enquiry gets underway. There is then some scandal or dispute or clash of opinions and the chair resigns and we start all over again. After perhaps three years (I don't think I exaggerate) the enquiry reports to the government with many recommendations. Most of those are ignored by the government, some probably for party political reasons and so we rumble on. The cost involved of all this must be monstrous bearing in mind we have goodness knows how many enquiries running or in formation at any one time. Meanwhile in other counties it seems possible to get things done quickly for the general good.

We built over 100 airfields in no time leading up to WW2  - that was probably achieved by the government having been granted unlimited powers but in sheer physical terms it shows that things can be done expeditiously, but how dire do things have to get before we take decisive action?

Around Nicky Nook with BC

 Wednesday 28th October 2020 - around Nicky Nook (SD 519 485)

After yesterday's exertions in the rain I was just fresh out of my hot bath when the phone rang. Bowland Climber was suggesting a walk around Nicky Nook tomorrow. He said afterwards I hesitated before accepting. That is probably correct - I was still in recovery mode, and also I have walked around Nicky Nook on several occasions over the last few years. Before that it was a favourite outing to drag my unwilling family up to the summit when we lived in Preston.

Back in 2004 a local brewery were naming a new ale as Nicky Nook and tried to find the origin of the name. From the Lancashire Telegraph:

"...but despite talking to villagers in Scorton and scouring the internet Bowland Brewery is still none the wiser. Julie Collinson, proprietor of The Priory Hotel, in Scorton, is so keen to solve the mystery she has offered dinner for two and samples of the new beer.
"We'd love to hear from anyone who knows how Nicky Nook was named and the prize will go to the most interesting and amusing story, not necessarily the most credible..."

BC had warned me about crowds in Scorton; he had identified parking in a lane just to the south beneath the M6. Rain showers were forecast but we avoided them all except for a brief five minute spattering as we sat on some large culvert pipes for our mid walk munchies.

We were away at 9:30. Practically all of the walk was, much to my surprise and enjoyment, new to me allaying my thoughts that we may just be covering old ground. By now I had thankfully found my boots in the garage from yesterday, and after some attractive autumn lane walking we were squelching through muddy fields complete with more serious quagmires at the gate entrances. We were then back onto other lanes and we seemed to have been climbing forever until we came out onto the road skirting the base of the Bowland hills giving us views and reminiscences of various treks through that terrain.

We had seen only the odd person, but now looking down to the road there were many cars at the popular parking spot which gives access to climb Nicky Nook. From hereon there were continuously more people. about.

Despite the waterlogged fields this was an attractive and enjoyable walk, the first since 16th of September with BC. 

For Paul - a front on view of BC.

We obeyed and walked through the "straigts"

Out to the edge of the Bowland hills

Cars parked for the ascent of Nicky Nook

Nicky Nook trig

Zoom to Lancaster University (I think)

BC told me this was a sculpture - mmm!

28th October! We were not tempted

You will have seen this many times if you drive  north up the M6 - it coincides with a slanting upwards bridge over the motorway

Trig points OS 103 - Blackburn/Burnley (2)

Tuesday 27th October 2020

Newton Moor SD 858 587 - 291m. 

Dunhazles SD 808 551 - 216m

Tosside SD768 564 - 276m

I have been deprived of outdoor activity recently to the extent of promising myself I would go out this week even in bad weather. It was bad.

It was only while breakfasting, looking out at the rain I decided.

Knowing I would need my best protection I went to where my Rohan Barricade (waterproof) trousers resided in my bedroom, not used since last winter. They were not there. It was late to be setting off with a longish drive so I grabbed Paramo trousers instead. I knew my boots were in the garage. They weren't there. No more time to mess about searching. I put on the Mountain Warehouse trainers, chucked a flask of coffee in my rucksack and off I went, only stopping at our local bakery for a lunchtime pasty.

I drove through heavy rain and spray down the A65 to Long Preston and set off walking still in the rain. It was bad enough to restrict me to only five photos all day.

A lane out of the village became a footpath across a series of squelchy fields. Some navigation errors followed. At one point I needed to cross a drystone wall which was already down to less than half height over a length of about four feet with a pallet propped up to close the gap, but the pallet was ajar enough for me to squeeze through onto the remains of the wall which instantly collapsed even more. I can't ever remember damaging a drystone wall, an unforgivable crime in the dales. I managed to retrieve the pallet and prop it back up giving perhaps better defence than its original positioning. I have to say I was not happy with myself but at least I did my best to sort it.

After descent into a ravine and a footbridge with a steep ascent out the other side I was out onto access moorland. Contours on the map and my visuals indicated a direct compass bearing on the summit. I ploughed and climbed through thick reeds and tussock grass. Not far from the final rise to the trig I found a mown quad bike track which I was able to use on the descent cutting twenty minutes off the ascent time. The continuing rain didn't encourage me to linger long.

It was past eating time but my pasty and coffee were saved until I was back at the car.

More driving took me to the other two trigs, both were less than two hundred yards off the road in fields with no public access. My Paramo jacket and trousers had kept me dry underneath but the trainers succumbed as I neared the first summit and I had the enjoyable freedom after that off just sloshing through everything regardless. With good clothing I was well protected and whatever one may assume this had been a welcome and pleasurable change from the routine of domesticity I seem to have been under lately.

DONT bother to enlarge!

On the way to Newton Moor. Note reservoir up the hillside top left, and below

Newton Moor trig followed below by the other two - exciting eh?

At least this one had a pretty little stone circle surrounding it

The red line shows my wanderings

Land Rover insurance claim?

 Friday 23rd. October - 11:20 pm

I watched a video on You Tube: "How to Apply Humbrol Clear " a product designed to give a gloss finish to a model.

Off I went to the garage with the body colour pieces of my Land Rover.  "A second coat can be applied after fifteen to thirty minutes." That first coast didn't look good. I waited as instructed. My garage is a bit cool so I put on a fan heater. I sprayed away thinking to myself "I'm getting the hang of this."

An hour later several parts had assumed banana shape. In insurance terms I had a write-off on my hands. Well thart's how you learn.

I am now awaiting replacement parts from Revell which I understand from their website will be coning from Germany, and in the words of Oates "...may be some time."

Whatever anybody wants to say about plastic modelling I must add that it is not for the faint hearted.

Land Rover and Katie update

 Friday 23rd October 2020

Recently a series of situations, appointments and bad weather have conspired to keep me from my enjoyment of walking and exploration. Partial Lockdown and the above mentioned sends one down paths of exploration digital. Somehow I found myself looking at You Tube videos of model making, something I did quite seriously as a young teenager but not since. A kit for a Land Rover took my eye; it happened, coincidentally to be in the same colour as the short-wheel-base I used to own and also it was the same Series 3 from circa 1973.

"Buy now with one click."

I was launched.

There are 184 pieces. Progress is slow but absorbing but not very demanding intellectually, although there are odd moments interpreting the pictogram instructions.

When I made the move my son sent daughter a message just saying "Dad's bought a Land Rover." The reply, with its hidden inference: "Is he keeping the Kia?"

I had an airbrush for a number of years and sold it on Ebay about three months ago. I have now bought another. The all too frequent rule of life had struck again:

The shorter will be the period of time that you find the need for an item you had kept in case it may "come-in" after you have disposed of it is inversely proportional to the length of time you had kept it.

I think I got that right but someone with a degree in logic may wish to challenge. Anyway, you get the idea.

If you click to enlarge, which I recommend  you will see areas where the painting has been missed but it looks like realistic distressing - the model is not necessarily supposed to be just out of the showroom.

Most of the engine assembled and painted. I primed all the parts with the airbrush in situ on the sprue (the framework with all the parts attached from where they are snipped off)

I airbrush painted all the body parts that are the colour of the finished vehicle - this is just the main body. The lighting has given the forward roof an apparently different shade. These parts will be finished with gloss.

This chassis was airbrushed

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    Katie update - she will be 9 this weekend!

    

With one of her paintings a few days ago.

Katie and Mum are off to stay in a shepherd's cabin for the weekend. She has been equipped by me with a head torch, a Swiss Army knife (given after much thought and debate, but I think she is now old enough and sufficiently responsible) and an Ordnance Survey 1:25 map with the location of their stay centred, specially commissioned with Katie's photo on the front and acknowledgement of her 9th birthday - that was Mum's idea.