Flag Day

I spent today trying to raise money for Macmillan. We as a company have a target this year to try to raise 30,000 and our office arranged a day to support this. Kali Dowse one of our team had seen a climbing wall at another location and suggested this could be a good fund raiser. So we hired the wall which was duly brought to the market square at ten this morning and then we put on the safety harness and started to climb. I was really nervous to start with wondering if I would be able to do it but very quickly I had been up it four times. We then took a rest to give a group of children a chance to have a go on it and they were great climbing with no fear. All putting in some money for the charity. After a couple of hours we went back to it but my arms had gone hard and I slipped off half way up so I gave it a rest and let the fitter and younger ones carry on. 

Well by 3pm most of the children had gone and we had exceeded our challenge of 44 climbs between us and ready to bring it down. It was a good day and hopefully a good amount has been raised for the cause. 

The picturesque

I have now linked up some of the ways of displaying pictures and stories by the use of a new website called www.thepicturesque.co.uk named after the aesthetic ideal introduced into English cultural debate in 1792 by William Gilpin in observations on the River Wye. The beautiful and the sublime. So I hope these early morning images, the sun rises pictures and the dogs dancing around the field create some enjoyment for others as they do for me. 

Youlgrave walk

So we are staying in Youlgreave so we decided to do the Youlgrave walk. The guide says...Lathkil Dale and Youlgreave walk a five mile stroll. From our cottage we turned right onto the high street and then turned right onto Holywell Lane. We walked down the lane almost to the bottom and over a stone stile in the wall on the left. We walked along the river Bradford and along Bradford Dale following the river. We followed the path around and the dogs ran free running with some other dogs along the way. There is a lovely house near to the end of this stretch just before you reach the road at Alport. The house is lovely, Victorian with different levels and a hexagonal central roof area, there are a range of stables to the left hand side and further out buildings which would make a great recording studio complex.

 To the front of the house stands a lovely long wheel base Land Rover Defender countryman the perfect car for these parts. I can just image putting the labs in the back of one of these.

 

 

We crossed the road and went down a narrow path which took us a bit further from the river now the Lathkil and headed down to the Conksbury bridge. However before we got there, a path to the right also crossed the river so we started to go over it and enjoyed the views over the pond beyond.

We soon discovered with the help of another couple who had made the same mistake that this was not Conksbury Bridge so we returned to the path and carried on for another fields length. Having crossed the bridge we had a treat as the line of weirs and the large river bank make a pretty picnic area. We had not had the forethought to do this but a few others had.

The path rose up and we were glad of the dogs' enthusiasm to pull us up the hill, Regina looked at me a bit worried at this stage, as if where are you taking me that hurts so much? We got to the top took a right and found the Lathkill Hotel in the village of Over Haddon. A nice place to stop for a drink and enjoy the view over the valley back to Youlgreave, where the distinctive church stood out on the horizon.

We returned back down the hill past a group of children who took a fair interest in the dogs as we passed. The climb on the other side was just as fierce and we finally broke free of the trees with a view over another valley! The map says cross the field to the farm, "there are bulls in the field " says Regina, we put the dogs on the leads and tread carefully across the bull field, they eye us as we walk through them and finally into the safety of the farm.

We crossed the farm yard and out on to the next field and before i can say do not let Dylan off as he likes to roll in cow pats, Regina has let him off and he is rolling in a cow pat! I poured water over him to get the worst off and we carry on. At the next wall i am climbing over first and Dylan decides to climb over with me and goes between my legs and covers my backside with cow pat as well. You know that cold feeling on the back of your legs which i am sure did not look good from behind either.

We were at last in sight of the village again and we wondered down a road into the middle of Youlgreave with my trousers slowly drying in the sun. A quick right turn and we were back to our cottage.

I think the walk took a little more than the estimated two and a half hours (more like five!) and judging by the way Regina is still walking now two days later it will take longer to wear off than I thought!

Youlgrave Sunday morning

I am walking part of the limestone way with my two black Labradors Dylan and Diesel. I normally walk at 6.20 so even though it is a Sunday the younger dog was crying to go out. We are staying for the weekend in the picturesque village of Youlgreave with stone built cottages and a stream running down one side of the valley. It is still quite early so i am wiping the cobwebs from my face as I walk. The path is uneven interspersed with larger rocks in places. The water rushes by and the partial wires every few hundred yards and the birds call to and fro above. As diesel runs up the escarpment a trickle of pebbles roll down the hill. At least he has not jumped in so far which he did yesterday. A huge heron has just taken off over my head spooked by the dogs crying out as he flies, what a wingspan than bird has. Oh I just hear the plop of a dog in water but luckily not too deep.
I was just turning right to head back up the hill when I met a man with another black Labrador who was soon identified as becky. He asked if I wanted to join him and with Regina needing the rest from yesterday I thought it would be a good idea. He said it was a two mile walk but what I did not realise was the pace. As soon as we hit the path I felt I had to widen my step to keep up. The bent round to the left and his dog vanished down into a man made pool by the stream which he told me was part of the old pump to get water up to the village.

We climbed some metal steps which were half covered for the dogs to climb but the boys did not like it too much. We emerged near hopping farm where there is another path back to youlgreave across wenley hill plantation. I chose to carry on with my local guide and I am glad I did as proceeded across the cow field he used his wooden staff to prod cows away as we walked through. I had leaded my dogs and I explained Regina's fear of being trampled and he said this is why he has the stick he had been a butcher for many years so he knew how to handle livestock. However he did say there had been a few people trampled in the area in recent years. We hit the path again and went up hill at some pace. I am now sweating and feeling the speed that we are walking at. We turned right onto Weaddow Lane and past a dairy farm and onto the village of Middleton. We walked through the village and it became clear my guide Andy knew everyone around.
The dogs took it turns to leap walks and chase pheasants but they did not catch any. We made it up past Lomberdale Hall which is a fabulous manor house on the top of the hill. We turned right and came into the Coldwell End of Youlgreave and back to our cottage. It had been a good walk and I was certainly tested but the dogs loved it and they are laying asleep at my feet but I think diesel would still go again . I am not sure about Dylan though.

In the mountains

We are up in the mountains north west from Malaga just off the A343 just past the railway bridge in a bungalow set amongst a group of five similar properties. We have been here for a week enjoying the fabulous hospitality of Sue and Roy. It is a lovely place with a private pool and views of mountains all around . The picture shows the view towards Alora and the mountain to the right is around 400m above sea level. The town of Alora has very steep streets almost entirely painted white over render to cover what can best be described as poor brickwork. This feels like real Spain with fantastic tapas which only cost 60 to 80 euro cents each up to a maximum of 1 euro 20. We had 15 bowls between 4 of us and it was fantastic.
Tomorrow we are off to Malaga for a few days there.

I miss the dogs

I am laying on the bed cannot sleep and will get up in a minute and join everyone on the pool side. It is lovely here so warm so peaceful so beautiful in the mountains in southern Spain near to Alora. But I do miss the dogs the morning walks that start my day that make everything ok. I am listening to Damien Rice and the album 9 and the song the animals are gone and maybe this is why. The routine each day of feeding the cats the rabbits then the dogs it is such a part of my life now. Anyway until I get home I will join them and enjoy my time here in the mountains.

Charlton To Pinnacle Hill

So we set off this morning at 9.00 from the bridge by The Three Moorhens, I met up with Soapy (Simon) but we did not park there as they have some weird private parking notices and sixty pound fines, so we parked the other side of the bridge and headed through the trees to the top of Hitchin Hill and the view over the fields for miles.

We headed west in the direction of Kennel Farm and turned left on to the Charlton Road and walked through the village past The Windmill Public House, Bessmer’s house on the right and the newly converted barns and then turned right up Windmill Lane where you pass Windmill Cottage on the right which has the base of the old windmill at the bottom of the garden.

The track opens up and we walked some time until we came to a cross roads of the path and turned left on to Hoars Lane and followed that on to Temple End and straight over the cross roads on towards Offleyholes Farm but as we came to the road we took the footpath to the right up Pinnacle Hill. We then followed the path which runs to the east side of West Wood.

We then turned left heading to Sootfield Green and crossing the road there we took Tatmorehills Lane. This is long well-made track surrounded by trees and hedgerow to both side where pheasants would run across our path and hares were running on the field horizon. We followed this down to Maydencroft Lane and across again heading along the line of the ridge and this is where we met Leopold Maydencroft who is a seven month old long horn bull who was being trained by a lovely elder gentleman farmer who was preparing the bullock for the agricultural shows in the spring. He told us this path (Tatmorehills Lane) was the old main path to St Albans and around this spot a poacher had been hung many years ago for stealing sheep.

The Dogs were not keen on the Bullock and Diesel especially was barking at the already huge beast not a good thing to do I thought but the farmer said it was good for Leopold to get used to sounds and life which is why he took him down this track.

We returned back along the path to Hitchin Hill and back to the car. A very rewarding walk which took around two and a half hours. We are now planning to a shorter version around Charlton on Boxing day morning ending with a beer in The Windmill, Which anyone is welcome to join us on and blow away a few of the cobwebs from Christmas