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Three
for the Price of One
Wednesday
9th May 2018
Don’s
away again, for two weeks. Nothing happens on the first.
The second week finds Stan, Brian (with an "i") and myself available
on the Wednesday. Forecast was pretty good. Who minds
4 degrees on top if you have good visibility? I’d never
met Brian before so there were some new tales. Stan
was able to treat Brian as a new pair of ears. “Have
I told you this before?” didn’t come into it.
We
parked at Hartsop where a few others had the same idea.
Stan recommended walking up to Dove Crag. One of his
favourite hidden valleys. We’d last been 29th October
2015. There’s a nice stream for a while then a farmyard,
then not too steep a climb.
A lot of work has gone into
providing some fine steps creating a stairway on the
last few hundred feet to the top. So, relatively easy.
Once on top, it’s getting more claggy. Stan asks if
we’d like to see the Priest Hole.
We looked. We went
this way, and that way. Someone had knicked it. We couldn’t
find it so we carried on up to the top of Dove Crag.
Cold, poor visibility. Not a place to stay.
We
dropped down to Scandale Pass and had our lunch. It
was then a gradual drop back down having opted out of
the opportunity to add Red Screes and Middle Dodd. Blame
my knee.
So
a fairly uneventful but enjoyable walk, followed by
a good pint at the award winning newly refurbished Queens
Head at Troutbeck.
Dropping
Stan off in Kendal we noticed the fair had arrived.
Parked of course over the new grass. Unbelievable. See
Westmorland
Gazette [users
of Internet Explorer may have problems with this link].
Whilst
this was the only BB walk, I was lucky enough to enjoy
the company of two BB’s on the Tuesday and Thursday
either side of the walk. Tuesday saw Terry and I at
Carvetii Coffee, Threlkeld. A prize I’d bought at a
charity do. And what an education. Almost three hours
just talking about growing, shipping, roasting, barista-ing,
state of the business, (2nd biggest traded commodity
in the world after oil), and of course sampling. I even
got a useful lesson on my Chemex system. If you like
your coffee, it’s recommended. I’m only buying beans
from now on.
Thursday
saw Tony and I in the pursuit of more Lady Anne knowledge.
We’d heard that the Keep at Appleby Castle was now open.
BB’s had visited last on BB1422
.
So
we thought it must be improved from last time. £22
per couple (Tony and I a couple? Well if it saves £3,
yes.) But sadly it was a joke. One room, the Great Hall,
and one small storeroom in the base of the keep. Here
we were inflicted with trying on various helmets through
the ages. I have to say the guy who showed us round
was knowledgeable, historical and hysterical. He does
re-enactments. But the owner wants a reality check.
We was done. But readers, don’t be too sympathetic.
We Meade up for our disappointment with a good steak
pie at the Tufton Arms, and decided to do a tour of
Brougham Castle. Another connection with Lady Anne of
course. I’d always thought it was pronounced BROWAM
or BRUFFAM. And I’d always wondered why I couldn’t find
BROOM Castle before.
Mike,
May 2018
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