BB2018 : Indicate The Route To My Habitual Abode

Wednesday 3rd June 2020

A song about rain.  That should be the theme, I thought as I pre-planned this report.  After the record-breaking dry weather, rain was expected.  Rain will be the feature.  But which song?

Just walking in the rain

Only it didn't rain.  It had rained and Bryan, who was on one of his marathon outings, undoubtedly caught some of it but, by the time I parked near Witherslack church, it had passed.

It was cold though.  I didn't appreciate how cold it was as I climbed up through the woods but when I emerged on to Yewbarrow it was bitter.  There was a vicious north-easterly wind.  Fortunately I could quickly drop down to the valley and, once past Witherslack School, head north through the woods below the cliff for the next mile or so.

When I emerged from the steep Bell Rake climb, beyond the old mine workings, it hit me again.  Perishing.  A WhatsApp message came through from Tony that he and his colleagues John, Stan, and Stephen had stopped for a brew.  For social distancing purposes I call them The Row group as that is where they started.  I wondered if I could find them.  Their WhatsApp photo showed the edge of a wood but there are a lot of edges to several woods so that wasn't much help.  Instead I put on my "emergency" clothing and set off for the summit.

If I had thought it cold earlier, this was up (or should it be down?) another notch.  

At the cairn, someone, in presumably warmer weather, had inserted some nicely painted stones.  

Attractive, but I still needed to get out of the wind.  I retreated to the shelter of a small cliff.  Before long I saw Stuart and Mike T who had come up from The Howe. Then Bryan, supported by Martin for this leg of his trek, appeared followed shortly by the Row group.  Finally, from over the horizon, appeared Mike who had started, believe or not, from Fell Foot at the bottom of Windermere.

Now if you are wondering how we managed to cope with the Social Distancing rules, here is the answer.  We were in three distinct groups.

I joined Bryan and Martin and would accompany them for the next stage of Bryan's epic, to the southern end of the fell.  The White Scar Group.  3.

As previously remarked Tony, John, Stan and Stephen were the Row group, to where they would return.  4.

Mike B joined Mike T and Stuart, The Howe group, destination Mike B's house.  3

So, as long as the Row group kept far enough away from the Howes and the White Scars that it couldn't be called a meeting, all would comply.

Others on the hill were less worried about distancing.  There was a group of over a dozen lads and lassies larking about on the summit then on the cliffs with no thought of any such thing.  Hopefully they (and we) will all be OK.

After lunch we went our separate ways.  Fortunately the day was becoming kinder as Bryan, Martin and I approached Farrer's Allotment.  From its top we thought we could see- yes, Blackpool Tower and the photo confirms it.

Further along, before the descent, a fuller view of the estuary emerged.

We left the hill via the Great Slab.

At the its lower end, I could see what looked like a row of houses in the far distance.  

We had long and inconclusive debate as to what village it might be.  No, it's a field that has been silaged, it just looks like a village because of the trees before it.  But what is that building partially hidden behind some trees with a tower that seems to be flying a flag?  Could that be Natland Church, in which case the farm to its right could be Cracalt and the white construction on the side of the end building -could it be our conservatory?  Or is the flag actually flying over Sizergh Castle, in which case our house is not to be seen?  Or could it be the radio mast on Hayfell?  In which case, help, where is my home?

At this point our ways parted.  Martin was heading north and Bryan continued on the next stage of his marathon back to Kendal.  As for me, I wandered back to my car in a confused state.  Singing dolefully.  Not about rain.  Nor sunshine.  Much more urgent.  Show Me The Way to go Home.  Or the version I prefer:

BOOTboys

Comments:

Ian G:  Thoroughly recommend Sister Rosetta Tharpe "Didn't It Rain?"

Mike T:  Here's a North-Eastern version of Show Me The Way To Go Home:

Larn us the way t’gan yam
I’m knackered and and I wana gan te bed
I hada Newky Brown about an ‘our ago and it’s gan reet to me heed
Where ever I might roam, down the pub, club or down the pigeon ducket,
You will always here us chanting this song
Larn us the way t’gan yam  

Do you have any comments or questions?

If so, please click on .  We look forward to hearing from you.  If you do NOT want your comments to appear on this website, please say so otherwise we will assume that we have your permission for publication in whatever responsible manner we consider appropriate.  Alternatively you can leave a comment on Facebook.

If you would like to become a BOOTboys Follower click on to let US know and you will receive automatic notification of new reports.

Martin

Don

Mike T

John PL

Stephen

Mike B

Bryn

Tony

John H

Terry

STATISTICS

BB2018 : Show Me The Way To Go Home

Date:

Wednesday 3rd June 2020

Features:

Whitbarrow Scar

Comitibus:

Bryan, Don, John H, Martin, Mike B,
Mike T, Stan, Stephen, Stuart, Tony

Distance in miles (Memory Map):
Bryan (red); Don (orange); Martin (blue); Mike B (purple)

21.8   11.0;  10.9;  9.5

Height climbed in feet (Memory Map):

3,300;  1,636;  1,634; 1,506

GPX track

BB2018.gpx

Home

BB04

BB05

BB06

 BB07

BB08

BB09

BB10

BB11

BB12

BB13

BB14

BB15

BB16

BB17

BB18

BB19

BB20

Archive