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BB2045 :
The Year of the Rainbow
Thursday
17th December 2020
In
China, 2020 has been the Year of the Rat.
Donald Trump, blaming them for covid,
would probably agree though many people
in the USA think that they have suffered
four years of a rat.
In
the UK, perhaps 2020 will be remembered
as the Year of the Rainbow, the symbol of
hope. Many of us still have Rainbows
in our windows and on our dustbins to acknowledge
the remarkable efforts of the NHS staff
and other key workers.
Two
weeks ago, on BB2043,
we saw an intense rainbow’s end reflected
in the lake at Grasmere. Today we
saw a rainbow over the Kent Estuary, a full
double one, the intensity of which I don’t
recall ever having seen before. The
photos, even with a degree of manipulation,
don’t really do it justice and it lasted
and lasted. An even bigger symbol
of hope?
Our
outing, the last before Christmas, was to
be from Sandside to Arnside....
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....
then around the Arnside Point headland as
far as Far Arnside, return over the Knott
and, one way or another, work our way back
to the start point. Familiar and,
for me, nostalgic territory.
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The
tide had turned and the estuary was starting
to fill. The shower that caused the
rainbow passed over us though it lingered
on the other side. The old railway
track led us to Arnside where, on the prom,
whom should we bump into (well, actually
they spotted us as they drove past) but
long time BOOTboys
follower, David
H with his wife Helen. They were intent
on a similar walk but opted not to join
us as they didn’t want to hold us up. Obviously
they have never walked with us otherwise
they would have known that an outing of
this nature would be full of diversions
and stoppages for umpteen reasons, mostly
to examine things we had spotted. More
likely we would have held them up.
It
is a pity that Mike T wasn’t with us. The
estuary was teeming with birds and our ability
to identify them is somewhat limited but
that accounted for several hold-ups.
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Another
was in the form of an old fingerpost and
the fact that it showed the number 5. An
information board explained that six were
erected locally at a cost of £12/3/6
but only two remain, numbers 5 & 6.
Further
round, we decided to take the direct route
across the bay, skipping from grassy mound
to grassy mound. This is how the whole
area used to be before the channel moved
and cut most of it away. We heard
a call. Was it one of the sea birds?
No, it was David and Helen who were
sat on the rocks on the shoreline. As
I said, we would have held them up.
The
tide was rising so we climbed to the narrow
path close, very close, to the cliff edge.
From here we saw the bore rushing
in. Had we stayed low, we would have
been washed away.
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Two
more delays followed. The first, the
traditional attempt to spot Blackpool Tower.
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Second,
puzzlement at the strange foamy balls washing
up on the shoreline. We reckoned some
boat had been cleaning out its tanks.
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At
Far Arnside is the caravan park where for
over 40 years our family had a van.
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The
nature of the site is very different now.
It is much more gentrified and less
child friendly. No latrine block or
communal showers anymore.
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1989
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2020
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We
took the Comitibus picture on the site of
our van, in front of the wall that we commissioned
and for which we paid (a sore point).
Here
we left the coast (keeping out of Tier 3
Lancashire) and headed back towards the
Knott, stopping part way up for lunch at
a couple of benches. To our surprise
one was dedicated to a former colleague
of those of us who had worked for Provincial
Insurance. A further surprise for
me was to be helloed by two "blast
from the past" Kendal ladies.
It
was good to see that the giraffe tree was
still being put to its traditional purpose
(photo taken with permission, I’m no perve).
After
the mandatory visit to the view point.....
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.....and
subsequent inspection of the summit cairn
(am I getting a fixation about the trig
point identification plates?) we dropped
down to the Silverdale Road to emerge by
the cemetery. As it had a War Graves
sign we decided to explore. We found
three such sad reminders plus two other
memorials of particular interest.
The
first was an extraordinary cricket themed
headstone. The only additional information
that I have been able to find is a website
suggesting that the prinicpal occupant played
for Kent.
The
second was an even bigger mystery. Near
the entrance is a stone with the message
“In memory of all the children who are resting
in this cemetery in unmarked graves”. Tony
subsequently discovered what had happened.
It is a sad tale of gross negligence
in cemetry managment. If you want
more of the macabre story visit The
Bermuda Triangle cemetery.
The
return to Sandside was an inland route.
We opted for road rather than the
direct line across Arnside Moss as we hadn’t
brought waders. However the subsequent
path to Hazleslack Tower did prove to be
somewhat of a mudbath. Consequently we reverted
to road and walked down through Storth back
to the car. The tide was now fully in.
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Fortunately,
although a high one, it hadn’t breached
the banks and the cars were safe. Here’s
wishing that the Rainbow keeps you and yours
safe.
Happy
Christmas!
Don,
Thursday 17th December 2020
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