Dolly and the Bluebird

Thursday 20th March 2014

When I were a little lad, washday (Monday of course) meant a galvanised dolly tub full of hot water, a posser, a scrubbing board and a mangle to squeeze out the liquid from the clothes.

I don't remember what we used for soap but I do remember Dolly Blue. The little bag had a stick in it with a small handle. The whole thing resembled a tiny peg doll, hence its name and marketing theme.

The Dolly Blue would be repeatedly dipped into the water to add a blue tint, thereby disguising the yellow of the aging clothes.

Hello Dolly

The Blackbarrow Mill

On the River Leven, not far below the outflow from Windermere, is a hamlet that used to be known as the Dolly Blue village as all the buildings were extensively tinged in bright ultramarine emitted from the local factory.  Its real name is Backbarrow.

In fact it was not Dolly Blue that was manufactured there but a similar product for the Lancashire Ultramarine Company (later taken over by Reckitts) but the name, like the colour, stuck.

These days the place has been gentrified almost beyond recognition.

The houses have reverted to their natural colours.  The factory has been reincarnated as a hotel.  The only significantly sized piece of blue is on the outside walls of the Lakeland Motor Museum.

Lakeland Motor Museum

The Dolly Blue Hotel

That was our gathering point.  However, with strong winds and heavy rain on their way, we needed an early start if we were to get a walk in before the expected noon-time drenching. Poor James had to miss out on the excitement thanks to the need for an urgent trip to the dentist, following which, he hoped to find us.

Navigation was not my strong point today.  I did successfully manage to lead the team to another hamlet with an interesting factory building with its proud clock tower: Low Wood. In this case the conversion has been to smart offices.  

Clock Tower offices

A glimpse within

My first error was made by heading onwards via the wrong road.  It seemed right when looking at the map but it wasn't.  Had I referred to the compass it would have been immediately apparent.  But I didn't.  Eventually realisation dawned and I tried to rectify the situation by using a track marked on the map but not as a public right of way.  It became obvious that visitors were not welcome.  Alarm Mines!!!

Be warned!

Seen better days

Actually,the detour was not that great and we soon found the correct road then the correct path up past moss covered disused buildings to Bigland Tarn.

The weather was holding up nicely, We had quite pleasant walking conditions.

Consequently, rather than use any of the escape routes back to Backbarrow, we pressed on past Bigland Tarn to the Back Reddings Allotment tarn and on to Bigland Allotment.  

The return to Backbarrow should have been simple.  

According to the map, all you need to do is follow the path over the hill then down and, indeed, I thought that was what we were doing.

Bigland Tarn

I found the stile and on the other side was a distinct path that we followed.  I was looking for one going off to the right, as required, but none appeared.  However, it transpired that what we were on was a farm track unknown to the map makers and it was taking us more or less back the way we had come albeit somewhat higher up and on the other side of the wall.  It was when the Back Reddings Allotment tarn appeared for the second time that I realised the mistake.  Again, had I used the compass, the error could have been detected sooner.  Lesson noted.

Belted Galloways above Back Reddings Allotment

Now with compass in hand, we improvised a new route over Bigland Barrow and headed back to Backbarrow (have you been counting the "B"s?).

Dropping down to Backbarrow

On house wall

Meanwhile, James had arrived from out the dentist chair and was awaiting us in the Motor Museum cafe. Somewhat shamefacedly we arrived an hour late but, fortunately, just before the heavy rain set in as per the forecast.

The car park and the cafe was extraordinarily busy for the time of year.  In a way it is not surprising.  The food is good and where else to go on a wet Thursday?  

Fortunately not many of the visitors seemed interested in the Motor Museum so, after flashing our local resident's half price passes, we entered this Aladdin's cave of motoring memorabilia. A transport treasure trove.  For anyone remotely interested in any form of wheeled transport, it is fascinating.  Tony in particular was delighted, as I knew he would be at the price.  What particularly enthralled him was the private collection section of restored Vincent Motorbikes and, what is more, the owner was there for him compare restoration stories.  I am sure that Tony would agree that this guy is in a different league. All of his bikes were worth five figure sums with one having an estimated value of £65,000 !

Many things impressed us about the museum, including:

  • The range of different types of vehicles on display from penny farthings and kiddie cars through to a fine display of vintage and veteran machines plus quite a lot familiar to us in our formative years- Austin 7, Morris Minor, Mini Clubman, Triumph Herald etc etc.
  • The pristine condition in which they were all displayed
  • The accessibility of the vehicles.  Naturally you were not encouraged to touch, never mind climb on board, but you could stand right next to them to peer in and over
  • The additional memorabilia including motoring penny arcade machines that still worked (but had been converted to 20p).

Comitibus :  Lakeland Motor Museum

Tony lusts after.....

The showroom

Tony's sort of shop

The family car

..... the Vincent

Car with his and hers steering wheels

The Greasy Spoon

It also has an interesting section on the history of the Ultramarine Factory.

Making Ultramarine Blue

Packing department

But that is not all.

Across the yard (past a couple of old caravans thought brought back many memories) is the Bluebird Museum containing replicas of Malcolm Campbell's record-breaking Bluebird motor car and boat plus one of the Bluebird boat in which Donald Campbell perished on Coniston Water in 1967.

Malcolm's record breaking car

Donald's record breaking boat

In summary, if you have the slightest interest in transport history and the weather threatens to be less than glorious, this is a superb place to visit.  But if you do go for a walk first, please don't forget to use your compass!

Don, Thursday 20th March 2014

Thanks to the Lakeland Motor Museum for permission to photograph exhibits

Uncle Google

Many is the time on these pages that I have referred gratefully to Uncle Google but, until today, I had never stopped to think what he looked like.  

My first thoughts were of a medieval God-like father figure dispensing wisdom but then I realised that could not be right.

God is infallible.  Uncle Google is not.

He is simply the gather of disparate information.  

He is more like a Womble.

I then realised that he really is a Womble.

Further research uncovered the little-known fact that he is actually the identical twin brother of Uncle Bulgaria.

Actually, his given name was Gulgaria.

In their youth, he and his brother Bulgaria formed a singing duo known as the BGs.

Their hits included "You should be Wombling" and "Staying a Womble".

Sometime later, he emigrated from Wimbledon Common to America but the immigration officers had difficulty spelling Gulgaria so they changed his name to Google.

In California, he thrived and, back in the early 60s, went on to set up Googleplex, which grew into the massive success it is today.

However, it seems all that publicity nearly went to his head and he was only saved when his relatives Skyped him, singing "Remember you're a Womble".

This chastened him and, at the same time, inspired him to write the new company anthem:

On your phone, on your pad, on your PC
Google your time away, Googling is free
Making good use of the things on the net
Things that you'd otherwise prob'ly forget

Some people abuse us, somehow don't see,
That misleading Google is no way to be.
You Google by day and you Google by night
It is better for all when the facts are just right.

Googlers are organised, work on their own.
Finding out things that to them were unknown
You must remember, I'm sure that you do
It's info for everyone, most of it true

On your phone, on your pad, on your PC
Google your time away, Googling is free
Making good use of the things that you find
Things that folks every day have on their mind!

 

Don

PS:  My apologies to Mike Batt, Google and anyone or thing else
that I have plagiarised or otherwise offended.!
.

STATISTICS:  

BB1410

Date:  

Thursday 20th March 2014

Distance in miles

6.4 Garmin GPS

Height climbed in feet

1,234 Memory Map / OS

Features:

Backbarrow, Bigland Tarn
Lakeland Motor Museum

Comitibus:

Don, John Hn, Mike, Stan, Tony
+ James @ Lakeland Motor Museum

 

BOOTboys routes are put online in gpx format which should work with most mapping software. You can follow our route in detail by downloading bb1410 .

To discover which Wainwright top was visited on which BB outing - although it may not be that up to date - see: Which Wainwright When?

For the latest totals of the mileages and heights (ditto) see: BB Log.

 

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