BOOTboys

BB2019 : So Good They Climbed It Twice

Thursday 11th June 2020

Long before Jay-Jay Okocha played for Bolton Wanderers, Gerard Kenny wrote a song. Long before Gerard Kenny wrote that song, Rogers and Hart wrote a song. This was entitled "Manhattan". and contained a line, delivered in a prototype rap style, "New York, New York; a city so nice they had to name it twice". It was 1959.

Kenny borrowed the theme in 1978 with a different song that contained the line "New York, New York; a city so good they named it twice".

In 2002 Bolton Wanderers fans gave the theme a new twist after the club signed Okocha. He became such a favourite that they would chant "Jay-Jay, so good they named him twice".

Today, it was the BOOTboys' turn to morph the words.

The target was Hamspfell, a modest hill over looking Grange-over Sands with fine views featuring the estuaries.....

..... plus the added bonus of Lakeland Fells, the Coniston Range in particular.

Thanks to the easing of the Lockdown rules, five us could walk nearly together, satisfying the 2 metre rule.

From Grange we climbed up the surprisingly steep path through Eggerslack Wood then onwards over open ground to the Hospice.....

..... with its "Rosy-fingered Dawn" inscription over the doorway.

Inside, each wall carries a plaque. It's worth enlarging the pictures on your screen to read them.

It is an interesting structure with fine views from its top. The only demerit today was the cold, strong easterly wind.

We continued north to the end of the ridge then dropped down to the west, across a couple of roads and a couple of fields until we found a stream with a stone bridge. Strangely, Tony hadn't said anything. It took me to point out to him that it was now two minutes past twelve. As soon as he realised the time, the inevitable happened. Lunch, watched by jealous sheep.

Once fed, we continued west then south, through l'Enclume's vegetable garden.....

...... and past the point where Jonna had plied us with sausages (BB1632) then on to her and Robin's old house. The water wheel had been removed which was a bit of a surprise.

"Where are we going now?" asked a voice.

"Did you enjoy Hampsfell?" I responded.

"Yes" was the consensus. "It was good."

"Well then. If it was so good, let's do it again."

This didn't meet with quite as much enthusiasm but nonetheless all were up for the challenge.

We could have had a contretemps with the owner of Longlands, had we been so minded, and might yet decide to boycott the pubs he owns, but we were on a mission. The Hospice. Twice!

Stan

Stephen

Don

Tony

Mike

This time we headed south, to Fell End. The OS map shows a nice little symbol but nothing so interesting marks its summit. Just a rather ordinary cairn.

Yes, that really is Blackpool Tower you can see to the right of Humphrey Head.

That was the climbing out of the way. Now for the descent along the road down into Grange. I don't recall ever having walked along there before. Two things struck me. Firstly, there were several interesting buildings. Secondly that the reputation of Grange-over-Sands as being God's waiting room, is somewhat misplaced. You have to be fit live there. It is a steep road down to the shops and even worse back up.

Our double ascent had been worth it. We might have started singing "Hampsfell, Hampsfell; so good we climbed it twice". But it didn't really have a ring to it. Maybe it will after a couple of pints in the ZOOMbar tonight.

Don, Thursday 11th June 2020

BOOTboys

The Ghosts of Mardale Green

Several people have mentioned to me that they had been to Haweswater where Mardale Green, the drowned village, was starting to appear again.

That prompted me to look back at the last time we visited when the lake was low- BB1825.

Two reports earlier, BB1823, I remarked on having seen the 1984 draught and made mention the even more severe drought of 1976.

Unfortunately the page to which I linked no longer exists. However I have discovered Martin Kielty's The Ghosts of Mardale Green Rise Again.

Jamie & Emma at Haweswater, 1984

This includes a link to a short video of The Last Service at Mardale Church, and another to The Haweswater Dam Under Construction. He also refers to an aerial video of the 2018 Drought by Eden Valley Drones.

A blogger named Shedlife has a page called Mardale Green, the Jewel in a Lost Crown which has a short article about the village and a lot of interesting old photos on his flickr page.

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Down in the Zoombar :

Martin	Don	Mike T
John PL	Tony	Mike B
	Stephen

Route:

Map OS 1:25k

STATISTICS	BB2019 : So Good They Climbed It Twice
Date:	Thursday 11th June 2020
Features:	Hampsfell
Comitibus:	Don, Mike B, Stan, Stephen, Tony
Distance in miles (Garmin):	8.7
Height climbed in feet (OMN):	1,403
GPX track	BB2019.gpx

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BOOTboys 2020

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