|
| BB2025
: The Devil Gate Drive?
Tuesday
21st July 2020
Hey, you all want to go down
to
Devil Gate Drive?
Well, come on!
|
|
Well, of course I wanted to go for a drive
with Suzi. And with Margaret, who,
sadly and unlike Suzi, was not dressed
in black leather.
I
have heard it said, unkindly, that Barrow-in
Furness is not the end of the world but
you can see it from there. Well, the
land beyond Barrow is Walney Island. Is
that the land where demons live? Is
the bridge to the island the Devil Gate?
We would find out as that is where
we were taking Suzi for her inaugural
drive. Or perhaps truer to say that she
was taking us.
Meanwhile
the BOOTboys
Red Team were in action. Martin takes
up the tale.
Despite the best laid plans things can go wrong and today
was one of those days. Throughout lockdown Don has been harbouring a wish to
revisit Ill Bell to confirm, or not, that he can see his house from the summit.
The weather forecast was good, the team was assembled despite computer gremlins
in the email system and the mishearing of participants’ availability then Don
announced "Sorry boys, I have had a better offer. I'm
on a double date with Margaret and Suzi."
The result of all this was that Mike B, Terry and Martin
assembled at the already busy parking area near Troutbeck Church at 9.30. We set off up the path towards Garburn Pass at what we thought
was a good pace, only to be overtaken by younger (much) runners and a couple of
walkers.
The opening views in the sunshine were spectacular as we climbed up
the track – a couple of mountain bikers came past and then we came across a
couple of guys in a Fylde B.C. registered taxi, a Ford Mondeo, well up the
rough, stony track wondering if they could get over the hill to Kentmere! We
suggested that it might be problematic and that they would be better off
retracing their route. We were unsure just how far they would have to reverse
as there were no possibilities for turning round.
The continuing walk up Garburn was uneventful and we
eventually reached the obvious turn off to our first target of Yoke.
Onwards
and upwards we passed over the summit of Yoke, only being overtaken by young,
female solo runners, and pressed on to Ill Bell.
A Comitibus photograph was
taken on the summit, together with a photograph of Don’s house in the distance.
We took an early lunch in the sunshine and chill breeze.....
..... before debating whether
or not to include Thornthwaite Beacon in our outing. We decided "not" and
dropped down the rocky slope before climbing again to the summit of Froswick.
After Froswick we took the shortcut to join the return path
back to Troutbeck along Hag Gill. Here we met two couples from Limefitt Holiday
Park wondering if they were on the right path for High Street and was it steep?
They appeared to be lacking a map and proudly told us of previous expeditions
where they had descended into the wrong valley, necessitating a return by taxi.
We wished them well – they had plenty of daylight and the weather was good, but
we did wonder whether they would eventually reach the summit.
By now we were developing a thirst, accompanied by thoughts
of succulent cake from the Old Post Office in Troutbeck and before we knew it
there we were on the outside tables, socially distanced from the World,
reminiscing on the day and wondering if Mike really will scratch the itch he
was telling us about. More on this to follow, I think!
Martin,
Tuesday 22nd July 2020
I'm
glad the boys had a good time visiting Ill
Bell. Margaret, Suzi and I certainly
enjoyed our outing to the South Walney Nature
Reserve. No demons here. No
Devil Gate. It's a land of rare birds and
wild flowers where
the views are fantastic.
A panorama
of the Lake District. Peil Island and the coast around
Morecambe Bay and down to Blackpool
Tower which we could see very clearly. We
thought we could even just make out the
cranes in the docks at Liverpool.
I
am please to report that Suzi behaved herself.
Sorry, if there has been a bit of
a misunderstanding. Suzi Quatro is
a person, perhaps best known for singing
about the Devil Gate Drive. The Suzuki
Vitara is a four-wheeled drive
car. My Suzi. In black leather.
Meanwhile,
I await with baited breath news of Mike's
itch and the scratching thereof. Black
leather trousers perhaps?
Don,
Tuesday 22nd July 2020
|
