BB2201 : A Lack Of Clear Communication

Thursday 5th January 2201

I thought the instructions were clear enough:

Stan, Robin, Mike and I will meet at Grange Railway Station at 9:30 and undertake a tour of Hampsfell, including the Hospice, returning approx 11:45 to meet Stuart, Tony and Stephen at the Hazlemere cafe.

It is not the intention of having lunch there, merely a convenient meeting point.  If the Hazlemere is full, there is another cafe a few yards along the parade.

Thereafter we will take a stroll along the prom before climbing to Grange Fell.  This will offer several opportunities for anyone wanting a shorter, less steep walk to retreat down into Grange.

After a second visit to the Hospice we will return to Grange and the cars.

So it came as a bit of a surprise when Stan emailed to check if we were having lunch at the Hazlemere.  We agreed that he would pick me and off we went to park in the car park on the Windermere Road.  

We arrived on time but the ticket machine wouldn’t take my credit card (although it took several minutes to tell me that) so I had to pay by phone which also took several minutes.  Mike came into sight, strolling along- he had parked for free near the golf course.  Then Robin arrived in his car.  Both seemed a little confused as to exactly where and when we were meeting.  I thought my email had been clear enough but I humoured them and apologised for dashing it off in a rush without checking properly.

This resolved and now duly assembled, we set off up the through the woods for Hamsfell Hospice.  The quarter of an hour delay had burnt off all the contingency I had built into the timings.

Part way up the hill, Robin stopped us at a sign for Eggerslack Wood and explained what the word meant in Danish.  I wish I could tell you but my befuddled brain lost the story so I have asked Robin to explain.

We emerged onto the fell in glorious sunshine, quite the best day we have had all year.  Yes, I know there’s only five from which to choose but even if there were thirty or more, I doubt if we would have a better winter’s day for such an outing.

At the Hospice.....

..... we climbed the tower for the obligatory 360 display and the normal explanation that .....

.....  meant "rosy-fingered dawn".  Had we been there two hours earlier, I suspect we would have seen exactly what was meant.  Sunrise must have been glorious.

This first lap of the fell took us to the northern end then down by Hampsfield Farm and through the woods back to Grange.  I took the precaution of texting the boys to warn we were a bit behind schedule.  My estimate of 15 minutes was spot on.  We expected to find Stuart, Stephen and Tony inside the café having a coffee  whilst awaiting our arrival.  Not so.  Tony hadn’t even arrived and the other two were outside chatting.  They seemed to think that we were going in for lunch.  Mike and Robin seemed to think they could now go home, job done.  I again apologised for not making the plan clear.

Anyway,  Mike and Robin did go home but the rest of us did what folk of our age tend to do in Grange- have a leisurely stroll along the prom, enjoying the view across the Kent estuary.....

..... then stopping at a couple of convenient benches where those who had taken the trouble to at least part read the message could eat their lunch. Poor Stuart thought we were lunching in the café so had to starve.

At the far end of the prom, near the Swimming Pool, we started the climb back up to the Hospice.  

Stephen left us, as expected, part way up but to my surprise Stuart and Tony weren’t that bothered about reaching the Hospice.  

To be fair, the Fell End view point is just as good.

The most notable feature on the descent was Yewbarrow Lodge which looked abandoned.  

This is very striking modern building, almost Tuetonic or maybe Voyseyan in style, which I thought was an old folks home.  Totally empty.  No signs of life, just a notice on the door that the staff were working from home.  What about the residents?  There was a lack of clear communication- it didn’t say.

Back at the cars we parted company with a final apology on my part.  What did I do when I got home?  Re-read the email on my PC.  Yes, as you will have seen, it was clear enough.  Just one problem.  I had forgotten to click on that little box that says SEND.  Sorry boys for my lack of clear communication!

Don, Wednesday 5th January 2022

Bonus Pictures:

Mike:

Tony:

Robin on Eggerslack

An hypothesis for the derivation of the unusual name of Eggerslack Woods may be as follows and, if so, marks the woodland as ancient:-

Oak in Old Norse is ‘eik’ – say eggk, (and eg in current Danish).

‘Slagger’ in Norse is what remains after a bonfire so, but a slow burn produces charcoal – the ‘slag’ in slag heap has the same derivation.  

So most probably, the woods where oak charcoal was made or maybe just Burnt Oak Woods, of which there are many!

Robin

2021 Year End Report

Although there were 41 reports in the year 2021, due to the various Coronavirus restrictions in place, only 32 count as “qualifying” for the purposes of the performance statistics.  In the circumstance it is not surprising that the totals are the poorest on record, a mere 301 miles and height climbed 54,000 feet. 

However, the average mileage of 9.1 wasn’t far off the long term figure and the average height climbed of 1,697 was at least an improvement on last year.

To ensure compliance with the lockdown rules, the early part of the year in particular had a number of non-qualifying events, some seemingly cunningly designed by Big Chief Eye-Spy!  Taking these into account, we had 16 active BOOTboys in total with an average of 5 per outing.  In addition, during the course of the year, especially when Covid restrictions were in place and we were hunting in bubbled pairs, our numbers were enhanced by 9 BOOTbabes.

Let’s hope 2022 is going to allow us greater freedom so that we can continue to be Old Men Walking and doing other Daft Things!

Odhu Ntingo, Don

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STATISTICS

BB2201 : A Lack Of Clear Communication

Date:

Wednesday 5th January 2022

Features:

Hampsfell, Fell End

Comitibus:

Don, Mike B, Robin, Stan, Stuart, Stephen, Tony

Distance in miles:

9.5 (Don & Stan)

Height climbed in feet:

1,643 (Don & Stan)

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