Tuesday, June 03, 2003

 

Day 39. Tuesday 03 June 2003. The Canal Visit

Today we went down to Crooklands once a sleepy little village when I lived at nearby Kidside in the 1940s and 1950s. Now it is well known as the major off ramp from the M6 to the Lake District, a large motel complex over-shadows the little Crooklands pub and two caravan parks are nearby.

Over the little bridge across the road from the pub is where I used to go fishing in the canal as a boy. I used to head about 200 yards south down the bank of the canal to my fishing spot opposite the little stream, which flows, into the canal. I have written of this spot in my memoirs.

Things were much the same when I found my fishing spot once more but now the canal banks are tidied up and then the vegetation allowed to return and grow up to form a long shield between the canal path and the waters edge. Not very good for fishing now with the long stalks of the growth getting in the way particularly the Nettles which are now allowed to grow freely whereas before they were mown to keep them in check.

Returning to Kendal and we went to the Library and checked for any Emails and sent one or two. Then round the shops and the market... Tuesday is still Market Day in Kendal. We visited the marketplace café? Near to the High Street, more stairs for Pat to climb. I had my inevitable soup and toast. I'm sure Pat had something different.

Later after an early dinner we returned to Cragg Farm and here in the lounge we met another visitor. An American aged mid or late 30s travelling on his own and staying in Kendal for a few days. He told me he normally resided down in the Caribbean crewing on pleasure yachts but he was here in Kendal to trace his ancestors who originated from this area. Spending each day in the County research files, each evening he wrote up his findings on his small laptop. His research was quite successfully he told me, and the staff was most helpful pointing him in the right direction

posted by OldEric 12:58 am