Wednesday, May 07, 2003

 

Day 14. Kendal. Thursday 8 May 2003. Expedition Ullswater

After a big English breakfast we left early on a dull morning and headed for Windermere not sure what the day would bring in the way of weather. We stopped off briefly in the Windermere shopping area, Gillian and I made a swift reconnoitre of the shops. I spotted a fridge magnet of a fox's head and thought something different for Pat's collection and bought it, only £1.06 and very reasonably priced.

We then headed for Keswick while keeping an eye on the changeable weather, not raining but dull and a little threatening. Arriving up in this area Gillian was awed by all the green slate stone houses old and new and the seemingly endless numbers of B & Bs and holiday hotels lining the streets and roads. Here in this little corner of the UK, famous for its scenery the yearly tourist numbers surpass the whole of the NZ yearly tourist numbers.

We had spotted Wordsworth's cottage on our way to Keswick so on the way back we decided to call. Parking, ever a problem, we managed to squeeze the big Ford into a small space. In the shop Pat bought cards and nick knacks and I searching around spotted a nice round Lakeland green-slate plaque of Wordsworth's famous daffodils hand painted with a hole bored through the slate for hanging. I can't resist daffodils and bought it. At £4.99 the price was very reasonable for this hand-painted piece in this tourist area.

As we looked around outside Anthony was talking and finished the conversation with the phrase "no worries". A lady with her head rotating from side to side said "who said that!? Anthony paused and replied "I did". " Are you from Australia?" she asked, "no, NZ" replied Anthony. The lady quickly replied "well, near enough. We're from ***** in Australia, its the first down-under voice I've heard in a while". We all laughed.

Now it was turned 11 a.m. and the day was improving, the sun was peeping out. We decided to chance a run over to Ullswater. We travelled up and over Kirkstone Pass stopping for a short while at Kirkstone Pass Inn at the summit with spectacular views of the bare fells, the green bracken (fern) had not sprouted yet to clothe the steep slopes of the fells a bright green. The old Inn was a picture, built in 1490... over 500 years old. The slate roof edges were reinforced to fend off the fierce winds of winter blowing off the heavy tiles up here at 1590 ft.

Both Gillian and Anthony expressed amazement at the dry-stone boundary walls snaking up the steep, seemingly almost vertical slopes of the fells and over the top and the beauty of the fells in all their starkness. It is cold up here even on a warm day.

Down to Glenridding and Patterdale then on to Pooley Bridge the nearest village to where I used to live, where I caught the bus to Penrith School. We had a late lunch and then a wander round. I walked down the little "no exit" road looking at the little cottages, most appeared deserted, no doubt holiday cottages now. Then as I returned I stood and looked at the stone built double story building by the Crown Hotel, still used as a garage, the place I was allowed to leave my bike when going to School. Then I wandered up the road to where the old post office was and a little further to what used to be the blacksmith's shop, a surprise it had not been converted to a holiday home like most buildings, it was still a barn. As I turned there was the Church with its Hall, the place we had our school hot lunches consisting of 2 courses, they had not changed over all these years.

Walking back to my family and returning from my yesterdays to today, we then drove down the narrow road to Howtown and Sharrow Bay, my old home as a boy stopping here and there. We visited the bluebell wood and walked up to the fell gate to view Barton and Swarth fells my playground of those long ago days.

By this time the afternoon was sneaking away and I think everyone had had enough sight-seeing so we headed back to Kendal. On the way back we followed the road I used to walk 2.5 miles each way to Barton School starting as a 5 year old and we stopped off for a look at the school. The building was still the same except it was now converted to a private house and the toilet block into a rental flat.

We continued on our way via the old A6 road which used to be the main route before the advent of the M6 Motorway. The A6, passing Lowther Castle and over Shap fells is a pleasant drive and the road was empty of traffic.

Arriving back in Kendal at 5 p.m. we called in at Morrison's supermarket for shopping and then their cafe for eats. Baked Beans and 2 rounds of toast for me. Then we headed back to Docker to our B & B. We were all in good spirits.

I went early to bed, I was worn out. Ian arrives tomorrow. A dull blustery day turned into a pleasant day and fine evening.

posted by OldEric 7:47 pm