Week 34 - 2nd to 8th June

Monday 2nd June – day 219

We are still enjoying fabulous weather so Hannah and I decide to go for another walk. We park up at Elterwater, and walk the wide easy path to Skelwith, then up to Loughrigg to walk round the tarn, one of my favourite spots. My reward for keeping up with Hannah is a pint at the Brit, and just as we are relaxing into the amber nectar (but not Aussie!!) we receive from Chris the news that Anne and Andy have arrived for their stay. Unfortunately with my usual immaculate sense of efficiency I had booked them in for next week!!!! So time for relaxing over the pint is over and quick plans with Hannah for rearranging sleeping arrangements, and where to go for supper, not much of a discussion really as we both need no excuse to go to Lucy’s!!
Chris, who is always the soul of discretion had not given the game away, but as I could not quite work out how we would strip and wash beds, and sort out sleeping arrangements for Hannah without being spotted I felt it best to come clean!!!! Once fessed up we went off to eat, and as you can see from the photo they were very forgiving!!

Tuesday 3rd June – day 220

A sad morning as Hannah is leaving, and I always love it when she is around, but she is off to the big smoke to celebrate birthdays with her friend, and we are off to do some sight seeing.
We are all keen to visit Hilltop, as Chris and I have never been and watching the film had renewed interest in Beatrix Potter, not really as an author though but as a local landowner and supporter of the good ol’ Nation Trust. It is so popular that we had to queue to get into the car park, then book a slot for the visiting the house. Just as well really because it gave us time to visit the pub next door, another first for us! We were jolly glad that we did because it was really charming, and had a reasonable selection of good ales (and home made chips!!)
We visited Hilltop, which we learned, Ms Potter had lived in until 1907 when she and husband Mr Heelis, moved into the newly built extension next door (another mystery solved!) while she had continued to work in Hilltop. Before her death she apparently gave the NT strict instructions to open the house to the public, following her death, including leaving strict instruction for what should be displayed and where!
From there we went for a walk round Tarn Hows, and joy of joys we found when we got there that the National Truss (in support of all middle aged ladies!) had built a block of environmentally friendly loos, so double brownie points all round!
Andy, who had stayed at the Old Dungeon Ghyll hotel, made a request to revisit, and as the early evening was so pleasant we were glad of an excuse for al fresco refreshment.
By the evening though, Andy who had been feeling poorly since arrival, wilted completely, and nearly fell asleep in his supper, so it was a small whisky and early bed for him!

Wednesday 4th June – day 221

Another glorious day and we start it well with a full English breakfast! After which we set off for a wander round Ambleside, before going on to visit “Townend”, a 400 year old farm in Troutbeck, now owned by the National Trust. We parked up in the car park, but before we entered the house we took a gentle stroll down to the Mortal Man, where it was Anne’s to sip mineral water gingerly, Andy’s germ has moved on to her, oh dear.
Apart from Anne feeling poorly the visit to Townend was FAB. The house had been in the same family for 400 hundred years, and remained in much the same state as it had been left, when it was closed up following the death of the last Mr Brown in 1914. They had all shared a passion for carving, particularly the last owner, and the whole house was a testimony to their creativity and craftsmanship, it was quite superb. I also learned that the glass bowl, (shown in the picture) when placed in front of a lighted candle refracted the flame giving off more light, not bad eh!
Anne and Andy left us at tea time, and we made good use of the sofa for the rest of the evening.

Thursday 5th June – day 222

No time to play today, all playmates have gone and there are no excuses to be found to get out of …….. “The Cleaning and repairing day”!!!...... no fun just hard work!! However by the end of the evening we had also arranged to go to Clitheroe tomorrow, to celebrate Father’s Day while we are all together!

Friday 6th June – day 223

There are still more jobs to be done today, including dismantling a bike to take to Al’s for storing, plus a shopping trip to Morrisons on the way to Clitheroe. There is much discussion about journeys to be made and the most efficient use of petrol, time and cheapest refuelling opportunities, so you can imagine the atmosphere in the car when we realised (just outside Kendal) that we had forgotten the bike (the reason the trip to Clitheroe was needed in the first place!!!)
Well whose job was it to remember the bike – I had managed the shopping list!! The other great achievement of the day was to leave refuelling until we got to Clitheroe, where we had read in petrolprices.com that the cheapest petrol around was to be found in Chatburn. Not only did this turn out to be not true, but in fact the petrol was 6p more per litre than in Morrisons, but we will draw a veil over that!!
Anyway, the best bit of the day was left till last when we arrived at The Orchard to celebrate Fathers Day with the old crumbly (may now have to use this word as am being referred to as a wrinkly myself!!) and other junior crumblies. We almost kept their joining us a surprise (which had been the intention) until Mum was heard in the corner quietly going through who would be liking which veggies – oh dear, father still has good hearing!

Saturday 7th June – day 224

The day is spent preparing for a visit from Kathryn who is joining us today, and she arrives at tea time after a 50th birthday lunch in Manchester

Sunday 8th June – day 225

I can hardly believe it but we are still enjoying warm and sunny summery weather and the desire to be out walking amidst the glorious Lakeland greens is great so we agree to do a loop walk around Little Langdale valley over Slater Bridge down through the woods and quarries to Tilberthwaite and back again. There is no time to stop for a pint at the Brit today as there is Lamb to be cooked for a late Sunday lunch before Kathryn returns to Manchester.