Having spent weeks researching and spending money on a Tent (Vango Zenith 200) and Rucksack (Osprey Atmos AG65) this was my first foray into multi-day walks with a 2 day, 1 night camping trip with Sophie. Up early to catch the train from Ilkley. The rucksack is packed and weighs in at 18kg, includes a lot … Continue reading Bentham to Gisburn
Blogs
Hilary didn't have to drive 955 miles just so I could see my dog, but she did! Stef and Andrew were dog sitting Sophie, whilst we were at the Warwick Folk Festival, however they had booked a camping holiday with their dog, Tuss, on the Isle of Skye so we decided to join them for … Continue reading Isle of Skye – 2016
Having ticked off an ambition for both of us to go to Cambridge Folk Festival last year, this year we have come to the Warwick Folk Festival, at the Warwick School. We lived in Warwick and one year an IBM colleague and friend of Hilary, Doug Freeman (whose wife used to run the ticket office) gave us a … Continue reading Warwick Folk Festival – 2016
Another early morning rise and drive to Wigan, parking at Trencherfield Mill, which houses some offices of the Canal and River Trust and a great "facade". From here it's easy to work my way back to Leigh Junction the few hundred yards so I can start from the Leg 5 end. Lock 22 of the 23 … Continue reading Leg 6 – Wigan to Heatons Bridge on to Ormskirk
An early morning drive to Blackburn and I fail to find the station parking, so park at Aenam Wharf where I ended Leg 4, handy for the start but leaves an uphill walk from the station at the end of the day. The departure from Blackburn is nothing really, no great vistas but a certain … Continue reading Leg 5 – Blackburn to Wigan
Many memories from this leg, not least having most of the English seasons in one day.The plan had been to take the reverse bus route of the end of leg 3 and start about 9:30 in Foulridge. Hilary though kindly offered first to drive Sophie and I to Skipton, but as the weather was still … Continue reading Leg 4 – Foulridge to Blackburn
Hilary drops Sophie and I off at Skipton Bus Station, which is right next to the Canal. I set off through the basin area in Skipton, where there is a small branch that heads off to the Castle and Wright Wine Shop, ignoring these attractions I turn along the main canal, past the now converted … Continue reading Leg 3 – Skipton to Foulridge
Chronologically the first leg. Undertaken after walking from Ilkley over the moor into the Aire Valley and then along the canal from Crossflats to Shipley with Hilary and Sophie. Whilst enjoying the peace and calm of the canal side, the picturesque reflections in still water and striding out for miles I thought I'd try out … Continue reading Leg 2 – Shipley to Skipton
Strangely for one who wishes to do things in order this was the second leg, having walked Shipley to Skipton first. It was only after that stretch that I decided to walk the whole canal, so had to overcome this mania and just accept the wrongness. This leg was done in the company of Hilary and … Continue reading Leg 1 – Leeds to Shipley
Time to look back at the first post work task. For many years I'd had a desire to build some wine racking and now had the time to set about it. We have a suitable cool cellar and had a mix of various racking collected over the years as well as a few unpacked … Continue reading Racking my Memory