Phyl - August 19th 2018


The Lake District

It is not normal for me to rush round the country but in the last couple of weeks I have been catching up with some old friends. One of the consequences of helping with the Cinque Ports Hundred is that I have had no time to see people so I am finally getting round to visiting.

This week I am in the Lake District, visiting my mate Steeve. Like most of my mates Steeve is a bit of a nutter and I thought that I was in for a bit of hard time. As ever I was right!

The plan was to go for a "bit of a walk" but although I tried to tell him that I did not want to go too far, being not very fit, we went on a hell of a walk! It was not the distance but climb that I found so hard. I found it hard until we had to do down that is!

We walked up to a ridge and then along it. Here is what Steeve wrote about the walk on Facebook:

"After letting breakfast drift through to 15:00 we headed to the Lakes on a sun filled Saturday. The plan worked. On a day that was surely packed earlier on we avoided the heat and at 16:00 embarked on a 12 km Lakeland loop from Brotherswater Inn.

Caudale Moor, (via the old mine,) Stoney Cove Pike, then the technical descent and climb up to Thornthwaite Crag before a descent along the ridge to Gray Crag above Hayeswater. Before finally returning via the track to Low Hartsop and up alongside Brotherswater.

6 hours with perfect weather, superb views and a pint as reward at the end."

I must say that the weather was not perfect, it was too hot and I did not notice the views because I was too busy panting and sweating. We did stop for a beer at the Brotherswater Inn when we had finished. I had three pints of cool cider. I did not so much drink it as pour it down my neck and watch it leave as steam.

However because I live, and walk, on the canals which are flat this steep hill walking is what I need. At the end of the walk, on the flat bit in the valley bottom, I was walking as fast as ever it is only the up and the down that slows me up, and down.

Down to the Pub!

The next day I fancied a bit of a rest so suggested to Steeve that we have a look round a couple of castles that are near the A66. My idea was that we would drive to the castles and have a look round. Steeve had other ideas however!

His idea was that we should drive to the first castle and then walk between them, then walk into town and watch a film. I must admit that I did not wish to do this. I wanted a nice quiet day. Walking round a castle would have been OK but that was about all. Needless to say we did it Steeve's way.

I found the castles very interesting and even brought a book in the gift shop. I also, to my surprise, found the walking not too difficult; it was on flat ground and I have no problem with that. I did not fancy the idea of a walk today but it was OK, I was not as badly affected by yesterday's walk as I had thought that I was.

We ended up in a pub and did not get to the film as planed: funny that!

On the way home, next day, I started to get depressed - very depressed.

The thought of the thirty-three month wait to see anyone about my condition, and my inability to do anything about it had got to me, big time.

As I arrived home to my boat I got worse and worse. I knew that the next week or so were not going to be good for me! I knew that I would be experiencing a lot of pain and loneliness.

I think that I will leave that bit for the next instalment.

Phyl. (at the moment)