Keswick to Kendal

by Miss Penny Black

I woke to a perfectly clear, blue sky and checked out of the West View somewhat regretfully. it would’ve been an amazing day to walk but never mind.

Amazingly blue but either that’s snow on the distant peaks or the thickest frost I’ve ever seen. It was -2 overnight.

last night I ended up going to see ‘Air’ at the cute little cinema a couple of blocks from the B&B. It was entertaining and I always like going to tiny local cinemas. So tiny the tickets were hand-written!

The bathroom decor was almost more exciting than the movie.

After I left the West View I headed to the shops. I bought the last couple of things I needed for the Camino, including some compeed plasters, which multiple people have assured me have magical blister-healing properties. I also got some more familiar but less magical elastoplast tape. With two treatments for blisters I’m hoping Murphy’s Law will ensure I get none.

All the buses leave from outside Booths supermarket. There was no one waiting when I first got there so I went into the supermarket to look at weird chip flavours.

Score!

When I came out there were approximately a billion people waiting for the same bus as me. I glumly joined the end of the line but, due to one bus parking in the wrong spot, my bus ended up stopping on the wrong spot, closer to my end of the queue. Well, the tension was palpable as all the orderly elderly people realised what was happening. One single couple walked from what was now the back to the front and just kind of shoved in (quelle horreur!) but otherwise we all just got on in the new order.

I went up the top and found tables! I’d never seen tables on an English bus before. I ended up sitting at a table with three locals, who said it was definitely a brand new bus.

(I took the photo after everyone got off)

It has USB charging points but also wireless charging too, where you just sit your phone on the disc on the table. Fancy!

I talked to the people at my table for the whole trip to Windermere, where they were getting off to walk to Orrest Head. This is the first time I’ve been to the lakes and not walked up Orrest Head. It’s a tiny hill right near Windermere station and Alfred Wainwright’s first walk – and mine! Maybe we’ll be able to fit in in next time.

The views became less rocky and more green towards Kendal. I’d bought my train ticket tomorrow from Oxenholme, which is just south of Kendal. There are buses that go direct from Oxenholme to Ambleside but not all the way to Keswick so I thought I’d walk from Kendal to the station. It was only about 3km.

Kendal is a lovely town but more like Penrith and Carlisle than Keswick, which are larger, less touristy towns that sit around the edge of the Lake District.

I walked around a bit and stopped for a lunch of Thai pea soup at the oldest pub in Kendal, Ye Olde Fleece Inn.

The soup was lovely but the wallpaper was something else!

It was a very nice place to sit, so I sat for a while.

The walk to Oxenholme was neither pretty nor quiet, being along a busy road, but there were a few nice views.

The tree was magnificent but could not entirely cover the stalag-esque community centre behind it.

The most noteworthy thing I saw was this school.

My brain did a little hiccup and initially thought it had been doing scholarships etc since 3:25 in the afternoon. No wait, they’re celebrating their 500th anniversary in 2 years.

Eventually, after a climb up a steep hill, I reached my accommodation.

Now I’ve had cheese and mushrooms on toast for dinner and I’m listening to the Somehow Related podcast.

An early night – I don’t feel like I’ve done much but I’ll be happy to get into bed.

To finish, here’s a lovely picture from my new favourite account on instagram – a magnificent cat who likes to go walking in the Lake District!

25Apr2023

Keswick

by Miss Penny Black

The weather has become colder and today I had a few jobs to do before leaving to go south and then fly to Spain on Friday.

First, a quick trip to the post office.

It was not, in fact, a quick trip. It took over an hour thanks to me not reading the instructions properly on the stickers I had to fill in and having to re-line-up several times. Oh well!

Still, a literal weight was lifted when I passed it all over the bench and I went off to the museum.

The Keswick museum is small but contains some very interesting items.

Birds’ eggs. Very pretty!

A little tree hung with people’s methods of getting through lockdown.

And a giant musical instrument that was like a xylophone but made of pieces of slate. They had buttons in the display that you could press to hear the music, which was surprisingly ethereal.

Next I was going to buy myself a pair of hideous but comfortable hiking sandals (Spain being a lot warmer than Cumbria) and I like to think I succeeded and then some.

They fit perfectly, why do they look so huge? Like I’m about to go snorkeling.

I stopped in at the Oxfam shop too. No matter where you go in the UK there seems to be a plethora of second hand clothing shops.

I was excited to find a copy of The Idler, a book-style magazine that was the forerunner of one of my favourite books ‘How To Be Idle’. The magazine is full of articles on idleness. I’m generally a busy person and I live a busy life, but after I read this book years ago (and got two of my book clubs to read it, with mixed results) I re-examined my attitude to life. I make more time to do nothing now. I used to love doing nothing when I was a child, pottering around, or even just staring into space. Now I don’t feel guilty if I do nothing at times.

Anyhow, the magazine serves two purposes. First, I can read it, and second, I can cut it up to make some mail art. A few years ago my friend Fish and I did a collage course at a library. It was fun to just mess around with shapes and images. I thought I might make something to send to Kat, a friend of mine who loves getting things in the mail. Let me know when it arrives, Kat!

So I later spent several happy hours in the lounge of the B&B being creative, using receipts and fliers and bits and pieces I’ve collected in the last week to make a little fold-up collage that I could send tomorrow. As I was sitting there I wished it would rain and then it started raining, how lucky is that?

Other than that, I bought some insanely-priced hiking socks and a couple of tiny bottles of the other Kin vodka flavours so I could try them while I was here. A little toast to the first chapter of my journey ending and being such a success.

23Apr2023

Pheasants and Robins

by Miss Penny Black

Today I took a bus to Dubwath, which is on the west side of Bassenthwaite Lake, thinking I would do some walking around there. I’d seen the gently-rounded hills from the bus on my trip to Cockermouth.

The bus stop I alighted at was over the road from the train station cafe that I had booked for Luke, Pete, Lea, Sue, Mark and I in May. I’d seen it online and booked it but had no idea what it was like so it seemed like a good idea to go have a look and see if I’d made a terrible mistake.

I had coffee at the cafe, in one of their railway cars.

I used their bathroom, outside of which was a bookshelf and I think one of the books was about me!

I’ve been practicing my banter so much I think I’m definitely at an advanced level now.

Then I took a walk around the nature reserve over the road. It was a boardwalk over boggy ground. I took another photo to add to my collection of terrible quality photos of birds. I think it’s a wren but I’m happy to be corrected.

I know it was a bird, but this photo is so bad it could be a weird potato.

I had a look in the bird hide, where there was a whiteboard to record wildlife sightings.

Exciting stuff! I then had a chat to a man who told me about the African swallows (unladen) that had just started arriving and described their call to me and just as he did, one of them did their call. It was very fortuitous.

Then I took a walk up the nearest fell. It was a stunning day and the views were tremendous. The walk wasn’t super difficult but from the top I could see all the way to Scotland, the Isle of Man and I think I could see Northern Ireland too. I’m not going to post many photos because I think it would be an ideal walk to do with everyone before our tea at the train (weather permitting). Some of the walk was a corpse road, an ancient track along which people would carry bodies to the local church.

The amazing weather made it less creepy.

There were a few people around as the walk was very accessible. It’s the first walk I’ve been on where I’ve seen quite small children.

The way there and back from the bus stop passes the Pheasant Inn.

My favourite bird, as you may well know by now. I went in and had some lunch in their back garden area.

A very tame little robin joined me.

I can now start a collection of high quality photos of birds. Finally!

After a long rest and soak in the sun, I took a photo of the hedge then returned down the road to the bus shelter.

The bus shelter was of a much higher standard than most, and a nice place to wait out of the rain.

I felt like I’d had a medium-effort day but my watch said I’d climbed 59 storeys. There certainly were a lot of ups and downs and I could feel it in my calves.

I got back to the B&B to find all my washing done – my hosts had asked if there was anything they could do to make up for the lock incident. The only thing I really wanted was clean clothes, so that was easy!

All my clothes are pictured except for the set I was wearing. I have attained my badge in ultralight packing!

I’ve also done a book swap with one of the owners here, since I finished the Matt Haig novel last night and there’s no reason to hold onto it. It’s the first book I’ve finished on the trip. I think writing the blog and listening to podcasts has been my main entertainment. Luke asked me what I do in the evenings and, aside from washing my pair of socks and underwear from that day, that’s about it.

I’ve been having trouble replying to people’s messages on the blog but thank you to everyone who has left comments and kind words, I’ve really appreciated them! Deb asked what I think of walking poles. As I was on the bus home I tried to think of ten reasons why I recommend them.

1. Better balance (four legs are better than two!)

2. They help me hoist myself up higher more easily.

3. They help me let myself down easier from high steps – they are great for relieving pressure on joints.

4. I can prod damp patches to see if they are deep or shallow and get across wide puddles more easily.

5. They are good for lifting spiky plants away from my legs.

6. They give me peace of mind. Charmaine broke her ankle and couldn’t come, she said if she’d had her poles she probably would’ve been more stable and not fallen. I’m not taking any risks I can easily avoid!

7. Numerous times I’ve gone out without them and regretted it but never regretted taking them!

8. I’ve had a couple of people say to me over the years that they think poles are for elderly people, so I like to use them because I’m not, so I’m normalising them for middle-aged people;-).

9. They do take weight off your legs so you get more of a workout for your arms and can walk further in comfort.

10. This is one of the things I notice almost immediately if I don’t use them; my hands feel slightly swollen when I walk briskly with them hanging by my side so I have to hold my backpack straps to alleviate the sensation. With poles, my hands are elevated enough to avoid this sensation.

I don’t use them on city streets or anything, but out in the countryside, particularly going places I haven’t been before, they make it possible for me to go further, faster and more confidently. So I say grab yourself a pair!

22Apr2023

Dalemain Marmalade Festival

by Miss Penny Black

The bus I caught from Keswick did not go to Dalemain Hall, where the marmalade festival was being held. Instead it stopped in Stainton, which I had also wanted to visit because Jess (one of my dearest friends) Stainton’s family have connections to the place.

The view from the bus was almost completely obscured by condensation but I kept track of the journey using my OS map app and made sure I got off at the right stop. Isn’t technology wonderful?

All bus journeys are £2 at the moment, but I needed coins so I went into Booths before I set off and bought some jubes. I ate them on the bus and they reminded me of Mum, who always used to buy us a bag of jubes to share on long road trips. This was not a long trip but, somehow, they were all gone by the end anyway.

Stainton was a very small village, and on the map it looked like a very short walk up one street, then through a strip of wood and then over a field to get to the site. In fact it looked so simple I didn’t even take my walking poles (insert ominous music).

I took a few photos in the village. I particularly liked this house, which looked very Jane Austin-y. I could just imagine the family from Pride and Prejudice bursting out of the front door in a flurry of petticoats and lace.

Just before I got to the top of the hill I saw a pile of broken white ceramic in a pile on the kerb and when I got closer I noticed some wag had written on it.

I’d love to have been there when the person, who I assume just happened to have a marker handy, stopped to write on it. Or maybe they had to go get a pen and come back?

Anyhow, up the cute steps and through the tiny gate, I felt like I was climbing into someone’s yard, possibly a hobbit’s.

Next I had to walk through a thicket of wild raspberry canes.

Then across a field with a tiny stone hut.

Before entering a very other-worldly wood of bare trees and vibrantly green wild garlic.

Stunning! It smelled like garlic too.

Also, it was very muddy and steep. I slowly clambered down some wet and mossy steps and cautiously negotiated the muddy leaves, wishing all the while I had brought my walking poles (see? Foreshadowed!) . I am taking no risks when it comes to hurting myself on this holiday, but I creep along, clutching at trees and praying no one comes by to laugh at me.

After the woods another stile with a little dog hole, then across a field to the festival.

It was raining a bit and I’m pretty sure I was the only one who walked there as the car park was full and everyone was over 60.

There was gin tasting, orange juice drinking, bell ringing and tea sampling.

And marmalade!

I went into the first room and got chatting (if this blog was a drinking game and you had to drink every time I mentioned chatting to a stranger you’d have cirrhosis of the liver by now) to a couple of ladies who had entered the competition. One of them kindly let me take a photo of her certificates.

There were lots of categories and over 1000 entries.

Some were presented in a very fancy way, some looked very unusual.

There were a large number of entries from Japan and a lot of Japanese people at the festival. In one section they had a table to taste some marmalade and I went for one of the more unusual ones.

There was even marmalade with chocolate in it.

Note that it’s from the Octogenarian category. When you live that long you probably figure what the heck.

There were rooms and rooms and rooms of marmalade. Also other rooms of fancy old stuff because this is an historic house.

I considered buying a jar of marmalade but then though no, that was stupid, I still have half the jar of marmalade Rowan made me and it’s not like I’ve suddenly become a connoisseur. also the ladies with the certificates said a good marmalade should be chunky and Rowan’s is very chunky (the chunks are called ‘weeds’ so weedy marmalade is good. Who knows, I might have a champion marmalade in my possession already!

I think I was most intrigued by the clear marmalade (although one lady insisted it should be called jelly instead) and maybe I’ll have a go at making that myself one day.

How can it win? It’s not even marmalade!

After a wander around I headed back, spotting a female pheasant in the field.

Back through the woods.

Back through the fields, the raspberries and over the wall. I did see something unusual in the field – yellow snails.

I took a few more photos in Stainton for Jess.

I had half an hour until the bus so I stopped in at the pub for a half of cider. The hotel was established in 1721!

I had a little chat about walking and travel with some other walkers and nearly missed the bus back! I had to run a couple of blocks and only just made it, much to the amusement of the driver.

When I got back to Keswick I stopped for lunch at the cafe again. Today it was curried butternut squash. Again, delicious.

While I ate I had a leaf through a book that was on the shelf next to me. It was about mail art – creating beautiful tiny artworks to send through the post. I found it quite inspiring, so I’m keeping all my tickets and bits of paper to make into something creative to send to someone at home.

Right now I’m back at West View, sitting in bed and contemplating where go for dinner. I’ve done almost nothing today (compared to other days) but I feel very tired. No harm in an early night! I’ve seen a fell I’d like to climb not too far away, so if the weather clears a bit tomorrow I’ll do that, otherwise I’ll get started on my mail art!

22Apr2023

Locked Out!

by Miss Penny Black

Well, today started as expected, rain outside the window and a delicious breakfast inside. The West View has one communal table in their breakfast room, which I find quite charming – something I haven’t seen before.

The hosts here (Heather and Craig) are very friendly and welcoming, they took over the business from Heather’s parents, who are currently visiting here too.

I met a couple over breakfast who were from Nottingham and had planned to hike up Skiddaw today but the wife wasn’t too sure. I told them about my plans to go to the Marmalade Festival and Dalemain and they recommended looking for marmalades made of fruit other than oranges.

I went back up to my room to get my raincoat and disaster had struck! Well, maybe not disaster, closer to a minor inconvenience, but the door wouldn’t open. Craig tried, Heather tried, Heather’s dad tried, but no.

A locksmith was called and everyone was very apologetic but I didn’t mind at all. I sat in the lounge and updated the blog and enjoyed the rainy view.

They had planned to call a friend of theirs, Kerry, a retired locksmith with several famous spaniels. Apparently during lockdown Kerry had suffered from depression, so he had bought his original spaniel, Max, and started a Facebook page where he shared videos of their walks around Keswick.

The page became extremely popular and the dogs became famous, being on tv and meeting William and Kate.

I did all this reading (and writing) while waiting for the locksmith, who did not end up being Kerry and his famous dogs (to be honest, he probably wouldn’t have brought them with him anyway), but the new locksmith, who was nice and had to change the entire lock mechanism and carve a bigger hole in the door. I left while work was underway!

I had a festival to get to! I donned my coat and headed to the bus stop, where everyone was waiting in an orderly queue in the rain.

And now I’m on the bus! With the broken down bus yesterday and the locked door today, I’m wondering if I should be superstitious and look out for inconvenience number three?