At long last we were able to tick off one from our bucket list. It had taken years to come to fruition
Everyone was talking about the northern lights, so kept popping out but nothing to see. Then went outside at midnight and couldn’t see anything. But then l put the phone up, and what an amazing light show. Spectacular.
A twist on old masters. It’s amazing what you can do with image manipulation these days. The creation of Adam has a Scottish twist, whilst Vermeer The Milkmaid is demonstrating her skills to the Joker in Batman. Mona Lisa meanwhile is preparing for another lockdown. People just have too much time on their hands. They are supposed to actually be working from home. Possibly one of the half million civil servants who are refusing to head back into work. Enjoying the freedom at the taxpayers expense.
Friday 17th May
And the sun is streaking through the bedroom window. It’s early so tiptoe out into the garden to water all the budding seedlings. Sod’s law. We are going to be away for a week and the forecast is sun and more sun. Heading south to meet our friends from Australia. Have rented an Airbnb in the small village of Elton in the Peak District. It’s located conveniently in between Matlock, Bakewell an Buxton. All places from my distance past. In the late sixties, early 70s had spent a few years at High Peak College in Buxton learning my trade as a hotel keeper. So it was a chance to step back in time.
The journey down was hampered by accidents on the M6, which in turn diverted all the motorway traffic back onto our route as we cut across Manchester heading for the peaks. Volumes of motorway traffic on narrow single lane roads doesn’t work. Especially as the unexpected sun slowly cooked us as we lurched from one hold up to another.
Fortunately, as soon as we had manoeuvred out of Buxton and through the gorge cut out by the tumbling Wye water and sheltered by overhanging trees, it became markedly cooler and much more relaxing. A quick climb up a single track lane, through ancient outposts, now used predominantly for hire to tourists, we arrived at the small ancient village of Elton. On such a sunny day, the stone took on a soft, Cotswold look. Delightful.
Chris and Jill were out to meet us. Our oldie world cottage, flanked by well kept freshly planted flower beds, covered in Virginia Creeper beckoned us in. Jill had already caught up with her domestic essentials, and all the washing was already drying on the line. They had just spent a couple of weeks on a cycling holiday, so it was also a good opportunity for them to stop, regroup and relax.
Walking in to our cottage, we stepped back in time. Low beamed ceilings, small panel windows and wall to wall trinkets. Horse brasses covered the walls, antique corner cupboards overflowed with all manner of china figurines. For many people it would have been delightful. Cute in fact. For me it was oppressive. Thank god we had come to walk in the wide open spaces, and had the weather to do it in comfort.
Realistically, it provided everything you could wish for. Although the morning shower commenced after removing the overnight nocturnal visitors. The odd slug and umpteen woodlice. But we were in the heart of rural Derbyshire and the cottage was over 280 years old.
Climbing the steeply angled stairs, both Chris and l had to watch our heads. Especially Chris, being over 6/6. People used to be a lot shorter. My Hobbit bed, with layers of eiderdowns and blankets, piles and piles of layers in preparation for cold nights. Must have travelled back in time. Expected to see Snow White and her little hard working dwarfs to pole up any minute to commandeer the accommodation. But once l had stripped it back to one quilt, opened all the windows it became habitable. Albeit, sleep had to be in the fetal position due to the length of the bed. Stop grumbling Parker, l hear as l toss and turn, followed by a quick kick from my favourite wife.
The next day we jumped into the car and drove over to the Hope Valley and the little attractive village of Castletown. An interesting walk out of the village and along the river bed until eventually we climbed up to the old railway track, named the Monsal trail. Now a well used path for cyclists and walkers. In fact, you had to keep your wit’s about you, as the cyclists roared along a a real lip. Coming up behind you quite silently. For some reason a bike bell is no longer part of the standard equipment for a bike. Not cool from all accounts. This changing world.
Chris an Jill had their wishes fulfilled as we eventually ventured off the railway track and down for refreshments at a local hostelry. Managed to get a table outside by the river with good views of all the other tourists, polling up in their smart Porsche 4x4s and range rovers for their Sunday lunch. Unruly children and dogs in tow. In fact the dogs were well behaved. It was only the adults and children that disturbed the tranquillity.
Once refuelled, we climbed away from the frenetic revellers enjoying their roast beef and Yorkshire pudding up past stone houses and a rather dishevelled farm ruin back up into the hills. Along old drovers tracks that dissected sheep filled fields, skirting the craggy hills. A glider circled above our heads, taking advantage of the rising thermals. The occasional sightseeing helicopter disturbed the utter silence. We settled down on a wall to take in our view and dived into our Sunday lunch. Hard boiled egg! Packet of quavers and some cherry tomatoes. Finished with an over ripe banana. Who needs roast beef?
Day three and the weather had changed slightly. We had rain during the night, but the sun was trying to break through. So we jumped in the car and drove over to Buxton, which has been spoilt by just too much traffic. It’s the access route to many places, so easily becomes clogged. And from all accounts a bridge has collapsed, and traffic has been diverted through the centre. On a positive note, it enabled me to see my old stamping ground at a more leisurely pace as we stagnated on the overfilled roads that dissected the town.
Eventually we reached our walk, Mam Tor, next to the famous, Blue John Mine.
The previous nights rain had made the track unpleasant, and rather dangerous. So we all agreed to follow a shorter route that took us through the village, under the Castle and up on the Limestone way. In fact, this was still rather difficult, due to the loose rocks underfoot. Can’t image what it would have been like in the rain. The path would have turned Ito a rocky river bed, washing everything away in its wake.
Eventually we reached the summit with great views of the castle below and across the valley towards Mam Tor. Para gliders were out in force, taking advantage of the winds. Yet the visibility wasn’t that great. Rather them than me.
Then the precarious decent. But we made it. Back home for dinner and more Clarkson.
Another day and another walk. The sun is starting to poke out from behind the ominous clouds, so fingers crossed. Today it’s a walk through the Chatsworth estate. Perhaps a visit to Chatsworth house. Depends on Jill and Chris, and also the amount of time available. Realistically you need a whole day to tour the house and gardens, especially as it’s now £35 to get in. We had visited at Christmas, a magnificent day. Arrived early, left late after seeing the various rooms dressed specifically for Christmas, along with the Christmas market. So it wasn’t top of our list.
As it turned out, we were all content on doing the walk through the grounds. Although many of the paths had been rerouted due to the Horse Trials Event. Only a week before we arrived the International Horse Trials had to be cancelled due 12 hours of heavy rain. A great disappointment for fans and the riders who had arrived to demonstrate their skills across dressage, show jumping and cross country. Must have cost the estate and organisers a fortune to set up. Presumably they will have been insured.
Whilst we tracked through the grounds workers were busy removing the temporary village they had set up, along with all the other associated infrastructure, toilets, walkways etc. Devastating.
We followed our trusted map on the app, although due to the diversions we were finding the going quite rough. Came to on section where they had put in a new stile, leading us through a field full of new born lambs and their mothers. We climbed up the hill to try and locate the original path, but to no avail. Eventually had to retrace our steps until we found another path. One that lead straight to the house, and more importantly for Jill, a coffee and cake stop. Expect its one of those traditional things you yearn for when you return to old Blighty on visit from the stifling arid climate of Australia. Yet Perth does have some cracking coffee shops, but then again not nestled in magnificent old stables next to a country house of such splendour.
After a browse round the shops, refreshments and a comfort stop we skirted the main house and followed the new temporary route along the river. Fishermen were testing their skills with the fly, trying to catch the elusive trout. But to no avail, or not why we were watching.
As a teenager, myself and a couple of friends camped along this river, although not in the Chatsworth estate. We caught many a trout, so many in fact, we shared them with other campers on the site. But we used coffin ledgers on a running line with worm. The easy way to catch trout. From our side of the river bank it was an acceptable way of fishing, but frowned on by the fly fisherman who paid a staggering amount of money to fish from the opposite bank. These days as a fly fisherman l appreciate the nuances associated in selecting the appropriate fly to attract, tempt and catch a fish. If you get it right, it’s a great feeling. Plus, l prepare to keep the trout in the water, l really bring them home for the pot.
As a youth in the early sixties, money was short and it was the norm to go out and bring home food for the table. Big Horse mushrooms picked at first light as the mist hovered over the fields. The odd pheasant from an early morning trip with the 410 shotgun and the brace of rabbit, caught in the long nets using my mates ferret. An angry little so and so. You had to watch your fingers near him. Once bitten he wouldn’t let go. Writhing in pain, you had to blow up his nose to make him let go. Reactions had to be quick, and a pair of sturdy leather gloves became an important addition, along with the poachers jacket with a deep pocket to hide the spoils. Not that we were poachers. The farmers were happy for keep the rabbit population down. We won’t talk about the gentries pheasants.
Enough of the reminiscence. As l often say. Times have changed.
A unique entrance into Chatsworth Park
Elizabeth Regina
Perhaps grown to commemorate one of her birthdays.
Visited the Chatsworth farm shop on the way home. The food on display was amazing. Could resist buying a cheese and onion pastie and few other items. Looks as if the bake and make a lot of the items on site. And the butchers counter was filled with traditional cuts, many with thick layers of delicious fat on it. The source of flavour, yet not so good for the arteries. Moderation.
The staff were really friendly, very pleasant and exceptionably helpful.
Final day together before we head North, back home to Innellan, and Jill and Christ head South to see family and friends before returning to Australia. Can only hope they don’t encounter the dramatic thermals some flights have gone through on their flight home. Exceptional conditions.
It’s bucketing it down, so we decide to have a drive. Do the touristy bit. So we head for the David Mellor factory shop. A designer round building, with a museum of his designs, shop and coffee shop.
Architecture superb, museum fascinating with some cool cutlery and glassware with prices to match. The restaurant was smart, very modern and well set out. But it ended there. The staff didn’t compliment the product. They were sullen, unfriendly and lacked menu content awareness. Very unprofessional cold and inept service. Perhaps they found it difficult to get good staff, but thats no excuse. They need to spend some time training them into professional servers with good customer awareness skills. Fortunately the chef produced some interesting and well prepared food, let down by poor service.
Their cleaners need a refresher on how to provide pristine and sparkling toilets. And supervisors need to monitor the areas on a regular basis. The toilets were filthy and the extractor fans had 10mm of dust and debris caked on the facia.
The sales person in the shop was the only pleasant person in the whole place. Caring, attentive and knowledgeable.
Just received a box full of various Hostas from https://www.farmergracy.co.uk/
Excellent quality and packed well and delivered efficiently. Now on the top deck and sprouting well. Won’t be long before we can add them to our selection already in the hidden garden.
Did you know we spend £2.8 billion a year on fresh fruit and veg, and £3.9 billion on sweets!" Our diet is killing us. But it’s not too late to get fit.
If you’ve ever thought, “It’s too late to get healthy,” a new study shows that you could be one decision away from completely changing your health. Research suggests that exercise can reverse the normal effects of aging, even if you don’t start until your 70s.
Staying young- chef Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall reports he is fitter than he was two decades ago. The famous meat eater now extols the virtues of eating vegetables. He is consuming 30 different types of plants per week, which is thought to benefit the gut microbiome. A study of 11,000 volunteers showed that those who followed such a regimen had greater protection against diabetes, obesity, dementia and depression, more resilient immune systems and less antibiotic resistance. More is better, he says, but above 30, the benefits appear to taper off.
I seem to need less sleep these days, especially with the sun rising at 4am in this part of the world. Other than being sluggish until my first caffeine fix, and nodding off mid tv programme at night, it doesn’t seem to effect me. Yet at the back of my mind l wonder if my health is being effected.
Fortunately a new report on sleep deprivation believes It is better to rise earlier than stay up later. The latest science suggests waking up earlier is healthier than going to bed later when trying to limit the damage of sleep deprivation.
Following on from this, many friends that meditation helps them relax, which in turn assist there sleep. Judith found a meditation site Insight Timer which some wonderful features for something that's completely free. It has over 30,000 guided meditations and includes a meditation timer where you can adapt which sounds to play and how long you want to meditate. It's also available as an app for Apple or Android.
Personally l prefer to get into the garden, or float a fly on a Loch in an attempt to catch the big one.
Everyone has a different way to cope with stress. We are in a busy ever changing world, running to meet one deadline after another. But it’s great to get away from it all, back to basics. Many have dreams of disappearing to far flung places to experience adventures. Yet time is of the essence. According to writer explorer Alistair Humphreys, you can have a Microadventure. A microadventure has the spirit (and therefore the benefits) of a big adventure. It’s just all condensed into a weekend away, or even a midweek escape from the office. Even people living in big cities are not very far away from small pockets of wilderness.
Scamming is always at the back of my mind, you hear so many horror stories. Which have just posted - 5 most convincing scams of 2024 so far They reveal the most sophisticated fraud tactics so far in 2024. These include hijacked holidays and account takeover fraud. read our top 10 expert tips on how to protect yourself from scammers.
share this information with your friends, family and neighbours – anyone who may find it helpful. Alternatively, they can sign up here to receive this directly to their inbox.
Thousands gathered for the official naming of Cunard's ship Queen Anne on Liverpool's waterfront. Our friends who had visited on Saturday were fortunate enough to be on board for the celebrations.
Spice Girl Melanie Chisholm and Olympic athlete Katarina Johnson-Thompson were among five women to represent Liverpool at the ceremony as the city was made the godparent of the cruise line's newest ship. They had the honour of pulling the large handle to release the champagne.
Later Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli performed to close the ceremony, accompanied by the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra. Must have been an exciting event.
New cocktail to try. It’s delicious, refreshing on a hot day. (We had one recently) and very easy to make.
1 to 2 ounces gin
1 teaspoon simple sugar syrup
1/2 ounce freshly squeezed lemon
juice
Topped with 4 ounces Champagne
Lemon twist, for garnish
As you are undoubtedly aware, we love cruising. It’s a way of life. But the important thing is to make sure that you choose a cruise ship and a cruise line to suit you. We are all different. Ships, and different cruise lines vary greatly. Depends what you want to get out of it
Want some pros and cons regarding cruising. Well just click on this link and l think Emma as got it about right.
Fancy a different type of trip, why not take a train, try some Alternative travel - Mathew Stevenson heads to Turkey with his bike in tow
I could have flown to Tbilisi and Armenia, but, instead, I loaded my Kindle on to my Brompton bicycle, and departed on night trains, roughly along the route of the Orient Express. Except that I headed first to Vienna, and tarried in Cluj, where Count Miklós Bánffy set his elegant Transylvanian Trilogy (the castle remains). I loved the night train to Bucharest, although I couldn’t make a sleeper work between Romania and Istanbul, my only flight. Biking in Ankara is madness. I really enjoyed my 24 hours on the Doğu Express to Erzurum and Kars (reading Rose Macaulay in Anatolia), and the train across Georgia to Tbilisi, where I caught a sleeper to Yerevan, which was laid out for Bromptons. Cost: £650. (There are plans for a rail route into Georgia from Kars; currently buses provide a cross-border service.)https://adventureswithensuite.com/4-day-armenia-itinerary/
Quote of the day
“Good judgment comes from experience, and experience comes from bad judgment.”
Mark Twain
The Japanese have been producing wood for 700 years without cutting down trees. In the 14th century, the extraordinary daisugi technique was born in Japan. Indeed, the daisugi provide that these trees will be planted for future generations and not be cut down but pruned as if they were giant bonsai trees; by applying this technique to cedars, the wood that can be obtained is uniform, straight and without knots, practically perfect for construction. A pruning as a rule of art that allows the tree to grow and germinate while using its wood, without ever cutting it down.
Extraordinary technique. ''.
Sir David Attenborough.
Negroni Cocktail
Airbnb under attack
Airbnb has effectively been banned in New York City, says Wired. Under new rules all short-stay hosts will have to register with the city, be staying in the property when it is rented out, and accept only two guests at a time. Officials say the rentals are a “public nuisance”, citing complaints about crime, noise and late-night partying. Other cities have taken different approaches to the problem: San Francisco, Paris and Amsterdam have caps on how often properties can be rented out; Dallas limits short-term rentals to specific (presumably ghastly) neighbourhoods.
Here in Scotland they introduced a licensing scheme to monitor all short term let’s. A complicated and costly process. Any business that continue to operate without a licence could get a fine of up to £2,500 and be banned from applying for a licence for a year.
Fortunately we managed to get ours in 2023, and it runs for three years, so not too bad. But it seems, that they have used a sledgehammer to crack a walnut. Understand the problems, but building and planning controls could have resolved the problems in built up areas. Leaving the small independent operator situated in the rural community to continue without the extra bureaucratic nonsense and extra cost.
https://airbnb.com/h/parkers-home-spectacular-views-innellan-scotland
It pays to do your research and hunt out the deals
Both our two year phone contracts were coming to an end. Judith wanted to replace her Samsung with a later version and l fancied the latest iPhone 15. More importantly, with us spending more time cruising we wanted a package that provided roaming.
We had been with Three for years, just for that reason. But they now charge £5 per day for that service. Whereas O2 provides an all inclusive package.
So started looking, and it’s a minefield. I am sure they make it complicated to wear you down so you just renew.
Has normally happens, as soon as you think about buying an item, emails start flooding into your mail box offering you deals on said item. Just like magic. In fact it’s clever algorithms in computer programming.
Apple offered to give me an interest free deal and buy my old phone off me. The deal, £33.29 month over two years. Then add on a roaming sim from O2 for 17.99. So just over £51 a month.
The O2 package was cheaper at £46 upfront and £42 inclusive. So getting cheaper.
Three didn’t want me to leave them, so gave me a very special offer of £59.
But Judith , as per usual squirrelled her way through the dross and ended up at Compare Mobile Phone Deals - MoneySavingExpert which came back with a fantastic deal from iD mobile who piggyback off Three. £46 up front and £29.99 a month. 100g of data. Free Data Rollover. Roaming in 50 destinations, up to 30GB.
I had already visited the id site and the prices were double. Seems that money saving expert gets one off deals.
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