Catching up

It's been a while, two birthdays, various visits to various museums... Alnwick Gardens, Weston Park, Alnwick Castle... :-)

Yorkshire 3 Peaks... well 2 as it turned out

Well the start at Horton-In-Ribblesdale was interesting... firstly parking in the wrong sports field car park... I parked in the field where Christians Against Poverty and the Brain Trust were based.... and then had to walk across the village to the car park for the Leukemia Research and Heart Trust Walkers Start... there was a large queue and I an even larger swarm of midges... Insect repellent a necessity next time. [Note "next time"]


After registration at 7.40 it was onto the first "peak" Pen-y-gent... a gentle incline and a short meander along The Penine Way and finally a scramble to the top.... Fantastic vViews, the sun was shining. albeit briefly... the snake-like procession made it's way down the slope towards Whernside... it looks pleasant, ambling over the moor alongside the viaduct... that is until you get the clouds of midges.... and the bog...

So in my wisdom I asked for some wind and rain to disperse them... Perhaps I should have been more specific as the heavens opened and a wind the likes of the Chinook came up the valley. Unfortunately from the moment you cross the railway until the moment you reach the foot of Whernside you are completely exposed. So I guess there's about an 8 mile walk there...

the path across the moor is narrow, if there weren't a procession of 600 or more people all trying to cross you could turn back if the weather was truly foul... as on Saturday...

I would expect a walk over the peak to be reasonably pleasant on a good day... but with winds gusting at 40-60mph it's not pleasant!! When combined with rain, which is being blown up from the valley and horizontally over the top. Biting into your face with each pace...

As the rain kept driving the ground underfoot became more treacherous, the mud becoming like slurry running down the hill.

Drenched to the skin at Hill Farm, 17.5 miles in 6 and a half hours, even the Hill Farm Hot Chocolate and Sausage Sandwich was unable to warm my core...

Walking to the next checkpoint I was advised that they were not letting people continue as the weather had closed in and it was not safe... so 2 peaks and 17.5 miles was as far as I got.

My pride would have made me want to continue but my head was telling me it wasn't safe... in the end I was glad I didn't have to make the call.

I waited for almost an hour for the minibus to take me back to Horton, there were some very cold wet and sick people to be taken back before me....

I intend to go back to complete the walk....

Walking.... again

On Saturday 21st I will be braving the Yorkshire 3 peaks in a sponsored walk... the charity is Heart Research UK, click the link for more information .... please sponsor me.

http://www.heartresearch.org.uk/three_peaks.htm

I am hoping to complete it in under 12 hours and qualify for the Yorks 3 Peaks Challenge...

The Year of the Barbie

Elspeth is now 5... many thanks to the many people who sent gifts... it appears that this is the year of the Barbie... 3 and a horse so far... After Sarah's best efforts Barbie came wrapped and gleefully accepted into the hose by Elspeth... One week on and one Barbie is unwrapped, 2 remain in their boxes... as well as many of the other gifts...

The DVD's have been repeated over and over... Jemima in particular loves Sleeping Beauty...

thank you once again for the generous gifts...

random pictures

a variety of pictures from March and April

Dancing on bubble wrap seems to be a favourite past time for both girls...

DON'T WORRY ELSPETH HASN'T HURT HER ARM- it's a fake cast from the Teddy Bear Hospital we visited at Weston Park Museum in Sheffield [and manned by 3rd year medical students].....

The Second Best News This Week Is...

Wagamama is coming the Sheffield!!! We wandered to Leopold Square today in search of Tapas... lo and behold, right next to the Tapas bar... notification that Wagamama opens it's doors on 24 April 2008!!!!! Only 6, yes that's right, 6 more sleeps!!!

Footnote : this has relevance a) because we like Wagamama, b) because we like Wagamama and c) because James and Michelle like Wagamama.... [perhaps that should be a)...]

Jemima's Birthday... Elspeth's list...

Thanks to all for the gifts for Jemima's 2nd birthday.... opening presents on Wednesday , party on Friday followed by a family day out at Weston Park Museum in Sheffield. [pictures to follow]


Elspeth will be 5 on 7 June... the time has gone frighteningly quick... anyway for those family members who have no idea what to buy there's a list....

Lion King Disney DVD
Sleeping Beauty Disney DVD
101 Dalmations DVD
Flushed Away DVD

As she is a girly girl clothes, necklaces and bracelets always go down well... as do stickers...

Weston Park

Well the weather still can't make it's mind up... we'd planned a family day out, the weather dictated where that would be... bright sunshine and a crisp morning... Great Canons Hall Farm... ten minutes later... the sky darkened, the sun disappeared, and the wind picked up... Weston Park Museum it was...

When we got there the student Dr.'s from the University were conducting a Teddy Surgery... had we known Sarah could have brought her "well loved" Panda for come treatment... As it was we borrowed 2 Mickey Mouse dolls from the receptionists... we by passed triage and prescriptions and went straight for the bandages... plasters, "pots" [plaster cast] x-rays, and c-scan...

Jemima was transfixed by Theo the poorly teddy who seemed to wander around all afternoon... although the most fun Jemima seemed to have was with the lockers... she could creep in and close the door behind her.... am not sure whether she's been watching Narnia too much...