You had me at "Free beer"...

As I've mentioned before, one of the perks of blogging is the occasional invite to interesting local events to help to promote local businesses and activities.  My rule of thumb is that so long as it ties in with the general nature of the blog then why not?  Always happy to do our bit and all that.

Anyway, one such offer came through recently from those lovely people at Booths and the conversation went something like this...

Booths:  Beth, would you and Steve like to come along to a free beer tasting event, there'll be...
Me: (interrupting) Yes
Booths:  Erm...there'll be local brewers and food prov...
Me:  Definitely yes.
Booths: ?
Me:  You had me at "free beer"

C'mon - you would have said the same thing too, wouldn't you?

The event was in Keswick so off we toddled, in Delores so neither of us had to drive home.  We arrived promptly at 7pm (I do so like to be on time, especially when free beer is involved) and I must admit I was surprised by what I found - not just beer tasting, but many of the brewers matching beers to particular foods and others very keen to put on an impromptu presentation telling you all about their particular brew.

Did you know, for example, that Hawkshead's Windermere Pale Ale is the perfect accompaniment to a big chunk of Anthony Rawcliffe Delice de Bourgogne cheese on a nice thin cracker?  Me neither, but it is, and I left with a big hunk of cheese and a couple of bottles just to recreate the moment at home.  We were also tipped off as to which beers went best with curry and a variety of other foodstuffs.

I wonder if Wainwright drank much beer?

Eden Brwery

Many of the local brewers were there, along with some from further afield, but all of them small independents and most with an interesting story to tell.  I felt particularly sorry for the guy from Sheppys Cider who'd set out at 11am and, due to an enormous amount of motorway delays, only arrived in Keswick at 7:30pm.  So we bought a couple of bottles of that too - you know, just being polite and all that...

We paused briefly to enjoy the lovely barbecue that had been laid on and then it was off to the Brew Dog stand where we were treated to a proper presentation and an assortment of tastings.  It was here we learned about different flavoured hops and why real ale needs to be kept in cans (to keep the light out).  He put such a lot of effort into the presentation that we thought it best to get a couple of cans of that too, just to see if the whole "tastes better when there's no light on it" theory worked.

I'm not privy to Booth's sales figures but judging by the fact that their beer shelves looked as if a plague of locusts with a severe alcohol problem had recently swarmed through, I'd say the evening was a great success.  We certainly had fun anyway, and we weren't the only ones heading merrily home with a heavy and suspiciously clinky bag...

Our haul...

Oh, yeah, and we may have nipped into the Wainwright Pub for a cheeky nightcap on the way back.  Cheers!.

#LakeDistrictBid Advent Calendar Day 21 - Because of the history.

Of course I have to mention the history - we wrote a whole book about the history - we could have written more (and we will!) - and I don't want to  give away everything in the book, but here are a few highlights of Lake District (and Cumbrian) history which deserve the recognition of UNESCO.

Castlerigg Stone Circle (Neolithic)

Hampsfell Hospice (Victorian)

Viking dug out boat - dug out of Kentmere tarn and now in Kendal Museum

The history behind St Bees

Old stone way markers

Fishstones - Cartmel (old market site)

Cartmel Priory

The ancient tradition of gurning!

Wray Castle (Victorian)

Shap Abbey (12th - 15th Century)

Site of Roman settlement Kentmere

Wrengill quarry - Longsleddale

Wainwright

To learn more about the #LakeDistrictBid  please click here - where you can also register your support for the bid with a couple of clicks of your mouse (or prods of your screen).

You can grab a mince pie and a glass of sherry and catch up on all the reasons starting from day 1 - just click here or scroll the column on the right to see what you've been missing.  :-)

#LakeDistrictBid Advent Calendar Day 16 - Because of famous folk...

There are lots of famous names associated with the Lake District – from poets to painters and writers to world record holding legends.  They were drawn here by the beautiful and varied landscape and they, in turn, drew others here with their writings, pictures and adventures.

Turner

I don’t know a lot about painting but I do know Turner painted one of the most famous views in Cumbria – Ruskin’s view (I’m sure there’s a reason it’s not called Turner’s view isn’t there?).  The painting itself is in private hands but you can pop along to Kirkby Lonsdale to see the view “in person” anytime you fancy. (Look out for the multicoloured barn in the middle of the view too – the result of a difference of opinion between the farmer and the local council.)

Ruskin's / Turner's View

Wordsworth

One of our most famous poets and this was one of his favourite haunts.  When we were researching our book I read a few of his poems and was particularly enjoyed TheWaggoner which paints a wonderful picture of life along Dunmail Raise – though it does also read like the saga of a rather good pub crawl....

Thirlmere - where Benjamin The Waggoner travelled

Ruskin

I’m pretty sure that if Ruskin were around now he’d be a blogger.  He was an art critic and writer and had something to say on pretty much any given subject.  He wrote a bit about Turner – “Ruskin’s View of Turner” perhaps – and he lived in Brantwood at the top end of Coniston Water on the opposite side to the town (large apricot building – you can’t miss it.)

Brantwood - photobombed!  :-D

Wainwright

Never credited with being a “people person”, Wainwright has arguably left more of a mark on the region than most.  His iconic books with their immaculate hand drawn illustrations can be found on the bookshelves of pretty much everyone who loves The Lakes.  Each year thousands of people continue on their quest to “bag” all 214 of the summits he describes.  Most of them don’t try to do it in one year.  Or 214 days.  Steve did.  Steve is bonkers.

Steve on Castle Crag - his final "Wainwright"

Ransome

I never read Swallows and Amazons when I was younger but I’ve read it now – inspired by a mix of Coniston and Windermere and sure to instantly instil a desire to go sailing...  The books are definitely “of their time” and describe a wonderfully idealistic childhood of nannies, friendly farmers dishing out fresh milk and fabulous adventures with a bunch of friends.

"Wild Cat Island"

Campbell

If you’re interested in Donald Campbell then there are 2 places you need to visit – Coniston water to see the site of his ill fated attempt on the world water speed record, and the Lakeland Motor Museum at Backbarrow where there’s a wonderful exhibition of his vehicles and his life.

Campbell Memorial & another photobomb!

Potter

Hilltop is the National Trust property where she lived and is well worth a visit, if only for the rather wonderful Tower Bank Arms pub next door which does wonderful food and even better cider.  She loved the Lake District, helped to save Herdwick sheep from oblivion and protected vast tracts of land which are now in the safe care of the National Trust.

Herdy

Herdy

Gaining World Heritage Site Status would enable to Lake District National Park Authority to better highlight the contribution these, and others, made to the evolution of the landscape.  You can learn more about the bid and register your support by clicking here.

To go back to day 1 of the blog, please click here. (Where have you been??!!)http://www.lakelandmotormuseum.co.uk/

2014 A Year of Adventures - Part 2

One of the reasons I love doing these end of year round ups is because I forget quite how much stuff we did - the big things stay in my mind, but a lot of the other stuff slips between the cracks.  We're lucky to have been able to do so much stuff in the first 6 months of the year - the second half was a little but quieter, but only a little bit...

July

July started with us swinging through the trees in Grizedale Forest with those lovely folks from Go Ape.  A lot of zipwires and a lot of Tarzan impressions...

The rest of July was then taken up with rehearsals for my role in the Commonwealth Games closing ceremony.  At the time I couldn't say a lot about what we were rehearsing, but I could say a lot about Glasgow - a spectacular city that we took the time to explore and fall in love with.  The utterly tragic news from just before Christmas really affected me but the folks of that fair city are truly amazing and I know they'll pull together to get through it all.  These are just a few photos which bring back some very happy memories - if you haven't already been, make 2015 the year you visit.

Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum

George Square

Wellington

Glasgow University

Carpet factory modelled on the Doges Palace

Footpath of album covers

Being an "athlete" at the final dress rehearsals for openning ceremony

August

After all that rehearsing came the performance - I will never forget being out on the field with all of the athletes and a packed Hampden Park.  It truly was a "once in a lifetime" experience and I loved every single second of it.

"Music festival" in full swing.

The end of the party - my new friends & a few athletes

Nabbed me a couple of gold medallists.

After all that excitement it was back to normality and a few lovely long walks around Lancashire to get my breath back.  The berries were already turning giving me the perfect excuse for a spot of jam and gin making.

Exploring Calder Vale

Anyone else see the toothy grin?

Sloes...

Damsons

Leck Beck

September

September started with the Vintage Fair in Morecambe - glorious weather and a fly past from Lancaster Bombers.

From there it was a swift trip down to London to see the moving display of poppies at the Tower before meeting Newton Falkner at an event for Gandy's flip flops - all recorded for history with one of the worst photos of me ever taken.

If you're not sure who he is click the pic for his video.

Then it was off to Yorkshire for a week of walking. The evening we arrived the weather was clear - then the fog moved in and refused to move out again for the entire week...

Last view before the fog rolled in.

Super close up of Scarborough Castle

Sheriff Hutton

Sheriff Hutton church - where Richard III's son
is buried.

And after such a long and dry (if everso slightly foggy in places) summer we just had time to pop to Haweswater Reservoir to take a peek at the old village of Mardale Green - flooded when they created the reservoir it appears every now and again when the water levels dropped.  Some of the newspapers at the time described it as an "Atlantis" - not quite, but it was eerie wandering along the long submerged streets and sitting on the ruins of an old farmhouse for lunch.

Oh - an there was Shap Abbey on the way home.

October

The big news in October, which I don't really have a photo for, is that we were approached by a publisher and asked to write a book about Cumbria.  There was a bit of too-ing and fro-ing on content, the upshot of which being that we have now been commissioned to write a book covering the recent, ancient and natural history of 10 sites in Cumbria.  It will be a balance of Steve's gorgeous pics and my mad ramblings and will be available in October 2015 - perfect for next year's Christmas lists!

The book will have lots of Steve's gorgeous pics!

In other news in October, we introduced some very dear friends to Cumbria, explored Stott Park Bobbin Mill, slummed it Hipping Hall for a night and attended our very first spoon club meeting.  Oh, and on 31st of October I stuffed my foot up, thus curtailing hiking activities for the rest of the year...

Gorgeous Cumbrian View

Stott Park Bobbin Mill

Stott Park Bobbin Mill

Spoon club - from this...

...to this.

Hipping Hall - hell - hell on earth I tell you...

Oooooppss!

November

So... things to do with a dodgy foot.  First of all there was Kendal Museum - fascinating and everso slightly brilliantly bonkers!

Kendal Museum

Then there was Kendal Mountain Festival where people with far worse injuries than mine explained how they shrugged them off before hopping up the north face of the Eiger, on stilts whilst juggling flaming torches... or something like that.

Next was a spot of Christmas Card making back at the glorious Quirky Cafe in Greystoke (well I made Christmas Cards, Steve was learning how to blacksmith) - we were even treated to an inversion along the way.

Taken from the M6.

Learning to paint Christmas cards

The Legend of Greystoke

But the MOST exciting thing in November was that Steve finished his challenge of 214 Wainwrights in 214 days in 2014.  We celebrated in style on top of Castle Crag.

A fantastic achievement!

December

And all of that goes some way to explaining how December seems to have come around way too soon again.  At the start of the month there was a quick visit to London where I finally managed a trip to the top of the Monument.- been meaning to do that for ages - there are a LOT of steps to climb but the views from the top are worth every step.  It was built to commemorate the Great Fire of London and is definitely worth a look - it's one of London's quirkier attractions plus you get a step class to boot!

Then on to Glasgow for a reunion with my Commonwealth Games friends and an excuse to explore the Botanical Gardens which we missed last time.  Not every country celebrates the gardens of the world in the same way we do - but where else can you wander around the tropical house in t-shirts in December while the hail pounds down outside?

Love how this captures the energy of the evening.

Back home and it was time to welcome an old friend back to Morecambe Prom - so great to see Eric back where he belongs, and lovely to meet his wife and daughter too.

From old friends to old adversaries and scores to settle.  For 4 years we've been trying to spot the bittern at Leighton Moss and finally we managed it - but was that enough for us?  Oh no - now Steve wants a pic of it in the snow.  Some folks are never satisfied!

Just time for a festive trip to Spoon Club where my hands fared rather better than last time and I managed to create a vaguely festive tree decoration - albeit one a little on the large side.

Christmas with the family meant lots of food, lots of fun and even a sighting of Santa on Christmas eve...

Christmas Eve sunset - complete with Santa zooming past

Of course we found time for a quick hike - at 7 miles it's the longest since I did my foot in, and I paid for it afterwards - but sometimes you just need to stretch your legs. The Chilterns are a little less lumpy than the fells we're used to, but it was a perfect crisp winters day and we definitely made the most of it.

St Giles Church, Chalfont St Giles

Our fabulous year was rounded off with lots of excitement when we found that we'd made the shortlist for the UK Blog Awards and got our pics in the local paper - not quite sure what it all means, but my mum's convinced I'm famous.  :-)

So that's it for 2014 - it's been a cracking year and 2015 has a tough act to follow (if you missed Part 1 it's here).  We have the small matter of writing a book and launching our walking guides to fit in around our adventures, but I'm sure we'll manage it somehow.  Thank you for taking the time to read the blog and may we both wish you a fabulous, fun and adventure filled new year.

Here's to 2015!