Christineredgate's Patch

[Anntan]

A weekend at Christine’s Patch.
Haverigg, has anyone ever been there, it’s a fantastic place for a person interested in the environment, especially birds. I believe there are more ecosystems in a five-mile radius of Christine’s house than any other place in England, and with a bicycle there are many others that could be visited in a day. Christine, or Christineredgate of the forum invited my husband and myself to stay at her house for the weekend. My husband jumped at the opportunity because he was stationed there when in the army and where he lived after being demobbed. We set off early on Saturday morning and the sky was overcast and drizzly, this condition continued until we reached the top of Grizebeck when the clouds parted to show us the sun shining on the sandbanks of the large Duddon River and far to the mouth of the river the Church in Millom, the small town close to the village of Haverigg. The road to Millom was narrow in places and twisted and turned, up and down, and at one place on a bend, passed close to farm building. Along the way we passed hedged fields with grasses and flowers swaying in the breeze and glowing in the sunlight after the rain. Great woods of Deciduous trees and Coniferous trees beckoned one to explore their dank, dark recesses, and the open fells with Heather, Gorse and Bracken invite the fit to wander their silent pathways. We parked in Millom and strolled into the town square where my husband was delighted to see a statue of an Iron Ore Miner pushing a “bogy”. My husband feels proud to be one of the last men to work down the Iron mine that was the mainstay of the town in the past, and he said that the statue looks exactly like he used to look, even down to the red ore dust. On the way to Haverigg we passed a three story tall derelict building called the Tannery. My husband also worked there in the past as a Toggler, stretching Cowhides. We met Christine at her house at Poolside in the center of the village and opposite the slow flowing Lazy River. Christine immediately made us very welcome and after a cup of tea we set out for a little walk on the beach where Alfie, Christine’s dog dashed into the water waiting for a stone to be thrown. The walk took us past Sea view and onto the Sand Dunes where the Sea Holly stood out brilliantly in its smoky grey foliage and sky blue flower. Gatekeepers and Ringlet Butterflies fluttered among the grasses and flowers and out on a sandbank Terns flew about calling. We returned back to the house and then to the Harbour Hotel where we enjoyed a substantial mid-day meal. Suitably refreshed we then set off to circumnavigate the R.S.P.B. nature reserve close by, starting off by crossing the bridge over the Lazy river and on past a large camping ground that overlooks the lake. My husband showed me where the mineshaft used to be. Nothing remains to tell anyone that there used to be a thriving Iron ore mine in the area apart from the office building on the hill, now called the Commodore Hotel. We strolled along Hawthorn hedged lanes and onto gravel paths where Christine had a bit of trouble negotiating her motorized three-wheel bike. Sadly Christine suffers a debilitating bone disease and it’s only her determined wild spirit that keeps her mobile. At one place boulders blocked the track and to prevent Christine from breaking through some gorse bushes my Husband lifted her heavy machine over and we were able to continue the walk. We passed large reed beds with small ponds where Mallard ducks displayed their young and at another place where the lake curved into a secluded cove we watched Grey Herons preening in the trees and on the water Great-crested Grebes with young, Coots, Moorhens, Mallards, Tufted and Pochard Ducks, sleeping and preening without concern at our presence. In the bushes the Chiff Chaff, Blackcap and Willow Warbler sang silently to themselves, there was no need to sing loudly to proclaim a territory now that the nesting season had ended. Leaving the cove the path wandered upwards passing a couple of ancient Lighthouses and onto the level graveled area, the lime residue from the smelting of Iron. Different none acid loving plants flourish on these slagheaps, an ecosystem unusual for this part of the country. The gravel spills down to the lake water and that’s where the sea birds nest. Ring Plovers, Lapwing, Oystercatcher, Little Terns, Sandwich Terns, and Common Terns. Black-headed Gulls, Lesser Black-backed Gulls and many other species visit in winter or breed here. The R.S.P.B. bird hide overlooks this area and is opened all the year round for anyone to enter and enjoy. Behind the bird hide stands a newly renovated lighthouse that looks out over the Irish Sea where Gannets and Shearwaters and other deep sea birds can be seen at various times of the year. On the sandbanks at low tide the Grey Seals bask and sing their mournful, magical songs. When we had filled our digital camera cards we then wandered back to Christine’s place and she downloaded our pictures onto a disk. After a snack and refreshment my husband and I wandered back over the bridge to the lake again and photographed the Swans riding the waves that were kicked up by the Ski boats that dashed here and there on the water. The sun sank like a bright red ball at the bottom of Black Coombe, a majestic mound that is just three feet short of a mountain. Before retiring we sat outside the front door among Christine’s brilliant flowers and drank a nightcap in the balmy evening breeze.
At six fifteen in the morning my husband and I were up and off for a walk. We passed the silent Hotel and onto the front at Sea View where Jackdaws and Starlings were searching for creatures in the grass. We wandered past the lifeboat Station and into the Sand Dunes. The chill of the morning had subdued all sound of insects but the show of flowers was magnificent. I had never seen such a mass of Harebells in my life, they covered the sand hills like bluebells do in a wood. The blue of the Harebells with the bright yellow of the abundant Ragwort was a striking contrast. Intermingled with these were numerous other plants of various coloures, the whole show was breadth taking and a memorable sight. This is the area where the Short-eared Owl can be seen hunting for voles and where Skylarks and Pipits abound. We wandered about taking picture after picture. It was when my husband had lain down to get a micro picture of a small flower when we heard the call of a Raven, then right at my feet came a louder raven call, my husband was imitating it. Two other Ravens followed the first and swung over towards us and only turned about fifty yards away when they recognized humans among the dunes. Our most exciting find in these dunes was the Butterfly called the Dark-green Fritillary, neither of us had ever seen one before and normally they are such fast flyers a person would be unable to get a photograph, however we found it in a slightly dormant state with the chill of the morning and were able to take many pictures, a couple of witch I put in the gallery last Monday. We returned back to the house and made our breakfast. Christine then got up and again downloaded our pictures onto the disks. Sadly Christine doesn’t have a back garden, only a back yard, this is where she has her feeding station for the birds and where all those wonderful picture she puts in the gallery are taken. Iridescent Starlings and old Blue-Eyes the Jackdaw. For the midday meal we went to the Port Hotel down at the bottom end of Millom close to where the Iron works used to be but first we went to the nature park by the Jetty. This is another area where the slag had been strewn and is still in a rehabilitant stage. Once again unusual different plants were growing, not being clued up on plants I cannot name them but they were visited by the Common Blue and Gatekeeper Butterflies, with Skylarks and Pipits singing over them. This area looks right up the Duddon River and with a telescope or good binoculars any amount of shore birds can be observed, the marshland at the edge of the river contains other species. After a huge meal Christine then drove us to a small seaside village called Silecroft, about four miles up the coast from Haverigg. The beach had no sand, only smooth wave washed stones and spaced along the tide-line for about a mile each way stood people with fishing rods, all hoping to catch that big one to win the competition, for that was what they were fishing for. We returned back to Haverigg and prepared to leave. Saying farewell to Christine was hard because we had become very fond of her. My husband mentioned later how her face could transform from a serious look to a brilliant smile that causes others to also smile. Thank you Christine from the bottom of our hearts for that memorable weekend in your patch. From myself, Ann and my husband Tanny.

[christineredgate]

Thankyou Ann,and Tanny .It was a pleasure to have you and we had a great weekend with good weather.You were the perfect house guests.I was still in bed and you had been out for a 3hr walk,then returned and made your your own breakfast.Any BF members who wish to visit this lovely area are more than welcome to stop over.

[christineredgate]

Ann,I have just re read your description of Haverigg,and the flora and fauna to be found ,also your mention of all the birds,etc,again,many thanks.It was late last night ,and I only skimmed through .
This really is a special part of the UK and visitors to the area will not be dissappointed.The bird life quietens down in the late Summer when the Terns and otherbreeding birds have left,but perks up again in the Autumn when the winter visitors arrive.June and July are the best months for rare flowers,and there are many species of wild orchids to be found inc the Bee Orchid.
Thankyou again ,Ann,for your very colourful description.
Look forward to seeing you again.

[Anntan]

At last Iv'e learned to put in a thumbnail. Here are some pictures that I took at Haverigg. A Greyling on the beach. Oystercatchers from the RSPB bird hide at Hodbarrow. A Mute Swan on the reserve.

[bluetit]

Anntan, that was almost as good to read as it obviously was for you to be there and how lucky you were with the weather - it could have been chucking it down.
Christineredgate, what a lovely, lovely spot of the world you're in! Watch out, you may find yourself inundated with visitors but there is always the local hotel they can be pointed to....
Bluetit

[Mary Evelyn]

An absolutely lovely story and a lovely tribute to Christine. :flowers:

[Reader]

An absolutely lovely story and a lovely tribute to Christine. :flowers:

I'll 2nd that.

Thoroughly enjoyed the read and the area indeed is superb. It's been a very long time since I have been in up that way. I had forgotten what I had missed.

[Stewart J.]

I'll 2nd that.

Thoroughly enjoyed the read and the area indeed is superb. It's been a very long time since I have been in up that way. I had forgotten what I had missed.

Hi Christine et al, Cumbria is a lovely underbirded county, I'm fortunate here on the South Tyne and actually live closer the the Cumbrian coast than the east coast. The Cumbrian Solway coast is often overlooked, birders tend to link Solway with Dumfries & Galloway they don't know what they are missing.

Check out the following new website, I posted it last night but had no readers, its not just birds, the Butterfly section and search database is superb. Its not as title suggests just Lakeland its the whole of Cumbria and the more I browse I realise what a massive accomplishment it is.

http://www.lakelandwildlife.co.uk/

Stewart

You really stirred em up with your "other thread Christine!

[Gill Osborne]

Lovely read Ann and, as the others have already said, a wonderful tribute to our Christine. :clap:

Neil and I have often spent holidays and days in the Lakes and love the area...it's so easy to get away from the touristy spots and find places which are still natural and untamed and thriving with wildlife.
Haven't been there since last October and beginning to get some withdrawal symptoms LOL But as soon as I get some time off I plan to head over that way once more!

Gill

[pauco]

What a wonderfull read, and tribute to Christine. :clap: :t:

[christineredgate]

Thanks again,Anntan.As I have already mentioned if any BF members are in the area and they want an overnight stop they are more than welcome.This little coastal area is away from the main area of the Lakes,an hours drive min,from the M6 using some rather dodgy roads,but quite handy to visit from the Walney reserve at Barrow in Furness.

[Anntan]

Hi everyone, seeing as there has been some interest in this thread I thought I would put in some more pictures. I would put a load of scenery shots but I havn't learned how to resize yet. Sea Holly, Pyramid Orchid and the Mute Swan.

[salty]

wow! - i would love to live there, never mind visit!!!

as mentioned, an exellent write up, cumbria being a favourite place of mine, i know how special this part of the world is.

[LJH]

I will be in Cumbria in just over 3 weeks - this thread has really got me counting down now! Thanks for the excellent website link Stewart - must have missed it last night

I'm a bit new at this - how do you quote someone's previous message in a reply??

[Stewart J.]

I will be in Cumbria in just over 3 weeks - this thread has really got me counting down now! Thanks for the excellent website link Stewart - must have missed it last night

I'm a bit new at this - how do you quote someone's previous message in a reply??

Hit the "reply" button bottom right.

Stewart

[LJH]

Hit the "reply" button bottom right.

Stewart


Thanks Stewart!

[Anntan]

Seeing as it's my friends birthday I have decided to resurrect this thread so that everyone can see what a lucky lass she is. The pictures below are. 1 The mouth of the Lazy river at Haverigg. 2 Looking up the main street of Haverigg. 3 The R.S.P.B. Hodbarrow nature reserve, taken from the bird hide.

[christineredgate]

Thanks,Anntan,3 nice shots,you have even captured a few gulls on the Harbour Hotel roof.For anyone who does visit our little village,the Harbour serves excellent Deuchars real ale!!!

[Anntan]

Here is just another little continuation on the story of Christine’s Patch. Sadly, Haverigg has slowly changed from a sleepy fishing village into a progressive holiday resort. Many old-timers of the village look on all this as an invasion but others except the changes as inevitable after the Iron Works and the Tannery closed down and Butterfield started expanding the camping ground. With the expanding growth of building in the district and the increase of pleasure shipping out from the Lazy River, it was essential to have a well run Sea Rescue Station. Years ago before the rescue station was established, many local men died because of the treacherous waters just out from the village. I don’t know the history of the Rescue Station but I do know that it was established by some of the local fishermen and all of them volunteers. They had to beg and borrow to get things started and then place their lives in danger going out in their flimsy craft to rescue foolhardy tourists. I was so pleased to find this sculpture, dedicated to such men just out from the Sea Rescue Station at Haverigg. I hope my pictures do it justice and show viewers the beauty of the country in the background. This sculpture is called, Escape to Light, by Josefina de Vasconcellos. Behind the third picture you can see the Sea Rescue Station and the Mountain called Black-coombe.

[christineredgate]

Thanks,Anntan,I was considering taking a shot of this myself and posting it on WPF.There is a lovely poem which goes with this sculpture.The lady who crafted this sculpture was in her late 80's,she sadly died last year,When I have 5 mins,I will copy the poem and post it.

[Anntan]

Is that the same poem that's on the plaque in the middle picture, called, "Escape to light".

[christineredgate]

yes,it is,Anntan,I was reading it today when outside with Alfie.It is a poem for sailors.When the weather improves I may be able to photograph it in sections,then I will copy the contents.

[Tanny]

Many years ago when I was a young man and had the ability to wander throughout the fells, fields, woods around Blackcoombe, and the Duddon Estuary, Hodbarrow and sandhills along the coast near Haverigg where I used to live. I would find the Autumn an enchanted period. The hedgerows would be festooned with blackberries, the Hawthorns adorned with their little red globes and changing coloured leaves would make the hedges glow like a painting. The Lazy River up past the Tannery would sometimes look like a millpond on still days, and the slow drift to the river-mouth could only be discernable by the odd one or two leaves that floated on the surface like minute boats rowed by fairies and imps.
In the evening the sun drifts down below the water of the Irish sea, throwing huge swathes of orange, gold and red onto gathering clouds, and at its final red tip the sun reflected a stairway to the beach over the water and sandbanks. In the deep orange red glow can be seen the sillowet of Geese flying south on their annual migration to more southerly feeding grounds, The enchantment of the sight bringing to mind the memory of Peter Scotts wonderful paintings. The Curlew's haunting call drifting over the mudflats in an Autumn moonlit night and the Dog Fox calls from behind the sea wall of Hodbarrow.

[christineredgate]

Tanny,that is a beautiful tribute to Haverigg.You can now add the call of the KF!!!.In the morning mist when the tide is in,as it is at the moment in the morning and early evening ,it is especially spectacular,even more so,when it is calm.
These early mornings and evenings,the bay is host to Herons,Cormorants,a multitude of waders,Mergansers,many many species.If anyone is in the area,this is a good time of year for a visit.

[Tanny]

What a magnificent sight it must be when the Kingfisher flashes past, then settle on its favourite perch in the glorious sunsett, the light must enhance the colour of the birds breast, it must glow like phoenix rising from the fire.

[christineredgate]

Not so many species today.Lots of Teal in the reserve, plus a solitary Heron. Redshanks /Cormarantx2 and couple of Curlews in the bay.A seal far out on a sandbank,too far too digiscope,and KF in the river with a family of Pied Wagtails,with one Yellow W hanging out with them.I only managed a rear view shot of the Wagtail.that was about it,very quiet.

[Tanny]

I've just been sorting through some of my old writings and discovered this story I wrote, around about 1985. I used to live in Haverigg in the early 1960s and one could say that it was my patch then but now it's Christines and im'e green with envy
-----------------THE LAZY RIVER in 1962.
Meadow grasses whisper, each leaf a tune in the eddies of a breeze that drifts over the fells. Trickles of water softly gurgles between the ancient stones, pulsating from a spring beneath an old dry stone wall, built many centuries ago. The water “murmurs” and “ “splashes” down the stream to the river. ‘The Lazy River’, that swirls slowly down the valley, sneaking it’s way through the cultivated fields, past ancient farms and isolated grey stone houses till reaching the village. At last it awakens, and as though eager for sights and adventures new, it rushes and tumbles over boulders under the bridge and cut’s its way through drifting beach sand to join the main channel of the estuary that takes it to the Irish sea and then onwards to the Atlantic Ocean.
Near the bridge stands the Harbour Hotel, painted a deep colour of green, in stark contrast to the surrounding houses which are built with the grey, Cumberland slate and the walls are pebbled dashed with grey stones and shells.
Where the river reaches the channel the birds gather at low tide, dashing hither and thither, poking and probing, Oystercatchers piping and Curlews wailing their mournful call that is also heard high on the fells where it makes its nest. The Great Black-backed Gulls call echoes off the sea wall and seems to bounce on the water. Small flocks of waders twist and turn in the air like wisps of smoke. Out on the sand banks the musical song of the Grey Seal can be heard drifting in waves on the breeze.
At the mud banks by the sea wall, an old man digs for succulent red hairy worms to use as bait for catching the Mackerel fish, he will sail as soon as the tide reaches his small boat that is now lying on its side in the mud, its old and battered, but to the old man it’s his greatest possession, he paints it regularly but the wind blown sand and mud takes it’s toll of the paint-work.
There is a joyous tinkle of laughter from children fishing for Eels among the rocks in the river beneath the bridge, and squeals of delight as one successful child endeavors to extract the squirming, slimy creature off the hook. Leaning on the rail of the bridge above were two men giving advice and encouragement to the desperate child, wishfully contemplating the time of their youth when they too fished for Eels under the Bridge.
It’s opening time at the pub and the men drift over to join their mates for a game of dominoes or darts and a couple of pints of beer. There is a hum of conversation, an atmosphere of familiarity and friendship, and so be it, as each man knows intimately the life and problems of each other. This is the clique, a family, many of them related. These men of the village, born together, schooled together, work together, and drink together. A stranger will never be accepted, even if he lived among them for forty years, he will always be known as the outsider. The three main industries are the Tannery, Ironworks and the Hodbarrow Mine. Wages were poor but at least brought stability to the Town of Millom and the village Haverigg.
In the window of the miners cottage at Concrete Square across the river from the pub, sat a wizened old man, ancient wrinkles etched his wind-weathered face, watery eyes looking wistfully at the younger men going into the pub. Old memories stirred, of the good times he had in there before he became bedridden. Each day he’s propped up with pillows by the window so that he can watch the world go by. He can see into the shed of the next doors garden where four young lads of about ten or eleven were taking turns puffing on a fag that one of them had nicked from his dads pack. The old man muttered and shook his head, “them’s lalluns smoking and there’s nowt ah can do”, then he smiled to himself as he remembered the first fag he smoked, and that was in the back garden shed of this house where he has lived all of his life.
The old man turned to look over the estuary to the far distant coastline where he could see the cranes of the Shipyard at Barrow. His eyesight was still good for distance. Out on the water he could see small boats of the local fishermen, although at that distance he could not make out any detail but he knew they were anchored, he knew in detail what they were doing and knew the spot they were fishing at, also what kind of fish they would be catching. With a lifetime of doing the same thing his knowledge was invaluable to those who sought it. Dreamily his mind wandered back to the time of his first boat and of the time he became shipwrecked. He knew of the dangers out there, many men have died in the treacherous currents and sudden squalls. Yet the old man preferred the dangers of the sea to the danger of the Hodbarrow Mine where he had worked all his life. He coughed, a racking, chest aching cough, caused by years of accumulated iron oar dust from down the mine.
Recovering, he let his eyes wander over the land to the top Black-Coombe, the large hill that’s only a few feet shorter than a mountain. He closed his eyes and visualized the crisp, clean air, the vast view, and the silence at the top, where all visitors on reaching, place a stone on the cairn. Today as he looked, the Coombe was capped under a heavy cloud of somber grey. He visualized the fields in the valley beneath Black-coombe, the lush meadows and thick hedgerows where the Pheasants nest and the dense woods where the Badgers come out in the evening to “snuffle” among the bluebells, looking for the succulent, juicy worm. There also he could see the Lazy River, so crystal clear with it’s surface showing hardly a ripple, only the fronds of waterweeds waving beneath the surface show the movement of the water. He dreamed of the times he caught the large, speckled Rainbow Trout by hand, tickling Trout was one of his favorite pastimes. He could feel the chill of the water and see the fish under the bank where he lay, carefully he moved his hand beneath the water, the fish weaving in the current touched his hand and he slowly stroked it along the stomach, then when it was cupped in his hand he would heave it onto the bank. He felt it again, the skillful action of a poacher.
The Lazy River sings a placid song of tranquility most of the year as it meanders to the sea, it’s bank-side a refuge for the Water Vole who sits chewing grass stems in contentment, and the Mute Swan swims majestically to and fro in regal splendor on the silent surface. Yet in the spring, the river periodically erupts in anger as though letting people know that they should not takes things for granted. The combination of heavy rains up in the fells, the strong Westerly winds behind the high spring tides causes the Lazy River to back up and overflow it’s banks, swirling and gurgling across the road into gardens and the doorways of houses where the people frantically erect boards and bags of sand in an endeavor to prevent the water from entering, but on many occasions to no avail, the water rises and sweeps down the back allies and into the back doors. It pushes into the hotel and shops up the street. People evacuate to the rooms above to wait for the ebb tide, shouting to each other from the upper windows. Remarkably, it’s an air of excitement that prevails throughout the community. The tragedy is there, yet is accepted as part of life. The philosophical view is, “It’s been before and will be again and there is nothing one can do about it”. Years later, amusing stories are told, like the time a fish was found behind the counter of a shop up the main street. The Lazy River soon settles down. It too has seen it all before and will see it again. Forever.

[scampo]

Tanny,that is a beautiful tribute to Haverigg.You can now add the call of the KF!!!.In the morning mist when the tide is in,as it is at the moment in the morning and early evening ,it is especially spectacular,even more so,when it is calm.
These early mornings and evenings,the bay is host to Herons,Cormorants,a multitude of waders,Mergansers,many many species.If anyone is in the area,this is a good time of year for a visit.
I think Wordsworth himself would have been impressed with Tanny's writing, Christine!

[christineredgate]

Steve,yes,Tanny loves this area,somewhere I have another poem he penned re the river Lazy(25yds from our front door!!!),but this story he has posted on this thread,I had not seen.Tanny many thanks,it is amazing,your memories are so vivid,even though Concrete Square has long gone,you can see it in your mind so clearly.Today it was a very stormy sea.The boats were being tossed around in the bay,large waves and huge spray beating agains't the sea defences.
Yes,Steve,I guess Tanny could give W Wordswoth a run for his money,as it were.Tanny seems to see things so clearly,he really gets into the minds and lives of the people,and he ,himself is part of the wildlife.
Tanny very good.an accolade from Steve is top notch!!!.

[Tanny]

Strewth, I'me lost for words, apart from, "wow" thanks.

[scampo]

Steve,yes,Tanny loves this area,somewhere I have another poem he penned re the river Lazy(25yds from our front door!!!),but this story he has posted on this thread,I had not seen.Tanny many thanks,it is amazing,your memories are so vivid,even though Concrete Square has long gone,you can see it in your mind so clearly.Today it was a very stormy sea.The boats were being tossed around in the bay,large waves and huge spray beating agains't the sea defences.
Yes,Steve,I guess Tanny could give W Wordswoth a run for his money,as it were.Tanny seems to see things so clearly,he really gets into the minds and lives of the people,and he ,himself is part of the wildlife.
Tanny very good.an accolade from Steve is top notch!!!.I envy you the sights and sounds - and feel - of rough weather at the coast, Christine. To stand in such weather and feel at one with the elements is beyond description. Nothing comes close.

[Tanny]

A day trip to Christine Redgate’s Patch.
On Monday 2nd of June I dropped off my wife at Chester who was going to Oxford with her son for the day and I headed north intending to spend the day at Martin Mere but when I reached the turn off on the M6 I realised I was too early so continued on up the motorway with the idea of spending time at Leighton Moss but again on reaching the area I noticed the time was only a quarter past eight and as I haven’t driven the car long distances for over a year, (the wife does all the driving) I got the driving bug and decided to carry on up the highway until I reached the turn off for the Lake District. What a good idea I thought if I could get as far as Haverigg and explore around my old stamping ground. I was stationed there many years ago as a National Serviceman and Haverigg was where I met my first wife. I even lived there for a time and was employed in various jobs around the little Towns of Millom and Haverigg. Ann my second wife and I spent half of our honeymoon four years ago at Ravenglass and we visited Christine Redgate for the first time then. Two years ago Christine put us up for a night and thanks to her it was a memorable time we had.
The weather during this trip was dull with slight rain showers but as I continued into the district the misty atmosphere seemed to lift although Skafell and the Langdale Pikes were obliterated. Driving along the A590 is so easy these days with its expansion and I soon reached Newby Bridge at the bottom of Lake Windermere, this time I didn’t stop but continued on until turning right up the A5092, and upwards it really is, ever upwards, twisting and turning until reaching the top. Sadly there was no view because of the heat mist that covered all the mountains. The steep decent down Grizebeck brought back memories of when I drove a truck for the first time down here in the night. In those days there was a stop sign at the bottom and on many occasions trucks failed to stop because of burned out breaks and ploughed on through the fence on the other side of the A595 Barrow-In-Furness road. The road has been modified and there is now a wide bend making it easier and safer to negotiate. After Grizebeck I headed on through Foxfield where the road has some of the greatest twists and turns in the country, I was doing about forty, (I think that was the legal speed at this place) and it was quite exciting spinning the steering wheel first right then left because the bends were so close to each other, thankfully the road was clear of all other traffic as I sped through. I was soon past the Duddon Bridge and turning off to the left onto the A 5093. The little hamlet called The Green was one of the places I had always wanted to live at; it was so peaceful and had an enchanting river flowing alongside the road where I remember seeing the Dipper plunging beneath the rushing water hunting for food. Alas, I didn’t stop but continued on till reaching Millom and then Haverigg where I parked opposite the bridge where in the old days once stood an old church hall. The Harbour Hotel was on my right and so many memories of the great times I had in there flooded back. Looking to the left one couldn’t help seeing the large derelict building that was once the Tannery where I worked for a time as a Toggler. Togglers were the blokes who stretched the animal hides that had first gone through the long process of curing. I remember always looking at the wooden horse that came out of the lift covered with the latest hides and when seeing that they were calf hides, rushing like mad to finish the one on my stretching frame so that I can get a calf hide because they were so easy to stretch. We were on what was called peace work and any extra hides we finished meant more money. The time I arrived was ten past nine so it had only taken me two hours to get here.
Picture’s (1) Haverigg. (2) Harbour Hotel. (3) The derelict Tannery. (4) Someone’s pride. (5) The Lazy River being very lazy.

[Tanny]

I thought about knocking on Christine’s door for an early cuppa but I was drawn away to the river mouth where the tide was coming in and I could hear the unmistakeable call of a male Eider Duck and as I have never seen these ducks here before, I was very excited. The ducks were out on the water and I walked as near to them as I could and took many pictures. As I walked along the tideline I managed to get a picture of the ducks with the lighthouse in the background, this lighthouse is situated on the Sea Wall that surrounds the freshwater lake that is the RSPB Nature Reserve; I will be going there later. Swallows were flitting along the tideline seeking the little flies that seem to be disturbed by the incoming water. Out on the sand spit that seems to be spreading out from Haverigg were many different species of birds, the largest being the Cormorant, then the Great Black-back Gull, then the Herring Gulls, Black-headed Gulls and also some Arctic Terns were among the group. Ring Plovers, Oystercatchers and Lapwings I suspect were nesting on that spit of gravel and sand. In the old days, meaning the sixties when I first lived here, there was no barrier of sand and the High Tide would come right up to the garden walls of the houses on the front. I wandered along the shore searching for a special stone; I called it a Zebra stone because it had a pale stripe on a deep maroon background. I took a lovely heart shaped piece back to Australia with me in the seventies and had it cut and polished. This stone is one of my treasured processions and I brought it back with me when I returned to England for good. Sadly I never found a sample of this stone and this is the only place I had ever seen it. I wandered up the beach into the sand dunes where I found a lone Orchid flowering in all its glory. There weren’t many flowers to be found because it is still a bit early in the year. The Sea Holly was not yet in flower but the plants looked very healthy and promise a great show for the future.

Picture’s (1) Eider Duck. (2) My treasured Zebra Stone. (3) The other side. (4) Sea Holly. (5) Northern Marsh Orchard.

[Tanny]

A pair of Stonechats became excited and I suspect they had some young nearby. A Song Thrush just sat on a gorse bush looking at me without singing a song so I took his picture. The hill in the background called Blackcoombe still had its top covered with wisps of cloud but I expect these to disappear once the sun burns them off during the day. I still don’t know weather to call Blackcoombe a hill or a mountain; maybe it is a mountain now if enough people have placed stones high enough on its top. A little Wild Pansy bravely pushed out its flowers from a sandy dune and close to the entrance of Butterfields camping ground a Common Whitethroat allowed me to take some good pictures with food in its beak for its young that have fledged and were hiding deep within a tangle of brambles and nettles. At the entrance of the Caravan Park a Wren sat singing on the top of a small fir tree.

Pictures (1) Stonechat. (2) Song Thrush. (3) Wild Pansy. (4) Whitethroat. (5) Wren.

[Tanny]

House sparrows “Chirrup” from the houses on the front and Jackdaws wander around the children’s swings searching for bits and pieces that all youngsters seem to drop. I looked over the wall at Seaview and saw the tide had spread across up the banks of the river and a couple of ancient, moored boats were submerged. House Martins were flying up to their new nests under the eaves of the buildings nearby and Swallows were perched on the mooring ropes beneath the sea wall. The tide was almost in and had backed up the river and the surface was so calm that when I saw a large ripple I thought it was some diving bird but then as I looked down into the water I was amazed to see four huge Salmon swimming together, each of them must have been almost three feet long, I lost sight of them as they slowly heading out to sea beneath the bridge.

Pictures (1) An information Poster at the sea front. (2) A House Martin starting a new nest. (3) A Swallow resting on a mooring rope. (4) A view from the beach towards the bridge. (5) A view from the bridge to the mouth of the Lazy River.

[Tanny]

I returned to the car and before driving off I heard the song of a Sedge Warbler coming from across the river so got out to investigate. The bird was in a clump of brambles close to the road by the buildings of Concrete Square and just opposite Christine’s house. I was able to get many pictures of this bird and unfortunately the special picture I tried to get of it superimposed on Christine’s house never turned out clear enough. I parked the car at the beginning of the sea wall and after slinging my pack on my back started my walk to the RSPB bird hide. Before I had gone a couple of paces a bloke who was passing said “What a wonderful day it has turned out to be” and we got chatting. I spoke about the changes around the place and mentioned that I used to work down the Iron Oar Mines in the sixties and then also worked in the Tannery, he said that he also worked in the Tannery as a Toggler, then he took a long look at me and exclaimed, “Skippy, you and I worked there together and you once came to my house”, he then went on to tell me about the things I had said about Australia in those days. Skippy was my nick name, because I was the only Australian in the village at the time. Embarrassingly I couldn’t remember him or the other Togglers he mentioned and even now I have forgotten his name, it just shows how ones memory diminishes with age. After saying farewell I started off along the sea wall and the haunting call of the Eider Ducks drifted up to me from over the water on my right. On the left came the screeching calls of Black-headed Gulls who were nesting on a long spit of land, I searched among them for a Mediterranean Gull but I should be so lucky. There was hardly any wind and the water on either side was as still as a duck pond. Not far along the wall I saw a Chaffinch singing on a small bush on the right and I took a picture, then after taking another couple of steps I took another picture, unbelievably the bird did not fly off but stayed there singing as I slowly passed within three yards from it, all the time taking pictures.

Pictures (1) Sedgewarbler. (2) Chaffinch. (3) The clouds had lifted off Blackcoombe. (4) Birdsfoot Trefoil. (5) A late Hawthorn blossom.

[Grumbledook]

I'm keeping up the Cumbrian vote by waving at Christine et al from up the road in Workington. Solway coast, River Derwent and Siddick Pond all 2 minutes from my front door. :)

[Tanny]

As I wandered slowly along towards the lighthouse I couldn’t help noticing the discarded human waste that seem to be accumulated around the place and when I reached the Lighthouse I looked over to the RSPB bird hide and was immediately struck by the similarity of it to a public toilet. It’s a hideous concrete structure with an appearance of neglect. I slowly walked towards the hide and noticed a pare of Oystercatchers showing obvious interest in nesting close to the place, then I saw a pair of Ring Plovers also showing some interest. Just before reaching the hide a Lapwing looked distressed ran through the grass on the right and I assumed it might have a nest there. On entering the hide I was struck by the bare unwelcoming feel about the place, the floor was littered with dirt and each window was festooned with spider webs. I think I am safe in saying that this is the worst bird hide that I have ever been in. There were no posters of birds on the walls for visitors to use in identifying the masses of birds seen. After cleaning the seat and wiping away the webs I settled down to watch the wonderful sight before me. The most noticeable bird was the nesting Great-crested Grebe right in the front, what a rare and exciting sight that was. A drake Eider Duck with two females were swimming very close and just before I was able to take some pictures of them the other occupant in the hide exclaimed, there’s a dog here”. I leaned out of the window and saw a bloke standing outside with what looked like a bag of bread; his dog was wandering below the hide. I was so angry because he had scared away the Eider Ducks that I yelled at him to get away, “I shall not explain the more expletive words I used on him” but thankfully he got the message and disappeared. Although the rest of my stay in the hide was quite enjoyable because of watching so many different species of birds, I just felt that overall it was spoilt by the sorry neglect of the place. It seemed obvious to me that the RSPB Ranger is very negligent in his work and after speaking to other people later who told me that he is arrogant and rude then I cannot consider him to be anything other than incompetent at his job. What this place needs is a young dynamic ranger who can communicate with people.
The view from the hide is of a small island where all the birds can nest in safety, and then there is a large stretch of open water and a strange sight of an old sea wall that has collapsed at one end into the lake. At the far side can be seen the Church spire and beyond that the hills and Mountains of Cumberland. The whole area is a haven for birds and under better management could be a wonderful place for birders.

Pictures (1) A Great-crested Grebe on its nest in aggressive display. (2) Lesser Black-back Gulls in love. (3) The Church spire. (4) The bird nesting island in front of the hide. (5)The old sea wall and Cumberland Mountains in the background. (3)

[Tanny]

I left the hide and crossed directly over to the Lighthouse and stood there on the wall looking over the water to Barrow-in-Furness and tried to take pictures of the Arctic Terns that were bringing their catch of fish over my head to the colony below the bird hide, without success I might add. A mobile home passed me on my way back and when looking at the photos I had taken I could see it hidden behind some trees, obviously it had been parked illegally for the night on the RSPB reserve.
Returning back the way I had come I was delighted to see a family of Eider Ducks in the reserve, I never knew that the male Eider Duck stayed with his mate and youngsters but this one does and it made a wonderful sight to see all of them together. Sadly I was shocked to see a power boat towing a skier speed just out from the family and the waves caused the little balls of dark fluff to tumble among the rocks at the edge of the lake. I’m not sure if the speed boats are allowed to go near the nesting island during the nesting period but the couple of other birders in the hide said they made a mistake and visited during a holiday period in April and it was a mad house with children and power boats all around the hide and island.
Oh, I forgot to mention that I counted eleven Great-crested Grebes on the water in a group close to the nesting Terns, this is the largest congregation of these birds I have ever seen, other Great-crested’s were sitting on nests around the area. It was interesting to see the bird on the nest close to the hide fluff her self up and spread her wings when a Jackdaw landed on a fence post close by.

Pictures (1) Pied Wagtail. (3) Meadow Pipit. (4) Oystercatcher. (5) The Eider Duck family

[Tanny]

Before I reached the car I heard in the distance the sound of Swan wings and there flying towards me were seven Mute Swans. What a glorious sound the wings of swans make and what a fitting farewell to my visit of Haverigg
I drove back to the car park in Haverigg and went to see Christine for a cuppa, she gave me a telling off for not letting her know I was coming but we had a laugh together and sat out in the front listening to the Sedge Warbler singing across the Lazy River that was now rushing out to the sea as the tide goes out.
After farewells to Christine I drove out of the village and through Millom and only stopped again alongside an old building close to the bottom of Grizebeck. Many years ago I helped to renovate this old building, it was destined to be made into flats but obviously the plan fell through because it is in a derelict state now. My wife then rang me on her mobile to say she was just leaving Oxford and I said I was also just leaving Cumberland; I had to repeat that because she couldn’t believe what I was saying, she thought I was only going to Martin Mere. Well that’s another story of my visit to Christine Redgates Patch, lets hope it’s not too long before I can write a sequel.
Thank you Christine.

Pictures (1) Where the Caravans are is the place where the mine Shaft used to be. (2) The Lazy River at low tide. (3) A Black-headed Gull searching for food on the Lazy. (4) A flight of Mute Swans. (5) Christine’s front, showing the Redgate.

[Dean Powell]

I have just finished reading all of this thread. It brings back many memmories of when I used to live nearby at Broughton In Furness and my many visits to Millom, Haverigg and Silecroft.

Tanny, thanks for bringing Christine's patch alive with your tales, recent visit and photographs.

I will have to visit Christine soon with my camera, scope and bins.

Dean:t:

[christineredgate]

Tanny,many many thanks,great to see the photos.I have sent you an e-mail re the Rugby club camping.
If any BF members are visiting Cumbria/Lancashire,then a trip to Hodbarrow at Haverigg,is a must.As Tanny has mentioned,the reserve is full of Grebes,Terns are flying across from the estuary with fish for their offspring,a must for BIF photographers.I have tried,but failed!!!.
Masses of Swallows,House Martins ,and many Swifts .
Again,many thanks,Tanny.It was great to see you.
One of the Male Eider ducks,nesting in the main reserve has a harem of 4 females.Also many shelducks mixed in with the rest of the Eider group in the lagoon.
I counted 16 pairs of Swans on the lagoon yesterday.Have never seen so may at one time.

[Tanny]

Birthday Camping Holiday at Haverigg.

Monday August the 4th. My wife and I packed the car and hooked on the Trailer Tent and headed off for a camping holiday at my favourite place in Britain. Haverigg, the little village situated at the southern tip of Cumberland at the mouth of the Duddon River and beneath the shadow of Black Coombe, the brooding hill a couple of feet short of a mountain. This was not just a holiday to enjoy the wonders of the British Countryside, it was also to search for lost friends and revive memories of when I was stationed here as a National Serviceman in the Army and when I lived here in the sixties and seventies. Our two pets were as usual with us and packed ‘snug as bugs in a rug’ in the back of the car, that’s Dixie and Asbo, the two tortoises, they come with us when we are away from home for more than a day.
The driving up the M6 was quite easy with the traffic being moderate; thankfully we were heading north because the southbound traffic was congested in places, especially in the Preston, Lancaster area.
It was a glorious day when we set off, the sun beamed down between fluffy white clouds but as we progressed north the clouds increased but not threatening rain. Sadly on reaching Cumberland and viewing from the top of Grizebeck, the mountains had a covering of low clouds, even Black Coombe was topped with a soft misty cloud.
We arrived at the Butterflowers Caravan and camping grounds and paid £62 for five nights, this is quite a bargain in comparison to £50 a night for a Bed and Breakfast at Bempton last month to see the Sea birds at the Cliffs.
Our Trailer Tent isn’t one of those fancy modern types, in-fact it’s an ‘an-twacky’ ancient model and an absolute terror to erect. It took us two hours to completely sort out, eventually everything was in its place and the bed blown up and ready for two tired pensioners to retire to later on.
At 16.30 Just after Christine, our friend from the BF paid a brief visit we decided to go for a little walk and what a shock I got when I collected my walking boots. At home I keep my two pairs of walking boots under the stairs and in my haste this morning I had picked up the right foot of each pair. Honest, I felt a right ‘Twit’ and quite disappointed. We still went for the walk, but wearing my best shoes prevented me from walking off the track into the dunes. We decided to walk along the beach and we searched among the cobbled stones looking for my special stone, the one I took to Australia with me many years ago and had it cut and polished. The tide was right out and the sea birds were flying way in the distance, Arctic Terns emitting their unmistakeable sound as they dived into the channel between Cumbria and the Duddon Sands near Walney Island, Barrow in Furness. A lone Curlew called a long way out in the estuary, the haunting call of mud flats and Moorland Hills. The sun shone down lovely and warm and burned off the clouds from the mountains leaving them coloured a pale shade of blue. We didn’t find any of my unusual stones but there were other colourful stones that took our fancy and will be added to our collection. I wonder what the attraction is for people on holidays to take home a souvenir stone or Shell. At this School holiday period the campsites are almost full of laughing and squealing children and people with their dogs. Close to our tent was a couple with two children and two huge Bullmastiffs that periodically bayed with their deep resonating bark, a sound that sends shivers up ones spine, and caused Ann to ask me to chaperone her when going to the toilets. Mind you I think the drooling dogs were so soft that they would have licked us to death.

Pictures from the left Commador Hotel from the bird hide. Juvenile Stonechat. Mouth of the Lazy river. Church at Millom. Seaview and Blackcoombe in the background.

[Tanny]

After dinner of curried lamb and rice, (One of those packets you heat up in a pan of hot water) we drove out to the RSPB Bird Hide overlooking the Hodbarrow reserve and sadly the Hide looks more and more like a public toilet and the smell near the door must have convinced someone that this was what it really was. Inside the walls are now covered by graffiti, but surprise, surprise there was a sheet of paper stuck on the back wall with what I think was the latest sightings of birds, unfortunately it was written in an illegible Neanderthal language. Oh how I wish the local Ranger for the RSPB would take an interest in his job. I enquired again about him and was told that the Cumberland representative comes down to visit now and again but meets the Ranger in the local pub and that’s the limit of his visit. One of the latest complaints about the ranger is that he visited the hide recently and lit a cigarette, then blew smoke over the occupants and left; oh boy wouldn’t he get a mouthful if he did that to me. All the nesting of the Terns and Gulls is now ended but there are still plenty of Lesser-black Back Gulls with immature young demanding food. Great Crested Grebe are plentiful on the water with their young, a couple seen riding on the parents back. I drove the car right around the reserve but I don’t recommend everyone doing it because there are some deep potholes and boggy places for the unwary to drive into. In a field we spotted a mixed flock of Grey Lag Geese and Canada Geese and managed to get a couple of pictures. Returning back to our tent we had a good shower and retired to bed early with our favourite books. I’m reading Jean Aural’s, Shelter of Stone, this is the last book of the, ‘Earth Children’ series.

Views of Blackcoombe from the Bird Hide. Herring Gull.

[Tanny]

Tuesday the 5th of August and my 69th birthday, it was a bit chilly in the night and we were a bit reluctant to get out of the sleeping bag, when I did get out I immediately had an attack of cramp in my right calf. I hobbled to the toilets and recovered after a nice hot shower. Just as I was packing away my toiletries the arm of my glasses fell off. “Oh strewth, what next” I thought as I squinted around the bench by the sink looking for that minute screw. Would you believe it I actually found it and to carry it safely back to the tent I put it in my mouth. A mongrel dog growled at me as I walked back and I nearly yelled at it but the fear of losing the screw prevented me. Ann couldn’t see to fix the arm so we plan to go into Millom to get it fixed. So far the sun shone periodically between clouds, and Black Coombe was clear which means it might rain. The Herring Gulls were rather raucous at daybreak, along with a Rooster in a nearby garden. When in Millom it started to rain and after getting my glasses fixed we dashed to the local Museum and spent a very interesting time there although I experienced a strange feeling as I looked at the Hodbarrow mine section. There were so many items that I recognised from when I worked down that mine, and they even have the same cage that I used when descending into the mine. I stood there slightly bemused till Ann turned to me with a big grin on her face and said, “You’re a Museum piece”. After a little bit of shopping we headed back to Haverigg and stopped at the Beach Café for a Cheese and pickle toasted sandwich. This place was recommended to us but if you’re concerned with hygiene then forget about it. The rain continued pelting down so we relaxed in the tent, checking now and again to see if there were any leaks, thankfully there wasn’t any.
At 19.00, Christine and Barry pick us up and take us to the Commodore Hotel for a birthday meal. This building used to be the Office for the Mine and was the place where I used to come to collect my wages, hard to recognize it now as it was in those days. Barry had to go off to get something forgotten, but it was a set-up because he returned with a very old friend, one I hadn’t seen for at least twenty five years. Trudy was a childhood school friend of my Ex wife and had once stayed with us in Australia for a holiday with her late husband Terry. This was indeed a very pleasant birthday surprise and a highlight of the week. After the excellent meal I was again delighted to be presented with a Birthday Cake, and on the cake was a Kookaburra, one of my favorite Australian Birds. Everyone sang Happy Birthday and I had to fight hard to control the tears that were welling up behind my eyes.

Sea Holly. Grey Lag and Canada Geese. Our old Tent. A Carbide Lamp that I used to use down the mine. My Birthday Cake.

[Tanny]

Wed 6th Aug. At 07.15 I got out of the warm sleeping bag, it was my turn to get up to make the morning cup of tea. The night was a restless one for me, I don’t often drink and only had one and a half pints of old English Bitter Beer, but with a big meal as well, my stomach wasn’t used to it. It also rained a couple of heavy showers in the night and the sound can be unnerving as it pounds on the canvas. The rains continued pelting down confined us to the Tent throughout the morning but stopped after lunch allowing us to go for a small walk among the sand hills. Thankfully I’d packed my Wellington boots because the grass was very wet. We searched along the stony road that passed the Rugby Club for a sample of my special stone because the stones along this track were from the beach. At last, almost at the end of the track I found a very good sample. Although the day was overcast we did manage to take many pictures of the flowers and Insects from among the Dunes. When the sun decided to really come out we decided to go for a drive and I drove up the Whicham Valley to the Duddon Bridge, then turned left to Thwaites Fell and Corney Fell and what a hair raising experience that was. The road was only one car width with thankfully, plenty of passing places. The workers from the Atomic Powerhouse at Sellafield were dashing home and groups of six or seven of them headed towards us. It was a case of slipping into a passing place and flashing them on, almost every one of them waved their thanks. The views from the top were spectacular but with the drizzly rain the full extent of the views were obscured. The only birds seen were two Ravens sporting with the breeze at the highest peak. We returned to Haverigg through Bootle and Kirksanton, and in the village we bought Fish and Chips for dinner and ate them back in the tent. Afterwards I strolled around to the village and visited my ex wife’s sister, I hadn’t seen her for over twenty five years. I saw a photo of my lost grandchildren in Australia on her mantelshelf and was amazed at the changes in them. My ex sister-in-law, although six years younger than me seemed very frail and prematurely aged and the impression I got was that she was just ‘waiting-for-God’. I was happy to leave her to her complaints and headed back to the camp. Ann and I tried to go for an evening stroll but it started raining again so we returned and settled down to read and relax with a drink of chocolate before bed.
Mixed flowers on the dunes. Hairbells. Bumble Bee on Ragwort. Wild Redcurrants on the dunes. Common Blue Butterfly.

[Tanny]

Thu 7th Aug The sun came out this morning and it felt quite warm so we let Asbo and Dixie have a little run among the clover and grass outside the tent. Asbo, the female is sedately and just enjoys eating but Dixie the male has greyhound legs and dashes away to explore. Last November he escaped from the enclosure at home and disappeared and it was in March this year when he was found by a neighbor and returned. He gets a bit frustrated because we keep a strict eye on him now.
I was outside the tent with my camera when a skein of Geese flew over and I managed to get some pictures of them in the grey sky. Around about 9.20 my Forum pal, Dr Manjeet Singh rings on Ann’s mobile, and sings, Happy Birthday. Honest, that guy is quite a character, but you all know that, don’t you?
We go for a morning cuppa at Trudy’s house and it was great to catch up on the news and reminisce about old times. Returning to Haverigg we go into the local shop and I get chatting to the manageress and during the conversation I mentioned that I worked in the Tannery as a Toggler and the woman exclaimed. “Are you Skippy, my dad worked with you”. I was amazed that a young woman should remember a bloke from way back, called Skippy. Ann recons I must have left quite an impression on the people in the village from those days long ago. At lunch time we go around to Christine’s and she had laid out quite a substantial meal for us. While there she gets a phone call and its Manjeet again, telling her that he has put a picture in the gallery dedicated to me. I’m afraid I got a bit emotional for a moment and have to admit this has to be the best birthday I’ve had for a very long time. As the weather was reasonably clear we go down to the Ironworks Nature Reserve and take many pictures of the views and flowers and picked up some unusual stones from the foundry residue. Later in the evening we try again to find samples of my special stone along the track and were lucky to find a couple of small ones. We were hoping to see the escaped Eagle Owl that lives in the abandoned building of the Tannery but were not lucky enough. The Herring Gulls were calling around the camp and a Rabbit allowed a close approach, this reminded me of a story someone told me about some campers complaining about the Gulls pitter-patting on their roofs in the morning, they said the Rabbits attracted the Gulls so some moron spread Mixamatosis around the place and destroyed hundreds of the Rabbits, the sight of all the dead and dying animals were horrific. Of Course the Gulls are still as prolific as they were. What would one expect, it’s a Seaside.

Asbo and Dixie, our traveling companions. The special stone I looked for. Just the stones I searched in. Bright Litchen. Flying Geese

[Tanny]

Friday 8th Aug Both of us up bright and early and the sun is out and it promises to be a lovely day however Ann and I get a strange feeling that it wasn’t going to continue and after considering for a while we decided to pack up camp and return home. The tent had dried out with the sun and we just hate packing up in the rain. The ancient Tent was as usual almost impossible to get dawn and after sweating, puffing and pulling we managed it and drove out of there at 10.30. The sun stayed out throughout the day and it was an enjoyable drive back home.
Thankfully we did leave a day earlier; Christine rang to say it poured down all day on Saturday.
Well this is another story to be added to Christine Redgate’s Patch and although it’s a little bit different than usual I hope readers enjoyed reading my chatter and seeing our pictures.
Tanny

Like a jewel in the grass. Cinnabar catterpiller in the Ragwort. The dirty look. Laughing Lesser-black back Gulls. Just a moth to me.

[christineredgate]

Tanny,thankyou.Lovely photos of our beautiful area.It was great to see you,and such a pleasure to arrange your surprise birthday bash,with your special guest.Take care.Shame re the weather,but as Barry says,if we had no rain,then we would not have any lakes!!!

[Sandra (Taylor)]

Really enjoyed reading your 'diaries' Tanny. It looks to be a lovely area of the country. We've never visited but will try and make it one day soon.

Sandra

[Dr Manjeet Singh]

Thank you very much Tanny & Mrs Tanny..letting me read about a beautiful place and about a beautiful hearted lady called Christine...:clap:..Both of you made my day..you hear and Christine are Singhs allowed there..lol.:-O:-O.....I wish i could be there..and as for you Tanny my friend..you have seen real life in the ..raw.. as we say here..just as me..keep your stories coming you hear..they at least make this hairy Singh happy.Regrds.:t:B (:B (: