A Walk Down Memory Lane

As a birthday treat, Marion has brought me to the Yorkshire Dales to the lovely village of Austwick. It’s a great place for a break as it is only an hour’s drive. The weather has been kind to us today so we took a walk which turned out to be brimful of memories of family holidays spent in my mum and dad’s caravan when our kids were growing up.

But it was a little strange without two bundles of energy who wanted the picnic opening before we had left the car park or needed the loo half a mile after passing the last toilets in Yorkshire. We weren’t able to feed the ducks, skim stones across the lake, taunt lambs with cries of “mint sauce” or play on the village swings. We did manage to go down Ingleborough cave which we were shown around by a wonderfully droll Prestonian but the excitement was blunted by the lack of having to make sure that Paul left the cavern in one piece. Memories of flagging down cars in remote country lanes with blood sodden son in arms flooded back. We must have been the only ramblers in history to carry in our rucksack along with the Kendal Mint Cake, map and compass, a hitchhiker’s sign marked simply “CASUALTY”.



Yes the memories really did flood back today. Hauling our creaking bones through tiny gaps in ancient stone stiles that we had traversed a hundred times before, we pondered on how they had somehow become narrower. And how did a simple five-mile walk with virtually no gradients leave us with aching limbs and ready for bed at 6pm? Anyway at least I can relieve those aching limbs in the wonderful roll top bath situated at the end of the bed (perhaps next time we can run to a room with a bathroom) and whilst soaking therein take in the magnificent views of the local countryside.


Our room at the Austwick Traddock Hotel

Everything moves slowly here. Whilst the hotel has wireless internet I get the impression that it is connected to one of those telephone systems where girls pull and push plugs in and out of huge boards. I am not saying it is slow but I tried to put a bet on the Wigan v Man City game on Betfair at kick off and the match had finished before the bet went through. So maybe this Sunday blog will turn up on my blog before I get back or maybe it won't but as my bet was on a City win I should be thankful for small mercies.