I had such a great weekend I feel compelled to share it with you…
It started, as most weekends do, with Saturday morning. The postie brought the mail and among the pile of tedious junk mail and bank statements was a letter from the British Mountaineering Council (BMC). I had applied for a grant from the Julie Tullis Memorial fund a month earlier, and I was awaiting a reply knowing that the BMC International Committee was meeting at the end of March. The letter was a little thin, so as I opened it with no little trepidation I feared that it would be the ‘thanks for your interest but on this occasion…’ reponse. When I opened it, and read that they wanted to make a provisional grant for my return to Elbrus (subject to terms and conditions) I made the obligatory cheer and run round the kitchen for 30 seconds… A great start.
That was followed by a couple of hours doing fairly tedious but productive domestic chores that we had put off for ages. I made 3 trips to the tip taking piles of cardboard that had been sitting in the garage since we moved into the house 2 years ago… I know, what a way to celebrate…!!
After that and a fantastic fry-up for saturday lunch cooked by my better half, I had a nice long walk with Pike our dog. He had a good run around and didn’t chase any other dogs or roll in any fox poo. Which was nice. Later, after a simple but traditional dinner of chicken pie, new potatoes and veg, washed down with a small libation of our latest home-brew, we settled down to an evening of telly. Unfortunately, the viewing was rubbish so we watched a cheesey film instead.
Sunday morning broke and I went for a fantastic day in the Peak District with Pike. I’d planned to head for Kinder Scout but decided to do a different walk this time, one I do now and again. Starting at the Grindleford Cafe, follow Padley Gorge up through Yarcliffe Wood past Lawrence Field to Burbage Bridge. Up onto the top of Burbage Rocks and follow the line of crags along Upper Burbage Bridge, saying hello to rock climbers topping out on the various routes along the way.
From there turn south along Fiddler’s Elbow and over Higger Tor, across Hathersage Moor to the old hill fort, and back to Burbage Bridge before re-tracing the way back to Grindleford Cafe. It’s not exactly a long walk (around 10km at most) but it’s a really nice way to spend a few hours expecially when the weather is as glorious as it was. Pike loves it too!
By the time I got home, Gaynor had finished doing the finishing touches to re-decorating our bathroom so I had a nice long hot shower and dried off with very nice new towels, (there can be few nicer things than new towels…) before doing one of my personal favourite Sunday roasts, Lamb, with roast tatties and parsnips, steamed veg, washed down with a nice Cianti. No liver. Another cheesey but very entertaining film after dinner, and then to bed.
A perfect weekend. And just to cap it all, Spurs won and Arsenal lost. Fan-tas-tic!!! Can life get any better?
Cheers!!