Last of the Lakes

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Next stop Shap (near Penrith). This was a Temporary Holiday Site organised by the Lune Valley District Association, basically a big field with a tap. It was brilliant, the people we met were very friendly and the entertainment great. We had never taken part in a punch raffle before, it means you get drunk very quickly for very little money - awesome. There were also barbecues, pie and pea lunches and horse racing evenings (not real ones). Needless to say we pigged out on pies and gambled like mad. The weather suddenly went from winter to the hottest summer weather leaving us searching for shade and Trevor trying to dive from a great height into Haweswater resevior. We didn’t do a lot of exploring in the two weeks we were there due to the weather but just down the lane there was the ruins of a beautiful abbey. Excitement spread around the camp site when someone started a rumour that a steam train was going to go past and we were all waiting with bated breath when it actually did, an amazing sight. Thanks to the organisers of the rally and the stewards who we hope to meet up with again.

We then headed for another THS in Threlkeld near Keswick organised by the friends we had made at North East Lancashire District association. Just like Arnside this was a fantastic location with a cycle track along a disused railway line all the way into Keswick. It followed the route of, and crossed, a very picturesque river. We were lucky enough to see some red squirrels along the way, and some cadis fly larvae which were very strange. One day we cycled along the route and then into Dodds wood where the RSPB had set up telescopes enabling us to watch a female osprey on the nest with her four day old chicks and in flight. It was well worth the long climb up there. While we were there we heard the news of the shootings in and around Whitehaven which made us feel rather guilty about having such a good day. The hill behind the camp site was called Blencathra, which was quite interesting for Trevor, as his Mum and Dad had spent their honeymoon in this area and named the first house that Trevor lived in as a child after it. Obviously we had to climb it and decided on the straight up approach which involved a lot of rock climbing (and big drops) but we got there quickly and really enjoyed it. We saw a lot of paragliders setting off from the top which would have been an awesome way of getting down. The weather was again very hot and it was lovely to see the friends we had met at Arnside again and make new ones. A big thank you to John and Barbara, hope to see you again sometime.

Heading abroad next - Scotland

Forgot to mention Carlisle Trailer Centre last time, brilliant service and reasonable prices, had our towing electrics sorted in no time after the bad job the fitters had made of it.

Ps the beer we made at Arnside has evaporated and the stuff we made at Shap is going the same way - must find a cure for fast evaporating beer!

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Photos

It's a hard life!
Looking for shade

Blencathra behind the campsite
This should bring back memories for Trevor's Mum and Dad