Proud

Here's a little something I threw together yesterday. Education as it was then, what I learnt at school. Finding my way around with a paper map. No gadgets, no sat nav. 

I have a new doggy to walk. Helping out because his owner is in hospital. Hoping it's temporary and the owner will recover. Rocky, another Rocky, common name for dogs, is a lovely boy, big and brown. 

Must go. Things to do. 

Catch ya later.

Toodle pip.   ilona

All mapped out

Hello. A bit more on walking today. Some of you are interested in trying longer walks, perhaps not as long as mine, but a bit further than you normally go. Obviously where you live makes a difference, I cannot give advice for those who live outside the UK as I don't know what your roads and paths are like, or the type of maps you have, so this is mainly for the UK readers.

To start off it might be a good idea to make yourself a measured walk like I have with my three miles, setting off from your front door. If you are on a busy road you might be better to drive to somewhere close by which is quieter and use that as your starting point. 

There are a few sites which will calculate distance, I use Bikehike.co.uk  If you find yourself on the home page click course creator, but this link should take you to it. In the box on the bottom right corner put your starting point in the Find UK Place/Postcode box. From home I use my postcode, if I'm away I use place name. 

You want to be working from the OS map on the right but it is a bit small, so to enlarge it click on Toggle Map Sizes. 

Then it grows bigger on that side, and the other side shrinks. Get your start point in the middle, and left click on it, a green marker will appear. You may need to zoom in or zoom out, use the plus and the minus on the top left hand side, to get the scale you want. Then use your mouse to click along the proposed route, it will add the distance up for you, which will appear in the box on the left. If you make a mistake or want to go back and change direction, click Undo. Or if you want to start again click Clear Route. I can't help you if you access the internet with a smaller hand held device, I am not familiar with them.

If you carry a paper map like I do, and mark the route you have walked with a felt tip pen, you can check the distance with this. Bikehike probably has a lot more features, you can show elevation data if you do a lot of hill walking, but I only use it for checking distances. 

I suggest you might want to buy a paper OS map of where you live, and study that. It will give you all the footpaths, tracks, bridleways and roads. It has landmarks like pylons, churches, buildings, bridges, hotels, and tourist information. Start with a one mile route, then increase the distance. 

What you could do when you become more confident in finding your way around, is to get a bus from your house, check the distance that it travels, get off, and walk back. We have a bus which goes to a village five miles away, I sometimes get off there and walk back. Take a map and look for stiles in hedges and walls, between houses, tracks along fields, country roads, and use these to find your way home. I did a post about map reading here. 

The question always arises about safety of walking alone in unfamiliar places. To be honest I have more chance of being run over by a bus or attacked in a town centre than I do in the countryside. Sensible precautions should always be taken, like always being aware of your immediate surroundings. Looking behind to check no one is following. Look to each side in case there is an oddball in the bushes. 

Look at people's faces, if there is anything a bit dodgy looking about them, keep moving, turn a corner, skidaddle. Walk with an air of authority and confidence. If you look scared someone might pick up on it and see you as an easy target. People do speak to me along the way, if I feel a bit uneasy about the person I will say, must keep going, and carry on walking. That very rarely happens, everyone I meet is generally nice and chatty. 

I am probably more confident than a lot of women because of the job I have done. Working with men teaches you a lot of things, like sticking up for yourself. I have a right to walk wherever I like, except private land of course. I will not allow my freedom to roam be curbed by fear. In the years I have been walking alone I have not been attacked, accosted, or approached by undesirables. 

Now I must get some lunch, I am hungry, then I'm going to town for a few things I need. I hope you are enjoying your weekend. Thanks for popping in, we'll catch up soon. 

Toodle pip

Smile please, you're on camera

Hello. I think I should get Nellie Knowitall, our guest contributor, to write this post, it's right up her street, but as she is swanning around somewhere in the Bahamas, I won't disturb her. I am sure I am just as capable of stating the bleedin obvious, so I'll rattle it out myself.

Speeding, what do you think of speed cameras, or any cameras for that matter. There is an article in a well know national newspaper this morning entitled 'Know your enemy : there are 20 different kinds of cameras spying on motorists : spot them before they spot you.' Some are used to catch criminals, monitor traffic, or collect data. But large numbers are used to issue fines, which total £284 million pounds a year. They are despised because most of the money goes to the treasury. Every time you drive you are spied on.

Most of the population of Britain seems to hate them, they are labeled as 'cash cows' for the government. Ok, these are my thoughts, my simplistic way of looking at things. If you don't drive over the speed limit you will give the government nothing. If you don't park where you are not supposed to, you will give the government nothing. I have been caught speeding three times in the 45 years I have been driving, all in commercial vehicles, and all when I had a lapse of concentration for a few seconds. Not slowing down enough from 36mph when I hit a 30 limit, at 6am when there was no traffic about. Passing through a roadworks on an the A1M and didn't get down to 50mph quick enough, on a Sunday when it wasn't very busy. And coming out of a built up area on a wide road thinking the speed limit must be 40 when in fact it was still 30 for a little while longer. All my fault. My licence is clean now, and has been for some time, I have learnt my lesson. Driving over the speed limit costs money, so why would I put myself in that situation now.

You can get a speed camera detector gizmo for your car, it will bleep as you approach one, they can cost around £180. Why would you want to pay that much, when all you have to do is watch for the speed limit signs, make a mental note and adjust your speed accordingly. Simple really, it costs nothing to concentrate.

There are web sites out there which show where speed cameras are located. So, say you are planning a journey in an area you are not familiar with, would you spend time searching a map to find where all the cameras are? What if you decided to go off route during your journey and you didn't have the correct map, you are stuffed then, unless of course you have access to the maps in a sat nav. Jeez, there are enough distractions on the road without introducing more. For safety's sake you are supposed to be watching the road ahead, not eyes up in the sky searching for cameras. Wouldn't it be a lot easier to take note of the speed limit signs, then glance at your speedometer and make sure it is reading the same or less than the speed indicated on the sign. What could be chuffin easier than that!

Then there are web sites which tell you how to avoid paying fines, for goodness sake, you got caught, you pay. Don't speed, you won't get a fine. Simple.

A lot of the comments on the article are from people who object to Big Brother watching them, and I can't understand that. If you are doing something you shouldn't be, or if you are somewhere where you shouldn't be, then you have cause to be worried. Security cameras and speed cameras can work in your favour if you have nothing to hide. My car is street legal, no worries there. I don't mind the cameras in the High Street, I would rather someone be watching out for my safety. I don't mind cameras inside shops, useful tool to deter thieves.

When I retired the pressure came off to drive anywhere fast. I did take some risks, that was the nature of the job, but now I can go about my business in a more leisurely way. I have forgotten how to rush, everything I do is at my own pace. And it's lovely, I have time to smile at the cameras.
Thanks for reading. Toodle pip,

Walking the first 13 miles of the Viking Way

Hello, I hope you are having a good Sunday. My trip to visit family yesterday was a nice change. Uncle Stan was in fine fettle, he is doing well for saying he is just approaching his 90th birthday. Auntie Pat made a lovely lunch for us, and we enjoyed catching up with all the family news. A visit to sister and her hubby was next, another chat, and a cup of coffee with them before they went off out for their dinner. I got back home about 9pm, after calling in at Tesco on the way past, and was lucky enough to get some cheap wholemeal bread for the freezer.

It's been a warm day here, very nice. It was a bit misty this morning when I met up with Tony to walk the first 13 miles of the Viking Way. He posted about his forthcoming epic 147 mile walk, on www.walkingforum.co.uk and I thought, aha, my walk was the same distance as this, and I could meet up with him at the start. So, at 8.30am we set off from the misty Humber Bridge.  

The path goes along the waters edge for while.

There is a short diversion around a farm, where it is impossible to walk next to the river. The phrase, 'happy as a pig in muck', comes to mind here.

Aren't they just fab.

It's still a bit misty across the river, as we reached South Ferriby.

At this point we crossed over the top of the main A15 trunk road, near Bonby Lodge.

I love the fragrance and colour of the oil seed rape fields, of which there were many.

My walk ended at Barnetby le Wold where I had left my car. I said farewell to my companion and wished him luck for the rest of his journey. His walk will end at Oakham in Rutland in about seven days time. I need to start planning another long walk.
Toodle pip

A walk around Lincolnshire villages

Welcome one and all, it's a sunny Saturday morning here in North Lincolnshire. I've been out for a bimble, and when I have finished this I will go out for another. Yesterday wasn't such a good start, foggy and dull, but I was determined to go for a walk. Now I have my maps sorted, I can lay my hands on one pretty quickly. Some I have printed from the internet and only used once, so to get my moneys worth I am looking for other routes for circular walks on the same sheet. The last time I used this particular one was walking from Scampton to the outskirts of Lincoln, yesterday I went a bit further East and parked at Welton by Lincoln, not far from the main A15.

I was surprised at how busy it was, the village is not particularly big, but there seemed to be lots of people milling around. The library was busy, the medical centre was busy, it was as if everyone was on a mission to get their jobs done. I struggled to find somewhere to park, not wanting to get in the way of locals and annoy them. I found the Village Hall, and went inside to ask permission to park. Even more busyness in there. The ladies were very pleasant, I said I would park out of the way in the corner, as they were expecting it to fill up quite soon. The tables were decked out in all their spring finery, it looks like they have been working very hard to organise this charity luncheon. I enquired which charity they are supporting. The Doctors and Patients Association provide transport to and from hospital appointments for those who don't have access to a car, and they also buy equipment for the doctors surgery. Ninety people were expected, and I was invited to stay for the price of a ticket. I was tempted, but I had come out to walk, ha ha. This is a fine example of the community pulling together for the good of everyone living there.    

The church at Welton stands tall and proud. The spring daffs make all the difference.

Ducks wander about freely.

Opposite is the flower shop, I love the barrow with it's stripey roof.

Time to leave Welton and set off towards Nettleton. As I entered this massive freshly ploughed field there were several white poles marking the footpath. It is allowed to walk through the middle of a field if it is a Public Right of Way. When I got to this post, there was no more. Which way now? Oh well, carry on. On the map the path bends slightly to the left. As I came over the brow of the hill, I saw one solitary post in the middle of the field, I was way off course, ha ha. Spotted in the distance near the hedge boundary I saw the familiar Footpath sign and headed towards it. It was like walking across a desert, not that I ever have done.  

The door to Nettleton Church was unlocked so I went in. This beautiful display of hand sewn flags caught my eye. Each one had hundreds of tiny stitches.

Outside the front of the church is a Beck which runs through the village. There are several good vantage points for photographs. Crossing the Beck is made easy by several small foot bridges.  

At this point cars can cross, the water is fast flowing but not deep.

Onward and upward to Sudbrooke. Difficult to get a good pic of the whole church. At one end it is round instead of square,

And the other end has a quaint little bell tower.

I left Sudbrooke and walked through the park towards Langworth, then turned north towards Scothern, passing two massive chicken farms along the way. O how I hate those places, the stench is disgusting, and I want to open the doors and let all the chickens out.

This was a little bit intriguing. Lots of warning signs around, and tall fences to prevent anyone entering. The map says it's an Oil Well, I couldn't get close for a pic. I could see these big hammer type things pumping up and down. An Oil Well in Lincolnshire, I had never heard of such a thing.  

Here it is on Googlie Earth. The photo I took was from the bottom right hand corner of the site.

I sent the little man down the lane to look at the entrance on street level. Looks all very mysterious. This isn't the only Oil Well, there is another one a mile away. Wonder how long it will be before we become self sufficient :o)

I love these customised village signs, it's nice when someone makes an effort to show how proud they are of their village. This little group of villages seems like the perfect place to live, close enough to Lincoln, yet in the heart of the countryside.

Time was getting on and I needed to get back. I spent time nattering to people so I only did 10.75 miles, a very pleasant walk. The fog cleared and got quite warm by mid afternoon. From Scothern I took a footpath over several fields which ran alongside the road, going through Dunholme, back to Welton. I finished eating my sandwich in the car before the 45 minute drive back. Right, the sun is shining, I'm off out. Toodle pip.  

Bimbling around Beverley

Right, I've banged a few pics out here from today's walk, I'll quickly add some words before I retire to bed. Another sunny start to the day, and another trip over the bridge this time to Beverley. I parked on the outskirts, and the path took me across this railway line. I dutifully rang the signal man to ask permission to cross. He said you've got one minute before a train comes. No probs says me, so I sprinted across.

I had a circular route in mind, and set off down a bridleway, and turned left around the edge of a field. After a few minutes I found the finger post pointing across the field. Erm, no, I don't think so, most of the field was under water. Resort to plan B, turn round and go back and find another way.

I thought I would give up with the fields, and found Beverley Beck, maybe this would be easier to follow. Nice footpath alongside it.

This used to be quite a busy port in the old days, the boats would come up the River Humber, then up the River Hull and turn left onto the Beck.

No signs of the old docks left, there are a lot of new build houses alongside the water now.

This is the junction of where the Beck meets the Hull. There's a little Marina, nothing special to see, looks like a lot of shabby old boats to me.

Boaters need to go through this lock to get onto the Hull.

So, I'm heading up the Hull now, along Swinemoor Bank. Oh dear, I think this one is beyond repair.

Here's another one that looks like it's ready for the knackers yard. Quite a few wrecks along this stretch.

I crossed over the river at Hull Bridge and went into Tickton. Not a lot to see there except a load of parents waiting for their kids to come out of school. Not sure why there was two people walking two donkeys down the middle of the road though. The next section was round the edges of several fields. There was water everywhere. The farmer has dug a trench to try and drain some of it away. It was so cold as well. Even with the sun out the wind was very sharp. My face was freezing.

I arrived at Carr House Farm and found a table and chairs set out in a sheltered spot. There was no one about so I rested my legs for a while.  

It wasn't long before I had company. This ginger puss took a liking to my leg.

The black one jumped up. Where's the food then, ha ha. He didn't want any peanut butter sandwich when I offered it. Sorry puss I only have a banana and some pineapple chunks, I know you won't like them.  

Bah humbug. I'm going to jump onto your knee and put my mucky paw prints all over your clean trousers.

Can I come up as well. No you can't look at the state of my trousers, they were clean when I set off.

I came to the outskirts of a place called Wawne, and turned right up the bank of the river. The river is on the left, and there is another flooded field on the right. I had to go a good way along here, as there aren't many places to cross. I went through a small place called Weel, and crossed just past there to go back into Beverley.

Here is a map if you fancy doing the walk. It is 12.75 miles. I think it would be a lot more enjoyable to do it in the summer, less water about, and less wind. I was flippin freezing today.

There is a Morrisons close to where I parked so I had a quick scout round for the reduced. There wasn't much to be had in the veg section, but I found a chappie putting the second yellow sticker on some items in the chiller cabinet. I got a few veggie meals for 39p each. That will keep me going for a while.

I'm off to bed now. Sorry if there are any mistakes, can't be bothered to proof read. Toodle pip.

Stanhope and a bit of the Weardale Way

Good morning, only just, it's nearly lunchtime. Uploaded the pics from yesterday. The weather wasn't quite as bad as the day before, at least I could see my hand in front of my face, ha ha. After another filling breakfast I said goodbye to my landlady for the past two nights, Hazel runs a very nice B & B. The Fossil Tree is located in the Market Place, ample free parking. I can recommend this for a very convenient stopover, it's very popular for the Coast to Coast cycle ride. Just behind it is Stanhope Castle, this view is taken from the Market Place, it is privately owned and protected by high walls.

So, where did I walk to today. I decided to do an anticlockwise walk south of the river, and crossed it over these stepping stones. There is a ford here, cars could cross as the water is only a few inches deep, but there is a barrier at one end preventing access. It's a two minute drive by road around it.  

Down a tarmac track, past a farm, and I came across a shepherdess taking her flock for a walkies. A trail of tasty treats and they were happy to follow, the stragglers being kept in order by a happy border collie. She parked them in a field, closed the gate, and went off to collect some more.

A bit further along the railway line crosses the river. This is part of the Weardale Railway, it's a summer only tourist attraction. Here is a link to the website if you want to explore more.

http://www.weardale-railway.org.uk/

Leaving the river, I followed the Weardale Way, as it veered off to the right towards a disused quarry. There are quite a lot of remains of the old quarries in these parts. As you can see the fog isn't quite as thick as yesterday.

It was while I was skirting around the edge of this quarry that I came a cropper. I carefully climbed a ladder stile over a wall, and lowered myself down the other side. At the bottom was a bog, but no matter, with my left foot on the bottom step, I stepped out over the top of the mud hoping to make a patch of grass. The distance was doable, trouble was, I hadn't taken the slippery wood into consideration. You would have laughed your socks off if you had seen me. Left leg went sideways and I toppled splat into the mud. Oh heck, I was blathered, all up my trousers, my bottom, and my jacket. Yuk. Luckily I had my waterproof trousers with me so I was able to change into those. I had to wipe the mud off my jacket with some tissues the best I could. Oh well, these things happen, ha ha.

This must have been quite a big quarry when it was working.

This was interesting, Bishopley Limekilns. I couldn't get any closer, there was fencing all around it.

A little bit of the history, you might be able to read it if you click on it.

There are plenty of little stone bridges, with fast flowing waters.

This is Harehope Quarry. I walked around the bottom side of it.

Then I arrived at the entrance and found this unusual quirky wooden bench.

The old quarry has been transformed into an outdoor pursuits and educational centre. Here is a little blurb taken from their web site.

Sustainable living in a wonderfully natural environment

The Harehope Quarry Project is located on the edge of the village of Frosterley in Weardale, Co.Durham. We are a workers co-operative offering environmental education, field studies, rural skills training, community development, and community arts.

Based in a former limestone quarry in the North Pennines the project presents a unique environment for study, relaxing, volunteering opportunities, community events and a meeting place with a difference.

Harehope Quarry is a multi-faceted project. Our aim is to practically demonstrate a more sustainable way of living. We promote integrated and sustainable rural development through a range of social, economic and environmental activities.

If you want to read more, here is the link. http://www.harehopequarry.org.uk/

Another river crossing, now I am heading towards Frosterley.

Very quiet at Frosterley Station.

I walked through Frosterley on the main road, then crossed the river to take a minor road back to Stanhope. The river and the train line ran alongside on my right. A quick peek at Stanhope Station. There was a little bit of activity, I think they are getting ready for the opening. Maybe the trains will be running for Easter in a couple of weeks time. 

I arrived back at my car at 4.30pm and went to the public lavvy to change into a decent, clean pair of trousers. A quick sandwich and I was on my way back, only stopping when I got to my big Tesco to pick up some food. Not many yellow stickers because I was too early, didn't want to hang around waiting.

Here is a little map taken from bikehike.co.uk. 10 miles walked, a very interesting and pleasant walk, apart from the falling down bit that is.

Catch you later, I'm hungry, my stomach thinks my throat has been cut, ha ha. Must eat. Toodle pip.