24 November 2011

It's a tough job ....

..... but somebody's got to do it!

In our house no walk is complete without a decent pub at the end of it. In fact we have been known to slow down the last couple of miles and "Whoops, just missed that train - better have a drink while we wait for the next one"

No surprise then that many of the ride2stride walks will end in pubs where the lovely Jeff and his friends will be music making. Today I had a ride up and down the line just checking out the facilities.
The Crown, Horton-in-Ribblesdale
The Station Inn, Ribblehead

The Moorcock, Garsdale

Like I said - tough job but someone's got to do it!

14 November 2011

I think we got us a festival


Walkers on Hangingstone Scar, Mallerstang

A couple of weeks ago I wrote about the twinkle in our eye that was ride2stride: the Settle - Carlisle Walking Festival. Well it's really happening!

A little group of us met to talk about the idea and decide whether it really was a goer or just a figment of mine and Tony's wine-addled brains and one of the first things we asked ourselves was "what would success look like?"

We decided if over the course of 7 days - May 1st to 7th next year - we could offer 12 walks from different stations between Settle and Carlisle, 3 music events somewhere along the line and 2 talks on relevant subjects we'd think we'd cracked it.

Well - so far we've got 16 walks ranging from easy strolls around bluebell woods to strenuous hikes over Mallerstang Edge; 3 guided walks around the construction site of Ribblehead Viaduct and Settle Old Town; talks on the part that railways have played in getting people from the grimy urban centres to the heart of the Dales AND music in the station pubs at the end of most walking days.

Jeff and his singing partner Di
Jeff, from the 3 Peaks Folk Club, is setting up the music sessions. He's an organisational genius who's middle name should be "Sorted". In fact I'm seriously considering offering him to Italy for a couple of weeks.

You can follow our progress at http://www.ride2stride.org.uk/

7 November 2011

Allotment life

Poppies on my plot


There's only 26 plots on our allotment site and we're a pretty healthy lot so the 45 people on the waiting list can find themselves hanging about there for a very long time.

On Saturday we had a clean-up day followed by a bonfire and I asked a couple of hefty looking chaps to help me clear a patch at the top of my plot. It was covered in small trees and bushes - a couple of self-seeded oaks, some box, a few ashplants and a spiky fir-tree sort of a thingy (the people who had the plot before me had a gardening business and used the allotment to grow shrubs to replant in their clients' gardens).

I thought there might be enough space to make a seating area but when the ashplants and the spiky thingy had been dragged off to the bonfire we found that there was a clear square about 12' x 12' that will make a very nice mini-plot. So - if you're at the top of the waiting list you'll be my new neighbours at Number 26a Canalside Allotments. The other 44 of you will just have to be patient.