Geriatric OE

The weekly musing of a couple of Kiwis on their geriatric OE in The UK






Wednesday, 24 October 2012

Lake Windemere and Beatrix Potter

We were looking forward to a bit of light entertainment last night, but it was bingo night. So instead we sat in the bar, where else, and had a pleasant evening chatting to our new friends.
This morning the bus was waiting for us at 0930, so after a very nice cooked brekky, we could get used to that, we boarded our coach and the drive took us northwards.
We drove past signs that pointed towards Liverpool and almost opposite that was pretty large and odd shaped building that we realised once we got level with it was an indoor ski slope.
Further on and we passed a septic tank cleaning truck with the 'Serious *****k ' emblazoned across the back. Well it made us chuckle.
In the seat behind us are two Indian ladies who, apart from when they are snoozing, keep up a constant barrage of loud chatter. I think one of them must be helping the other with her English as they were talking about words beginning with 'ch'. Chemist and chiropodist and church and choir. I wanted to turn around and suggest another to them. Chatterbox!
Soon though we were at Haverthwaite and boarding the steam train that took us through the lovely Leven valley and to where we embarked for a cruise on lake Windermere to Browness Bay. Golds and greens and reds clad the hillside, right down to the water line. In a few places we could see farmers fields and then as we got closer to our destination houses began to appear and then grand hotels. Just before the boat pulled into its mooring there was an announcement that this was the area where Arthur J Ransom set his children's books 'Swallows and Amazons'. I tried reading these many years ago and was never able to get into them. Now perhaps I might give them another go'
so we all piled of the boat and wandered into the little township, then up the hill to the Beatrix Potter attraction. Apparently she loved the Lake District and bought a farm here somewhere and spent many happy years there .
The Man was very patient with me oo-ing and ah-ing over the fictional characters almost made real. OK so it wasn't my most favourite book, but I do have fond memories of listening to the story of Peter Rabbit on the National radio Story time on Sunday mornings when I was kid.
We had time for a nice stroll down through the town, stopping off to buy a Peter Rabbit souvenir, well I couldn't leave without one now could I, and some chockies of course, before arriving back at where the bus was due to bring us back.

I think we both must have had a snooze on the way as it seemed to be no time at all before the coach was pulling into the hotel car park
We even had time for a walk along the river before tea. The Man had spotted a weir and wanted to investigate and we were rewarded with some very nice reflections of an old, but disused pub. We came back on the other side of the river and past a kids play area that had a statue of a heron, very nicely done too.
So it is that time of the evening again and we are about to go down to dinner and to add this post to the blog.

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