It was a weekend that almost didn't happen. With the Eyjafjallajokull (just trying to pronounce that word hurts my brain) volcano throwing giant plumes of ash into the skies over Europe, most scheduled flights into the UK were cancelled or seriously delayed. My visitor, Mel, was due to fly from Australia, via Abu Dhabi and Dublin, to Manchester. I didn''t hold much hope for her.
She was one of the lucky ones, though. Mel arrived on time, and we packed in a whole lot of good stuff into 2 days.
First up was drive to the Lakes District. After a short stop to watch sailing boats on Coniston Water (see photo) we drove on to Ambleside via tiny, single-lane roads. We wandered around the streets and shops of Ambleside for an hour or so before returning to the car and heading over to Great Langdale, where I knew some of my friends were camped for the weekend.
My friends weren't at their tent when we arrived - a phone call earlier in the day revealed they were, in fact, enroute to the summit of Scafell Pike - the highest mountain in England. In a major stroke of luck, when I called was the only time they had been able to get mobile reception all day. They gave me an estimated time they would get back to camp, so for Mel and I - who had arrived a touch early - it became a matter of occupying ourselves until they turned up. It was a lovely afternoon, so we took some photos, watched lambs playing in the fields, soaked up the sun and waited...and waited...and waited!
Eventually, it reached the point where, facing a long drive back to Manchester, Mel and I had to leave - but I was concerned of the whereabouts of my friends. Thankfully the next morning they texted to say they got off the mountain OK, but having underestimated the technical nature of the descent (lots of rock scrambling) they reached their camp over two hours late and in total darkness! When you consider that they had experienced delays in good weather, it is easy to see why the mountain rescue service is always busy in that part of the world.
For the second day of Mel's visit we ventured over to the edge of the Peak District - a national park much closer to Manchester and host to the Lyme Park estate. The estate - owned by the wealthy Legh family for many generations, is now managed by the National Trust, who maintain the buildings and grounds for Trust members and the general public, see http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-lymepark . Lyme Park happens to be the place where the film version of Jane Austen's novel, Pride and Prejudice, scripted Mr Darcy (Colin Firth) as first laying his eyes on Elizabeth.
Having now visited the estate, I can appreciate the decision to film Pride and Prejudice there - it is indeed prime habitat for the cultured English gent. The main building is magnificent, particularly viewed across the lake, and the formal gardens are exquisite. Deer lounge around the rest of the estate, blending easily into the beige and brown palette of hillside moors. Now, if only I owned a long cloak, a pocket watch and a monocle...
Having now visited the estate, I can appreciate the decision to film Pride and Prejudice there - it is indeed prime habitat for the cultured English gent. The main building is magnificent, particularly viewed across the lake, and the formal gardens are exquisite. Deer lounge around the rest of the estate, blending easily into the beige and brown palette of hillside moors. Now, if only I owned a long cloak, a pocket watch and a monocle...
