A November to Remember

In recent years to reduce my carbon footprint I have left my winter departure date until December so November is usually a month to put everything in order on various fronts before I head off.

Thus in early November the van had an MOT, despite the one in June to ensure that all is well for what could be a fairly extended trip. I had the gearbox and engine oil/filter changed, air con regassed and a lower suspension ball joint replaced before heading back to Wales almost immediately. I would have liked to spend longer with Mandy's brother who was over from Canada but as he tested positive for Covid soon after arrival I couldn't risk me succumbing and thus being inelligible for my forthcoming booster.

After a day looking over a friend's demountable rig at Talybont I headed down to Penwyllt in the Brecon Beacons.  I stayed over at the the South Wales Caving Club Headquarters after a brief but enjoyable trip in to the top entrance of Ogof Ffynnon Ddu where I shot a short Go Pro video. As Go Pro no longer provide a video editing suite I used an open source online version with reasonable success given its complexity.

During our trip we reflected on the selfless actions of dozens of cavers a year ago who had extracted a casualty from the far and constricted reaches of Cwm Dwr - look for it on BBC IPlayer : Trapped: 54 Hours Underground. 

Good fireworks at the hut provided entertainment and on the Sunday I headed down to Swansea to see an MBA colleague as the Area defibrillator needed checking for a possible software update, fortunately the latest version is installed so there was no need for it to be returned.

Ian, Arthur and I enjoyed a day out to Llandrindod Wells to visit the excellent National Cycle Museum, this was instead of a trip on the Heart of Wales line which had been affected by flooding.

 

The following week saw various medical check ups and tests plus a Covid booster and pneumonia jab before I had a couple of days in Llangurrig on hook up. I enjoyed a night ride up to the nearby bothy, Fenix had kindly replaced a burnt out cycle light under warranty and the replacement performed well as I followed the dark trails and tracks.

Two nights at Dethick gave me a chance to catch up with Pete and Nina who are still patiently waiting for their new van and Mandy arrived after a local walk to join us for a lovely evening in their Winnebago.

We are lucky enough to have a fortnight in the Lake District each year - a true taste of luxury so decided to head off a few days early to explore an oft overlooked area of coastal Lancashire.

Thus we arrived at the old port of Glasson where the pub was part of the Britstop scheme and on a murky night took a quick walk round the docks, marina and canal basin. Next day we came across the smoke house which had a remarkable range of smoked fish, game, meats and cheeses plus a host of other chutneys, jams, jellies and crackers. We stocked up before moving on to Carnforth Station where we enjoyed a decent coffee and cake in the 'Brief Encounter' cafe before enjoying the museum dedicated to this classic film. We watched it in the mini cinema before moving on to Beetham where The Wheatsheaf also allows stays and we were booked in for a very good meal. The sturdy church is worth a visit and the following morning we walked over to the local woodland which includes the Fairy Steps : an interesting feature in the local limestone.

 

We then moved on to park above Arnside and walk up to the viewpoint on Arnside Knott where the Lakeland fells were visible but rising up in to low cloud. The expanse of Morecambe Bay at low tide stretched in to the distance with a low sun reflecting off the exposed flats. A lovely coast path took us in to Arnside itself where the Cumbrian coast trains rumbled across the viaduct we had crosssed a year ago on a day out whilst staying at the Dent Snow Huts.

 

From there it was a short run to the Plumgarth's Farm Shop just north of Kendal, another Britstop, although the Gateway Inn across the road might be better for larger vans. After a quiet night we bought a few more goodies as a thank you, did a big shop for the next two weeks in town and then called at the Lakeland store at Windermere which is always worth a look round.

As we turned in to the Langdale Estate all signs of last year's storm damage were long gone and a replacement Land Rover sat where the previous one had been crushed. As always the lodge was warm and clean and we were soon unloaded and settled in.

Sunday saw a good walk up the Great Langdale Valley with blue skies and autumn colours enhancing the already striking view of the various pikes, Bowfell and Crinkle Crags. At the NT campsite we made enquiries for the following weekend as Mandy's brother was likely to stay and then headed up over Side Pike with its narrow squeeze and returned via Lingmoor Fell after a heavy shower caught us out just before lunch.

 

Over the next fortnight we enjoyed a walk over to Ambleside, a bike ride down to Coniston and back up the east shore using some of the new traffic free routes now available in the area, a similar ride down to Ambleside and back via Grasmere and a tough climb behind Loughrigg, a walk to Grasmere over Silver How and a number of other local walks. Friends joined us for the middle weekend with an excellent meal at the Britannia and Mandy's brother appeared on the Monday but otherwise we enjoyed the place to ourselves as in recent years the break has been overshadowed by events on both sides of our families.

The pool opening hours are currently limited by staff shortages but we headed over most evenings for a swim and soothing visits to the steam room. As a treat in our final week we also took advantage of the spa deal giving us the opportunity for more indulgence, the remarkable experience of the outdoor pool and a glass of fizz. In appreciation of our good fortune I also sent the equivalent amount to wateraid, a charity I began supporting in a different life thirty years ago when on the farm I began to really appreciate how lucky people are in this country to have clean, reliable water on tap.

24 hours in Sheffield gave me the chance to repack the van for the winter trip and catch up with Penny over a curry before heading down to Winchester. The impressive cathedral was beautifully lit for Christmas although the ubiquitous Christmas market occupying dozens of wooden cabins in the rear courtyard seemed as always at odds with the original spirit of this period.

Anyway I am now lined up on the hardstanding at Portsmouth awaiting the 21.30 sailing to Santander which should arrive after a 33 hour crossing. The weather looks more settled than last year so I hope to be able to enjoy the Commodore cabin, reserved as a treat to myself for once. 

Arrival near Marvao in Portugal is scheduled for Thursday evening so the next post will be from there.

Piccies from November here.