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Wednesday 27 February 2013

Digging Out Gibson’s Cave

ron attacks a tree

Unnervingly or alarmingly attentive readers may remember that back when it was chucking it down big time, I failed to walk the path from the Bowlees pickernick place car park to Gibson’s cave/Summerhill Force due to a sloppy landslip that had smothered the path to a depth of a few feet.

several rons start digging

Any road up, I recently got the opportunity to go and help dig it out and yesterday, along with a van full of big blokes called Ron and two lasses called Adele  the huge mudslide was attacked, along with the trees it had brought down with it and a brand-new spanky (if a bit muddy) path was cut through the chaos.

..bit muddy...

Actually, it was a bit overstaffed at the diggings, so me and one of the Adele’s went and cleared the mud and winter compost off the paving outside the toilets, washed it, cleared the gutters, washed some signs, knocked another signboard into position and picked some litter. A local chap walking his dogs went off for lunch and returned with a stepladder (not his real ladder, but his step-ladder) and a bucket for the clearing of the gutters.

So, it was quite a successful “do”.

jennie adds some final touches

Apologies for getting everybody’s name wrong by the way, but I have a really bad memory for names caused by three years on a Casualty reception being bombarded by names, all of which were processed but not remembered. Either that or I just have a bad..er… 

Anyway, the Ranger-type in charge and van driver was Jennie, not Adele as previously mentioned.

summerhill force

So, if you’re visiting Upper Teesdale and happen to call in at Bowlees for a wee, and/or a cuppa at the currently being seriously done-up visitor centre and cafe and you decide to have a little walk up to Gibson’s cave – and you should, cos it’s very nice, think of the blood, sweat and cheese sandwiches of the Rons and Ronettes and hum to yourself “Met him on a Monday and my heart stood still Adele-Ron-Ron-Ron-Adele-Ron-Ron and Mike.”

8 comments:

Laura said...

Very entertaining! Cheered me up....

Paul Crozier said...

Bowlees, the mankiest toilets know to man... nice car park tho :)

AlanR said...

Brilliant Mike.

Mike Knipe said...

Paul - Theyre improving the facilites at Bowlees at the moment - and advertising for a caretaker, so maybe the bogs will improve. They're shut just now, though, so when we looke din they were OK. We did find some girls pants in there, though!

Mark said...

Hee hee. Should have seen that coming.

Dawn said...

Well done Mike. Excellent write up.
A silly caption runs through my mind, looking at those photos---

"Whose idea was it to bury a bottle of scotch here for the treasure hunt?"

Louise said...

Excellent, was in need of a chuckle.

chrissiedixie said...

Looked like an exceedingly fun, muddy time was had by all!

PS The robot thing has just asked my to type in the word 'ars'.....