Advent Adventure Again

…is the title of the guided walk wot we did yesterday – it being advent an’ all and the start of all things Christmas (whooppeee..!).

Twenty two of us, including me and the stewards, Richard, Compulsory Dave and Eric, set off from St Catherine’s Community Centre in Crook, determined to circumnavigate the town of Crook on an 8 mile ramble.

The weather was kind – nice and sunny with clear views of the Pennines and North Yorkshire Moors and so on and we trundled around the eight mile course in slightly quicker time than this time last year. However, this time last year was an icy day and much slithering and sliding was done along the frozen paths and there was a little excitement when one of the stewards plunged gracefully from a short but lethally slippery footbridge into a thankfully frozen ditch – suffering several small lacerations in the process.  The footbridge has now been renamed “The Diving Board” in commemoration of last year’s event.

Yesterday, such a feat was unlikely since the footbridge has since been furnished with a section of chicken wire, which makes it less slippery. We also remarked on the number and quality of the large number of new stiles on the route – probably less a function of the Rights of Way peeps than investment by a new landowner wishing to speed the way of ramblers across his land and around his yard.

Me and superdawg reccied the route last week, in similarly nice weather. And we met no difficulties.  yes folks, the news is, that Nothing Happened.

Afterwards, about a dozen and a half of us had snacks in the Community Centre (Not sure who paid for mine, but nevertheless, whoever it was – thanks very much, it was very nice.)

I expect we’ll be doing this walk again next year. We did it last year. And the year before…. I expect you’re getting the picture.

Speaking of pictures – here’s some more and a map.

Billy Row Green

Crook Golf Course Near Helmington Row

Lunch stop in a bit of a suntrap Deerness Valley Way

Clearing the Path to the Pearly Gates

At Brandon, just a bit South of Durham, there’s a badly overgrown path which was once the railway line from Pit House Colliery down the hill to the main lines around Langley Moor.  This was last penetrated, apparently, about seven years ago although it’s been difficult to walk for, maybe, ten or fifteen years. At the top of this jungly lane there was once a level crossing which had a small red hut which contained the crossing keeper and a few old chaps keeping him company and sharing his fire which was always lit, no matter what the weather, apparently due to the fact the the hut door was always open to allow the keeper to keep an eye out for trains. The crossings were known locally as “The Pearly Gates” and the location has kept the name although, it seems that the reason may be fading from local memory.
Today, I joined some Durham County Council volunteers and some Brandon village residents to bash and cut our way through this tangle and to mend a couple of stiles. The idea, of course, is to restore the path as an amenity – and a very nice walk it should make, too.

Two volunteers attacked a stile – actually, two stiles were attacked, but the fence holding one of them up was found to be rotten and needing replacement, so, not having the timber available , it had to be left. The other stile was replaced.

Another party attacked the gorse and dense vegetation from the Pearly Gates downhill and three or four of us attacked the (mainly) dense and dangerously prickly hawthorn up the hill towards the pearly gates.


A party had been here previously and had cleared several metres and we added quite a bit to the cleared area. Another offensive is due to be launched by Brandon residents at the weekend. (I may go to help!)

I must say that this is quite hard work, but its a bit addictive and once I start cropping and chopping and cutting and slashing, I find it difficult to stop. But it started going dark and others had had enough of the thorns, so we stopped. I expect that the Brandon residents will probably achieve a link up between the Pearly Gates and the new stile
All activities were attended by a cock robin, to whom I donated some small crumbs of cheese, chocolate bun and some brown bread.

When the path is open, those taking their doggies for a walk in the night, might like to consider that in 1929, a steam engine being trialled following repairs, ran out of control down this hill , left the tracks and killed the four men in the cab by scalding them to death. Just sayin’….

It’s Christmas!

I really really like the Solstice, or Yule, or Christmas. And so, in a bit, I’ll be digging out the blinking LED’s from wherever they were bundled last January and sticking them all over the holly tree by the main drawbridge of Knipetowers. And then plugging them in to see if they work.
And then nipping down to B&Q to get some more cos they don’t.

In the meantime, and before I get to do a bit more rangering and guided walks stuff (Advent Adventure walk on Wednesday – 8 miles “medium”, starts half ten at St Catherine’s Community Centre in Crook with hot drinks and cakes and stuff afterwards) (Just a light plug)… in the meantime, here’s a completely irrelevant video made at Low Force, just past the wobbly bridge in the very lovely Teesdale.

 

Digital Denbighshire

Something baggable in Denbighshire

 



Is it all right if I use the word gruntled again? (see previous posts for a definition.)(but for lazy pieblog readers (if there ever was such a thing!) it's the opposite of "disgruntled") (lots of brackets here again by the way) (must try to stop doing this) and the reason for this gruntleness is that I get to put a bit of a plug on the pieblog about Things To Do In Denbighshire. Denbighshire, of course, is where I stop off to bag a Marilyn something on my way to our annual holiday in the far, far West of Wales. It's around about Denbighshire when I get sick of the driving and the dog needs a wee and the wife needs a coffee and a wee. So we stop and me and superdawg wander off for the ticking of something green and lumpy, usually in some beautiful limestone hill country. So I like Denbighshire in particular and Bruno is specially fond of it as well and the wife likes tea shops.

I'll explain more later why I'm even more gruntled than usual about this - but in the meantime, here's an infographic (I learned a new word this week) about Denbighshire with a link to the main website.

The Digital Denbighshire website provides information on attractions and activities in Denbighshire and is pretty easy to use and is self-explanatory...

Enjoy. (I'll shuttup now) (and stop using all those irritating brackets) (brackets are for shelves anyway) 

 

Click the link at the bottom!

Welcome To Denbighshire - An infographic by the team at www.digitaldenbighshire.co.uk

Being Lost

A few blogposts ago, I mentioned that I intended to raise charity money for Mind. I think it’s coming together. There’ll likely be a blogpost fairly soon which answers the bloggers dilemma about reviews and honesty and personal gain and what you can do with a blog when interfacing with marketing bods and all that sorta stuff…. and I have plans and plans for Cafe Akto – although I may need some help – anybody available Easter Sunday, armed with cakes, ready for a high (ish) level overnight and the ability to carry volumes of fresh water….?
In the meantime, in support of Mind and trying to understand mental health – here’s a pome from my pal who’s a pote. Its not easy, is it…? I’ve not asked for permission. he might like to comment….  or p’raps not….
Where Am I?
It’s boiling hot and stuffy
I cannot open the windows in Summer
Midges would bite me to death
I lie on my bed
I see two flashing red lights
Is it the tail lights of an aeroplane?
I occasionally see a helicopter outside
Are they coming to take me away?
Am I ill?
I’m supposed to be a member of the community
Living in the community
With the community
But four walls hem me in
Periodically alarms go off
I get woken up at 8 o’clock
Told to go to bed at 12 midnight
I share a kitchen and washing facilities
There’s a shared television room
A shared pool car
I know where I am
I wish I wasn’t here
I wish I was in a normal situation
I wish I was in control
I wish I was in control of where I was

Jules Clare famiss Pote.