It was summer, only just now…

The first leaves began to fall, it seems like only yesterday. It was a few weeks ago in fact when … More

Ullswater, bejewelled

Jackie and I went swimming in Ullswater last week. The rain in the morning was so heavy I discovered that, … More

A quick impromptu dip, in – ahem – just my bra and pants. Getting into the habit of putting a … More

Amidst intermittent torrential showers Mother and I braved Ullswater’s choppy waters. Last time I was here, the water was a … More

Chillswim Coniston end-to-end 2016 On Saturday we swam the five and a quarter mile length of Coniston, me and about … More

In my (albeit fairly limited) experience, it is always colder in Ullswater. I don’t know why, but I don’t just … More

It is Sunday, the Sunday before a bank holiday Monday no less, and I am in Cumbria. Of course it … More

I’ve walked to the top of Helvellyn an uncounted number of times over the last 30… 35… years, but I’ve … More

Coniston-end-to-end, 2015. We are at one end, ready to swim to the other end, five and a quarter miles away. … More

There were Morris Men at the Boot & Shoe Inn, Greystoke, yesterday. Actually these were the squeeze-box players, and one … More