Kitty waiting to take me home.

Going Home

Saturday, 7th October

Good journey until I reached Threlkeld, where I waited over half and hour at roadworks.

Glad to be back. Looking forward to hearing the river as I go to sleep.

The pools.

Towards Frankley.

Saying goodbye to the Lickies.

Last walk around Lickies

Friday, 6th October

Walked around Leach Green Lane in an attempt to find suitable spot to set house in novel but was driven back by rain. Walked up to Beacon Hill from hotel then came back for lunch and a bath. Drove to Visitor Centre to meet the Park Warden, who showed me the 1914 gun butts in an area at the back of the centre. This, like the Old Schoolhouse was a great find. Am now thinking of how to add this to story.

Drove to Mom and Dad's. Got lost again on the way but as before, made it eventually. Nice evening. Dad cooked roast beef and yorkshire puds.

Birmingham Central

Thursday, 5th October

Back to the library to look at newspapers from 19l5 - I hate those microfilm machines! Anyway, by the time I'd got one to go forward, backward etc. it was lunch-time. Met Stuart for a coffee, which was nice and then back to the library for more research.

View of Brum from Cofton Hill.

I'm saying nothing.

Cofton Woods 1

Cofton Woods - 2 Can't beive it's been over twenty years since I have walked through here.

The Old Schoolhouse on Rose Hill.

Inside the Old Schoolhouse.

Barnt Green

Wednesday, 4th October

Long walk around the hills, starting from Bilberry, down Twatling Lane to Barnt Green and then back up through Cofton Woods. It feels really like autumn now. The chestnuts and acorns are falling and make a constant noise in the trees.

Discovered a caretaker, cutting back shrubs in what used to be the old schoolhouse and spent an hour talking to him about the area whilst he showed me inside the house. Have arranged to meet Park Ranger at the Visitor Centre on Friday. Walked to the monument, which surprisingly, I have never seen before. Was going to carry on to the Beacon but another headache had started so I returned to the hotel, had a bath and got ready to drive to Mom and Dad's.

Brum

Tuesday, 3rd October

Took over an hour to get to the City centre owing to roadworks and an accident along the Bristol Road. In the end we had to change buses twice and turn off onto a different route (thank goodness I've brought a book).

Met my Mom and Auntie Irene, my late Grandmother's only remaining sister in the cafe at Debenhams and had coffee.Mom showed me how to get to the Central Library and left me to my research of the Lickey Hills at the turn of the century.

Got back to hotel before dark and did a quick climb up Rednal Hill before returning to pub for meal.

View of Beacon Hill from Billberry.

Path on Bilberry Hill.

The Lickey Hills - Birmingham

Monday, 2nd October

Drove all the way to Birmingham, which was quite a feat for me, having never driven further than Lancaster before. This is supposed to be a working trip, so if anyone wants to know the real reason for the setting of my novel it is because I wanted a nice place to come to visit whilst doing the research!

Got settled into hotel and then climbed Bilberry and Coften Hill before finding pub and food.

Whinlatter

Sunday, 1st October

Packing for my mini adventure tomorrow. After lunch we did a short walk around Whinlatter and then stopped for tea and a cake. Don't seem to be able to make the long walks just lately; I think the autumn weather is putting us off.

The Garden

Saturday, 30th September

Spent a happy hour choosing bulbs for our garden: lots and lots of tulips and crocuses. Hope they all come up in the spring.

Pasture Bottom - Raven Crag - centre right, Hartsop Dodd - right, Gray Crag - left.

On the way to Hayeswater.

The cracked surface of The Nab. Whether Hill and Loadpot to the right.

The way ahead.

Rest Dodd & The Nab

Friday, 29th September

Started late, looked like rain but I carried on regardless. Remembered the way to Hayeswater but as soon as I reached the resevoir, it began to rain heavily. Didn't want to turn back so struggled up to Rest Dodd, which I could hardly make out in the cloud. Saw The Nab as soon as I reached the summit and clambered down with difficulty (it was very steep). Decided to follow a path I could see by the wall on the way back, even though I wasn't sure where it led.

Peat hags - yuk! Was O.K. once I simply waded through them in a straight line instead of trying to work a way round them. Started to doubt my ability to get back before dark and wondered if I could go straight down The Nab and then walk on the road back to Hartsop but then realized that Martindale, the valley I would end up in, was miles away from Hartsop and there is no road round. I would have to climb another fell to get any where near.

So, back through the peat hags and up along the wall where . . . I knew where I was, having done the, Boredale to Hayeswater, via Angle Tarn walk, twice before. Bravo! Got back to Hayeswater and Hartsop just before dark and drove home.

Can't say there was much to enjoy about this walk, particularly in the wet. The view of Angle Tarn from The Nab was interesting as was seeing where I had been walking the week before. All I remember saying (out loud as I recall) as I was walking up to the summit of The Nab was: "I've got to get to the summit today because it means I'll never have to come here again."

Our strange little water feature.

Close up.

The pond!

Saturday, 23rd September

A job I have been dreading has now been accomplished; that of cleaning out the pond. We do not have a proper pond, i.e. one with a liner and rock surround. Our pond has to drain water from the fell into a pipe under the garden and the lane to the river - so no liner.

I was the only one of the two of us to possess a pair of wellies (the rain-cloud fairy outfit at the summer party) so guess who had to go in and dig all the smelly mud out? I was covered - (should have got camera).

Anyway am very excited about pond: I know it doesn't look much at this stage, with everything cut back but believe me it is so much better than before.

Hallin Fell from Bonscale.

Bonscale Towers.

Looking towards the peat hags on Whether Hill. The remains of the cottage chimney.

Loadpot Hill

Friday, 22nd September

Have been fell-walking for over 25 years and today is the first day that I forgot my jacket. Fortunately it was not too cold but it began to rain just as I reached Loadpot and I had to make the return journey in the mercifully light rain. (I had remembered the waterproof trousers however, so at least my bum would stay dry)!

Have never walked here before and was fascinated to think that in the places where the remains of the Roman footpath could clearly be seen, I was walking on stones that had been placed there thousands of years previously. Walked to Arthur's Seat first and then navigated my way to Bonscale Pike. Had difficulties locating the old cottage chimney on Loadpot until I re-read my map more correctly. Would have been seen walking towards it with cup of tea in one hand and the map in the other. There is even less left of the chimney than there was when Wainwright drew it.

Wanted to carry on to WhetherHill but it had started raining and I was getting cold, what with the, no jacket situation and that. Must admit to not much liking the Far Eastern Fells but the various monuments made today's walk more interesting.

Whinlatter

Wednesday, 20th September

A dull, drizzly day lightened by a quick drive up to Whinlatter and a wee walk up to viewpoint, down through the woods to the old aquaduct and pool and then back to the centre for a coffee and cake. Pleasant and cheery. Started to rain whilst sitting on wall just before the pool.