About

Two Yards Of Lard

DSC01321 Father of three, teacher of mathematics, cantankerous git.

Based in Silverdale near Lancaster with woods, estuaries, Morecambe Bay, limestone hills and pavements, and reed filled mosses all on the doorstep; a view of the Howgill fells from upstairs windows on a good day.

29 thoughts on “About”

  1. Hiya Mark
    This is Alison (or Bongo as Uncle calls me), womtigs nice neice. Love your pix, however I’m very jealous of your Crianlarich weekend. When me & Dave went up, the weather was atrocious and that was the first weekend in May, so we didn’t get any decent walking done. We have 4 kids between us (blended family y’know), which is hard work so we were gutted on our one weekend away together on our own (a rarity), we were kind of confined to quarters, still, the bar comforted us!! I think you’re very brave being a teacher, let alone a teacher of Maths. I’m a Pharmacist and have to teach undergrads, postgrads and Dr’s at our Hospital but I don’t think I could do secondary school kids – scary! I just get flashbacks of what those naughty kids did to those teachers in Grange Hill. Ha! Anyway enough for now. Time to feed the rabble.
    Cheers
    Alison

    Reply
    1. James Drewett says:

      Hi Mark,

      I hope you are well, we have enjoyed reading your blog. I am writing to you about our free widget that may be of interest to you and your readers.
      The free widget allows you to map out all local walks and trails in any area in the UK quickly and simply.
      Since you are located and/or concerend with areas of outstanding natural beauty, it will be very useful to your site users for you to showcase on your site the walks and trails available in the surrounding areas.
      Here is an example on a site http://www.large-luxury-holiday-homes.co.uk/chichester-walks.html, but you can set the longitude and latitude to your local area easily.
      Please let me if you would like one for your site and I will send over installation instructions. Instructions are for non-technical audience and it takes 1 to 2 mins to install.
      Thanks again and please email me with any questions.
      Best wishes,
      James

      —
      James Drewett

      Reply
  2. Nick Barlow says:

    I’m not really a reader of blogs, but I have a specific question. You seem to know Stankelt Road in Silverdale. Is there a strange little bungalow, which has been there c.100 years but looks as if it might have been temporary? I believe its address might have been 35, Stankelt Road, but this may be wrong. It was still there in the 1970s.

    I’m sending this from work – please reply to my home address, given above.

    Thanks,

    Nick Barlow

    Reply

  3. Hi Mark,

    I wanted to give you the heads up since this seemed up your alley for you and readers of Beating the Bounds. We are gearing up to launch a new website called Sierra Club Trails. It’s (as far as we know) the first-ever comprehensive hiking wiki…A website where anyone can post their favorite hikes and anyone else can edit the descriptions so that the trails are constantly up-to-date. The site is up and running in a beta test now, and we’re planning to launch it this Thursday, July 9th – so I wanted to make sure you were in the loop.

    http://www.sierraclubtrails.org

    What makes this site unique is that it’s a wiki – i.e. anyone can update or edit the trails that are posted. So if I post a trail in, say, Yosemite, and you’ve been there recently and saw that part of the trail is really muddy, or the bugs are bad this time of year, or if camping spots are getting really popular and should be reserved in advance, you can update that.

    In addition to hiking and paddling trails, the site also features tips for hikers, a birding blog, photo contests, and Nature Notes, a series of audio features based on interviews with naturalists and Sierra Club Outings leaders. Sierra Club Trails is also an online community where users can create profiles and meet other hikers and nature-lovers, as well as join discussion forums with topics like the best trail mix recipe or whether guns should be allowed in national parks. Community members can form groups around a particular outdoor interest or place.

    Does this sound like something you’d be interested in covering for your blog?

    The link is http://www.sierraclubtrails.org – and the logo is on Flicrk here – http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2604/3701119013_84723f28d9.jpg

    Thanks!

    Natalie Gaber
    Sierra Club
    85 Second Street, Second Floor
    San Francisco, CA 94105
    (415) 977-5526
    media.assistant@sierraclub.org

    Reply

  6. Hi Mark,

    I noticed your links to related nature sites on the right-hand side of your blog and just wondered whether you might consider adding a link to my UK nature site (link above)?

    Many thanks,
    Richard

    Reply
  8. beatingthebounds says:

    Matthew,
    You might notice that my blog is principally about walking and natural history. My Blogroll is blogs I like on a similar theme. Whilst I do occasionally stray into music and even more rarely into spirituality, a Christian music blog is not really my scene. So …thanks, but no thanks.

    Reply
  9. Rosie Dyer says:

    Hi Mark,

    I hope you are well. I work for a company called Jam who are closely involved with the No Surrender Charitable Trust. I am trying to raise some awareness around their recent fundraising Mount Kilimanjaro climb and their bid to bring new people on board for next year!

    In case this is something that you may be interested in I have pasted some information below.

    It would be really great if you could pass this on to anyone that you think might be interested, or even better if you are personally interested in it , it would be lovely if you could give it a little mention on your site.

    Thank you so much for your time, if you do mention anything about it if you could let me know I would really appreciate it.

    Many Thanks
    Rosie!

    ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

    On September 23rd 2010, 21 supporters of The No Surrender Charitable Trust travelled to Africa to face the 19500ft climb up Mt Kilimanjaro. Having raised an incredible £100,000, the trust is now appealing for volunteers to tackle next year’s epic climb.

    Set-up by the late Jason Boas, The No Surrender Charitable Trust provides a unique support system for young people suffering from cancer and other life threatening illnesses through a global social networking site, http://www.no-surrender.org.

    Proceeds from the 2011 climb went towards this Social Network, with further funds directed to the running of the prestigious Jason Boas Research Fellowship at UCH working hard to find breakthroughs in pancreatic and other cancers. The 2011 walk aims to do exactly the same, further drawing attention to this innovative charitable initiative.

    To register for No Surrender updates and find out more about going on next year’s climb, please visit this link: http://www.no-surrender.org/support/
    Follow on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=50698919142

    Reply

  10. Hi Mark,

    I was wondering if you would be interested in blogging about our Walking with Wildlife campaign that we are running at WWT wetland centres this June. http://www.wwt.org.uk/visit-us/walking-with-wildlife

    I see you are near to our centre in Lancashire, Martin Mere. We are running a special competition as part of the campaign and I wondered whether you might like to have a go at the Martin Mere challenge? It’s based on orienteering and aims to get people to explore the different areas of our reserves and grounds.

    Apologies for approaching via your blog. I can always send you more information via email. Let me know your thoughts.

    Thanks,
    Jenna

    Reply

  14. Hi,

    I run http://www.walksandwalking.com/

    I get quite a few enquiries asking if I have any walking routes in the North. The furthest I’ve ever been from London is Snowdon…

    I just wanted to ask if you would be interested in writing a “Top 5” (or top 10, 20, 100!) of the best walks in the North you’ve completed for my website?

    I’ll give you full credit, links etc and will set up a new category page for you.

    Please let me know your thoughts?

    Many thanks,

    David.

    Reply

  17. Hi Mark,

    I just stumbled across your blog and really enjoyed the content. I thought I’d just send you a quick message to say that if you ever need any clothing, footwear or equipment I’d be happy to discuss offering you a free-of-charge item if you’re able to review it for us? Have a look through our product range here: http://www.outdoorkit.co.uk/

    Thanks,

    John

    Reply
  19. Martyn Addison says:

    Hi,

    I came across your blog recently and thought that it was a very good read. I too really like some of the photographs which you have taken out on some of your walks.

    http://www.greatoutdoorssuperstore.com

    I represent The Great Outdoors Superstore, the largest Outdoor Clothing and Equipment retailer in the North East of England. If your interested in finding out about complementary ways in which we could work together I would be more than happy to discuss this with you.

    Kindest Regards,
    Martyn

    Reply

  20. Hello, Mark,
    I wanted to make contact with you to tell you about the Pendle Walking Festival in the hope that you might be interested in blogging about it, or indeed in coming along to join in one of our 70+ walks.
    The festival which runs from 31st August to 8th September is now in its tenth year. We believe it’s the largest free walking festival in the UK. Our walks, led by experienced leaders, take walkers on a journey of discovery around picturesque Pendle in Pennine Lancashire. There are walks of varying lengths and difficult ratings to suit walkers of all abilities and experience.
    Pendle is a superb destination for walkers with its stunning scenery and rich historical links, particularly to the story of the Pendle Witches. And we think readers of your blog should know about it!
    If you’d like to know more about the Pendle Walking Festival, here’s a link to download the festival programme which lists all the walks and has more information: http://www.pendle.gov.uk/downloads/download/2752/pendle_walking_festival_2013 If you are interested in blogging about the Pendle Walking Festival, I’d love to hear about your plans. If you need more information or images, then please get in touch with me.
    And if you have a Twitter account and would like to tweet about the festival to your followers, please use the hashtag #pendlewalkfest.

    Thanks and regards,
    Claire Tulloch
    Media & Communications Officer
    Pendle Council

    Reply

  21. Hello Mark,

    I was wondering if I could ask if you if you could help promote a research project that Ordnance Survey are carrying out? The research is about mapping and how people plan, carry out and record their outdoors activities. The survey is looking to recruit people from all areas of outdoors pursuits and I was wondering if you would be able to help us spread the word to get people to sign up?

    The survey is not all that long and Ordnance Survey will be happy to share the results with you if you are interested. As an additional incentive to your blog readers, anyone who fills in the survey will be in with a chance of winning one of three £100 vouchers for their favourite outdoor retailer.

    The survey can be found here: bit.ly/outdoors-2013

    Do you think that you could include the link in any communications you have with your readers or could you post the link to your blog or social media outlets? The survey is very short-lived and we are planning on closing it at the end of this week, but if you can help spread the word, that would be great.

    Please let me know if you have any questions or comments

    Simon

    Reply
  22. John says:

    Hi Mark, John here. Remember me from school days in Kibworth and Market Harborough? I like your photo blog – I’m a big fan of the Lake District in particular – I’m working my way through the Wainwrights! Only 66 left to go. I plan on doing the last one (Haystacks) on my 50th birthday in 2 years time.

    Anyway, the reason for the name search and message is that I’m organising a reunion of the maths A-level group here in sunny Norfolk over the weekend of 5-6 July.

    Would you like to come? We’d very much like to catch up. Duncan and his wife Kirsten will be over from Amsterdam. Dave, Michelle and Rachel are coming (unless Dave has some more important political stuff that crops up at the last minute!). I think Dunc is trying to make contact with Martin.

    Hope to hear back from you (whether on not you can come).
    John

    Reply
  24. Anonymous says:

    Hi Mark,

    I hope you don’t mind me messaging you on here. My name is Luke Rufo and i am the producer and director for a new ITV1 programme called The Nations 100 favourite walks (TBC). We are looking for people who have a connection or story with a particular walk anywhere in the UK and hoped you could help get the word out there. I noticed your blog and wondered if you’d be interested in speaking to me on the phone about your passion for walking and what your favourite walk is?

    If you’re not interested in appearing I wonder if you might post the info below to your website or even pass this on to any other walking groups in the UK that might have some unsung heroes and stories that they might share with us.

    A New ITV1 programme “The Nations 100 Favourite Walks” (TBC) is looking for walkers across the UK with interesting stories to tell about their favourite walks. The programme would have a mix of local stories set in their favourite walks and there will also be various celebrities who show us their favourite walks too.

    We aim to film all over the UK at various walks and we are looking for stories of people who have an emotional connection to a particular walk. We want as many types of stories as possible but to give you an idea of the kinds of stories we are looking for see below:-
    Man staves off dementia by walking up and down a mountain everyday.
    A couple have done the same walk for the past 30 years
    Mountain rescue saved a families lives
    Our family business has thrived because of walkers for the past X years
    I lost my significant other x years ago but still do this walk to remind me of them.
    I’m sure there are many stories and great characters you know about that are connected in some way with a particular walk. We are hoping to begin filming in the next few weeks and all throughout October.

    We want to hear from you. Get in touch either via phone on 0161 952 1952 or email your story to luke.rufo@shiver.tv.

    I look forward to hearing back from you to see if it would be possible to put our details out to people or even speak about your own experiences.

    Kind Regards,

    Luke

    Reply

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