Meeting

Some photos from two shortish local walks during the half-term. The first was a trip over the Knott on a hot sunny day, when the views were decidedly hazy.

I spotted this clump of pink flowers a little way from the path, near the top of the Knott. They had me puzzled at the time and I’m still none the wiser.

This bee seemed to like them, whatever they were.

Much as I enjoy a wander up the Knott, that wasn’t the sole purpose of this trip: I was heading over to Arnside to drop in on Conrad of the Conrad Walks blog. Having conversed over the internet for many years, it was great to finally meet and chat. Hopefully, we’ll get out for a walk together too in the not too distant future.

The second outing was a wander around Hawes Water.

An ant mound which has been very thoroughly dug over.

The dead oak between Hawes Water and Challan Hall – the foreground of many photos before it fell.

Ten Years After

Ten years ago today, I went for a short stroll around Eaves Wood on a damp unpromising day. One of the photos I took was this one of Arnside Tower and it became the first photo in the first post on this blog. Hardly an earth-shattering occasion, much as ‘I’d love to change the world’ (see what I did there pop-pickers?), but some kind of milestone for me at least.

Here are some photos of team Beating the Bounds from ten years ago, looking fresh-faced and clean-shaven. Especially the kids.

How times change.

When I asked B what we could do to mark this blogiversary he suggested that we should do the three peaks (although he actually has other plans for the day). He meant the Yorkshire variety and not, as I first thought, our local miniature version. He’s quite keen it seems. I’ve suggested that we defer until the days are a bit longer. I’m going to need those extra miles I’ve been planning to get under my belt!

Liverpool Library

Next to the World Museum, nestled between it and the Walker Art Gallery is the Liverpool Central Library. At a time when libraries in particular and public services in general are being rapidly denuded in the name of austerity, it’s good to see that fairly recently the authorities here had the confidence to commit to such a major rebuilding project.

 

To be honest, I found the view from the top a bit dizzying. A bit pathetic from someone who likes to climb mountains, I know, but there it is.

 

I was much happier on the roof terrace…

 

 

…from where there’s a view over the city centre, and of the nearby St George’s Hall…

 

This is the circular Picton room…

 

 

 

And this is the Hornby library…

 

…I think.

The kids were keen to find the children’s library…

 

Where they immediately made themselves at home…

 

After all, probably wrong to go to a library…

…without reading something…

I discovered The Reader magazine, in which I read an amusing article by the poet Ian McMillan. It was about his magazine addiction and began with a story about his father’s subscription to Yachting Monthly despite the fact that his father didn’t own a yacht, had never owned a yacht and had no intention of ever owning a yacht. McMillan has inherited his father’s enthusiasm and even subscribes to Stack a service which delivers a randomly selected independent magazine to his welcome mat every month. I completely understand the allure, in fact I’ve just been distracted on the Stack website by the idea of ‘Anorak’ the happy magazine which refuses to grow up. Recently, TBH has been reading ‘The Simple Things’ which was recommended by a friend; I don’t think I’m the target audience, but I must admit that the mixture of gardening, food, reviews and quirky articles is quite diverting – I especially like the second-hand book find of the month. But generally the magazine shaped hole in my life is more than adequately filled by my blog reading. And like McMillan I find myself seduced by blogs on all sorts of topics which are not necessarily the obvious ones to suit me. Yes, I read several blogs by keen walkers (and even those vary enormously in style and content) and also natural history blogs, but over the years I’ve found myself quite taken by blogs about books and bees and bread and beer; I recently found myself entranced by a blog on minimalism. When I searched for a recipe to utilise the ground elder which is engulfing our front garden I found recipes on blogs about gardening, foraging and about downsizing, all of which looked really fascinating. (One of the recipes was provided by John Lewis-Stempel, author of Meadowland.)

When I knew that we were going to spend some time in Liverpool, I remembered that I’d read several posts about the city on one particular blog – Down by the Dougie – and so went back there to search for any useful suggestions: the idea of visiting the library came from that search, as did several other excellent ideas which really helped to make our little trip. And I already have one suggestion, in a comment, for the next time we’re down that way. Marvellous.