July – New for Old

June ended with my exciting trip to the zoo and the old car which I was told would last forever died. This meant that the Corsa had became uneconomically repairable. I did find that there is value in keeping a car in good order. I got a better price than if I had not.

The second of July saw us taking delivery of the 2.5 year old Fiesta.

Also my work in building a piece of decking was completed. All this was just in time for the heat to build. There was good fortune to be had in buying a car with air-con on the day that the temperature began to rise exponentially.

However, our first drive to MK in the Fiesta was a bit wet, putting smears on the rear.

My birthday was a week after buying the car and it was Wednesday. The day was doubly important as one to be enjoyed. Some weeks ago Jenny and Francis had given me an early birthday present of a book of walks starting from stations in Derbyshire. The last one in the book (walk 20) was to start at Hurdlow where their used to a station. This was 1½ miles south of the end of the High Peak Trail. By way of convenience the walk began at the Royal Oak pub. There was a very full dinner menu, but we enjoyed the very tasty coffee and the freshly baked muffins. The propriety was visible moved and pleased by the compliments that we paid him. Doubtless, he would have preferred a tip.

The walk, for most part, was very flat and level and not too busy with human traffic. The first person that we met was a lady with a clip board. She was not doing a tourist survey. She was carrying out a butterfly survey. I could have saved her the trouble. The answer was that there were a lot of a good range of varieties. So too was the large variety of flowers along the side. We made acquaintance with one or two that we had not known before, including ‘Jacob’s Ladder’. On a later walk we were to find out something significant about it.

Jacob's Ladder

To complete our time, when we got to the end of the High Peak Trail, we turned left and went a further half mile down a bridle path to a road. On the way back we stopped for lunch but the only suitable seats were the steep steps that I said that I would not climb. The view is different. Not only were we higher, but either side was the tall foliage which looked even more magnificent.

When we got back to the car we still had time left and walked a further half mile down the track.

The last thing that we had to do was to drive to a toilet stop further back down the trail. This was at Parsely Hay. Here there were more tourists congregating around the modern toilet, shop and restaurant facilities.

This was to end the first part of the busy day. Our next stop was the ‘Cheese Cake’ shop in ‘Dodge City’. Our deceased friend Arthur always called the shops in Wollaton by this name. Our route took us by the ‘Hemlock Stone and Dragon’ pub which would be our venue for the evening meal.

At six we joined Joni and Fiona and our friends, Jan, Lawrence, Mary and Paul for a Tai meal. The eight of us sat around a large table to tuck in to the very tasty food on offer. After this we all returned home to enjoy the cheese cake.

The following Wednesday followed ‘Committee’ Tuesday. This meant that the after shopping the walk would be shorter than our other walks. It was actually quite cloudy. I wanted Irene to see the meadow that had been planted next to the walled garden in Bramcote Hills Park. After this we set off to walk some of the canal at Cossall. The problem with the Cossall walk is that of toilet facilities. Our decision was to walk for only one hour.

The heron made a brief appearance, the bulrushes were going to fluffy seed and coot chicks swam around. 

At one point I spied a couple of people with a red and white umbrella in the distance. When I got back I was surprised to find a similar couple of people under a similar red and white umbrella. It was then that I realised that our straight line had actually been a curve. Einstein predicted this effect on an inter-planetary scale.

On Monday there was change to our usual café routine. Irene decided to take the Leicester House group out for refreshments at our local garden centre. So many people were away that we could do it in two cars. We explored the aquarium area before our afternoon break. Although it was too hot everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves, but we had to call a halt and take everyone back to the cooler place.

Wanting to make the most of the favourable weather we continued with our Wednesday outings. In an effort to visit some water and a desire to visit the upper reaches of a river we headed for Monyash. Our downloaded walk map was of a route from the village, down into Lathkill Dale and back round to the start. The other beauty of the walk was that there was refreshment stop at the beginning and a toilet at the end.

Two weeks ago a GPS mix up took us into the village and confirmed the presence of the pub. However, when we arrived and parked we spotted a café next to the pub. 

It was small in appearance but once inside there was a lot of space. I have to say that the fudge cake was one of the best that I had tasted. Even the presentation was of a high quality with the white porcelain plate decorated by a swirl of chocolate sauce.

At the car we met another couple who were ‘booting up’ and after a word we set off first. From the village centre the ‘Limestone Way’ was well marked, but we nearly lost it in a field when the other couple caught up with us. 

They had a better description of the route. They then sped off and we continued our leisurely pace. The path through the farm was as described and the pig sties were interesting with feeding troughs built into the wall. What was not described was the grotto containing figures from the Nativity scene.

At the bottom of the steps I found a piece of limestone with a clear fossil. Having shown it to Irene I turned and threw it back. Did you know that if you swing an arm a camera on a strap swings into line-of-fire? There was a clonk and the lens began to behave badly. From then on I was not able to go to maximum wide angle without marks in the corner of the screen. However, the complicated mechanisms within the lens seem to now have corrected the problem.

On leaving the farm there was steep drop that the guide warned us about. At the bottom the scenery was so different with a shaded wooded area, a stile and paths coming in from various directions. We continued to follow the ‘Limestone Way’ until the woods gave way to the amazing vistas of limestone country. 

At last we sighted the River Lath. Well at least the puddle that lay under the footbridge. There was no way that we, or anyone else, was going to disobey the signs and bathe in it. We continued following the path along the river bed.

At this point let me share the little knowledge we have of the river. At the Alport end a strong stone bridge is needed for traffic to cross. Further upstream there is a similar bridge. Beyond that the river is still quite wide. A significant grass area, suitable for picnickers, lines the river. After this it becomes more of a brook and at Over Haddon the river disappears. We were also told that on our walk today we would come across a cave where water gushes out.

Further along the path we found a convenient stone to sit on and have lunch. From here the path alternated between smooth and very rocky. Then we came to the cave. But look as hard as we could we could only see damp.

Leaving the river behind we began to leave the valley. To our surprise, in view of the very dry weather, there was a muddy section which we concluded was due to the fact that the path along the limestone wall was in perpetual shade.

Along the path at some point Irene came across an interpretation board which told us about ‘Jacob’s Ladder’, which we had seen two weeks ago. This was not far from where we now stood and it grew in only a few places. Each place where it could be found was quite limited in size. It was now too late in the season to see it in Lathkill Dale.

At the exit of the dale was the small car park and toilet facility. Then we walked back into the village. By now the temperature was high and so after consuming a can of coke on the village green we switched on the air con and we left.

The following week the weather was not quite so bright as we headed to the village of Bonsall, near Matlock. The object was to see another 'Well Dressing' and have a walk in the area.

Bonsall is a pretty village with narrow and steep streets. All the gardens seemed to be built on rocky slopes and steep rock wall gave a backdrop to many.

First we walked the streets seeking out the dressed wells.

 The village was festooned with bunting and one line in honour of the war commemorations  was particularly special.

Refreshments were now needed and we headed back to the cafe near to our car. We are getting used to consuming superior food on our travel. I refrained from the cake and went for the tea for two and scones. Good choice.

Then we set of on our six mile walk. First we had to go back up to the church and on to a farm track. Mr Postie asked us to wait while he went up first. He said that he would watch for us on the way back. He did. The walk took us very upwards. The guide said that it would be steep but not too strenuous. The guide sheet writer was probably 28 not .. We walked past the Heights of Abraham attraction and for a while we had a good view of Riber Castle over the gorge in which sits the tourist high spot of Matlock Bath.

The walk went well. We had our picnic and set off keeping a stone wall on our right. Here things went downhill. There were two styles and two paths. Actually we finished up on a road which went up. But eventually we went back down into the village.

A drink and toilet was required but the village convenience was locked (say nothing about in...). This meant an ice-cream back at the cafe. I chose the one with honeycomb in while Irene had the salted caramel. The owner of the cafe came to talk with us and she decided that I must try the salted caramel for myself. She bought out half a tub; saying 'Don't say that we don't look after you'. It was delicious.

The sun came out and we set off home.

Whipsnade Zoo

For Christmas my daughter, Sally, bought me a photography course session in Auckland Zoo. However it was not possible to arrange it during the weeks that we were in New Zealand earlier in the year. Sally arranged for it to be transferred to one of the London Zoos. Although the gift should have come straight to me it went to New Zealand and was posted back to me.

The gift came with a beautiful card in solid box with a letter but no voucher. Having exchanged emails with zoo I eventually received an invite to come provided I said that I was Sally Clerk.

My day was hastily chosen, plans made and on Wednesday 25th June at 7.30 am I was off to Whipsnade Zoo. Well, sort of since most of the journey was in rush hour with its 'stop-go-stop' traffic. I arrived 5 minutes before the gates opened which was over half an hour before the course was due to begin. It was easy to get to the 'Estates Office' and park.

I think that 8 people attended the course with a range of equipment of lower to higher specs than my own. A few were well travelled in Africa but on the whole they were a friendly bunch.

The leader of the course was a professional freelance animal and travel photography called Dave Stevenson. The morning was spent going through some of his pictures as he talked about camera technique and composition. The main elements of this concerned things like movement, using high ISO and eye contact.

Before eating Dave led us into the zoo park and we stopped at various enclosures. I was keen to learn about the use of 'the back button'. This is a technique whereby the camera is focused using a back button rather than the shutter release. This enables quicker focusing since the camera then has only to do the exposure work.

 Suddenly it was 2.30 pm and hunger called. I had a good dinner of Cumberland sausages and mash. Then off we went again.

Spot the flamingo chick

 And with the same suddenness that lunch came so did time to go home. It was 5.30 when I left and not the 4.30 as advertised. Dave gave me his card so that I could email some of his shots and then, after a drink I left the zoo.

It was a lovely sunny evening. Although I had a rain mac I was wearing only shorts and a tee-shirt. Thirty minutes from the zoo at a roundabout on the A5 the car stopped and steam spouted out of the bonnet. I had got big trouble. The RAC number could not be reached from a mobile. When I rang home the message from them was to give me a 'Mobile friendly number'. This failed. Eventually the RAC operator rang me and after much time spent in trying to describe my position as being at a large island on the A5 at the edge of Milton Keynes with a large Macdonalds at the service station on the island I was ready to await rescue. A car mechanic pulled up first and after filling the coolant tank with water and attempting to turn on the engine he diagnosed a blown head gasket.

It was not too long before the friendly RAC man arrived and told me that he could only tow me up to 10 miles. Having spoken to Tim I knew that I had somewhere to stay for the night.

Once the car was towed and parked on the forecourt of a garage the kind man took me to Tim's. It would have been a long walk if he hadn't.

It was beginning to get dark when I arrived at Tim's house. Izzy was in and I had a good chat with her while I waited for the return of the adults. First came Tim and soon after Isla. Although they were both tired after a busy day they made me welcome. Since Isla had not eaten much during the day I went with them to buy chips. Then it was time for bed.

After a reasonable nights sleep I got up in the morning to say good bye to Izzy and Isla. Then Tim and I had breakfast before I waited to go to the doctor's surgery to collect a prescription for my morning medicine. Tim had gone out to see Izzy off on a school trip and then queued at the surgery until 8.00 am to make sure that I got an appointment during the morning. During the wait for the appointment the garage man phoned with the very bad news of the demise of the car. This was after Tim had made an online booking for a coach from MK Coachways to Nottingham Broadmarsh. A plan was hatched to take all my possessions out of the car, take the payment offered and catch the bus.

While Tim was out I made my way to the surgery. The doctor was very nice and gave me a prescription which I took to pharmacist who did not have what I wanted and so I went back to the surgery to be re-prescribed and after a wait went back to the pharmacy. By 12 noon I was able to take my morning medicine.

Tim arrived back from the physio, we had lunch and put the plan into action. I said goodbye to the car. Tim took me to Coachways where we had coffee. He left, the coach was on time and 90 minutes later I was in Nottingham. After a local bus and a walk I returned home almost exactly 24 hours after I left the zoo.

I am very grateful to Tim and Isla for the kindness and hospitality which they showed.

Thursday became much of a lost day apart from the brief time of 'Father-Son bonding'. This was short but good.

On Friday we woke up to three problems. The first was deciding on who should replace our worn out patio door. Our first visitor claimed that according to law they fitted the best. That they were the only company to put argon in between special heat retaining glass and did not use rubber sealing. It was very hard to get a simple quote. He would not accept the fact that we would not make a decision there and then. I asked him to leave. The second guy gave a simple quote which had all the things that the first guy said only they did and at a quarter of the price. He left.

The second problem is a blocked drain. We are working on this.

The third was the car. It could not have been a wetter day to walk out and look round cars. We spent a lot of time at the first garage until it looked like the Fiesta that they would bring over was the one for us. However, we thought that we would look at a Corsa that we had found on the web. This meant a trip to Ilkeston. We walked through the rain to a third garage and was a little tempted. Then we caught the bus. There was a long down hill walk in the pouring rain. Irene rang Joni to meet us at the garage. It stopped raining and we went home.

Having slept on the choice we went to see the Fiesta and decided to buy it.

On Monday came a third problem. Our neighbour asked us if we would go in with her on replacing the rear wall, which was falling down, with a fence. We await them giving us a quote.

Today is the first day of July. A new start.