BB1202 : The Wearies and a BOOTbaby

Thursday 12th January 2012

Are you "weary"?

I always thought it meant something like physically or mentally exhausted by hard work, exertion, strain, etc. or impatient or dissatisfied with something

Now it seems there is a new definition. You remember "Yuppy"?  For the benefit of any reader who is too young to recognise the term, it is a partial acronym for Young Upwardly-mobile Professionals.  Or should it be "Yuppie"?  Young Upwardly-mobile Professional Person In Employment?  It seems more appropriate.

Anyway, the font of all wisdom, the Daily Telegraph, explains that many of those of who once were a "Yuppy / ie." are now a "Weary".

You might think this a derogatory term standing for something like a Worn-out, Exhausted And Redundant Yorkshiremen.  Surprisingly, perhaps, this is not the case.

According to the DT (so it must be right) a "Weary" is a Working, Entrepreneurial and Active Retiree.  It goes on to clarify that "working" does not necessarily mean being in paid employment but one who does things rather than sitting around in a sun-lounger all day.  What it fails to clarify is what has happened to the "Y" that it does not accronynimise (how's that for new word?).

The definition seemed to be appropriate for our assembled group of Wearies which included a new initiate John H.

Stuart had hoped to be Weary but explained he was Poorly instead.

I don't know what that stands for.

Pi##ed Off, Old, Remembering Lost Youth perhaps?

Although the forecast was for a decent day, if rather cold, after all this rain would it be slippery under foot?  

Or might it be freezing?

Either way would it be better with poles or without?

John H

I remember Philip (who was with us today) slipping, falling on his poles and breaking his ribs (although he didn't know it at the time; BB0623).

I also remember Bryan (who was with us today) slipping when he wasn't using poles and breaking his ribs (although he didn't know it at the time; BB0806).  On the other hand, he was racing two teenage lads downhill so perhaps that is not a good comparator.

Most of us decided not to bother with poles.  On the other hand Philip and John did.

As we drove to Troutbeck the weather just got better and better.

Our objective was, at Mike's request, High Street (last visited in quite an epic expedition in 2008 on BB0824) so, as is his practice, he fired us up with Linthwaite sausages before we set off up the old Roman Road.  

The Roman Road

As we made our gladitorial way along, I couldn't help but think of the old Battle Song made famous by John S.  What a pity he couldn't be with us to lead the singing:

 I'm in the bodyguard of Julius Ceasar; he's got a fizzer like a lemon squeezer
A gladiator bold and furious; all dressed up in a garb so curious.

  Ever seen a Fellow like a Roman candle; a man who never let his braces dangle
My name's Marcus, tiddly old carcus; permanent address of Rome

 I'm glad glad very very glad, I'm glad I'm a gladiator
Ancient Rome, that's my home, fried fish shop by the Hippodrome

I'm glad glad very very glad, from my helmet to my toes
My old Dad was a Roman glad, and he left me his Roman nose

Et cetera!

Looking down the Roman Road

Comitibus:  The Wearies.

Froswick and Ill Bell or a recumbent lady?

Kentmere

We climbed the increasingly steep track up the side of Froswick where the plan was to bear right for High Street.  

Philip, however, had other ideas and, somewhat reminiscent of his skiing tendency, shot off in a different direction to Thornthwaite Beacon.

Stan and John followed to rescue him whilst the rest of us took the intended track, passing a stag and his harem, to the High Street summit where we regrouped for lunch.

The Stag.

The Harem

Comitibus: Lunch

Although it was rather cold, it was a beautiful day with excellent visibility in all directions.

Looking north west to Brother's Water

Panorama from the Crinkles to Blencathra

A debate ensued as to whether to return along Froswick, Ill Bell and Yoke or, as planned, to head south west to Thornthwaite Beacon (despite the fact that Philip had already been there).

Beginning the descent from High Street

Thornthwaite Beacon

The Beacon got the vote and, once past, we dropped down the steep slope to Threshthwaite Mouth and then descended the valley alongside the Trout Beck.

Looking down Trout Beck from Threshthwaite Mouth

The sun dropped behind the hills so we kept up a good pace and some prodigious leaps across swollen backs on the longish trek back.  The old clapperstone bridge was rather easier!

A big leap

Queens' Head, Troutbeck

Clapperstone bridge

Health & happiness to the BOOTbaby

On reaching Troutbeck, we took a break at the Queen's Head where we celebrated my good news with a bevy of Dizzy Blondes.

Yesterday Danae (the partner of my son and occasional BOOTboy, Jamie) gave birth to their first child, a boy, weighing in at 8 lbs 2 oz and code named JJ for the time being.  

Mother, baby and father all doing well, thank you.

It was our BOOTboy duty (not exactly a painful one), to raise our glasses to the future of the new BOOTbaby.  Or should that be BOOTEEboy?   Not yet, perhaps.

Then we recharged the glasses and toasted the health of:
μούμια και μπαμπάς  (i.e. his momma and poppa).
[Not exactly! See
BB
1203. Ed.]

BOOTboy & BOOTbaby

I look forward to the day when I can take my grandchildren out on to the fells.  However, as one lives in Munich (Luca) and the other in Heraklion (JJ) it might be a while yet!

BOOTboy in the dark

The three quarters of a mile back to the cars gave rise to another BOOTboy innovation.

For the first time that I can remember, we finished our outing in the dark and so, again for the first time, I used my head torch to ward off approaching cars.

At the end, were there any broken ribs?

Thankfully, no.

Were we weary?

I certainly was.  

But were we WEARY or, perhaps a better question, were we WEARIES?

To answer that we need to resolve the mystery of the letters following R.

For WEARY, I suggest the obvious Y for "Yuppie":

Working, Entrepreneurial And Retired Yuppie

For WEARIES, as far as we are concerned, the answer must be

Working, Entrepreneurial and Active Retirees In Exceptional Surroundings

In which case the answer is Yes!

BOOTboys are proud to be Wearies!

And I am proud now to have two future BOOTboys in the family!

Don, Thursday 12th January 2012

 

PS On hearing the good news, John S sent this piece of graffiti:

 

PPS Here is an alternative impression of our outing:

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To Thine Own Self Be True

With regard to my quotation in BB1201 "as surely as night follows day", Philip sent me an e-mail "Just for clarification":  See To Thine Own Self Be True.

ribon01d.gif

Mighty Ruler of the World

That well known Irishman Seán Mór has written seeking to clarify matters in the great BB1139 Dreek debate.  To find out more, see Mighty Ruler Of The World.

ribon01d.gif

Here`s tae us. Wha`s like us 

It grieves me to have to admit this but Henry McC rightly took me to task for not quoting in BB1139 the entirety of his argument regarding Dreich.  I have apologised and assured him that it was an oversight and not deliberate.  The text has now been amended.

His complaint ran:

I was disappointed that you omitted to include the first two paragraphs of my email in Bootboys. The second paragraph, quoting a number of Scots language publications, clearly, accurately and unequivocally confirmed that the definitive adjective to describe the Scottish weather is "dreich".

You are committed to the necessity for accuracy of detail. I would therefore like to express my admiration for your remarkable flexibility in interpreting questionable or contrary hard factual evidence to make it suit your purpose.

My final, final, comment on the subject is I remain amused that an Englishman should be attempting to tell a Scotsman what the Scots say. However with reference to the present political news, it does seem to be the in vogue thing to do!!!!

Slainthe

Henry.

PS. To further enhance your knowledge of the Scots language I undernote a toast which can be used on any occasion.

" Here`s tae us. Wha`s like us- Damn few an` they`re a` deid".

My last word on the great debaate is that Henry conveniently ignores the fact that I was simply reflecting back what I am informed that non-Glaswegian Scots say.

Regarding the discussion on devolution, it is perhaps pertinent to remember that the purpose behind the creation of the Union was to bale out a bankrupt Scotland.  Many English think that the if devolution were to happen, there is a benefit in that the subsidy from south to the north of Britain would cease and be replaced by a subsidy from Brussels. If the Europeans let the Scots into the Euro, that is.  I close this thread with a question.  If devolution does occur, how many self-exiled Scots would rush to return to their homeland. Henry?  I thought not!

With regard to his toast (as per above), that I recognise.  

What Henry would not know is that some years ago I compiled and John S (aka Seán Mór) illustrated a compendium of pre-dinner "Amazing Graces".  

This was designed so that anyone attending a formal dinner fearful of being called upon to say grace could sublty extract a small book from his pocket and choose from a wide range of religious, secular or humorous graces to impress and entertain the assembled diners, rather than boor them with the usual:

"For what we are about to receive ....."

In the course of the research, I came across quite a few Scottish toasts, including that which Henry mentions.  Here is another Scots toast that I rather like:

I drink to the health of another,
And the other I drink to is he -
In the hope that he drinks to another,
And the other he drinks to is me!

I hereby drink to the health of all BOOTboys readers!
Including Henry!!

 

ribon01d.gif

 STATISTICS:

BB1202

Thursday 12th January 2012

Distance in miles:

12.7

Height climbed in feet:

2,850

Wainwrights:

High Street, Thornthwaite Beacon-

Other Features:

Troutbeck Valley

Comitibus:

Bryan, Don, James, John H,
Mike, Philip, Stan,

 

 

BOOTboys routes ares now put online in gpx format which should work with most mapping software. You can follow our route in detail by downloading BB1202.

To see which Wainwright top (excluding Outlying Fells) was visited on which BB outing see Which Wainwright When?

For the latest totals of the mileages and heights see: BB Log.

 

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 Wainwrights

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