BB2221 : An Outbreak Of Common Sense?

Wednesday 20th July 2022

Good News.  

There has been an outbreak of common sense in Kendal.

Gooseholme is what used to be an island in the River Kent in the centre of Kendal.

The bridge was lifted into place today but not before further consultation.  What should it be called?  Gooseholme Bridge?  Jubilee Bridge (though Kendal already has one)?  Or Kent Bridge?  Fortunately commonsense prevailed and the new bridge bears the same name as its predecessor.

After all this rabbitting on about the bridge, you are probably expecting that we visited it today.  Well, No and Yes.  The weather gods had had an outbreak of common sense and the temperature had dropped by more than ten degrees from the previous days' heatwave.  Instead of going into Kendal, we parked at the Strickland Arms and had a wander up to Helsington Church though not by the usual route.

Stephen had taken Stan and I to his Secret Wood with its secret tarn and its secret tree on BB2022.  I thought Tony would be interested in being let into the secret.  When we arrived he remembered that Stephen had also taken him there.  Like last time, I could hear Stephen's voice reaching across the fields, singing from his heart at his open door, "Our secret wood's no secret anymore".  However what was a surprise was the water buffalo that was visiting the watering hole.  Common sense for him!

After emerging at Holeslack .....

..... we cut across field to Berry Home.    I have never been through the farm yard before.  Somehow I had expected a rather glitzy house and an unfriendly welcome.  Not so.  Just an ordinary farmhouse and some very large barns.  The farm yard was as clean as any I have ever seen for a cattle farm.

At Brigg House Farm a lot of development was taking place.  It looks as if it is creating its own mini hamlet.  Whether or not they prove to be holiday cottages remains to be seen.

Round the corner is a dog grooming enterprise in a rather interesting hut.  It is the sort of construction that could appeal to me as a man-cave.  I didn't call in for a trim- we just pawsed a while outside.  Sorry.  I couldn't resist that!

A familiar track led us to Helsington Church with its fine view over the Lyth valley to the Lakeland Hills.  

Stan needed to stop for his lunch which surprised me. It is usually Tony who makes such demands.  However for once our start time had been 12:15- deliberately chosen to allow Tony to satisfy his noon eating requirement and I had assumed that no stops would be needed.  I'm not complaining as Stan shared his flapjack with us.

We popped into the Church.  I just can't resist looking at Marion de Saumerez's mural above the altar, a memorial to those who gave their lives in The Great War (See BB1215).

I had two more diversions in mind.  One was to visit the bird-hide down in Brigsteer Park- it had been covidly shut last time we were there  (BB2119) and I though there was a good chance it would be open today.  The other was to explore a footpath that I have never used before that drops down behind what used to be the Heaves Hotel, possibly passing through the small plant nursery to its rear.

However there was a threat of rain so we decided instead to retreat via Sizergh Castle.

The old bank barn.....

..... now has a secondhand book shop and an eclectic small display of old items.

The afternoon's final outbreak of commonsense was to end our outing in the usual manner at the Strickland Arms.

In the evening I had to visit my dentist in Kendal,  I took the opportunity to have a look at the new footbridge.  Although it is now in position, it is not yet possible to use it.  It does look massive compared with its predecessor.  

Whether the cost of this large structure so close to two other bridges represents an outbreak of common sense I leave you to judge.  But at least its name is!

Don, Wednesday 21st July 2022

Thanks to Tony for most of the photos

Comitibus: Stan, Don, Tony

The Northumberland Coastal Path

The heat of the recent days has not deterred Bryan and Liz who have been tackling the Northumberland Coast Path with its succession of glorious beaches.

We're Having (or had) a Heat Wave

I know that some readers like me to weave music into the reports and complain when weeks go by without.  Above, I did make mention of The Israelites by Desmond Decker.  Given the recent weather, I thought I should also include some heat wave music.  My first thoughts flew to Martha and the Vandellas but her Heat Wave was burning in her heart, not the one that we were having.  So for the one that we were having, take your pick of these three versions of We're Having A Heat Wave.

Martha and the Vandellas
1963

Ethel Waters
1933

Marilyn Monroe
1955

Ella Fitzgerald
1958

Gooseholme Bridge:

Stephen: This option for Gooseholme might have been more cost efficient í ¾

Don: I think the Tree Top Trek people could have supplied that for a fraction of the cost.  Or maybe even just a single strand!

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STATISTICS

BB2221 : An Outbreak Of Common Sense?

Date:

Wednesday 21st July 2022

Features:

Helsington

Distance in miles (MM):

5.0

Height climbed in feet (OMN):

534

Comitibus:

Don, Stan, Tony

Home

BB04

BB05

BB06

 BB07

BB08

BB09

BB10

BB11

BB12

BB13

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BB15

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BB17

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BB20

BB21

BB22

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