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BB2308
: Tegestology Explained
Wednesday
7th March 2023
I've
got a new word for you. Or maybe it
isn't new to you, though I bet it is. It was for me.
Tegestology
It
describes a practice in which many a youth
of my generation indulged and also that
of my son, Jamie. Surprisingly, I
am told,
it is no longer as popular as it was.
Would we be tegestologists today? Time
would tell. First we had to assemble
at the Hawkshead Brewery in Staveley in
order to travel, en Comitibus, to Grasmere.
Choice
of destination had been a challenge. It
promised to be a fine day, especially in
the morning. However there would
be an exceedingly bitter wind blowing from
the east. "Feels like" temperature
threatened to be in negative double figures
up high. So we wimped out. Until,
that is, Bryan came up with the bright idea
of Alcock Tarn following which, if conditions permitted,
Heron Pike and Great Rigg. Then he
informed us that actually he wouldn't be
able to join us as it was his wedding anniversary
and was therefor committed elsewhere. We with
them happy anniversary and decided to adopt his suggestion,
parking opposite Helm Crag.
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Alcock
Tarn is one of my favourites but it does
require a bit of effort to get there. It's
a steep climb up from the road.....
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..... before you
can breast the brow and actually see
the tarn. At the far end it is almost
like an infinity pool.
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Now
the big decision. Should
we wimp out, drop to the valley and escape
the wind or risk the climb up to the ridge?
Of course we chose the latter- we
daren't ever have looked Bryan in the face
otherwise. The climb to the ridge
was relatively easy. Then we turned
north and began the ridge walk up to Heron
Pike. It was here that the wind spotted
us and made sure we were aware of its presence.
Three walkers came by saying how bad
it was further up and warning us not to
proceed to Great Rigg.
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I
suppose we could have wimped out at Heron
Pike but Bryan's wrath was still to be feared
so we pressed on. The wind was strong
and cold. We could understand why
they had turned back.
Where
the path comes up from Stone Arthur, Martin
and Mike decided they wanted to stop for
lunch. I think they had regretted that
Tony was not with us to demand a stop sometime
earlier. Stan and I had unfinished
business. Back on BB1508 the wind
had been so atrocious that on coming down
from Fairfield we bypassed Great Rigg rather
than get blown away. Today we would
make up for that omission. The weather
gods must have sensed what was happening
as the wind suddenly dropped and allowed
us safe passage both up and down.
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Once
reunited with Martin and Mike, we made
our way back down to the car. Oh what
a long and hard-under-the-foot stone path
was that last part.
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When
we arrived back at the Hawkshead Brewery
in Staveley, I was able to demonstrate the
art of tegestology to the boys. There
lying on the tables was a series of beer
mats promoting five of their wares. I
duly collected a pristine specimen of each.
Tegestology?
You will have guessed by now. The
posh name for Beer Mat collecting.
Why
do I need to be de-tegestologised? Maybe
there is a posh name for decluttering. That's
what we are doing at home. Anyone know a Tegestologist
who would like some remarkable additions
to his or her collection? Answers
on a beer mat please.
Don,
Wednesday 8th March 2023
Comitibus:
Martin,
Mike, Shadow of Don, Stan
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