I've Been Away ...

... as you may have guessed !! Finished work Saturday - home - bite to eat , pack bag - and then off up to the Lake District for a couple of days (I'd booked Monday off work). Actually drove past Lancaster at about 1640hrs on Saturday afternoon (they were already 2-0 up against Mossley - but I didn't find out the final score until about 1800 hrs tonight when we got back and I purchased a "Non League Paper"; thanks as always to Nosmo who kept me fully up-to-date on the Ilkeston score - always freaks out Mrs Smiffy when I get the mobile out to check stuff whilst driving at 72mph up a motorway !!!). So - a couple of days in Grasmere - pub Saturday night (Hawkshead Brewery Bitter) - a strenuous 9 miler on Sunday followed by big meal and pub again (and a sneaky look at MOTD2 to confirm the rumours I'd heard about the Manchester derby !!) - and a more gentle 5.5 miler today. Home for about 1800 - to find out the FA Trophy draw which included "Curzon Ashton/Farsley v Belper Town" ! Fortunately tea was being cooked for us which then enabled me to slope off to the Tameside Stadium to give Curzon a shout. Sunday we were 2,000 feet up in a howling gale (Far Easdale and Helm Crag) - tonight I was a little lower down but a similar force 8 gale made the football something of a farce. Curzon won 2-0 (first goal was a hopeful crossfield put that caught the wind and deceived everyone by going in - second goal was a late breakaway), so Bonfire Day/Night brings Belper up to Curzon - s'pose I should go (yep - even with the Droylsden v Stalybridge Celtic game on the same bloody day !!). Three low-res pix to be going on with ...



Sunday - taken in a howling gale - top of Calf Crag (2,000 feet) looking east ...



Monday morning - Rydal Water looking towards Helm Crag (which we climbed on Sunday !)



Monday night - Jordan Goodeve's "hopeful punt" which went in on the wind for 1-0 (note penalty area line on the right !)

Even got a phone call from work this morning which began "Can you - oh I forgot you wanted today off didn't you ?" - err yes I'm in the Lake District ... More "stuff" tomorrow no doubt ...

PS - I lied about "only three pictures" - it's with a great sadness that I have to report the demise of my old faithful Meindl walking boots - paid a fortune for them, but they've lasted (we think) 5 years and they've certainly had some hammer over that time. Saturday's big walk finally saw them off - as in .



Checked out a few places for new boots today - but nothing that came up to my exacting standards !
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