Friday 5 June 2009 - M & G Come For A Walk

What happens? Mick and Gayle arrive, and it rains - it had started to 'spot' when the previous posting was sent.

We had enjoyed some excellent fish 'n chips at our rendezvous point in Denholme, where the only pub opens at 2pm, and had 'provisioned' at the Co-op, but by the time we passed Thornton Moor Reservoir it had cooled considerably and the rain became persistent.

Good navigation and chatting don't always go together, we noted, as we wandered vaguely along the thin blue line I'd plotted to Jerusalem Camp Site near Booth.

The tea shop at Ogden Water provided a welcome break and an entertaining dialogue between Mick and the deaf attendant.
Mick: "Three teas, please?"
Lady: "We sell polos."
Mick: "Three teas, please?"
Lady: "We sell chocolate."
Mick: "Three teas, please?"
Lady: "Would you like to buy an ice cream?"
Mick: "Aha" - realises he is standing next to the tea machine.

After that the rain eased as we strolled onwards to the campsite and got our tents up in lighter rain than the current deluge.

It's a small site, but we are showered and I've washed some clothes - who knows when they will dry! All is well and we are cosy and cooking in our respective tents.

There's no photo with this, as no signal at camp and only a weak one up this hill.

So that's it for today?

Well - before M & G joined me......

I woke to two deep long belches. An insomniac sheep?

The tent shook.

"Yer not allowed to camp on moorland."

'Moron' I thought.

"Don't worry, I'll be away early."

"Mek shore y'are" came the response.

A distant clock chimed midnight.

'Moron' I thought.

I slept well, and soon after the crack of dawn I was being led by a strolling curlew up to Ilkley Crags on a fine but cool morning.

Mist lay in the valleys and smoke rose lazily from a distant power station. The 12 apostles (an ancient stone circle) were soon passed, after which an easy amble past curlew and plovers took me beyond the cotton grass zone to Otley Road, where frantic commuters tore past 'Dick Hudsons' pub as they rushed to work.

My pace was slower. I was soon back in the 'bluebell zone', with narrow paths weaving between the posh estates of the horsey and famous of Yorkshire.

I passed 'Woodpecker Man', his cameras focused on a hole in a tree a few metres away, in lovely woodland where red campion fought for space with greater stitchwort and marsh marigolds lined the banks of a brook.

It was a lovely, varied route. I was proud of my hastily devised blue line on the map. I made lots of notes today on a number of points of interest, but they'll just have to wait for an editing session, as it's going dark here and sleep is needed.

Goodnight.

Decided no further edit needed - just a link (here) to Mick and Gayle's report.