Lake district 2023

This year brought our 3rd visit to the Lake District for our annual walking weekend - we had been there in 2011 and 2012. We started these weekends back in 2010 when we did the northern part of the West Highland Way. This should have been our 14th year, but Covid meant there was no walk in 2021.

The participant numbers have varied over the years - from an initial 6 in 2010 to a peak of 11 in both 2017 (Yorkshire Dales) and 2018 (Arran). The lowest was 4 in 2011 (LD). This year there were 8 of us, including, for the first time, Jeb's partner Vicki, who became the 15th person to join us on one of these trips (excluding cameo appearances from Jeb's brother in 2019 and Rob D in 2020 & 2022).

Our leader, Ken, has (obviously) a full attendance record. Dave, myself and Ian Sharp have each made 10 appearances. Next are Gordon (9). John (8), and Stewart & Colin (both 7).

We were accompanied this year by 3 dogs - Gordon's Daisy, Dave's Ruby and Jeb and Vicky's Ozzie. Our meeting place on Thursday was the same as last year - lovely Pooley Bridge, where Stewart, Nigel and I decided a quick pint in the riverside Crown Inn was in order:

It was a short walk from there to the pier where the Ullswater "Steamers" departed and everyone managed to get there in time to catch the 2 pm sailing:

We got off at the first stop:

There we began the walk back to Pooley Bridge:

Some then decided on a return to the Crown Inn for a swift one, while the rest headed off to our accommodation in Ambleside - most of us ignoring the road closed signs saying the Kirkstone pass was closed.

Our evening meal and drinks were at the nearby Lily Bar (https://www.thelilybar.co.uk/).

Stats for this afternoon's short walk were: