Chapatti In The Park ~ Brathay Hall: April 2015
First a bit of background: Via the Community 10,000 initiative at work, staff were encouraged to spend a day as a volunteer at least once a year, so ~ in November 2014, I spent all day walking round an indoor school at Wrea Green, helping out with the local Riding for the Disabled group.
The following January, the opportunities for 2015 came out, & I put my name forward to go up to Brathay Hall.
This is a bit off their website:
At Brathay we know everyone has the capacity to do extraordinary things that can inspire and benefit others.
This drives our mission to improve the life chances of children, young people and families by inspiring them to engage positively in their communities. Our charitable achievements are supported by the knowledge in our research hub and revenue from our people and organisation development consultancy along with our enterprising fundraising. We work throughout the UK to inspire people and organisations to achieve and deliver results from our network of locations across the North of England including our inspiring Lake District base. Our expert teams engage and encourage people of all ages and backgrounds to discover the Brathay effect, enthused by our belief in the transformational power of people working together.
In a nutshell, the Brathay Trust helps youngsters leaving a 'care environment' to begin successful lives as young adults, & as I'd never heard of a charity specifically for this group, after my Community 10K day in March (emulsioning the art room & weeding the planters by the dining room), I decided to volunteer further & contacted Sarah at Brathay. She had been my contact for the Community 10K, & was in charge of fundraising.
The Chapatti In The Park event was my 1st individual volunteer experience.
Saturday
Sarah asked whether I wanted to do a late or an early. I chose a late & drove up after my Saturday morning Zumba. I arrived about mid-afternoon & a nice lady at reception said I was to be put up in Loughrigg after my shift. I discovered Loughrigg was a conversion of
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| Loughrigg is up the hill behind the Hall |
There was a radio, tea & coffee stuff, & a great shower ~ which was
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| Looking down to the wet-room style shower |
local slate. Awesome :-)
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| Chapatti In The Park in full swing |
Initally I'd left my camera at Loughrigg, but during a loo break I retreived it & took a few pics for posterity.
I was pretty busy all day, & my tea was a great concoction form one of the food marquees - curry. Yum.
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| The marquees & Lake Windermere from the Loughrigg hill |
There were loads of people
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| The full moon from more or less the same spot hours later |
sitting all over the lawn in front of the Hall, so I just kept wandering about with my black rubbish bags & tried to keep on
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| I went hunting for moon & hills photos! |
top of it.
TBH, given I'm writing this over 4 years later, I don't recall much else, but I do remember lying in my bed listening to the music on the lawn which went on till well after 2am.
Nevertheless, the photos show I clearly spent some time chasing the moon before bed :-D
Sunday
As well as a bed for the night, I got a great breakfast in the dining room - joining peeps staying for B&B, plus various staff who lived at the Hall or had been on the late shift.
As it was served before 0900, I was fed, watered, on the A593, & parked by Yew Tree Tarn just before 0915 :-D
The tarn was beautifully still, & I managed some half-decent, atmospheric photos before getting back in the car & driving up the single track road to Hodge Close.
So, between the films & the D&D weekends, I have happy memories of fun weekends up here at Hodge Close and the Langdale Valleys :-D
Despite being in the area many times, I had no photos of Slaters Bridge, so taking a left by the bridge next to the ford, I walked westish to this famous & picturesque landmark.
According to Wiki, Little Langdale was at the intersection of pack-horse routes going N, S, E & W. It connected Keswick, Penrith, Carlisle, Whitehaven, Ambleside, Coniston, Hawkshead, Ulverston, & other Furness towns on the South Lakes peninsula.
There was a woman with a small photography group taking pics from south of the fence, but I took my shoes & socks off, climbed over the fence, & waded into the middle for a 'proper shot' ;-)
They all probably thought I was bonkers, but Hey, what's new? Hehehe
After they saw me climb over they did as well, but they didn't paddle.
Using the tissues in my bumbag to dry my feet, I returned to the track & went up over the top to a small quarry shaft facing the track down from Hodge.
The shaft was long & straight & I went down it for about 30 yards before calling it a day because I had no torch. However, I took a few pics of the hole of daylight, & behind me the shaft continued into the (under!)dark.
Just after I took the three photos I heard voices & a chatty dad with his small kid came out of the darkness!
Blimey :-0
Back at the entrance I took another photo looking across to the route back to Hodge Close & my car (it's behind the level wall below the trees), before heading down the hill.
At the bottom (I'd passed dad & kid on the way down), I went left along the Tilberthwaite track back to the "Cathedral" mine for more pics.
Here's a bit from Wiki about it:
Cathedral Quarries (Grid NY308028), a set of disused inter-linked quarries for green slate, is above the valley in Atkinson Coppice. The quarry site is now managed by the National Trust and can be entered by the public. It features various chambers and tunnels, including one which is 400 feet (120 m) long.
The quarry's main attraction, 'The Cathedral', is a high main chamber 40 feet (12 metres) high, lit by two windows with a huge rock pillar supporting the roof. Some of the quarry smaller chambers are closed off for safety or have already collapsed. The quarry features at least 25 named routes for rock-climbing that are gradedExtreme and are 30–40 m long. The spoil heaps from these mines form large banks where silver birch and larch now grow.
I spent a while walking & clicking, & scrambled up a rock fall to come out higher up & look down into the 'cathedral' part of the quarry.
As you can see, I took a lot of pics: I didn't know when I'd be back.
Having climbed up out of the back of the quarry, I headed over the fell above it & disturbed some wild campers just getting up.
One quickly retreated back into his tent, & I politely looked away from the other one standing in the buff relieving himself :-0
Oops! ;-p
Back on the Tilbertwaite track, I went right at the ford & back up towards Hodge, grabbing quick pics of the 1st mineshaft from on top of the wall I'd seen earlier that morning.
At the old cottages to the north of Hodge, I dropped down a track into the quarry itself (we'd done scenes from Foreverquest there in the late '90s), & spent quite a while down there, snapping away.
Back up at the car park above the quarry it was still misty, but happily this provided further chances of atmospheric pics of the paths & nice trees.
Clicking done, I had a bite for lunch sitting on one of the massive slate slabs delineating the car park, then wandered around the slag-heaps of slate looking for nice pieces for my garden (see blog The Garden At 171): I got about 20 bits of slate for edging the path & the rockery bit.
After the slate scrimping, I drove home via Coniston, the A590 & the M6.
We were also given bacon butties (there were sausage ones as well) & we helped ourselves to coffee & tea from the dining room.
No time for a sit down brekkers this morning.
I was offered some wets, fleeces, wellies & mitts, but I'd come prepared with my lilac K2 ski suit & other kit, so I was sorted.
At the boathouse I helped get the 6 whaleboats in the water & load the various bits of 'rescue kit' into the 3 boats.
Bluefin, Centrica, BAE Systems, Associated British Ports, Lombard, & Premier Wealth Management had all brought sponsored teams, & the rowers & runners congregated down at the Brathay pontoon well before 0800.
This is what the Brathay website has to say about the event:
RowRunner is a fantastic team challenge event for teams of up to 8 people. It is a three peaks event that involves rowing the full length of Windermere (twice!), with team members running up (and down!) the three fells that overlook the lake.
I sent myself notes after the event & see I said it was a row of 20 miles, a total of 3,381 feet ascent for the runners & 15 miles running up & down 3 fells.
The fells are Latterbarrow, Gummers How & Wansfell.
The website also gives this info:
The RowRunner start line is the entrance to Brathay Bay at the north end of Windermere. The course is then:
1: Row to Red Knab on the west shore of the lake.
2: A pair of runners race up and down Latterbarrow.
3: Row to Fell Foot Park at the south end of the lake.
4: A pair of runners race up and down Gummer's How.
5: Row to Brockhole.
6: A pair of runners race up and down Wansfell.
7: Sprint rowing finish to Brathay Bay. Phew ! ! !
Eventually all the teams were in their boats, so me & my skipper
motored out to near the start for 0830.
Re Skip, I had no idea I'd blog my Brathay adventures, so I made no note of names back then.
However, over the years I got to recognise faces & put names to them so I could say hello the next time we met at an event.
However, I never met 'Skip' again.
We lurked at the start, then - after the gun, pootled along with the rowers as far as the jetty at Red Nab.
Two from each team were to run up & down Latterbarrow, while the rowers took a break & imbibed some calories.
Even by this point (barely a sixth of the way through), the whaleboats were fairly strung out.
While we waited, I took a pic
of the final fell to be conquered after sitting in a boat all the way from the bottom of the lake ~ Wansfell.
Rather them than me!
At Red Nab, the last team were about 10 minutes behind the 1st to arrive, so there was time to
drink coffee & have a little bit of a walk round.
I would explore properly the
following year - see below.
As with the rowers, the runners were variously capable, but Skip & I set off with the 1st team to finish the Latterbarrow run, & moseyed on down to the south end of the lake with them, periodically going back north to check on the slower boats, as did the other rescue boat ~ a faster zodiac.
We also had to see them safely round the 'shallows' at the bottom of Belle Isle, & keep an eye open for the ferry.
As the next stop was longer than at Red Nab (bigger fell & bigger gap between the boats), there was time for a brew & cake at the cafe as well as the Brathay lunch bag.
It was (probably) well over an hour before Skip & I set off again. Like I said, I took no particular notice at the time, but I know there was quite a gap between the 1st & last boats arriving, & then we had to wait for the runners to go up & down Gummers How: ie about 6Km (I think? I can't find details of the RowRunner route up & down anywhere :-/ )
I don't remember if we set off with the 1st whaleboat, or waited, but in any event, they all had to row back to the Brockhole jetty & do the run up Wansfell (& back).
I remember stopping at Brockhole, having a word with the ponies, & going to find ice-cream.
last boat home.
It took a while to put the boats to bed, & during the process I was invited to the celebratory dinner & prizegiving.
I'd brought a decent(ish) top ~ my All Blacks No. 7 one, so after a shower I went down to the Hall where I discovered I was fairly underdressed for the occasion. Oops!
I ended up on a table with a bloke from BAE Systems - one of the major sponsors, & his wife/gf. She was very glamorous & very friendly so we had a nice chat. The sit-down dinner was very good too. I'd've had seconds if they'd offered ;-q
General post-prandial chat ensued, & it ended up being nearly midnight before I got to bed.
Dawson, who built it along with the neighbouring Wray Church using his wife's fortune.
I also found several pieces of attractive slate which was to go on the 'rockery'!
Brathay Marathon ~ Lake Windermere circuit: May 20th 2018
Saturday
As I was often walking when the 10 In 10 & the Brathay Marathon took place, this was my 1st.
I left home around 1430, & had an uneventful trip to Brathay, catching sight of 3 of the 10 in 10 runners on my way along the lake between Windermere & Ambleside. I tooted encouragement.
I tried to take a pic of my room - one of the Blencathra rooms on the top floor, but my mob told me there wasn't enough memory to save the pic? ? ?
Duh :-(
I went into Ambleside for a takeaway curry, but like the fish & chips at the 262 in 2017, it wasn't great :-(
Sunday
As usual, breakfast was provided & there was an early meeting in the Kit Room where we were assigned our jobs. Mine was car parking on the big field between the Hall & the lake.
We were all out there before 0800 & the first cars began to arrive almost straightaway.
I spent the day waving cars to their spots, & some of it with big foam hands on. It was sunny all day & I was in shorts.
The 10th of the 10 In 10 marathons began & ended at the front of the Hall, but I didn't notice the start of that, or the start of the ASICS Marathon. By the time they set them off on their circuit of Lake Windermere, I was busy directing cars around the very large field & missed it.
However, during trips up to the Hall for loos & brews I saw a few of the 10 in 10 runners come back in.
Here're a few bits from the Brathay website about the 10 In 10:
The 262 2018: June 23rd & 24th
Saturday
I did Zumba at 1000, then put the weekend's bits in the car & drove up shortly after 1230.
When I arrived, Aly explained what I'd be doing & it was much the same as 2017. I found that this year's 262 included a team of women as well as the usual individuals (who were all men).
I'm not sure how many were in the team, but they called themselves the Spokeswomen.
I was based at Old Brathay (near the gate), & would take reccies of the route in the car to make sure everyone was OK.
Each rider had a support group who swung into action each time a rider returned after a lap. This meant there wasn't a great deal for me to do when I wasn't in the car, so I managed quite a few pics with the Nokia.
the 10 laps by then.
According to the Brathay website report, the start had been at 0600
In between the laps in the car, I had some tea & copious brews, chatted to
Meanwhile, in between the car laps, I got a pic of my accom for the night.
Keiran, who was in
With Aly driving, I called base to tell them, & they told us to continue behind Keiran
round the lake & another car would bring his pack from the other direction & meet us.
So off we went, lighting up the road for Keiran all the way to Newby Bridge & a brief jaunt on the
A590. With no lights, it was a good job it was a quiet Saturday night!
his lights fettled.
When we got back, Aly sent me to bed, but I was too alert to sleep, so went online to ask Waitomo Adventures about some of the fauna in the cave during the Lost World Epic I'd done in March 2016 - see blog.
I eventually put the light out about 1/4 past 2.
I woke naturally just after 8, & drew back the curtains to grab a pic in the lovely morning.
As usual, having done my bit as a volunteer late into the evening, the Trust provided brekkers as well as a bed for the night.
Also as usual, it was mega :-q
After a breakfast involving a lot of bacon, a sausage & a half, a poached egg, beans, & cups of tea, coffee & cranberry, apple & orange juice, I headed out for Hodge Close.
I had a plan to reccy a route for the HASSRA Ramblers.
On the way down the drive I stopped for this pic.
round the bottom of the pit where I found a nice path through the trees heading east.
at an angle to the vertical.
It was unusual, because trees usually grow up, & it's bushes which normally grow perpendicularly to the ground.
Post slate collecting I drove the usual way home at about 2.15.
* ‘I have a cunning plan’ is the most recognised catchphrase from Blackadder. You could YouTube it or something if you're not acquainted with Blackadder?
RowRunner: September 2018
Friday
I arrived at Brathay around 1700 on the 14th, & was told I was in
Loughrigg again. Number 11 this time.
* but not in the same mug ;-p
Saturday
Scott told me some had pulled out because of a clash with the soccer world cup final. As it was between France & Croatia, I didn't see any reason for English fundraisers to pull out. But they did, & my thoughts are it wouldn't've happened during the rugby world cup.
There were also Loads of different types of fungi.
I took pics, but I have No Idea what all the different ones were called.
I had a great time, & would Love to know if any of the fungi would have made a good omelette hehehe :-q
Scott & I motored between the 3 teams, helping them avoid the shallows north of the ferry, & keeping an eye out for the ferry itself.
Scott 'put his foot down', but he was careful not to get a speeding ticket on the way down to the next stop at Fell Foot.
At Fell Foot we found a jetty where all the whalers could tie up, & Scott sent me off for a brew once the 1st team were safely ashore & the 2 runners had set off up Gummer's How (where Aly was waiting for them at the trig).
I took a few pics of the general 'sailing' activities going on.
Clearly, not everyone thought the soccer was worth staying indoors for ;-)
Inside an old building on the lake side, I found a little gift shop with a couple of tables for a brew & bite, so had a cake & coffee before exploring further.
I haven't been able to find any info about the old buildings at Fell Foot, but they looked like they'd been there a while.
Heading back to the zodiac I noticed a tree with hazlenut shaped fruit & maple/sycamore shaped leaves.
I took a pic, but have no clue what it actually was.
Back at the jetty, the BAE team were first back from the run up & down Gummer's How, so Scott & I accompanied them back up the lake to the ferry crossing & the Belle Isle shallows before nipping back to make sure the other 2 whalers
were OK & on their way.
As expected, BAE got back 1st, pulling away from Temple Heelis on the final 20 minute row to Brathay Bay, & the whole team were shattered at the end.
There was a BBQ scheduled, but it was dull, & none too warm, so we helped oursleves outside & ate indoors.
At some point, the BAE team went back outside for the commemorative photo, & not long after that I went back up to Loughrigg to collect my car.
This time, starting from the Hall, I did take the shorter route via Windermere & Staveley back to the M6, & got home soon enough for a chill in front of the telly & a reasonably early night: I needed to get ready to ramble (with apologies to PJ & Duncan, AKA Ant & Dec ;-p )
Langdale Marathon & Half-Marathon ~ The Langdale Valleys: October 19th 2019
I'd offered to do the RowRunner again, but while I was in Japan for the RWC2019, Ali Young sent me an E to say the new boss of events had decided to manage it with just Brathay staff.
That meant I didn't have to rush up on the 11th when I got back from Japan on the 10th, & also that I'd be able to help with the Langdale Marathon & 1/2 Marathon.
Friday
While I was still in Japan, Ali E'd to say I had a room reserved in Hestead, & I said I'd be there around tea-time.
As it happened, I was a bit late due to a big hold-up on the M6 & having to follow a 'Sunday Driver' between Windermere & Ambleside :-/ & also meant it was dark by the time I got there.
My room was a single & not en-suite this time, & - as I unpacked my small ruckie, I realised I had no toothbrush or hairbrush. Doh!
I settled into Hestead & made my tea & had a chat with a couple of Brathay blokes before going in the lounge to watch Name Of The Rose on the telly.
It was an early start the next morning, so I was up in my cute little single room shortly after 10. Sudoku kept my company for a bit, then it was lights out & a peaceful sleep in the silence of the Lakes :-)
Saturday
Breakfast was at 0630, so I got up at 1/4 past & made my way to the kit-room for a bacon buttie :-q I avoided too much liquid: I was unsure how many rocks/trees there'd be for a rule 10 :-0
However, as it happened, there was a portaloo close by :-)
As well as offers of wets & wellies, we all received our assignments, & I I found that ~ after doing a bit of car parking in the Great Langdale valley, I was to go up to Refreshment Point 1 near Blea Tarn with Matt & 3 other ladies.
Matt said we were to meet the other 3 at 0915 in the car park, & then go up to our Blea Tarn spot & set up.
On the way to the start, I stopped to take a pic of the Langdale Pikes at about 0715, realising it had been over 15 years since I'd last driven down that road.
It had been during our live Dungeons & Dragon role-play day when Rob, Gaz & Dave were playing a dwarf, Paladin & elf, respectively, & I had organised about 20 Budokan members & parents to ambush them in the woods beneath Blea Tarn.
Great fun was had all day, & our 'fights' caused quite a stir with the walkers & Lakes Sunday visitors hehehe :-D
I parked the car in the NT car park ~ which was free until 0900 :-) & grabbed a quick pic as the sun peeped through the trees in the east.
It was 0725.
I picked up my packed lunch from the marquee where the runners were to register their presence, & noticed a great crag to the south of the car park field.
but I couldn't see it myself ~ his chin wasn't nearly big enough hehehe ;-)
At about 10 to 12, Aly said I should make my way to the pub, so off I went, & I just had time for a Rule 10 at the pub before the first runner ran by. I managed a blurred pic: you can see the rain had set in by this time!
The following 20-30 runners followed quite quickly, then the 'costumes' ran by: the 1st being a man in a bright orange blow-up suit ~ see pic.
No idea what he was dressed up as??
Most of the rest were in 'Christmassy' costumes or dressed as characters from Pantomimes, plus, there was at least one Pirate, so instead of saying "Ho Ho Ho" & wishing them Merry Christmas, I said
"Yo Ho Ho" & "Ooo Arrh, me Hearty" :-))
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| With the Lumix on 'Night Scenery' |
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| By now it was Sunday, but I didn't get to bed till gone 0100 |
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| Yew Tree Tarn in the morning mist |
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| Awesome mirroring of the tarnside trees |
The tarn was beautifully still, & I managed some half-decent, atmospheric photos before getting back in the car & driving up the single track road to Hodge Close.
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| Ditto with a bit more colour as the day brightened |
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| Holme Fell is in the mist behind the trees . . . |
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| I was to finally go up it during a Brathay weekend in 2018 |
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| Awesome birch at Hodge Close slate pile |
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| Mossy trees above Hodge Close pit |
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| Hodge Close quarry pit. See ** below |
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| If you zoom in, there are peeps down there |
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| Another Hodge Close pit pic |
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| & another from the south end |
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| Steep quarry walls with tree for perspective |
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| Peeps by the rail tracks at the bottom. See ** below |
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| Slaters' Bridge from mid-stream, trying not to fall over ;-) |
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| Ditto. I was desperate not to drop the Lumix |
It turned out that Hodge Close was to be my 'go to' destination whenever I overnighted at Brathay because you can park all day at the top of the Hodge Close road & there are great walks all over the place.
Compared to driving up from home, it was early for me to be walking, & well before 1000 when I parked.
As a result, it was still misty when I took the pic on the left, & behind the tree, the fells above the Langdale valleys were shrouded
After the birch, I got some (a lot of ;-p ) shots of the disused slate quarry the birch was growing in, & remembered spending quite a few days up here when filming Alien Blood with Jon Sorensen (Google it & him!) in 1997, & doing Foreverquest with the Budokan crew a few years later.
Slowly (very) the mist was lifting, so I decided to head downhill towards the Little Langdale valley & the ford over the River Brathay where we had had one of our Dungeons & Dragons live role play scraps during Part II of "The Quest for Githrond's Axe" ;-p
As a result, it was still misty when I took the pic on the left, & behind the tree, the fells above the Langdale valleys were shrouded
After the birch, I got some (a lot of ;-p ) shots of the disused slate quarry the birch was growing in, & remembered spending quite a few days up here when filming Alien Blood with Jon Sorensen (Google it & him!) in 1997, & doing Foreverquest with the Budokan crew a few years later.
Slowly (very) the mist was lifting, so I decided to head downhill towards the Little Langdale valley & the ford over the River Brathay where we had had one of our Dungeons & Dragons live role play scraps during Part II of "The Quest for Githrond's Axe" ;-p
So, between the films & the D&D weekends, I have happy memories of fun weekends up here at Hodge Close and the Langdale Valleys :-D
Despite being in the area many times, I had no photos of Slaters Bridge, so taking a left by the bridge next to the ford, I walked westish to this famous & picturesque landmark.
Here're some bits from Wiki about Little Langdale & Slaters Bridge:
Langdale was previously known as Langdene meaning 'far away wooded valley' and referring to its distance along the flint route from Whitley Bay.
Slater's Bridge which crosses the River Brathay in 3 spans supported by a large mid-stream boulder and stone causeways, is a 16th-century, slate-built, former packhorse bridge on one of these routes.
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| & again |
There was a woman with a small photography group taking pics from south of the fence, but I took my shoes & socks off, climbed over the fence, & waded into the middle for a 'proper shot' ;-)
They all probably thought I was bonkers, but Hey, what's new? Hehehe
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| & yet another one. It wasn't too cold & I was in for nearly 5 min. |
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| Peeps with expensive cameras, but dry feet ;-p |
After they saw me climb over they did as well, but they didn't paddle.
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| There are quarries throughout this area of the Lakes. This is the "1st Mineshaft" ~ see ** below |
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| The entrance to one of the Langdale quarries |
Using the tissues in my bumbag to dry my feet, I returned to the track & went up over the top to a small quarry shaft facing the track down from Hodge.
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| The entrance from the quarry tunnel |
The shaft was long & straight & I went down it for about 30 yards before calling it a day because I had no torch. However, I took a few pics of the hole of daylight, & behind me the shaft continued into the (under!)dark.
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| Ditto |
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| You can just about make out the trees, the fells outside, & the line of a wall |
Just after I took the three photos I heard voices & a chatty dad with his small kid came out of the darkness!
Blimey :-0
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| Taken from the mine doorstep. I took one in the opposite direction later. See ** below |
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| Cathedral tunnel |
Back at the entrance I took another photo looking across to the route back to Hodge Close & my car (it's behind the level wall below the trees), before heading down the hill.
At the bottom (I'd passed dad & kid on the way down), I went left along the Tilberthwaite track back to the "Cathedral" mine for more pics.
Here's a bit from Wiki about it:
Cathedral Quarries (Grid NY308028), a set of disused inter-linked quarries for green slate, is above the valley in Atkinson Coppice. The quarry site is now managed by the National Trust and can be entered by the public. It features various chambers and tunnels, including one which is 400 feet (120 m) long.
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| The Cathedral pillar of stone |
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| Note ledge up on the right & see *** below |
I spent a while walking & clicking, & scrambled up a rock fall to come out higher up & look down into the 'cathedral' part of the quarry.
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| The rock pillar & mini peeps |
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| I climbed up there . . . |
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| & looked down here |
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| ***Taken from the ledge on the right |
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| It's a big cavern |
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| Note the reflection of the Langdale fells in the puddle! |
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| Ditto |
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| The "1st Mineshaft" (see **above,) across the valley |
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| Ditto |
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| Pic taken standing on the rail-tracks over the pit. See above ** |
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| Looking up to where I'd taken pics earlier that morning. See above ** |
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| The steep quarry walls from below |
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| Rail-track bottom R & there are peeps on the ledge getting read to dive. They access the pit from an aqueduct behind them in the quarry wall |
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| 180 degrees from previous pic |
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| The path on the west side of the pit looking north |
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| Ditto looking south |
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| Cool conifer from NE |
Having climbed up out of the back of the quarry, I headed over the fell above it & disturbed some wild campers just getting up.
One quickly retreated back into his tent, & I politely looked away from the other one standing in the buff relieving himself :-0
Oops! ;-p
Back on the Tilbertwaite track, I went right at the ford & back up towards Hodge, grabbing quick pics of the 1st mineshaft from on top of the wall I'd seen earlier that morning.
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| Same conifer looking NW |
At the old cottages to the north of Hodge, I dropped down a track into the quarry itself (we'd done scenes from Foreverquest there in the late '90s), & spent quite a while down there, snapping away.
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| We filmed some scenes from Foreverquest here. I played a Catwoman |
Back up at the car park above the quarry it was still misty, but happily this provided further chances of atmospheric pics of the paths & nice trees.
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| Slate & hole in a conifer by Hodge Close pit |
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| The pit cliff edge through the hole I took more pics in Sept '17 ~ see below |
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| This is the hall from the lake. Pic from somewhere on Google |
Clicking done, I had a bite for lunch sitting on one of the massive slate slabs delineating the car park, then wandered around the slag-heaps of slate looking for nice pieces for my garden (see blog The Garden At 171): I got about 20 bits of slate for edging the path & the rockery bit.
After the slate scrimping, I drove home via Coniston, the A590 & the M6.
Re Brathay Hall, I got these 3 pics from Google ages ago & they have been sitting on the (longstanding) draft since then.
The first is the hall itself with Loughrigg Fell & Terrace behind.
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My room in the Loughrigg accom. had been in the trees to the L of the chimney. You can get rooms in the
Hall itself with views of the lake you’d have to hand over a stash of loot for anywhere else in the Lakes!
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| Brathay Hall through the winter trees |
The Chill Swim ~ Coniston Water: September 2015
I didn't have my camera, but I was in the rescue boat all day while brave & hardy souls swam the length of Coniston Water from south to north.
It's nearly 9km long, & most swimmers were wearing wetsuits, but some weren't ~ brrr.
Good job it was September & they had the benefit of water warmed (slightly) during the summer.
I was in a Brathay property on the east side of the lake overnight, & there was a meet at Coniston high school at 0600. We all got togged up in appropriate clothing & life-jackets, grabbed our packed lunches, & set off in the zodiacs etc. to the bottom of the lake.
The slowest swimmers went 1st from 0815 & were at it all day. The fastest set off at 1115 & had swum it by 1400.
I think there were nearly 800 swimmers! ! ! ! & the fastest was a lady called Sophie.
Most of the boats had a 'wave' of swimmers to monitor, & went up & down in the zodiac to either side of the fastest & slowest in their wave until they finished.
I don't remember what time our wave began, but once they passed a certain point, we went & helped with the slowest swimmers - taking one lady to shore at one point because she was unable to continue.
After our 'rescuing' job was done, I set off back home via Torver & Greenodd to the A590 & then the M6 & M55 ~ a 75 mile drive.
Bucket Rattling: Kendal ~ One Saturday in Spring 2016 (I think~don't quote me!)
Sarah had got in touch to see if I could drive up & help.
I got Jools to come too, & we all 3 stood in Kendal Market Square with our fundraising stall & buckets. I have a vague recollection of blowing up balloons to give to passing sprogs & handing out sweets to same.
The fundraising was backed by Furness Building Society who'd pledged money for Brathay if someone opened an account that day (or that week/month. Um?)
I can't recall the exact details & made no special effort to record the event because I didn't expect to be blogging it.
I do remember Kendal's bloody one-way system was a pain in the arse (so nothing new there, then), & having a Costa with Jools before we went for a shop in Kendal, & then going home via Lancaster & having another shop there.
Cake By The Lake With A Swing: September 4th 2016
I remember doing this, & spending a lovely afternoon on the lawn selling raffle tickets & joining in with the swing dancing in the marquee. I spent quite a while dancing by my raffle stall as well - the music just made my feet want to dance: so what's new, eh?
I helped out in various other ways as well, but this far down the line (Feb.2020) with no notes, I haven't a clue what.
It was fun though, & I hope the Brathay Trust got good benefit from it.
The 262 and Cycle Sportives ~ Windermere & the Langdales: June 24th & 25th 2017
The 262 is a cycle event requiring the competitors to ride round Lake Windermere 10 times in 24 hours. It begins one day & ends the next, most cyclists continuing in the dark before crashing for an hour & continuing etc., etc.
The 2 Sportives were the Belter & the Brutal:
Saturday
I got there late afternoon, put my stuff in Lingmore, & helped out a bit at base before getting in a car with Julia & doing an anti-clockwise circuit of the lake. No-one needed help, so once back I had some tea & chatted with various peeps who were there supporting the cyclists. I had an occasional chat to a cyclist, but most of them stopped for only a short while to refuel & go to the loo before heading out again for the next 26 mile lap.
Julia & I did a couple more circuits in the car before she sent me off to bed around 0100. At that point, I think there were only a couple riders left to finish their 10 laps. One was a local bloke.
Here's a bit from the Brathay website about it:
A new record was set for completing 10 road circuits of Lake Windermere on a bike in 24hrs.
Last week (Saturday 24 June) 35-year-old Dean Ware from South Wales finished the course in 16 hours and 45 minutes. Three local cyclists, joining the six who took on the challenge, were Tony Gray, a 58-year-old from Kendal, Chris Woodend, a 48-year-old who lives in Windermere and Tim Woodburn, a 46-year-old from Arnside. The Brathay 262, an ultra-distance cycling event, involved a total ascent of 19,500 feet, the equivalent to cycling up Mount Kilimanjaro, and a distance of 262 miles, the equivalent to a journey from London to Kendal. The course is made up of a mix of B and A class roads with some dedicated cycle paths and lanes. Brathay Event organiser Aly Knowles said: “There’s a lot of interest in technically challenging top end cycling events that take place in stunning settings. The Brathay 262 definitely ticks all of those boxes. The riders faced the unenviable task of staying awake for 24 hours and battling mental and physical exhaustion. In doing so they committed to raise £3,500 to support Brathay’s work with some of the UK’s most vulnerable children and young people”
Sunday
As previously, I was up early for breakfast, but today I was working as well. I was to don a hi-vis vest & help marshal the 2 cycle sportives.
After a meeting in the Kit Room, I drove over Hawkeshead Hill to my spot at the junction of the B5285 & the top road round the east side of Coniston Water: the route would then take them round the south end, then out to Spark Bridge & back between the lakes to Brathay via High Wray.
Here's a description from the Bristish Cycling website:
Brathay Brutal - At 58 miles the Brutal may not be the longest ride out there, but with 6,200 feet of climbing it’s no small effort! With the steeper climbs ranging between 20% and 35% you will certainly have to work for your end of ride meal (which is included, by the way). With views over the Duddon Valley, Coniston Water and Windermere it is sure to be a scenic ride.
Brathay Belter - Building on a combination of our previous route and rides, we bring you a revamped Brathay Belter. Changes to the route following comments from last year result in a 44 mile route with 4,200 feet of climbing, presenting a nice challenge for those looking for a less strenuous ride out than the Brutal.
I was standing in the road until about 1430, & my job was to stop cars going up or down Hawkeshead Hill when cyclists approached the right turn onto the lakeside road. I'd been given a packed lunch, & ate that in bits & bobs all morning ~ despite the bacon butties for brekkers ;-p
A Brathay event car eventually told me all the remaining cyclists had passed & I could go home, so I gave him my hi-vis & travelled back via Torver etc.
RowRunner ~ Lake Windermere: September 18th 2017
Friday
There was an early start, so I went up on the Friday evening, was in a room in Lingmore (down by the gate up to the Hall), & had fish & chips from Ambleside for tea (they were rubbish :-( ).
I tried to get online in the lounge, but there was no signal that far from the Hall itself, & with nowt much else to do, I went to bed fairly early with a sudoku.
Saturday
All the staff & volunteers congregated in the Kit Room at the Hall at 0630 & we were given our jobs for the day.We were also given bacon butties (there were sausage ones as well) & we helped ourselves to coffee & tea from the dining room.
No time for a sit down brekkers this morning.
I was offered some wets, fleeces, wellies & mitts, but I'd come prepared with my lilac K2 ski suit & other kit, so I was sorted.
At the boathouse I helped get the 6 whaleboats in the water & load the various bits of 'rescue kit' into the 3 boats.
This is what the Brathay website has to say about the event:
RowRunner is a fantastic team challenge event for teams of up to 8 people. It is a three peaks event that involves rowing the full length of Windermere (twice!), with team members running up (and down!) the three fells that overlook the lake.
I sent myself notes after the event & see I said it was a row of 20 miles, a total of 3,381 feet ascent for the runners & 15 miles running up & down 3 fells.
The fells are Latterbarrow, Gummers How & Wansfell.
The website also gives this info:
The RowRunner start line is the entrance to Brathay Bay at the north end of Windermere. The course is then:
1: Row to Red Knab on the west shore of the lake.
2: A pair of runners race up and down Latterbarrow.
3: Row to Fell Foot Park at the south end of the lake.
4: A pair of runners race up and down Gummer's How.
5: Row to Brockhole.
6: A pair of runners race up and down Wansfell.
7: Sprint rowing finish to Brathay Bay. Phew ! ! !
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| The teams at Brathay pontoon |
Eventually all the teams were in their boats, so me & my skipper
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| We had the 'official' photographer in our boat at 1st |
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| Skip! |
Re Skip, I had no idea I'd blog my Brathay adventures, so I made no note of names back then.
However, over the years I got to recognise faces & put names to them so I could say hello the next time we met at an event.
However, I never met 'Skip' again.
We lurked at the start, then - after the gun, pootled along with the rowers as far as the jetty at Red Nab.
Two from each team were to run up & down Latterbarrow, while the rowers took a break & imbibed some calories.
Even by this point (barely a sixth of the way through), the whaleboats were fairly strung out.
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| The whaleboats get ready for the start at the head of Brathay Bay |
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| The 1st team arrive at the Red Nab pier |
While we waited, I took a pic
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| I think the lump is Wansfell - lhe last fell |
Rather them than me!
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| The whaleboats are out there at the N end of Windermere |
At Red Nab, the last team were about 10 minutes behind the 1st to arrive, so there was time to
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| A visitor to the Red Nab jetty |
I would explore properly the
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| There is a lovely lakeside walk in those woods |
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| A single autumned tree across from Belle Isle |
As with the rowers, the runners were variously capable, but Skip & I set off with the 1st team to finish the Latterbarrow run, & moseyed on down to the south end of the lake with them, periodically going back north to check on the slower boats, as did the other rescue boat ~ a faster zodiac.
We also had to see them safely round the 'shallows' at the bottom of Belle Isle, & keep an eye open for the ferry.
It was a row of nearly 10 miles to the site of the next run, & I got a few pics on the way down.
Our boat was Really noisy, so we had to shout to converse, but now (in 2020), I have no idea now what we talked about.
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| Gummers How |
It was (probably) well over an hour before Skip & I set off again. Like I said, I took no particular notice at the time, but I know there was quite a gap between the 1st & last boats arriving, & then we had to wait for the runners to go up & down Gummers How: ie about 6Km (I think? I can't find details of the RowRunner route up & down anywhere :-/ )
I don't remember if we set off with the 1st whaleboat, or waited, but in any event, they all had to row back to the Brockhole jetty & do the run up Wansfell (& back).
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| The whaleboats dodge the ferry in the way north |
I was just in time: the cafe was about to close. Cone in hand (a double, of course ;-q ), I had a wander back to the jetty via the gardens, & other than that, I don't remember anything!
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| We follow the 1st boat back into Brathay Bay . . . |
Once the 1st runners arrived back at the jetty & ate/drank after their 9Km run to the top (more than 1500 feet) & back, it was time to escort the leading boat back to Brathay Bay.
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| & go out again in the zodiac . . . |
Shortly after we arrived, so did the zodiac, so Skip & took that out & escorted the
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| to await the last whaleboat home |
last boat home.
The sun was well into the west by this time.
I'd brought a decent(ish) top ~ my All Blacks No. 7 one, so after a shower I went down to the Hall where I discovered I was fairly underdressed for the occasion. Oops!
I ended up on a table with a bloke from BAE Systems - one of the major sponsors, & his wife/gf. She was very glamorous & very friendly so we had a nice chat. The sit-down dinner was very good too. I'd've had seconds if they'd offered ;-q
General post-prandial chat ensued, & it ended up being nearly midnight before I got to bed.
Here's a bit off the net about the 2017 event:
Row and Run for Brathay
Six intrepid business teams have raised money for Brathay by rowing the length of Windermere and running up the three hills overlooking the Lake. We're now looking for six more teams to join us in July 2018 for the next RowRunner event.
This is a bit from a newspaper article
Over £15k has been raised for disadvantaged Furness youngsters by oar-some businesses
This is a bit from a newspaper article
Over £15k has been raised for disadvantaged Furness youngsters by oar-some businesses
Six businesses have raised over £15,000 for disadvantaged Furness youngsters by completing a rowing and running challenge sponsored by BAE Systems Submarines.
The event is a fundraiser for our work with young people in the Furness area. Our fifth Row Runner Challenge, which took place this month (Saturday 16 September), involved teams of up to eight people in traditional whaler boats rowing to the southern end of Windermere and back as quickly as possible. On route each boat must stop to allow a pair of runners to ascend and descend Latterbarrow, Gummer’s How and Wansfell - three fells that overlook the Lake on whose northern shore our HQ is based. Kendal’s Bluefin (insurance) team were first back in eight hours and seven minutes followed by a Centrica team from Barrow who completed the challenge in just under nine hours. Barrow’s BAE systems Submarines were placed third with a time of nine hours and 15 minutes. In fourth place were Associated British Ports, in fifth place were Lombard (finance) and Premier Wealth Management finished in sixth place. Over the course of the challenge the teams rowed 20 miles and their runners ascended 3,381 feet over 15 miles. A team from Kings College Taunton holds the record for completing it the fastest, in seven hours and one minute.
Brathay’s fundraiser Julia Wilson said: “All the businesses have raised an incredible amount of money as a result of their challenge, almost double what they anticipated. It is such good news for Furness youngsters"
Sunday
Breakfast was from 0730 & I went up to the dining room for 8. Consequently, I was baconed up & heading off before 0900. :-))
I had plans to get more slate to edge my path, but also wanted to see Wray Castle up close. I'd often seen it from the lake or the A591 to the east, & had passed signs for it for years, but never been.
Today was the day.
Wray is less than 3 miles from Brathay, so I was there shortly after 0900.
Even so, the car park was already full!
Fortunately, I have a small car, so stuck it up close to a bush & got out for some pics.
Here's some edited Wiki info: Wray Castle is a Victorian neo-gothic building at Claife in the English county of Cumbria. The house and grounds have belonged to the National Trust since 1929, but the house has only recently opened to the public on a regular basis.
The grounds, which include part of the shoreline of Windermere are open all year round and are renowned for their selection of specimen trees: Wellingtonia, redwood, ginko biloba, weping lime & varieties of beech.
Brathay’s fundraiser Julia Wilson said: “All the businesses have raised an incredible amount of money as a result of their challenge, almost double what they anticipated. It is such good news for Furness youngsters"
Sunday
Breakfast was from 0730 & I went up to the dining room for 8. Consequently, I was baconed up & heading off before 0900. :-))
I had plans to get more slate to edge my path, but also wanted to see Wray Castle up close. I'd often seen it from the lake or the A591 to the east, & had passed signs for it for years, but never been.
Today was the day.
Wray is less than 3 miles from Brathay, so I was there shortly after 0900.
Even so, the car park was already full!
Fortunately, I have a small car, so stuck it up close to a bush & got out for some pics.
Here's some edited Wiki info: Wray Castle is a Victorian neo-gothic building at Claife in the English county of Cumbria. The house and grounds have belonged to the National Trust since 1929, but the house has only recently opened to the public on a regular basis.
The grounds, which include part of the shoreline of Windermere are open all year round and are renowned for their selection of specimen trees: Wellingtonia, redwood, ginko biloba, weping lime & varieties of beech.
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| Wray Castle from the east |
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| Ditto |
Between March and October,
Windermere Lake Cruises operate a passenger boat service from Ambleside and the Brockhole National Park Visitor Centre to Wray Castle.
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| Wansfell in the background to the left |
The house was built in 1840 for a retired Liverpudlian surgeon, James
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| I took a few . . . |
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| I didn't know when I'd be back |
After Dawson's death in 1875 the estate was inherited by his fifteen year old nephew, Edward Preston Rawnsley. In 1877, Edward's cousin, Hardwicke Rawnsley, took up the appointment of vicar of Wray Church. To protect the countryside from damaging development, Hardwicke Rawnsley, building on an idea propounded by John Ruskin, conceived of a National Trust that could buy and preserve places of natural beauty and historic interest for the nation. The house has an association with another key player in the National Trust, Beatrix Potter, who spent a summer holiday there when she was 16 in 1882. She bought a small farm in the Claife area, Hill Top, in 1905 with royalties from her first book The Tale of Peter Rabbit. She went on to buy considerable tracts of land nearby, though she never owned the castle itself.
In 1929 Wray Castle and 6 acres (260,000 m2) of land were given to the National Trust by Sir Noton and Lady Barclay. In 2011 the National Trust proposed to lease the property, which had been denuded of its furnishings, for use as a hotel. However, they decided to open it to the public during the visitor season that year. High visitor numbers meant that the property, which in its empty state was particularly child-friendly, had clear potential to be developed as a visitor attraction. In 2014 the Trust applied for retrospective planning permission to change the use of the listed building to visitor attraction.
I decided not to have a look inside: I wanted to get up to Hodge.
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| See above & below for close-ups of the hole & slate |
Once parked I took more pics of the 'slate hole' tree, then had a spot of lunch: I had grabbed an extra bit of bacon & some bread for my lunch ~ even cold bacon butties are not to be sneezed at ;-q.
Plus, I had a couple of uneaten bits from yesterday's lunch bag.
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| The tree was slowly growing . . . |
Post scran, I got straight down to slate collecting, & made several trips with 6 or 7 pieces in my small ruckie each time.
I had a long path at 171 & wanted to line each side with flat (& more or less rectangular) pieces of slate.
I had a long path at 171 & wanted to line each side with flat (& more or less rectangular) pieces of slate.
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| Not sure if the hole was? |
I also found several pieces of attractive slate which was to go on the 'rockery'!
I finished collecting shortly before 2pm, ate my last fruit, & set off home via Coniston, Torver & the A590. It's a longer drive, but avoids the inevitable crawl down the east side ot Lake Windermere & along the A591 behind 'Sunday drivers' & 'Hats' ;-)
Saturday
As I was often walking when the 10 In 10 & the Brathay Marathon took place, this was my 1st.
I left home around 1430, & had an uneventful trip to Brathay, catching sight of 3 of the 10 in 10 runners on my way along the lake between Windermere & Ambleside. I tooted encouragement.
I tried to take a pic of my room - one of the Blencathra rooms on the top floor, but my mob told me there wasn't enough memory to save the pic? ? ?
Duh :-(
I went into Ambleside for a takeaway curry, but like the fish & chips at the 262 in 2017, it wasn't great :-(
Sunday
As usual, breakfast was provided & there was an early meeting in the Kit Room where we were assigned our jobs. Mine was car parking on the big field between the Hall & the lake.
We were all out there before 0800 & the first cars began to arrive almost straightaway.
I spent the day waving cars to their spots, & some of it with big foam hands on. It was sunny all day & I was in shorts.
The 10th of the 10 In 10 marathons began & ended at the front of the Hall, but I didn't notice the start of that, or the start of the ASICS Marathon. By the time they set them off on their circuit of Lake Windermere, I was busy directing cars around the very large field & missed it.
However, during trips up to the Hall for loos & brews I saw a few of the 10 in 10 runners come back in.
Here're a few bits from the Brathay website about the 10 In 10:
In 2007 Sir Christopher Ball suggested that the Windermere Marathon incorporated a 10 marathons in 10 days event. 12 years later, it's one of the "UK's toughest running events".
and
and
26.2 mile anti-clockwise circuit of Windermere, taking in Hawkshead, Newby Bridge, Bowness-on-Windermere and Ambleside along the way. Legendary fell runner Joss Naylor MBE is Patron of the Brathay 10in10. Joss will be on the start line to see all the runners off for their first marathon and returns to welcome them back after running 262 miles over 10 days.
According to the Brathay website, Davey Green, John McCann, Jonathan Carter, Adrian Brooks, Janet Shepherd, Paul Brown, Sean Warburton, Lianne Warren, Mark Haynes, Richard Storr, Gary Wade, Graham Dewar, Richard Rex, David Green, Joni Southall, George Sherriffs, Linda Brewis, Diane Morris & Duncan Evans took part in 2018, & all completed all 10 marathons. Apparently, Paul Brown was the fastest in 2018, running 10 marathons over the 10 days in just over 35 hours (total), & over the years, competiitors have taken more than twice as long as Paul to complete the 10 laps of the lake.
Rather them than me, although I got quite emotional standing near the finish post clapping them home.
The website also says the mean age of the runners in 2018 was 47 years 8 months. Blimey! ! !
There are no pics from me, but here are a couple from the Brathay website, & note the note about the 2nd one. Cool :-D
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| Marathon runners fairly close to Brathay. They would've been more strung out later on |
Those crossing the 2018 finish line will receive a new medal depicting an iconic scene from their route. Kentmere artist George Grange has produced four designs for a series of medals that will be presented to marathon finishers over the next four years. The silver coloured medals fit together to create a scene representing the route. They show Brathay Hall, the picture-perfect start and finish line, and the villages of Hawskhead, Bowness and Newby Bridge.
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| Absolutely awesome medals :-D |
I was at work next day, so left for home shortly after 1630, risking the A591 via Windermere. It wasn't too bad, except for the bit between Windermere & Ings when Sunday drivers held things up a bit.
Saturday
I did Zumba at 1000, then put the weekend's bits in the car & drove up shortly after 1230.
When I arrived, Aly explained what I'd be doing & it was much the same as 2017. I found that this year's 262 included a team of women as well as the usual individuals (who were all men).
I'm not sure how many were in the team, but they called themselves the Spokeswomen.
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| The white blobs are the buildings across the lake at Low Wood |
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| Steve finishes lap 6 |
Each rider had a support group who swung into action each time a rider returned after a lap. This meant there wasn't a great deal for me to do when I wasn't in the car, so I managed quite a few pics with the Nokia.
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| Pete finishes lap 8 |
Aly & I did 2 or 3 laps round the Lake before it got dark, & some of the competitors had completed/nearly completed
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| The women's team head out for their penultimate lap |
According to the Brathay website report, the start had been at 0600
In between the laps in the car, I had some tea & copious brews, chatted to
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| One way to get your bike fixed ~ Hang it on a tree! |
various support peeps, & wandered across the road to the river & took some pics for posterity.
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| My clean plate & the women's team kit area in Old Brathay |
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| Scott captures the women's team setting off for their last lap |
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| Only 26 more miles to pedal |
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| Bridge over the Brathay |
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| Brathay River with the Brathay Hall Lodge on right |
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| Pete's finished ~ literally |
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| Keiran comes in from Lap 9 |
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| Across the fields to Ambleside lights & Wansfell |
Meanwhile, in between the car laps, I got a pic of my accom for the night.
Keiran, who was in
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| My room |
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| Gibbous moon over Brathay |
the lead IRO time, came for a break after his 9th, & set off again after a short pit stop for fuel & loo.
After he had set off for lap 10, & Aly & I were about to do a lap in the car, another lap car came back & said Keiran's light batteries were dying while he was on his way south.
Aly & I caught up to him in the woods north of Graythwaite & he said his spare battery pack was in his bag at Old Brathay.
Unfortunately, we were in a mobile dead spot & couldn't telephone with the info, so just had to drive behind him to light his way until we got a signal. |
| We catch up to Kieran . . . |
With Aly driving, I called base to tell them, & they told us to continue behind Keiran
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| & follow him along the road |
round the lake & another car would bring his pack from the other direction & meet us.
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| Keiran has no lights on his bike & will now follow us in the car |
So off we went, lighting up the road for Keiran all the way to Newby Bridge & a brief jaunt on the
A590. With no lights, it was a good job it was a quiet Saturday night!
Very shortly after we got back onto the road north, we switched places with Kieran & went in front, but it was difficult to see how close he was behind us & keep the way lit for him. Keiran would catch us up on downhill bits & because we couldn't see him properly, we tended to go too fast up hill, so it was very tricky :-/
While we were riding along in front of Keiran, it turned into ~
Sunday
Fortunately, the other car met us coming the other way shortly after midnight & Keiran got
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| I can see Keiran in the wing-mirror, but the mob. can't |
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| Marina lights at Low Wood |
As Aly & I had been out for over an hour, we left the other car to see Keiran safely home, & drove back to the top of the lake.
I got a few pics on the way north.
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| Moon over Lake Windermere just north of Low Wood |
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| Moon between the trees just before bed in Hestead at 10 to 1 |
I eventually put the light out about 1/4 past 2.
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| The view from my room in Hestead |
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| Hestead House |
As usual, having done my bit as a volunteer late into the evening, the Trust provided brekkers as well as a bed for the night.
Also as usual, it was mega :-q
After a breakfast involving a lot of bacon, a sausage & a half, a poached egg, beans, & cups of tea, coffee & cranberry, apple & orange juice, I headed out for Hodge Close.
I had a plan to reccy a route for the HASSRA Ramblers.
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| View across river to Todd Crag from Brathay Hall drive |
On the way down the drive I stopped for this pic.
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| The road to Hodge Close |
At Hodge, I parked at the top as usual, but changed my usual route & went exploring south
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| The stile & gate up towards Holme Fell near Hodge |
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| Taken about 15 minutes later |
The path went up & curved south by a high slate wall, but I saw a small track continuing east, so I went up that.
The next 2 pics were taken on that track.
It was lovely :-)
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| Same path nearer the top . . . |
Unfortunately, it was a bit boggy at the top where there was a field with black bullocks in & 2 small tarns.
The bullocks & tarns explained the boggy, & I did my best to avoid gooey poo (or pooey goo?) for a few minutes ;-p
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| where I found this little tarn |
It was still quite early & I managed a lovely photo of the still waters of the larger tarn.
I later discovered the tarns were disused reservoirs, & I found this winter Wainwright photo on Google.
I walked up to the saddle known as Uskdale Gap & went left to the summit of the Holme Fell ridge for a look at the panoramas.
There were lovely views, but it was too hazy for my Nokia to cope with, so no pics (this time, anyway!)
Back on the saddle I took a quick pic looking back towards the Langdale Pikes (the Wainwright website has loads of great photos), then turned back east & walked down the very shaley/slatey east face of the fell towards Harry Guards Wood & Yew Tree Tarn.
The path down would not be one for a wet day :-/ It was tricky enough as it was, & when I was about half way down I met a family walking slowly up.
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| Looking down to one of the small reservoirs above Hodge Close Pic courtesy of http://www.wainwrightroutes.co.uk/holmefell_r1.htm |
There were lovely views, but it was too hazy for my Nokia to cope with, so no pics (this time, anyway!)
Back on the saddle I took a quick pic looking back towards the Langdale Pikes (the Wainwright website has loads of great photos), then turned back east & walked down the very shaley/slatey east face of the fell towards Harry Guards Wood & Yew Tree Tarn.
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| The view from the Uskdale Gap saddle showing the Langdale Pikes The larger tarn is in front of the trees in the centre |
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| Looking back up the fell |
The 2 kids did not seem very happy about the steep climb up the shale, & had dischuffed faces! As is often the case, the dad was in front, leaving the mum to chivvy the little girl up the hill.
I've just spent ages on Google Images looking for someone's pic of the route down (or up) this path, but couldn't find a thing.
If you want to see, do the walk ;-p
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| The path in Harry Guards Wood |
Just before I hit the trees of Harry Guards Wood, Yew Tree Tarn appeared down to my right, but I was headed in an anticlockwise loop back to Hodge, so cut left once back on the flat & grabbed a quick pic of the Oxen Fell/Holme Fell signpost.
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| Yew Tree Tarn is beneath the Holme Fell arm |
I later discovered my loop was about 4.5 miles, & I had a 'cunning plan'* to reccy a longer route from Skelwith Bridge, via Colwith Force, up Holme Fell from the east, then back down to Elterwater.
I still have to do this as I'd need to start & finish in different places & walking solo with just 1 car makes it a bit tricky - Any offers for help out there?
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| On the A593 a bit further on |
There is a footpath running along by the A593 between Yew Tree Tarn & the crossroad at Smithy Brow. It keeps a wall between you & the road, so I was able to avoid the Sunday drivers on a day out in the Lakes.
At Smithy Brow you can go along various paths via Colwith Force towards Elterwater, but I turned left up the Smithy Brow road & back towards Hodge & lunch at the car.
After that, it was time to go slate collecting again, so I emptied the little ruckie & used it to ferry suitable oblong bits of slate from the heaps to the boot. While I was at it I got this pic of a birch growing
After that, it was time to go slate collecting again, so I emptied the little ruckie & used it to ferry suitable oblong bits of slate from the heaps to the boot. While I was at it I got this pic of a birch growing
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| Birch growing at an angle on the slate heap |
It was unusual, because trees usually grow up, & it's bushes which normally grow perpendicularly to the ground.
Post slate collecting I drove the usual way home at about 2.15.
RowRunner: September 2018
Friday
I arrived at Brathay around 1700 on the 14th, & was told I was in
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| No.11 is the one with the door open |
I had forgotten the Lumix, so all the pics are off the Nokia, & the 1st ones are quick pics of my cute single (en suite) room.
Having had no luck with Ambleside's fish & chip shop or the Indian, I had packed 2 chicken legs & some fresh rolls, so I made chicken butties & washed it down with some vino I'd also shoved in the car.
Pudding was a persimmon & a kiwi fruit, & Brathay provided a kettle with tea & coffee, so I had a bit of a walk round & down to the lake, &
then lay on the bed reading with brews & wine in a mug * till it was time to turn the light out.
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| Mirror, desk, bed, TV, & brew stuff |
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| The view into the bathroom, & the view out of the window |
* but not in the same mug ;-p
Saturday
Breakfast was at 0630 in the Kit Room & we grabbed stuff for a day on a rescue boat. The weather was due to be fine, so there was no need to get togged up in wets, but we shoved them in a bag ~ just in case!
I had already put my overnight stuff in the car. I'd be driving back afterwards as I had a walk with the ramblers the next day ~ an early start!
According to the Brathay website, there were just 3 teams taking part this year.
I had already put my overnight stuff in the car. I'd be driving back afterwards as I had a walk with the ramblers the next day ~ an early start!
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| The Grove team get ready for the off |
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| Lake Windermere: Looking south just after the gun at 0900 |
According to the Brathay website, there were just 3 teams taking part this year.
Scott told me some had pulled out because of a clash with the soccer world cup final. As it was between France & Croatia, I didn't see any reason for English fundraisers to pull out. But they did, & my thoughts are it wouldn't've happened during the rugby world cup.
Anyway, the teams still taking part were from BAE Systems, the Grove Group, & Temple Heelis (solicitors from Kendal, so local to Brathay).
I think the start was later because of the low numbers, & it wasn't long before we pulled into the Red Nab jetty by Bank Barn.
There would be quite a wait for the runners to finish, so I took a few picks & went exploring.
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| I think that may be the jetty & the Latterbarrow hill? Um? |
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| The Bank Barn jetty |
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| (Stunt) Butty giving perspective to the cloud reflections in the lake |
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| The clouds & the reflections |
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| The info-board - it may be possible to zoom in & read the script ? ? ? |
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| Bank Barn is just down the lake from Wray Castle. Brockhole - the 3rd stop is the blue oblong at about 1 o'clock |
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| A couple of RowRunner runners head up to Latterbarrow |
I'd never had a proper look round, or thought to take pics before, so it was pretty interesting.
I couldn't see through the gaps in the doors to Bank Barn, so wandered off up the track, giving a clap to the 2nd set of runners to head off uphill.
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| More info if you're interested |
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| One of the Grove rowers goes for a walk past Bank Barn |
There was a little mound behind the barn with a very ruined building on it in the trees.
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| Mushrooms 1 |
There were also Loads of different types of fungi.
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| Mushrooms 2 |
I took pics, but I have No Idea what all the different ones were called.
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| Mushrooms 3 |
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| Awesome roots |
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| The rowers await the runners by the lake-side |
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| Mushrooms 4 & 5 |
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| Mushrooms 6 |
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| Mushrooms 7 |
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| Mushrooms 8. It's not a flower! |
I had a great time, & would Love to know if any of the fungi would have made a good omelette hehehe :-q
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| Not every rower was a finely tuned athletic specimen |
Back at the jetty, it was soon time to head off south with the 1st team to complete the Latterbarrow run.
I don't remember which one that was: Like I said above, I had no plans to blog my Brathay adventures, so took no notes.
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| Latterbarrow conquered & rowing to Fell Foot |
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| Looking north from about 1/2 way down |
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| There were no Wardens in sight, so we went so fast Scott's hat came off! |
Scott & I motored between the 3 teams, helping them avoid the shallows north of the ferry, & keeping an eye out for the ferry itself.
Here's a snippet from the Cumbria County Council website about it:
Windermere Ferry takes people, vehicles, horses and cycles across the lake. It links the busy eastern shore of the lake and the peaceful countryside between Windermere and Coniston on the west, where there are many attractions and facilities for walking, riding and cycling. It carries up to 18 cars and over 100 passengers.
Windermere Ferry takes people, vehicles, horses and cycles across the lake. It links the busy eastern shore of the lake and the peaceful countryside between Windermere and Coniston on the west, where there are many attractions and facilities for walking, riding and cycling. It carries up to 18 cars and over 100 passengers.
South of that point, the lake was fairly empty (maybe everyone was watching the world cup??), &
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| I'd thought this was going to be gaff rigged, but the bloke said it was a Lugger |
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| The fastest team reaches Fell Foot |
Scott 'put his foot down', but he was careful not to get a speeding ticket on the way down to the next stop at Fell Foot.
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| The little Lugger is nearly ready to go sailing Note the cute terrier in the stern wearing a life-jacket! |
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| There's a little cafe & gift shop inside the old building |
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| The view across the lake from the gift shop cafe |
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| The building was interesting |
I took a few pics of the general 'sailing' activities going on.
Clearly, not everyone thought the soccer was worth staying indoors for ;-)
Inside an old building on the lake side, I found a little gift shop with a couple of tables for a brew & bite, so had a cake & coffee before exploring further.
I haven't been able to find any info about the old buildings at Fell Foot, but they looked like they'd been there a while.
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| Not sure what this nut is, but the leaves looked like maples |
Heading back to the zodiac I noticed a tree with hazlenut shaped fruit & maple/sycamore shaped leaves.
I took a pic, but have no clue what it actually was.
Back at the jetty, the BAE team were first back from the run up & down Gummer's How, so Scott & I accompanied them back up the lake to the ferry crossing & the Belle Isle shallows before nipping back to make sure the other 2 whalers
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| The BAE Systems whaler near Belle Isle (& just off Parson Wyke I think?) |
As it happened we weren't needed - the other rescue boat had it in hand, so we pushed on & overtook BAE well before they got level with Red Nab.
By this time (as usual) the teams were fairly strung out, so there was a substantial hiatus at Brockhole & I went to say hello to some trees once the BAE runners had set off up Wansfell ~ an uphill run of about 4 miles from the jetty.
Then down again, of course, which was possibly worse after hours squidged into a whaler & 2 previous runs up & down fells that day!?
Near the Brockhole gift shop door there was a great tree which looked like a Wellingtonia, & a staff member confirmed this by Email a few weeks later. I also found this info on the Historic England website today (I edited the text a bit):
Gardens laid out by Thomas Mawson, 1899-1904, in collaboration with Dan Gibson who designed the house, with adjoining park and woodland on the shore of Lake Windermere.
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| The Brockhole redwood |
The site which was to become the Brockhole estate originated as fields and patches of woodland. There was no development of the site until 1899 when William Gaddum, a Manchester merchant, had a house built and a garden laid out to designs by Thomas Mawson (1861-1933). The gardens are one of Mawson's early designs and one of the few commissions undertaken during the brief life of his partnership with architect Dan Gibson, who designed the house. This collaborative venture is important and consequently, Brockhole House forms an integral and highly significant part of the designed landscape and indeed contributes to its special historic interest. Following Gaddum's death in 1945 the house was used as a convalescent home. In 1968 the site was acquired by the Lake District National Park Authority as an administrative and visitor centre, in which use it remains (2008).
The principal entrance to the site is from the A591 where there is a set of circular stone gate piers and wooden gates. The gate piers were originally covered in roughcast and the wooden gates are C20 reproductions of the originals which were probably designed by Mawson. A drive leads south-west towards the house which is screened by trees, including a Wellingtonia and pines which are shown as newly-planted saplings on photographs of c1900. The route turns westwards to enter a courtyard in front of the main entrance. Another entrance from the A591, c80m south-east of the first, was created in the late C20 to serve a visitor car park.
Brockhole House stands on a platform on the highest part of the site overlooking the garden and park and enjoying views over the lake. The house was erected 1899-1902 to designs by the architect Dan Gibson, then in partnership with Mawson. The mansion is constructed of stone under pitched roofs of lakeland slate and finished with a white-washed cement render. The east elevation is in Gibson's regionally influenced Arts and Crafts style with asymmetrical gables and flush leaded glass windows. An extension housing a café and shop was built on the north side of the building in the 1990s.
So now I know!
BAE were pretty fast on the run again & extended their lead, so Scott & I set off back to Brathay with them. At this point, I think the Temple Heelis team were just under 1/2 an hour behind & the Grove Group team more than an hour after that.
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| BAE - the 1st boat home |
However, they helped to put their whaler to bed before walking up to the Hall to get ready for some well-earned scran.
Scott & I hung around at the Brathay jetty for Temple Heelis & put their whaler to bed as well, then I went off up to the hall for the 'celebrations'.
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| Shame it was too dull for a decent barby |
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| So we ate in the dining room |
Everyone tucked in & chatted about the day, & the Grove team finally arrived.
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| BAE Systems: the 2018 RowRunner winners |
At some point, the BAE team went back outside for the commemorative photo, & not long after that I went back up to Loughrigg to collect my car.
This time, starting from the Hall, I did take the shorter route via Windermere & Staveley back to the M6, & got home soon enough for a chill in front of the telly & a reasonably early night: I needed to get ready to ramble (with apologies to PJ & Duncan, AKA Ant & Dec ;-p )
Langdale Marathon & Half-Marathon ~ The Langdale Valleys: October 19th 2019
I'd offered to do the RowRunner again, but while I was in Japan for the RWC2019, Ali Young sent me an E to say the new boss of events had decided to manage it with just Brathay staff.
That meant I didn't have to rush up on the 11th when I got back from Japan on the 10th, & also that I'd be able to help with the Langdale Marathon & 1/2 Marathon.
Friday
While I was still in Japan, Ali E'd to say I had a room reserved in Hestead, & I said I'd be there around tea-time.
As it happened, I was a bit late due to a big hold-up on the M6 & having to follow a 'Sunday Driver' between Windermere & Ambleside :-/ & also meant it was dark by the time I got there.
My room was a single & not en-suite this time, & - as I unpacked my small ruckie, I realised I had no toothbrush or hairbrush. Doh!
I settled into Hestead & made my tea & had a chat with a couple of Brathay blokes before going in the lounge to watch Name Of The Rose on the telly.
It was an early start the next morning, so I was up in my cute little single room shortly after 10. Sudoku kept my company for a bit, then it was lights out & a peaceful sleep in the silence of the Lakes :-)
Saturday
Breakfast was at 0630, so I got up at 1/4 past & made my way to the kit-room for a bacon buttie :-q I avoided too much liquid: I was unsure how many rocks/trees there'd be for a rule 10 :-0
However, as it happened, there was a portaloo close by :-)
As well as offers of wets & wellies, we all received our assignments, & I I found that ~ after doing a bit of car parking in the Great Langdale valley, I was to go up to Refreshment Point 1 near Blea Tarn with Matt & 3 other ladies.
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| Dawn breaks over the Langdale Pikes |
Matt said we were to meet the other 3 at 0915 in the car park, & then go up to our Blea Tarn spot & set up.
On the way to the start, I stopped to take a pic of the Langdale Pikes at about 0715, realising it had been over 15 years since I'd last driven down that road.
It had been during our live Dungeons & Dragon role-play day when Rob, Gaz & Dave were playing a dwarf, Paladin & elf, respectively, & I had organised about 20 Budokan members & parents to ambush them in the woods beneath Blea Tarn.
Great fun was had all day, & our 'fights' caused quite a stir with the walkers & Lakes Sunday visitors hehehe :-D
I parked the car in the NT car park ~ which was free until 0900 :-) & grabbed a quick pic as the sun peeped through the trees in the east.
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| Looking back down the Langale valley as the sun cleared the hills |
It was 0725.
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| The registration marquee in a field below the Pikes |
I picked up my packed lunch from the marquee where the runners were to register their presence, & noticed a great crag to the south of the car park field.
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| Side Pike & my (larger than usual) packed lunch |
The map of the route in the marquee suggested it was Side Pike.
I took a pic of it at 1/4 to 8 with lunch as perspective (rather than the usual stunt-bum-bag ;-p)
I took a pic of it at 1/4 to 8 with lunch as perspective (rather than the usual stunt-bum-bag ;-p)
Turning about face, I also got one of the waterfall upthe hill behind the marquee field.
Once up at the Blea Tarn spot, we organised our vehicles & set out the various tables with liquid & calories for the runners.
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| You can see the waterfall fed by Stickle Tarn above the middle window of the Dungeon Ghyll Hotel |
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| Looking up to the saddle above Blea Tarn at 0924. Gmaps does not name the beck?? |
It was still too early for tourists, & the only vehicles passing were the Rangers' Land Rovers.
Here's a bit about the tarn from Wiki:
Pollen analysis shows evidence of elm branches being collected as fodder from 3300 BC and forest clearances occurring from around 3000 to 2000 BC - corresponding with the dates of the Great Langdale axe factory. The nearby Side Pike SSSI was designated in 1977 as one of the few areas in the British Isles where rock demonstrating subaerial volcanic processes are seen. The ignimbrite and tuff rocks there form part of the Borrowdale Volcanic Group.
Blea Tarn is situated in a small hanging valley between Great Langdale and Little Langdale. The tarn itself was shaped by glacial ice moving over the col from nearby Great Langdale, but the ice was cut off as the glacier shrank, leaving "moraines very different from those at the head of the main valley". A carpark for twenty vehicles is sited close to the tarn with an all-ability trail leading around the tarn. The tarn is forested on its western shore with rhododendrons also found there, the other shores being grassland.
Blea Tarn was characterised in 1969 as being low in nutrients and acidic but not having suffered from fertiliser pollution. Brown trout, perch and pike can all be found in the tarn. Blea Tarn was designated a SSSI in 1989 because of its importance for palaeo-environmental studies relating to Devensian & Flandrian times.
Blea Tarn was characterised in 1969 as being low in nutrients and acidic but not having suffered from fertiliser pollution. Brown trout, perch and pike can all be found in the tarn. Blea Tarn was designated a SSSI in 1989 because of its importance for palaeo-environmental studies relating to Devensian & Flandrian times.
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| Fellow volunteers setting up our refreshment table at 10 past 10. Pic looks south towards Hollin Crag & the Little Langdale valley |
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| The 1st runner comes over the saddle behind the 'lead-car'. It was 1/4 to 11 & when he passed us, he was well ahead. |
I actually took a load more pics, but stupidly managed to delete them: I am a doofus!
Obviously, we only saw the 1/2 marathon runners once, but the last pic of the day was of the final 3 who were doing the full marathon.
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| The last 3 runners on the full marathon |
As they headed towards us, it was 5 past 1 & they had >10 miles left to run :-(
Much rather them than me!
Here's some info from the Brathay website:
Here's some info from the Brathay website:
Hosted in the heart of the Lake District the runners follow an anti-clockwise course from Great Langdale to Little Langdale and on to the picturesque hamlets of Skelwith Bridge and Chapel Stile. Climbing up to Blea Tarn (twice!) and Foulstep (twice!) the course is recognised as the toughest road marathon in UK. However, the stunning mountain scenery will surely take your mind off the effort.
Once those runners had passed, we packed up all the tables & remaining refreshments, & I headed home via Little Langdale, Colwith & Coniston. On the way up the hill on Foulstep I passed several competitors, so gave them a toot & a cheer on their way.
The Christmas Pudding 10K: December 7th 2019
Ali got in touch after the marathon to say they were short of help, so ~ as I'd decided not to go up to Scotland & house-hunt, I said I'd do a day helping out at the Xmas Pud run.
Ali put me on Registration to start & then a stint Marshalling at Wainwrights pub in Chapelstile: that's about 3.5Km from kick-off in the field at Dungeon Ghyll.
As before, the Brathay website provided some info.:
A 10k course through the beautiful Great Langdale valley. The Langdale Christmas Pudding run has become a popular event to start the festive season. With over 1000 entered at its peak, the race appeals to all who enjoy the fun side of running. Every finisher gets a Christmas Pudding and many runners dress in festive costumes - all adding to the party atmosphere.
Friday
It would be another early start, so Ali kindly arranged for me to stay in Hestead again on the Friday night, & I drove up ready to get my tea & put my feet up in front of the telly by 1800.
I was in the nice little single room again (shoulda taken a pic because this may be my last session at Brathay??), & I'd brought tea with me like I had in October (it saved getting in the car & going to Ambleside for a crap curry or shite fish & chips!).
I also brought the rest of the Jam Shed shiraz I'd started the night before ;-q
Saturday
At 0730 the next morning we all met in the Kit Room again, & ate our bacon barms while various peeps got their instructions. I'd be with AlyK in the Registration marquee, & it turned out she was leaving Brathay for a job closer to home.
Ali got in touch after the marathon to say they were short of help, so ~ as I'd decided not to go up to Scotland & house-hunt, I said I'd do a day helping out at the Xmas Pud run.
Ali put me on Registration to start & then a stint Marshalling at Wainwrights pub in Chapelstile: that's about 3.5Km from kick-off in the field at Dungeon Ghyll.
As before, the Brathay website provided some info.:
A 10k course through the beautiful Great Langdale valley. The Langdale Christmas Pudding run has become a popular event to start the festive season. With over 1000 entered at its peak, the race appeals to all who enjoy the fun side of running. Every finisher gets a Christmas Pudding and many runners dress in festive costumes - all adding to the party atmosphere.
Friday
It would be another early start, so Ali kindly arranged for me to stay in Hestead again on the Friday night, & I drove up ready to get my tea & put my feet up in front of the telly by 1800.
I was in the nice little single room again (shoulda taken a pic because this may be my last session at Brathay??), & I'd brought tea with me like I had in October (it saved getting in the car & going to Ambleside for a crap curry or shite fish & chips!).
I also brought the rest of the Jam Shed shiraz I'd started the night before ;-q
Saturday
At 0730 the next morning we all met in the Kit Room again, & ate our bacon barms while various peeps got their instructions. I'd be with AlyK in the Registration marquee, & it turned out she was leaving Brathay for a job closer to home.
There were 6 of us in the tent because there were >900 numbers to give out.
Gollygosh! :-0
Gollygosh! :-0
The system worked well, with lists of numbers with names & lists of names with numbers, & although it was initially slow, soon we were inundated with runners & the time flew by.
I managed a couple of pics before the rush started - see captions, & Ali gave me some posh laminated instructions for my Marshalling stint.
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| Organisation happening just after 9am Aly is in the middle, but not sure who the chaps are |
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| More organisation ;-) I had been in the field to the left of the white van at the beginning of the marathon in October |
I would be going straight home once the sweep car had passed me at the pub, so I arranged to give my hi-viz vest & Santa hat to Scott & Andy at the next checkpoint along.
Someone said Scott looked like Buzz Lightyear,
Someone said Scott looked like Buzz Lightyear,
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| The man in the lead & my view at Wainwrights |
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| Terry's Chocolate Orange? Always a good stocking filler! |
At about 10 to 12, Aly said I should make my way to the pub, so off I went, & I just had time for a Rule 10 at the pub before the first runner ran by. I managed a blurred pic: you can see the rain had set in by this time!
The following 20-30 runners followed quite quickly, then the 'costumes' ran by: the 1st being a man in a bright orange blow-up suit ~ see pic.
No idea what he was dressed up as??
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| Reindeer & elves etc., run the 10K |
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| A wave from a Santa |
Most of the rest were in 'Christmassy' costumes or dressed as characters from Pantomimes, plus, there was at least one Pirate, so instead of saying "Ho Ho Ho" & wishing them Merry Christmas, I said
"Yo Ho Ho" & "Ooo Arrh, me Hearty" :-))
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| It must've been baking in that bear suit - despite the rain |
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| The final 2 runners pass my post at Wainwrights, Chapelstile |
Driving home from Elterwater I went via Windermere again, & on the approach to the M6 I got a funny sensation in my nose, & then a sweet taste: I'd had a spontaneous nose bleed. Yikes!
I was in the outside lane to go right & south onto the M6 & I couldn't pull over safely, so I grabbed a tissue & kept going.
It made me wonder whether any one else had ever driven down the M6 with a nosebleed. The flow eventually stopped (south of Lancaster :-/ ), & I thanked the gods for my bumbag with the tissues in!
Well, that's it so far. I am planning to move to Scotland from Blackpool at some point in 2020, so I don't know if there'll be any other Brathay adventures.
OAO
I was in the outside lane to go right & south onto the M6 & I couldn't pull over safely, so I grabbed a tissue & kept going.
It made me wonder whether any one else had ever driven down the M6 with a nosebleed. The flow eventually stopped (south of Lancaster :-/ ), & I thanked the gods for my bumbag with the tissues in!
Well, that's it so far. I am planning to move to Scotland from Blackpool at some point in 2020, so I don't know if there'll be any other Brathay adventures.
OAO
