Number Seventy News » Walks

Scarborough’s Winter Delights

John — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 14:25:40 +0000

Basically, these boil down to the beach, the sea and a good fish and chip lunch. And in winter the light is low and interesting and the beach uncrowded.

Walk !

John — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 16:30:09 +0000

Walk ! is the title of a new book by Colin Speakman whose poetry book I mentioned in a post on 17 September this year. Colin is an occasional poet but spends much more time promoting walking and the enjoyment of the countryside on foot, preferably by using public transport to get there.

Rather lazily, I suppose, I had assumed that our heritage of footpaths and bridleways had somehow survived through the ages with any disputes being resolved locally. I knew about big events like the Kinder Scout trespass but hadn’t realised in any detail the long struggle through the 19th and 20th centuries to maintain the historic network. So Colin’s book was an eyeopener in many ways, not least the chapters on the Romantics and their heirs. Distant though he may be in time, his poetic prose in this, and of course the poems in his book, “Dune Fox” make him one of their descendants too. The book deserves to be widely read by the non-converted.

Stolen Hours in London

John — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 17:19:33 +0000

Having to go to London for work sometimes involves a quick there and back but whenever I can I like to tag on something for myself. This time, by getting an early train I had time to nip to the V & A to see the 50 Years of Private Eye exhibition. It’s quite small, two rooms off the Asian Sculpture, but is quite fascinating, with one wall covered with a display of Ian Hislop’s favourite covers and the others containing framed originals from all the many cartoonists who have submitted to the magazine, including Rushton, Steadman and Birdsall from the earlier years. Also some of the writs and letters from various worthies and their solicitors who found themselves offended by the Eye’s revelations of what they had been up to. Keep up the good work.

Behind the V& A and the Brompton Oratory there is a wonderful collection of Mews terraces — doubtless nothing for sale under a million, but well worth delving into the maze of little streets and alleys between the Brompton Road and Hyde Park Gate to find what I always think are the most interesting bits of London — the back ways.

To get to the work appointment I had time to walk through Hyde Park — just about at the peak of Autumn loveliness with leaves turning on the trees and carpeting the ground. On the Serpentine one could still hire a pedalo (if one wished — I hadn’t time) and there were a small number of the traditional features around the rest of the park — horse riders on Rotten Row, nannies and their charges, though in fold-up push chairs now rather than the prams of yesteryear, and the Household Cavalry trotting back to barracks after the Changing of the Guard.

Another Day at the Seaside

John — Sun, 11 Sep 2011 16:47:01 +0000

The summer season sees a half-hourly bus service between Scarborough and Whitby during the day, which connects well with trains at Scarborough, so enabling a very pleasant journey to Robin Hood’s Bay. Coffee in the lounge of the Victoria Hotel revealed the bay and the sun over Ravenscar. The tide was out, which allowed a leisurely walk

along the beach as far as Boggle Hole, studying shells, rock pools and the horizon along the way. The sun appeared, strengthening as the tide came in.

There was a bit of choice as to where to have lunch but the Bay Hotel, right beside the slipway proved a good choice. Four drinkable ales and a menu of good quality pub grub (weighted towards the fishy), though the salad garnish, as is quite common, was a little tired.

Afterwards, we ambled up and down the multitude of alleys and steps which rise up either side of the steep little valley in which the village lies. At least half of the houses are holiday cottages but it’s all very nicely kept up and presumably a year round clientele helps keep open the 3 pubs, the cafes, the shops and post office, and the chippy.

We had a really good day-trip and thought we might try to do the same at all seasons. We’ll see what comes of that.

Higher than Menwith Hill

John — Mon, 16 May 2011 19:42:00 +0000

Fortunately, the National Trust realises that you can’t stop people climbing on Brimham Rocks, unlike the spoilsports at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park (see below). I’d never been to this natural phenomenon before — huge naturally sculpted rocks, bigger than Henry Moore, more daring than Goldsworthy. And the views ! Across the Nidd valley and slightly lower there are the unimaginative white multi-sized balls sheltering the dirty tricks at Menwith Hill; but then to the East spreads out the whole of the plain of York, from the White Horse above Kilburn to the towers of Ferrybridge. Pity the visitor centre was closed or we’d know all about the geology too.

On t’Moors

John — Sat, 16 Apr 2011 19:30:42 +0000

A really pleasant day out — bus to Pickering, then to inspect the wonderful medieval wall paintings in the church. There’s St George, St Christopher, St Edmund (not Sebastian in spite of being porcupined with arrows) the mouth of Hell and of course crucifixion and resurrection. I’m sure J.L. Carr had these in mind when he wrote his masterpiece novella “A Month in the Country”. And on to the North York Moors railway, where 9F 92214 waited to take us North. For some reason (possibly to do with permissions on the Whitby branch), we changed engines at Levisham, being taken forward behind a black 5 and its distinctive hooter. Moors landscape delightful — primroses, wood anemone, wood sorrel, celandine and lambs in abundance. At Grosmont S15 825 (30825) awaited with the next train to Pickering.

Not for us, however, as we set off up the path to Goathland, where 825 soon overtook us.

A severe drizzle then began, so we were very glad to drop into the Birch Hall pub at Beck Hole where a glass of Black Sheep and a cup of tea (respectively) cheered us up and allowed the rain to pass over. Great to see how successful this tiny pub now is, being chosen by the local CAMRA branch as pub of the year two years running. Before we left Beck hole 92214 stormed past up the challenging climb to Goathland.

We took the longer route into Goathland, over the hills towards Mallyan Spout.

At Goathland, 825 came storming up from Grosmont and delivered us on time at Pickering, running into the far platform and allowing this shot as she ran forward to run round. A good day out.

Over the Hills and Not So Far Away.

John — Sun, 14 Nov 2010 18:57:20 +0000

Crossing the hills to the west of Sheffield from Loxley to Hathersage and back — a switchback ride on wildly twisting roads, magnificent views at every corner, some improbably white sheep, an improbably large number of alpacas corralled in an alpaca farm, autumn coming to an end as the last leaves hang on a few days yet. The Vale of York has its charms but the abrupt hills and deep valleys of South Yorkshire and Derbyshire are a cyclists paradise. (Though as one gets older, more of the hills would end in pushing the bike, I feel.) And small towns like Hathersage seem to have more than enough tea shops to reward one’s efforts. Divine apple-cake in Elliots.

Sunny Gardens in Auld Reekie.

John — Mon, 18 Oct 2010 17:29:55 +0000

Quick trip to Edinburgh — where I always comment on the transformation since 1966 when I first visited. so many good places to eat. Pubs lmost welcoming. A mosque. Revisited a few old haunts round George Square and the Meadows. Royal Infirmary changed utterly into flats, shops, hotel. Grassmarket the centre of outdoor life — gone the homeless spike of yore. And the elephant cafe — service pachydermous but a fine view of the Castle out of the windows.

But th e real reason ws to see the Impressionist Gardens Exhibition. Really interesting, starting just before the main Impressionist era. And then pictures arranged thematically, showing how diffferent artists treated similar subjects. A riot of horticulture. Well worth the trip.

Great Days — though Damp !

John — Mon, 18 Oct 2010 17:22:25 +0000

So long since we’d been to the Lakes but at last we made it again. In the rain, obviously, on the first day, but that meant Sour Milk Gill was a spectacular slash down the hillside and the stepping stones near Goody Bridge were under a swift glassy slide of water.

But the next day the rain held off — glorious walk up Far Easedale to the old county boundary then back along the ridge to Helm Crag. Colours wonderful.

Astonishing palette, from the bracken close to, through the purple hillside to the subtle greys of the clouds and more distant hills.

The ridge was harder going, a cool breeze and wisps of mist floating across.

But Grasmere itself had a winsome beauty in the rain.

Wensleydale

John — Sat, 19 Jun 2010 16:30:47 +0000

The Yorkshire Dales on a sunny day. Orchids, curlews, lambs etc etc. Looking out over the dale from a high field above West Witton — Castle Bolton to the NW, Preston under Scar to the N, West Witton below. Patches of hawthorn, barns with red doors. Peace.