Happy Anniversary

Forty eight long years ago on my wedding morning, I was awakened at 6.30 am by my apologetic newsagent father who told me that I would have to get out of bed to complete a newspaper round, because one of the Deliverers hadn't turned up!

I was delighted!!!! Anyway the rest of the day went well and as my lovely wife has put up with all my many foibles throughout the whole period, I decided that this year we would go away for our Anniversary and for once she wouldn't have to do any cooking.

A very murky Windermere

We decided that we should visit an hotel that has been recommended to me regularly by an old business acquaintance, the 'Gold Rill' in Grasmere, Cumbria,www.goldrill.co.uk, some 60 miles away from home.

The Gold Rill Hotel

View from our bedroom window

The wonderful spell of weather that we had enjoyed for most of September had changed for the worse and so it was with some surprise that a couple of days of good dry weather was forecast for our night away, which meant that we could go in the Morgan.

Grasmere Church and the Wordsworth family graves in the churchyard

We set off in glorious sunshine which we enjoyed until entering the Lake District National Park, when the sky became overcast but thankfully dry and it was top-down all the way, indeed it remained down for the whole period.

The River Rothay, Grasmere

We have been visiting the Lakes since childhood but it is always lovely to return and reaquaint ourselves with its many charms. So we spent a lovely afternoon with the large weekend crowds looking around Grasmere village, visiting the church, the Wordsworth graves in the churchyard and 'Sarah Nelson's celebrated Grasmere Gingerbread shop' www.grasmeregingerbread.co.uk

Reflections

Later, having checked in to our hotel, we walked along the road skirting the western shore of the lake, meeting countless fellwalkers returning from the peaks, before returning for a swift G&T or two before dinner. Prudently, we never have our evening tipple before 6pm, but our well established policy is, that regardless of the actual time, it is always 6 o'clock somewhere!!!!

Towards our hotel with Helm Crag (Lion and the Lamb) on left in distance. This was the scene of a mighty family climbing expedition in the 70's.

 

 

After a beautiful evening meal and wholesome breakfast, we said our farewells and drove to meet friends of ours in the village of Finsthwaite near Lakeside, Windermere, travelling via Tarn Hows, a beauty spot that we hadn't visited for years.

The Langdale Pikes in the distance

Tarn Hows

Our final assessment of the hotel is that it is a lovely place to stay, although we both commented that, even allowing for our advanced years, we felt that we were too young to be there! The staff are wonderful and the food exceptional although an uplift to the existing smart, though somewhat dated, decor would improve the place immensely.