Haematology to Ullswater!

As my wife and I waited patiently for my appointment with the Consultant, already half an hour late at 9.45, a group of gallant climbers were scaling the dizzy heights of 'Gummers How' overlooking Windermere.

The arrangement with my eldest daughter and family was that after my appointment we would drive up the M6 to Penrith, do a left and left again and meet at the National Trust site of Aira Force, a lovely waterfall on the shores of Ullswater.

They meanwhile, would, if they survived the climb, travel along the eastern shore of Windermere and then from Bowness head over the Kirkstone Pass, into Patterdale and thence to Aira Force to meet up with the illustrious grandparents.

'Skimmers' from the beach

Best laid plans and all that...when got to Aira Force the car park was full, so we speedily  changed our plans and met at Glenridding where we had some refreshment. We would then try to find somewhere that would interest my two grandsons ie., a beach by the lake.

Can't beat getting your feet wet!

Serious dam building.

This we were fortunate in doing and it was where we parked on the shore of Ullswater, at Glencoyne Wood, that William Wordsworth was inspired to write possibly the most famous lines of poetry in the English language: 'I wandered lonely as a cloud, That floats on high o’er vales and hill, When all at once I saw a crowd, A host of golden daffodils, Beside the lake, beneath the trees, Fluttering and dancing in the breeze'. Perfect!

Taking shape.

The boys built a dam and I, being the elder statesman, supervised operations!

The steamer passes by

The proud foreman and the completed dam!

We then travelled on to Aira Force where there were now a few parking spaces and our daughter's clan climbed up to the waterfall while my dear wife and I sat on a bench and scoffed an ice cream!

Cor! That looks good!

What is more, while we were there a beautiful Morgan in pale blue metallic drove through the car park whose driver was of course hailed by yours truly!

What a wonderful time we had...you can't beat time with your offspring and theirs.

After the waterfall we travelled on to a pub to spend the night, but the less I say about that the better!