A fool at one end....

 ....and a worm at the other!!

Well in my case it was a fly at one end and me at the other,  although you can't call someone a fool for enjoying scenery like this,  which I have done for the last 5 hours.

                   Barnsfold reservoir in the Bleasdale Fells with Beacon Fell on the left.

Problem was that it was too hot both for the fish and me....30+ degrees and as fly fishing involves quite a lot of walking the heat was troublesome for an old beggar like me.

                                                              Parlick Fell in the distance.

Ah well, it was lovely but I do wish that the trout had been a bit more cooperative!

Very, very hot !!

The prospect of an ice cream on Fleetwood's lovely promenade was too good to miss.

It is lovely living by the sea,  although a house in Norfolk by the river,  with a motor cruiser tied up at the bottom of the lawn might be of interest!....and I suppose it would be lovely to be closer to our family.

Anyway, off we went,  negotiating a new roundabout that the County Council in its wisdom have constructed at a cost of millions no doubt and something that in my opinion was not needed, but their efforts have resulted in an absolute confusing horror with inadequate signage etc. There is definitely going to be an horrific accident there soon.

Anyway,  we got through it again after much mental contortion as to which lane was the appropriate one to take and made our way to Fleetwood.

                          Training for Mariners studying at the Nautical College, on the boating lake.....

This is a former thriving fishing port and ferry terminal and a place that, before the axe man Beeching imposed his devastating changes to the rail system had a wonderful Victorian Railway Station which was demolished years ago.  The name of the nearby hotel, 'The North Euston. gives the game away as being the departure point for rail passengers travelling on the ferries to the Isle of Man and Ireland.

                                                       ....and the inevitable 'crabbers'!

However, Fleetwood, although a little tired now and requiring a major benefactor to inject a large amount of money into it,  it is a place with outstanding Georgian buildings and much history...and with the best view of the Lakeland mountains across Morecambe Bay.

Great ice cream too,  an absolute must on a day like this!

60 Years on!!.....

 ......and here I am building a simple balsa rubber powered model from the Vintage Model Company in Buxton.  They do a huge range of their own designs and also the kits that old fossils like me used to build by such manufacturers as 'Frog' and 'Keil Kraft'.

Anyway, the deviation from model boat building during the present crisis was brought about by the fact that my two grandsons in Surrey have a wonderful area of open grassland that I thought would be ideal for flying a model plane.

So the idea was born and the prospect of trying my hand at building one gathered momentum.....the prospect of retrieving the aircraft,  if it does fly, does not fill me with much confidence however!  but theirs are young strong legs and they can do the 'donkey work'!

The pictures show the end result,  a beginners model and I can't wait to give it a try. 

I shall certainly be building another just for me...probably a First World War biplane.

Along with our Morgan which offers great fun and plenty of picnic opportunities,  these additional hobbies do offer some respite in these crazy times!

My other lovely grandson has just taken ownership of a fishing rod to compensate for not being particularly interested at this time in a model aircraft.

Llaut

Well,  that's another 'Lockdown' project finished.

First planking

On this occasion, out of the boatyard has emerged a Llaut boat,  a fishing and pleasure vessel of a type found predominantly in the harbours and marinas of the Balearic Islands.

Further progress

From an Italian manufacturer it has taxed my patience at times but the result is not too bad but would not compete well against real professional competition.

Sailmaking!!

However,  that is not the point. It has allowed me to avoid the deepest depths of depression in the present dismal circumstances and will be an ever present reminder of happy days looking at boats in Majorca and Minorca.

Finished!

I  will give boat building a miss for a little while and perhaps concentrate on the Morgan, the Volvo and gardening....plus increasing the amount of walking I do.

Pride of place in the front window.

Good picnic ruined!!

On a day that we knew would have temperatures soaring to 30 degrees or so,  the idea of a picnic was a definite consideration.

My dear wife who is excellent at conjuring meals or picnics from nothing, filled our little basket and two more containers with goodies comprising amongst other delicacies, two lovely pork pies and a bottle of Rioja Rose....I should add that we only had a small glass each!

Ready for off.

Anyway the Morgan was loaded up and off we went with great hope in our hearts,  picking up some fuel on the way.

The target once again was Littledale on our friend the Duke of Westminster's estate,  indeed our spot overlooks his grouse moor, where on the glorious 12th August the little road that leads up the fell will be crowded with Range Rovers carrying extremely wealthy individuals and their expensive guns.

Whether or not that will take place this year with this blasted virus goodness knows!

Coffee time

Well,  we arrived,  set up shop with table and chairs and I settled back to read my Telegraph, while Helen poured our coffee and served the 'choccy'  biscuits. Oh boy! It was heavenly, the peace being broken only by the calls of curlew and lapwing....then it happened!

A small vehicle  parked almost alongside us, whose occupants appeared even older than us,  wound their windows down, switched the radio on and destroyed the intense peace of the occasion. It was one of these ghastly commercial radio stations which are not appreciated by us!!

We endured it for a while and then we decided to pack up and move on.

We have never seen the Trough of Bowland so crowded, with four cars occupying our normal favoured spot with, amongst other individuals, a grossly overweight woman with skirt tucked in her knickers paddling in the river.

Overlooking the River Hodder

It was not for us,  so on we drove until we did finally find a spot where we could relish our pies and sup our Rioja.

This is all a result of Covid19,  as normally in midweek we oldies would find ourselves virtually alone and all those crowds we saw today would be either at work or school.

As the temperature soared it became a bit too hot for us and we drove back home for a welcome cuppa and a bit of peace!!! The day could have been much better!! 

First picnic of the year!

Normally we would have been at this very spot, one of our favorites, probably 8 weeks ago but due to the 'Lockdown' we had to wait.

Relaxing by the river

It was great to be back,  the weather was scorching,  the Morgan running well,  the birds singing, including a cuckoo and all was lovely with our world....except that for the whole population that isn't true at this time!  But it was super to get back to something approaching normality.

What a wonderful way to spend a few hours and this spot is just 25 minutes from our home.

Second 'Lock Down' project

Following the completion of 'Palamos' I decided to build another model, this time of a Spanish 'Light Boat',  the sort you may have seen fishing at night in Mediterranean climes.

First planking

First planking complete and deck fitted

Second planking (veneer) started

Second planking complete

Painting starts

Finished!

The stern with buoys, gas cylinder, bait tub and bucket etc.

The bow showing anchor and basket for the catch.

What am I going to tackle next?.....That is the question!!!!