THE THINGS I DO FOR FAME AND FORTUNE (23/08/11)

  We are a couple of miles or so from the old buses I posted on whilst England was burning. PHIL GATES  he posts CABINET OF CURIOSITIES inspired me to visit.

Last time I was in the area I got distracted by old charabancs. I noticed this word is in danger of being removed from the English dictionary so decided to use it. I’ll use again in upper case CHARABANCS. A lovely word! This time although I didn’t make the nature reserve in Smardale I did have a wonderful wander. I usually go for a stroll or two in a new place………..saves lugging all the gear to no good purpose. Looking critically at my posts. The equipment is rarely carried to good purpose. You suffer, I enjoy! I have fun.

The good news, I have internet the bad… Is it slow? Slow I thought the lap top had lost it’s marbles or whatever it has inside……NO!……it’s BT Open Zone costs a tenner a day and is a right royal rip off. I usually use 3G and when in range it is great. Nine times out of ten I get a signal. The maps above I timed for download. Thirty five minutes. I purchased snail-mail. Thanks BT. You don’t improve. British Telecom it stands for…………Bloody Tossers it means. If they had any conscience they would call themselves UBT. The ‘U’ for useless.

Bet you think I’ve no pictures. I have hundreds………….no good ones but I have loads. Enough to give a flavour of the area. It’s not all old charabancs.

This window was the first thing to take my fancy. It’s in a barn!  I doubt it was pilfered as there are three more identical. There was money in wool in those days. It’s worth a click to enlarge it.

The lintel over this door is or was very smart…..it could have been nicked from an Abbey.

This barn looks German to me or American of course. Most likely the work of prisoners of war in the last global conflict. German POWs…the USA were on our side…We forgive friendly fire…Have to!………..It’s beautiful. I’ll get out with a tripod and catch it in early morning light.

Smardale Bridge…on a bit of a tilt, I did straighten it but nor properly…it provide dry passage over Smardale Gill…………a grand Yorkshire name for a stream. We are in Cumbria they must have stolen the term.

On we plodded up onto the disused railway or it’s track bed. I suspect the flowers blooming in this old lime kiln are Fireweed.I hope so it would be an apt place to find them.

The Lime Kilns. these are found all over limestone areas. They produce quick lime, vary in size and have been around since the Romans came here.

We wandered on. Eventually,  after driving the marauding natives off with a pointed stick, we made the other side of the viaduct. You know I’m joking. We are on the Yorkshire Cumbria border not in Northumberland. Northumberland every footpath is an assault course that would test a Royal Marine, every land owner an absentee who employs thugs to prevent the ingress of peasants. Here the natives are friendly.

Some bridge……………Smalldalegill Viaduct. Such slender elegant pillars. A work of art.

Now we hit uncertain territory. An Early Purple Orchid that I caught a little late. Perchance it is a late or almost late Early Purple Orchid. There again…. happen it’s something else.

    I need help. There were hundreds of these. More than there are midges in Glencoe…………..I first thought Argus. I have settled on Woodland Ringlet. They were feeding on, what I hope is, Ragwort and also Common Scabious, if that’s the small one. No woods around here though there is the odd tree.

  This is a heather of some sort. The hills are alive with the blossom so I’ll do pictures when I’m up in the hills this weekend.

I have loads more but the pictures are rubbish…………..worse than these. So tomorrow, weather permitting we’ll be out in early light for some entertaining snaps.

All go Awww! I’ve pulled a tendon in my leg again. It’ll mend. Beautiful weather here.

The chances of BT being able to post this before it times out are slim. I’ll give it three or four goes. I have done and can’t even get my money back. Bunch of thieves. I got good enough access to pay on line. I’m going to have a serious go at them.

All the best.