So, when Tricia and Ellie started watching a programme about sewing, I felt compelled to leave the room… and thought I would take the opportunity to blog. Having enjoyed a 4 day weekend with the Easter break, I looked forward to another one. On Friday Tricia and I left for the Peak District with our friends Pat and Clive. Clive was driving, and Tricia was map reading, so Pat and I were consigned to the back of the car… where we occupied ourselves with taking the mickey out of Clive and Tricia as they discussed / disagreed over the merits of different routes. We arrived in Ashbourne around 1pm, and parked up. A splendid lunch, was followed by a walk around the town. Then onto Dovedale, where we enjoyed a splendid walk along the river Dove… It was very cold, but dry. So a few layers were required to be outside, but the walk was splendid, cutting through Dovedale. There was still some snow on the hills, and the scenery was fantatstic. At the end of around 4 miles we even had an ice cream. It was then into the car, and off to our B&B. It was good to find that this lived up to the pictures and description. After a cup of tea and unpacking it was off to the local pub for a meal. The meal was ok, but marred somewhat when one of the customers got something caught in his throat… a nurse who happened to be in the pub helped the man, but in the end an ambulance was called. We hope everything was ok in the end. Back at the B&B, it was off to bed…. and I certainly slept well. Some pictures… the driver and the map reader. Then some of Dovedale.

Up on Saturday, and after a good breakfast, Pat, Clive and me surprised Tricia by putting on our ‘Tricia’s Tours’ t-shirt, which she found hilarious. Tricia normally keeps us organised with a busy itinery when we do these trips, she finds the B&B’s etc, and so we have come to calling them Tricia’s tours. Then we were off to Buxton. A splendid old Victorian town. We walked around, did a bit of shopping, took in the waters, and visited the ‘Devonshire Dome’ … apparently at one time the world’s largest unsupported dome. Then off to the Blue John Cavern, one of the show caverns in the Castleton area, and we went down around 350 feet. A very good guide kept us informed, and made us laugh… When we emerged it was in to the car and off to Bakewell, it was about 3pm by now, and we hadn’t had lunch, so we had afternoon tea… a scone and a proper bakewell pie.. The weather by now was quite warm (comparatively to how it has been for the last few months anyway), we visited a few shops, including Rohan which specialises in outdoor wear, ann Clive loves their clothing. I was interested in some walking shoes similar to those Clive had, but they didn’t have my size. Tricia was interested in some gloves that have little heaters in them… but they were too big. But she did buy a shirt, and Clive bought something, so not a wasted visit. Some more pics… the B&B, some snow drifts, Tricia and Clive with a glass of bubbly after a walk, then me, Pat and Clive in our Tricia Tour t-shirts.

It was then back to the B&B, 10 minutes for ‘comfort breaks’ and we were then off again. The B&B overlooked a lovely valley (Cressbrook Dale) and we went off to explore. Across the river, we then walked up to an old railway line, which is now used for cycling and walking, and known as the Monsal trail. We walked through two tunnels on what was the Buxton to Bakewell line, before coming out by (above) Litton mill. We descended the side of the hill, back over the river, and then alongside the river gradually back to the B&B. Probably abvout 3 miles, perhaps more, but the weather was lovely, as was the walk. The tunnels were great, snow had drifted quite a way in, and there was some interesting icicles formed along the tunnel wall. Coming back along the river we had plenty of sun. Back in the B&B it was a glass of bubbly, before going to the Bulls Head at Ashford-in-the-Water. A country pub, very friendly, and brilliant well priced food. We enjoyed our meal so much, we booked in for the Sunday evening as well. All the walking and fresh air took its toll, as we were all back in the B&B and in bed by 10.

Sunday started with a good breakfast again, before we set off for the Heights of Abraham. It is a hilltop park on top of Masson Hill, and you get their by cable car. I am not good with heights, but better than the Tricia, who travelled up with her eyes closed. There were two cavern tours and fossil / rock exhibits. At the end of which we sat and enjoyed a tea / coffee overlooking the town of Matlock Bath. We could see plenty of activity and loads of motorbikes, so when we did get back down, we went and had a look. Clive likes his motorbikes…. it is obviously a place all the bikers meet up, and there were some interesting machines on show. We stopped off at Bakewell on the way back… whilst the others went off in search of welly boots, I went into an outdoor specialists to look at getting some decent walking boots. My problem is that my feet are long and narrow. The boots I wore for the walk on Friday are just about ok for lengthy, but quite wide, and I gete some side to side movement… not ideal for long walks really. On the Saturday and Sunday I wore some trainer / walking shoes I had got… these are 11.5 but my toes are at the end. They are more narrow though, so whilst I solve one problem, my feet don’t move side to side, I was getting a sore toe from rubbing at the front… again these shoes were ok for a while but I can’t wear them for any length of time. As luck would have it, I was served by a really helpful chap. He measured my feet up, confirmed they are very narrow, and told me I should be wearing a size 13 for walking…. He couldn’t supply me with a pair of walking shoes, but wrote my measurements down, and recommended a particular brand and make, told me to take the measurements he had done into the branch in Milton Keynes and they would sort me out… and I will do that. I quite enjoy walking and would like to do more with Tricia, but can’t go more than 5 miles before the shoes start rubbing and giving me probs. Hoepfully this is the answer.

Back at the B&B, Tricia Pat and Clive wnet out for a walk across the viaduct… I stayed in, I didn’t want make my big toe any more sore, and end up losing a toenail. In the evening it was back to the Bulls Head, where I had a fantastic crayfish salad to start. The local beer was ‘Robinsons’, a pleasant enough beer… Pat and Clive are ‘Robinson’ … and the bar staff gave them a Robinson bar towel. Nice touch. Monday morning, after breakfast, packing and paying, we went to to Chatsworth. A large stately home, it is the seat of the Duke of Devonshire and the Cavendish family since the 1500’s. We went round the house… I asked a room warden if it was ok to ‘take pictures’… ‘No’ he said, ‘you can use a camera and photograph them, but you can’t take the pictures as the alarms will go off’… smart alec A very impressive and grandiose house. The gardens were extensive, but the cold spring meant that the garden wasn’t far enough on yet to be really enjoyed. After a visit to the farm shop it was back on the road, and home by about 6pm. A lovely weekend. Some more pics… walking into one of the tunnels, then one of the viaduct, the Bulls Head – the Robinsons outside a Robinsons pub, and then Tricia pretending to be on a cable…

Rob and Ellie had fended for themselves, Ellie even cooking a roast on the Sunday ! Back to work and normality today. Rob has gone back to Uni today, he has completed his dissertation, and is now in the final few months of his degree. Tomorrow Nikki comes back from Germany, I will be picking her up from Gatwick in the evening. It will be nice to catch up with her. Ellie has had her ‘retainer’ fitted… she isn’t completely happy with it as it is affecting her speech at the moment… but she will adjust.

West Ham drew at Liverpool on Sunday.

And on the way home on Monday news came through of Mrs Thatchers passing. Amazing how all the emotions of 20 years ago came straight back up through people on the radio… it seems a lot of people either loved or loathed her. I was no big fan, but can’t believe the way some have ‘celebrated’. Sick people.