Wandering Lonely as Clouds

Helm Crag - The Lion and The Lamb

Jean Sprackland's poetry workshop today in Grasmere was wonderful. I find classes like this more than a wee bit scary, but as she is such an inspiring and encouraging tutor, I felt challenged yet safe enough to come away with some very satisfying work - considerably more than the foundations for at least three poems, and some good ideas for sustaining and encouraging the creative process - thank you Jean! 

This evening we had a pre-booked cinema deal at Zeffirellis in Ambleside - a two course meal in the very classy restaurant, followed by a film in a charming retro cinema - all for £17.95 each. The film we watched was An Education - back at Zeffirellis by popular demand - a great end to an exciting day.

Grasmere (Lake) continues to be iced over, there are some ice-free patches in Rydal Water, but hey! Spring is round the corner (I've spotted several lambs in the fields) and we'll just have to come back for another weekend that is dedicated to swimming rather than poetry!

Off the Hook

Isn't technology great?!! (to paraphrase The Fast Show). I am in Grasmere, with my laptop, posting as if I was tucked up at home! 

Tomorrow I am going to a poetry workshop with the poet Jean Sprackland. We are making a weekend of it and having a couple of nights in one of our favourite parts of the world. Our cosy little B&B is in the shadow of the Lion and the Lamb, currently dusted with snow and occasionally obscured by strands of mist.

For the past two weeks I have been wrestling with the idea of whether we should/shouldn't have a dip in Rydal Water or Grasmere while we are here. Brrr...it has been so cold of late!! This morning I said - let's not take the wetsuits. There was no protest whatsoever!

Windermere looked as beautiful and tranquil as ever as we drove past. (Photo above is from last October). Rydalwater and Grasmere were both covered in a layer of ice. So I don't need to feel guilty about not being brave enough to take the plunge.....on this occasion. Phew!! 

Windermere Revisited

Sunday was our 23rd wedding anniversary. We arranged to have two nights at the Low Wood Hotel on Windermere - site of the Great North Swim in September. It was wonderful to go back and spend time reminiscing about the event, gazing at the course, sitting at the end of the jetty, wondering if I had the nerve to jump back in and steal a swim (I'd packed the wetsuits, just in case...) I dangled my foot in the water. It was bone-gnawingly chilly (12c), but I knew I had to get in a lake somehow or other while we were here...(And by the way, the hotel is lovely too!)

Yesterday we went on a fact-finding mission to check out places to park up when we come back to swim next spring. First off, a failed attempt to get into White Moss car park between Grasmere and Rydal Water - absolutely rammed as it's half-term this week, so we headed up to Loughrigg Tarn instead. Remarkably, without any problem, we found a place to park at the side of the road, then took a leisurely stroll, to size up the tarn. My dissatisfaction at not being equipped to jump in heightened. By the time we got back to White Moss it was less crowded, so we set off round Rydal Water. Gradually, the plan emerged - we determined to come back and have an early morning dip.

First thing today I woke in the dark and lay scaring myself - lake monsters, heart attacks, the usual -until the alarm went off at 6.15. By the time we arrived at Rydal it was getting light, a fine mist hung in the air, gentle drizzle ruffled the brown, peaty water. We pulled on the wetsuits and hobbled speedily across the sharp, shale beach and into the lake. Whoo, it was cold! But not as bad as I'd imagined. We spent half an hour in the quiet lake, marvelling that we'd done it, despite the October madness of it all! So next time it'll seem less mad, do-able because we did it !