When we started this blog, almost 200 posts ago, it was always our intention to try to get more video onto the site and it would seem that technology has now caught up with our ambitions.

The GoPro Hero 2 is a very small camera about the size of a couple of matchboxes, but it does pack quite a punch.

Although the GoPro series of cameras have been around for quite a while the latest version, the Hero2, is the best of the range and features fantastic HD quality video and time-lapse capability.

The GoPro Hero2 camera is about the thickness of a 2p coin is wide

Dad has been after one of these small cameras for quite a while but was awaiting the new model, and the cash, to get hold of one. He has finally succeeded this week and, with the early morning sunshine still low in the sky we took it out for a test.

GoPro camera

The video at the bottom of this page is our first trial and we are very impressed with the results.

As you can see from the image to the left the basic camera is very small – being only a single UK 2p coin wide and just over 2 coins long.

Weighing 100g it is also very light – so very easy for us to carry.

A waterproof case is added to the raw camera bringing the total weight to almost 200g.

The clear plastic enclosure totally surrounds the basic camera module and provides a bracket to attach an assortment of clamps and mounting accessories.

Buster finds an interesting sniff in the damp grass

Clear simple operation

Two buttons on the camera allow the humans to set up the camera and swap between using the camera as a stills camera, a time-lapse unit or a video system.

Using the settings the camera can be set to record in assorted resolutions. On full HD a single file is about 3.5GB for every half hour recorded.

Sockets on the side of the unit give access to an HDMI output, USB, external mic input and slot for an SDHC card.

Over the next few weeks we will try out different mounting options and how best to use the Hero2 camera.

Animal camera

Being compact and very light the camera is ideal for us to use and capture our walks.

Maybe you use a GoPro to record your walks, let us know via the comments area below…

Until next time

Buster and Charlie

GoPro HERO2 test video

During the week dad promised that this weekend was going to be our weekend and he did not disappoint.

New signs show visitors to Ennerdale where the car parks are

Yesterday, Saturday, we headed west to a lovely part of Cumbria known as Ennerdale where we had loads of paddles and a fantastic walk up onto the fells.

Ennerdale is one of those areas hidden away from the tourist and off the usual honeypot trail.  This leaves it calm, quiet and relaxing for the locals and dedicated outdoor visitor to enjoy.

Over the past few years, quite a bit of money has been spent returning the area to silence and tranquility.  Evidence of some of this investment could be seen in the new signboards erected as we approached the area.

Remote

You could say Ennerdale is remote. It is not served directly by public transport and the nearest rail station is almost 10 miles away.  You will also not find any public toilets in the valley.

The weir at the end of Ennerdale water

We last visited Ennerdale in 2009 and we parked in the Bowness Knott area.  This time we thought we would try the Bleach Green starting point, NY 085154.

Leading away from the car park was a well drained flat path, ideal for assisted wheelchairs and buggies. With the sound of running water filling the air we knew today was going to be fun and as we entered into the open space of the valley, after about 5 minutes walk we were not disappointed, just look at that view.

Just a quick note at this point – This is about as far as a wheelchair can go, but the view is worth it. We would suggest that all-terrain child buggies could turn left at this point and follow the path over the bridge. A circular walk is not possible for a buggy but you can go quite a few miles before you will need to retrace your steps back to the car park.

Buster and Charlie wonder if they could swim the full length

Our path headed off to the right and straight for the water.

Cool clear water

The cool water was soon lapping around our tummies cooling us off as we looked towards the mountains at the other end of the big pond.

Research done on the web before we left for the day indicated that we could walk all the way around Ennerdale Water, so this was going to be our challenge.

With the water to our left we started to follow the path through the gate, past the National Trust Anglers Crag sign and onwards up the valley.

Charlie takes a moment to look at the view

To our right, the tall stony outcrops of the fells made the walk very dramatic.

The grey stone, punctuated by the occasional purple flower of the heather, helped add to the rugged setting of our walk.

Starting off level to the waters edge our path gently rose upwards over the space of about half a mile until we were confronted by Anglers Crag.

Sadly it was at this point we realised that we could go no further without risk to my dodgy hip.

I am fine on the flat but the increasing gradient and loose path just made the risk a bit too high and I just sat down not wishing to go any further.

Charlie went ahead a little and took a moment to look at the view before we returned back down the crag and a welcome rest.

More path this way…

We are now faced with a bit of a problem. Should we just go back to the car and find somewhere else or head back to the weir and across the bridge to see what the other path would be like.

As it was still quite early in the day, and the rain was holding off, we decided we should continue our adventure and do a bit of research around the big puddle in a clockwise direction.

Trees wrap around a metal pole

This path was a lot wider and more level than the previous one. Bright yellow flowering gorse bushes lined the path and in places it looked like it had been strimmed back using quite a powerful machine. As a result we needed to take care that thorns and prickles did not get into our paws or stuck to our tummies.

Ennerdale Water is 2.5 miles long and is owned by United Utilities.  It is a nutrient poor water but it is home to the rare Arctic Charr fish. According to the Wild Ennerdale website the water is some of the cleanest in the country, no wonder it tasted good.

Looking over the water

With the water now to our right the path curved around the lower end of Ennerdale Water and seemed, at times a little uninteresting for the humans. Maybe they were getting a bit tired as they seemed to stop at every seat for a rest.

The clockwise path is much wider than the other hillside path

For us the sniffs were fantastic. We could spot where other paws had scurried across the path and down to the water, possibly for a drink or maybe to do some fishing. Above us, the unusual v-shaped formations of geese flew high above squawking their little beaks off and making such a din.

After about 45 minutes we stood opposite the Anglers Crag, the place where we turned around earlier.  We could clearly see where the path went up and over then back down to almost water level.

Research done, we headed back towards the car and a welcome rest. maybe next time we would head this way first and see what more we could explore further along this path. But we did feel disappointed that we could not go all the way around as you seem to achieve more, and feel better after a circular path.

Until next time

Buster and Charlie

Every so often whilst dad  is furtling around on the interweb he spots something unusual or of note that he did not know about in our local area.

Today was one of those occasions and, as a result, we ended up going to Brampton about 10 miles from the city, in search of the Capontree monument.

Capontree memorial - Brampton

Our destination came about in a strange way following a search for walks around the reservoir at nearby Castle Carrock.

To cut a long story short, the web search brought back a walk that featured the monument. A monument dad did not know about or even where it was.

Travelling out of the city and past the airport we turned off the A69  and headed towards Brampton and the usual road we take towards Talkin Tarn.

Around half a mile up this road is a side road to our right Capon Tree Road.

Driving down past the half million pound houses we parked the car right in front of the memorial situated at the end of the lane.

With the constant buzz of traffic hauling up the A69 on the other side of the hedge we left the car and started to explore.

Capontree monument

The history of this well weathered monument dates back to 1904 when it was erected by public subscription.

It is not clear why it was erected in 1904.

The monument is in memory of the hanging of six of Bonnie Prince Charlie’s men in 1746.

The condemned men, it is recorded, were dragged through the streets of Brampton on a hurdle, a wooden frame, to the Capon tree, where they were hanged, drawn and quartered on 21 October 1746.

A typical English field full of golden crops

During the 1745 Jacobite Uprising, Bonnie Prince Charlie made Brampton his headquarters.

Carved into the front of the Capontree monument is the following text: This stone is placed to mark the site of the ancient capon tree under whose shade the judges of assize rested and upon whose branches were executed October XXIMDCCXLVI for adherence to the cause of the Royal line of Stewart.

Colonel James Innes – Forfarshire Regiment

Captain Patrick Lindesay – Kilmarnock Regiment

Ronald Macdonald – Clanranald Regiment

Thomas Parr – Manchester Regiment

Peter Taylor – Manchester Regiment

Michael Dellard – Manchester Regiment

On the reverse is the following carved text : Erected by subscription 1904. Hugh Jackson, Chairman Brampton Parish Council Henry Penfold Hon Sec and Treas.

A new metal or slate plaque has been screwed to the base of the monument erected by the 1745 Association in 2004. Following footpaths

Tall grass surrounds Buster as he walks on an overgrown path

Spotting a footpath sign to our right, we leave the Capontree memorial behind us and we follow the path up and over a small hill which exits onto a road.

Thinking on his feet, dad decides that we go left with the aim of heading towards the town of Brampton.

Always on the lookout for new sniffs, we follow a new path after a few hundred metres that leads into a field full of golden crops.

We both asked to be picked up so we could see our surroundings.

The grass was higher than us and it tickled our tummies as we walked through it. It was great fun as we found all sort of new sniffs heading to and from the adjacent hedge and into the field.

As if we can read!

As the sun dried the crop, and you listened carefully over the top of the nearby road you could hear the crackle of the drying seeds almost ready for harvest.

It is really sad that many dog owners do not clean up after their animals.

When we see signs like this one on the right it really makes us wonder what has driven the two legger to install such a notice.

We always ensure mum has a handful of biodegradable nappy bags in her pocket and some tissue wipe every time she leaves the house ahead of a walk with us.

An unusual building and vent stack in Brampton, Cumbria

Having a few plastic bags has also helped out when she has spotted some berries in the hedgerow or as a temporary bowl filled with water from a tap or public loo sink.

Unusual building

Sadly our path along the edge of the field came out at the busy A69 and with not a break in the traffic we decided to return back towards the village.

Coming upon this unusual building we stopped for a few moments and tried to work out what it may have been for.

A leaf falls behind Charlie making him jump

Eight small wooden doors opened into a stone built building with a very ornate vent stack at one end.

The doors were about 1m tall so not really human size, so could they possibly be a storage door, maybe for coal.

Do you know what this building is or was? let us know via the comments area below please.

Mum, being the age she is, said they were Hobbit houses, but we could see no Bagginses or Tooks!

At last we find Brampton

Our walk seemed to have gone on for ever as we travelled up and down loads of paths and lanes on our tour of Brampton.

Murray Croft - Remembrance Gardens

Passing the old brewery, we noticed that many leaves had started to fall onto the paths, a sure sign the autumn winds and the cold winter is on the way. Thinks! Did it ever leave?

Our walks, are often quite random as we try and experience as much as possible whilst we are out of the house. Between the town and the old brewery is the telephone exchange.

A standard white building with a flat roof and the compulsory engineers vans parked outside.

Nothing strange in this apart from a sign indicating that behind this building, tucked away from sight is a remembrance garden operated by the Co-op.

Situated at the end of the lane and in a lovely quiet setting is the Murray Croft Remembrance Gardens.

We stay with dad whilst mum takes a look around the well kept gardens.

Sprouts

We end on a very positive note as we have found a new source of sprouts. Missing from our diet for quite a number of months we spotted some, actually Charlie just stopped and looked up to the tray, in the display outside the fruit and veg store in Brampton.

Refreshed with water and sprouts in our tummies, we started back up the hill towards the car in our circular walk around Brampton.

Until next time Buster and Charlie

Three days of cuddles, walks and chew finding are in store, as the humans have another one of those bank holiday weekends.

A bat house after a door conversion

Given that the usual weather for UK holiday times is rain, we take the first opportunity on Saturday morning to hassle dad into getting his coat and taking us out.

Our destination is the Finlandrigg nature reserve just outside of Carlisle.  The venue was chosen as it has been a while since we have been, we know that it should be reasonably clean and it should be full of sniffs.

As we head off along the path into the wood we come across a bit of a bodged building work.  Looking up towards the tree canopy, this bird box looks to have had a new front door installed, by a very dodgy builder.

Beware of the bull

It would appear that the old front door has been ripped away and a plank, not even cut to size, has been put in place with twisted wire.  The new door does not look as if it has even had a coat of paint .

Beware of the bull

Further down the track we came upon a bit of artwork nailed to a gate featuring the head of a beast.

Grass starting to grow through the boardwalk

With frightening horns and nose ring, the picture was a warning that big hairy scary things lay just beyond the fence.  Thankfully we did not have to travel through the field.

We have been to Finlandrigg on a number of occasions now and every time it is different.

It is now I suppose, nearing the end of summer and we did notice that all seemed very calm, with little  happening.  All the rush in the early part of spring to make flowers and new growth had stopped, and it was as if nature was taking a pause before winter.

Buster takes a moment for a rest

Taking a moment to look around, nothing seemed to be moving and the skies were clear of birds.

The air was silent except for the wind through the leaves and the occasional clang of a branch against another.

Mum noticed that even the hedgerows had been picked clean by the birds, leaving only a few elderberries and the occasional ripe bramble.

Beware of Adders

The two leggers wondered if nature was preparing for a really bad winter to follow our wet summer.

Mathematical humour

When a notice appears on a gate that reads ‘ Beware of Adders’ you know that dad is going to try and say something silly.

Sure enough within seconds out came the quip – “An ideal sign for the mathematics staff room door….”

The purple flowers of the heather

He does not get any better, but the sign does raise a serious issue of our safety when in open countryside.  Reports suggest that Adders, which are the only venomous snake in the UK, bite dogs more than any other animal.

For this reason we stay on short leads and on the open path, so we can see where we are walking.

This spoils our fun a little, but it is for our own safety as we do not want to get bitten.

The leaves of this very small oak are starting to turn ahead of autumn

Earlier we mentioned that all seemed unusually calm and this was also the case as we left the wooded area in to a wide open clearing.

Purple flowering heather stood about 30cm from the boggy ground whilst the first signs of autumn colours were starting to appear.

No taller than our noses was this small oak tree, complete with tiny acorn growing through the path.

Fine grasses wave in the late morning breeze

The rich green leaves were starting to fade to the browns and golden colours of autumn.  A sure sign that summer is almost over. A summer that has only provided a tiny bit of warm sunshine.

Heading back towards the car we passed through a field bordered by high golden grasses bending in the breeze.

Although we could not see over the tops of the grass, the many trails away from our path and into the meadow could clearly be seen.  Forest beasties had flattened the tall stems to the ground as they made their way way across the site, leaving clear paths and trails for us to investigate.

By this time Charlie had managed to find the obligatory swamp and went in half way up his legs….he turned back to face mummy with a proud look of achievement, so with the threat of rain in the air, and quite a bit of mud clinging to Charlies legs we headed back towards the car and the journey home.

Until next time

Buster and Charlie

Due to my hip causing a few niggles recently, we have been taking it a bit easier and revisiting a few places with soft ground and easy access.

Harebells growing on the edge of a field

Today it was the turn of the Lanercost area, where we have not visited for over a year.

Our walk started next to the Lanercost bridge and headed towards the fields alongside the river, at the rear of Lanercost Priory.

Charlie made straight for the water which was flowing quite fast after all the recent rain.

Charlie takes a moment for a rest

It was quite brown and tasted very earthy. Dad mentioned something about the water being ideal for a good Scottish Malt. Whatever that means ?

Whilst we were having a paddle, mum spotted some very delicate pale blue flowers bending in the gentle breeze.

Almost hidden in the long grass, at the edge of a rich green field, the large flower seemed quite out of scale atop a very thin stalk

Lanercost Priory - looks like it has escaped from a horror movie

She said they were Harebells and quite a special flower as they are quite fragile.

Horror movie filmset

Following the path around the field we approached Lanercost Priory from the graveyard side.

We were quite saddened to see that the older part of the graveyard was looking quite unloved.

Large ferns were growing in many areas and a pile of grass clippings had been dumped in the middle of the once tidy rows of stones.

Given that many tourists and locals visit the area it seemed quite a shame that it appeared that no one was caring for it.

The last visitor who didn't pay to visit the Priory?

Dad took a photograph and, in his mind could already see the dark, spooky horror movie image just by turning it to black and white. The black and white image above is the result of a bit of computer playing around when he came back home.  We have to say that we tend to agree with it’s sinister look and feel.

This image was still with us when we came across the poor soul made of metal ‘hanging around’ near to the farm shop.

A new sign erected at the entrance to the village

We mentioned this sculpture way back in April 2010.

Made by  local artist Ian McMean it now seems to have found a permanent place guarding the entrance to Lanercost Priory.

Food at Lanercost

Given that our tummies were starting to get the rumbles, mum nipped into the food and gift shop on our way back to the car.

She emerged only a few minutes later without any bags or goodies and a big frown on her face.

It would appear that the shop is no longer stocking a wide range of eatables and, if todays visit is anything to go by, appears to be struggling to fill the shelves.

This is quite a disappointment,  as we were hoping for something full of flavour and taste from a local producer for our lunch.

Let us hope that the building does not become an outlet store selling knitware and glass snow globes of the Priory.

As we headed back to the car we left Lanercost quite deflated and without anything for lunch.  We did however have a good walk and a paddle.

Until next time – Big licks

Buster and Charlie

A bottle of bright orange gloop arrived in the bathroom this week. Written on the clear plastic bottle in big letters was the phrase ‘Dirty Beastie’.  This sort of hinted it maybe for us, or for dad.

Dirty Beastie by Wahl - great bubbles for mucky pups

Made by Wahl, the people that make the hair trimmers and shampoos for humans, the bottle of bubbles is highly concentrated and needs to be watered down 32:1 before use.

Our first use came earlier today after our walk in the park. The recent damp conditions had made the paths quite muddy. As we scurried this way and that, it did not take long for our legs and tummies to become quite dirty.

Concentrated bubbles

With the rain starting to pour down outside, our arrival home was a familiar event this summer, as we were whisked straight to the bathroom for a bath.

The summer this year has been not good for walks and for keeping us clean. Almost every walk has ended with a bath followed by many hours curled up as tight as possible, as we try and keep warm and dry off. Needless to say we are not very happy with this arrangement.

Dirty beastie bubbles are really thick

Bathtime

Downstairs, the hot water boiler kicks into action as mum starts to wash me down and try to remove the worst of the grime.  We quite enjoy the inside rain tube, as it sprinkles warm water over our backs and under our tummies.

As the steam builds in the bathroom I start to relax and warm through. For some reason I always seem to go first,  followed by Charlie.

With my coat soaked with warm water, mum prepares the bubbles. Mum drops a good sized dollop of ’Dirty Beastie’ shampoo into a bowl before mixing it with water.  This is then poured over me from my neck to my tail and lathered in.

As mum rubs and scrubs I can get chance to read the printing on the bottle which she has put on the edge of the bath:

Mix with water before applying

Wahl Dirty Beastie Shampoo is based on natural ingredients and contains no harmful detergents or cleansers -  so far this sounds good.

The perfectly balanced formula including extracts of Peach, Pear, Passion-Flower and Kiwi Fruit, will effectively cleanse dirty, thick or matted coats and deodorise even the smelliest creature - Smelliest creature must refer to Charlie

Designed to be powerful, yet gentle, Dirty Beastie will actively remove dirt, grease, stains and odours, rejuvenating the hair as it cleans - Maybe mum should try some as she could do with rejuvenating !

The shampoo contains beneficial natural ingredients that will promote healthy, glossy results every time - Glow in the dark maybe?
Formulated for all animal hair types including horses, dogs, cattle, goats, llama, alpaca, rabbits and ferrets, Dirty Beastie Shampoo rinses out easily, removing any ‘nasty niffs’ - Must be talking about Charlie again.

The coat will be clean, conditioned and manageable, with a fresh, lasting fragrance.

Nasty niffs, smelliest creature 

Given the writing, I can only think they refer to Charlie with their descriptions, however it is now time for a good rinse and the run around the house to get dry, whilst mum has the challenge of washing the floor mop that is Charlie.

He just seems to soak up water, so this shampoo is ideal because it rinses out really well. This avoids him getting doggy dandruff and sore bits, if the bubbles are not washed away completely.

If we were asked to review, Dirty Beastie by Wahl, this product it would get a very high rating and we certainly recommend it.

Until next time

Buster and Charlie

Dad spotted this unusual scene playing out on a garden lawn on his way to work this morning.

Cat and mouse wait to see who will run first

The ginger cat spotted the small mouse playing in the long grass, but rather than just pounce the cat sat and watched.

A standoff then occurred with neither the cat or mouse making the first move.

Sadly dad had to continue into work, so we do not know what happened.

Until next time

Buster and Charlie

Snow and more rain is forecast for the weekend, so what is required to lift spirits is chocolate cake.

Chocolate Cake from the Grange Bakery

The skies are starting to darken once again and the lights have been switched as the two leggers put the kettle on and cut a large slice of sticky chocolate cake.

Dad purchased this cake yesterday at an event in the Lake District and it has been sitting, all tempting and lickylishous overnight, on the worktop in the kitchen.

It is made by a small company in South Cumbria called Grange Bakery.

According to their website, the current owners, Julia Sayburn and Paul Hughes, purchased the bakery in 2007.

Bread seems to be their major product, cooked in an oven said to be around 80 years old. They think this may be one of the oldest Trap ovens in the country.

Reading the Twitter feed for The Grange Bakery the addition of a chocolate cake to the list of products took place at the end of January, when they taste tested the chocolate.  I wish I could have been there to help, just think of all those licky bowls.

Sadly no Twitter updates have been posted since then, so we do not know which chocolate they chose.

Caution

Mum has just shouted over to us that we should mention that chocolate is not very good for dogs as it can make us ill. Personally,  I think mum is trying to keep all the cake for herself. However, for this reason we are only allowed a few crumbs.

Why is it that nice things are not good for us?

Until next time

Buster and Charlie

Gretna Green on the Scottish Border, is where we ended up yesterday on our latest adventure.

Travelling up the M6, we turned left just over the border and headed towards Gretna and Gretna Green.

The world famous Gretna Green blacksmiths

Gretna Green is where the famous blacksmiths is to be found and not as many people think the nearby town of Gretna.

Over the years, tens of thousands of humans have run away to get married at Gretna Green. As a result, a cottage industry has married into tourism and given birth to the new industry of wedding tourism.

The Gretna Green Group, founded in 1886, is the family company currently in charge of the venue incorporating the blacksmiths.

It now caterers for over 700,000 visitors each year and, looking at the size of the coach park at the rear of the complex, it is clear to see how many people arrive.

Gretna Green blacksmiths

The story starts in the mid 1700′s when young couples could get married in Scotland over the age of 16 just by declaring themselves to each other in front of witnesses.  This practice was banned in England, so many humans travelled to the first staging post in Scotland, called Gretna Green, and got married.

Looking into the tourist attraction surrounding the blacksmiths

Personally I don’t see what is wrong with a good chase, a sniff and a long howling bark, but these humans have some funny rules.

Today the blacksmiths is surrounded by the trappings of a tourist destination all designed to help you spend money.

Gretna Green for a Sunday visit

Arriving as we did at the end of February it was very quiet, but ideal for taking a good look around.

A large food hall with chilled cabinets provided lunch, whilst the whisky shop provided dad with a honey and whisky tipple. Clothing shops and a reasonably priced restaurant complimented the package.

Gretna Green sign

Scattered all around the site are many pieces of sculpture and art installations. These seemed a little out of context and made the venue feel a bit like the promenade at a seaside resort.  Dad said at one stage that he expected to see the flashing kiss me quick hats on sale.

Dog friendly

Sadly, no white frocks or big hats were on display today, so we had free run to say hello to many humans and other woofers visiting the area.

Our new friend Glen

Whilst we waited for mum to come out of the shops, she says she was looking for bargains, we had chance to have a good sniff around.

Out on the grass, near to the car park, we met a lovely friend called Glen.  His background is a bit sad it seems, however with his new humans he is getting the hang of being in charge.  Glen was a bit scared of us initially but soon realised we were no threat and started to relax a bit.

I'm not saying your mother is ugly but.....

We said our goodbyes with a friendly wag of our tails and headed on our way.

Highland cattle

Alongside the car park is a field with a number of heritage beasts in it.

The sign said that Highland cattle and Belted Galloways were the other side of the thin electric fence.

Charlie looks for spiders

Dad just could not help offering some silly comment about mother-in-laws, and how ugly she looked.  Normally would have been a fair joke,  apart from when mum pointed out that they had horns! Dad said nothing and we returned to the car for a few of the eatables purchased in the shops.

Bruce’s cave

After spending about  90 minutes at Gretna Green, we drove the short way to Kirkpatrick Fleming in search of spiders.

A small brown sign indicates our destination to the left off the main road and down towards a caravan park.

Something just seemed a bit strange and quite spooky as we crossed the railway tracks and entered into a static caravan park.

Bruces's Cave near Gretna

A hand painted sign suggested that we followed the road to our left past some old farm implements and to a parking area in front of a big house.

This approach to a tourist venue was not at all expected and quite out of character.

All became clear as a nice lady welcomed us and asked if we were wishing to see the cave.

Tickets in hand ( £1 each), we started our walk down a very pleasant path surrounded by snowdrops towards what sounded like a river nearby.

Spider and a web

The path continued down hill for a few hundred meters before a hairpin turn through a gate and onto a wooden balcony.  To our right, off the balcony, is what is known as Bruce’s cave.

Bruce’s cave is hollowed out of the cliff face about 30m from the river below.  Legend has it that it was here that King Robert the Bruce saw a spider trying to build a web.

Upon seeing the spider not giving up he gained inspiration and returned to battle.

The story has over the years developed in to the popular phrase ‘If at first you don’t succeed try, try and try again’.

River walk

Our path continued down to the river and after a quick paddle, we returned back up to the caravan park through some woodland.

Looking downstream from Bruce's Cave

In the distance we could hear a woodpecker hammering away at a tree trunk and, above us, mum was sure she saw a bird called a tree creeper.

As you would expect for this time of the year the caravan park was quite quiet.  Many caravans had covers on and the many water taps around the site had been capped to protect them from freezing.

After spending a good hour exploring the cave and the woodlands, we returned to the car and our journey home.

Until next time

Buster and Charlie

This update is a little more fragmented than usual because of lots of things happening this weekend.

From Silloth you can see for miles

Saturday morning was to be time for us, as we all put on our coats and went for a brisk walk along the seafront at Silloth.

Although a little breezy, it was very clear, and you could see all the way across the bay to Scotland.

Charlie found a new trick today and used me as a shield against the wind.

Every time he started to feel a bit cool he would walk on the downwind side of me, so I sheltered him from the sea breeze.

Christ Church Silloth

Right along the sea front we walked before returning once we had past the old wooden lighthouse.

Christ Church, Silloth

Passing in front of of the main church in Silloth, Christ Church, mum wondered if it was open.  We have been to the town so many times and Mum or Dad have never been inside.

Today was to be their lucky day, as the big wooden door swung open and a magnificent church was exposed.

Mum ventured in first whilst we stayed outside with dad. She returned after a short while with a smile and clutching a couple of leaflets, purchased via the usual slot in the wall honesty box.

She said that the church was very unusual and was built inside from bricks of two or three colours. Not at all what she had expected from the outside.

Silloth cafe

After dad had been inside, the two leggers admitted that it had the grand style of that seen in old Victorian public toilets or old public houses.  Which doesn’t sound to inviting but what do we know about culture:-)

Silloth Cafe

No trip to Silloth would be complete without lunch from the Silloth Cafe and chip shop.

Smokey sausage and chips for two please mum, with an extra small sausage for us please.

Whilst we waited outside with dad, he noticed on a bright orange sign, that if we were to come here tomorrow we could have had our Sunday lunch of Roast Beef, Yorkshire pud, potatoes and vegetables for just under £5.

Queens Hotel ghost sign

We wondered if this was to take away and how you would stop the gravy leaking through the newspaper?

Queens Hotel ghost sign

We returned to the car to eat our chips, looking out across the bay and listening to the radio.

With our bellies full, dad was looking through the photographs and noticed that on one of the buildings pictures, was the feint outline of some text.

Further processing at home on the computer reveals what dad thinks are the words ‘ QUEENS HOTEL  MOTOR CARA ‘.  Sadly the last letters have faded.  Do you know what they were and what the advert was for?

Other stuff this week

Onto the other stuff from this week now, and Dad came home via the river path earlier in the week as he wanted to see how the new bridge across the River Eden was looking.

New bridge appearing over River Eden

The Northern relief road is being built from the north of the City of Carlisle to the west, with the hope of relieving some of the traffic pressures from the town.

Using a very big crane, said to be the largest in Britain at 1200 tonnes, the first section has been lifted into place.

This is a massive building scheme for the city and one that has to take account of the area being an arterial waterway.

On the north bank it would appear that a number of very large corrugated tubes have been installed to allow water the pass downstream unhindered.

It is assumed the road surface will go on top of these.

Carlisle city marker post?

If this is the solution to water backing up into the city then is would seem like a very cost effective and lateral solution to the problem.

Carlisle City boundary marker

On his way back from photographing the new bridge dad spotted this marker stone at the corner of a field.

Interestingly it is very much like the one we spotted at the rear of the main Carlisle cemetery back in September.

At the top of the marker, which stands about 1m tall, is a carved cross and the letters CC.

Do you know what they were for and do you know of any others around the City?

That’s all for now

Buster and Charlie