Celebrations are the order of the day as we clock up one hundred posts on this version of our blog.
Long term readers will know that actually the number of posts we have published is a lot higher than this but the clock was reset when we moved to this software called WordPress.
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Looking back over the last 100 posts we have done quite an amazing amount of stuff and explored some fantastic places.
Today we have been on a walk taking full advantage of the overnight frosts hardening the ground and in turn making them un-muddy.
Our circular walk started at the Stoneyholme golf course car park just off Victoria Place in Carlisle. Here is a link for Google maps.
Cranes
Leaving the car park and golf course buildings behind us we crossed over the bridge and entered into Rickerby Park.
The River Eden was still flowing quite quickly and had the colour of whipped hot chocolate.
Two cranes dominate the skyline as they keep watch over the new Richard Rose Central Academy on Lismore Place.
Costing about £30m to build it is hoped the new school complex will be complete by January 2011.
The cranes – a Potain and a Liebherr – were supplied by Kier Plant and are 34m and 24m high with a 55m radius.
Debris
Following the edge of the River Eden towards the town we pass this debris covered wire fence.
Many tonnes of grasses, twigs and litter have become lodged against one side of the wire. It is not hard to work out that the river flows past this location from right to left.
Looking across the river and towards TheSands sports complex some damage looks to have been caused to these railings.
Ahead of us and balanced on one of the Eden Bridge supports is this very big log.
Maybe this former tree was carried down stream during the last flood and became stuck here. Let’s see how long it lasts?
Restored
Our path now leaves the river edge and after climbing the bank we take a look at Eden Bridge Gardens.
You may remember that earlier this year a programme of restoration and renovation was undertaken on the gardens which are locally known as the Chinese Gardens. You can find out more about the work done here over at heritageandhistory.com
We leave the park via the steps and exit onto Stanwix Bank crossing over the River Eden via Eden Bridge and onto the path by the side of The Sands.
Flood defences
A new sign has appeared around the town recently marking the 2005 floods in the city. Bright red with an outline of the River Eden in blue the sign simply says ‘Flood January 2005’.
Five years have almost past since the horrid floods of 2005 when all of this area was underwater. The new flood defences will hopefully make this a thing of the past.
Keeping The Sands Centre to our right we make our way down a few steps and onto a path by the side of yet another golf course called The Swifts.
Golf
This facility was one of the first official PGA Golf Starter Centre’s and features a tight par 3 course, 16 bay driving range, grass hitting area, practice bunker and a chipping facility. Whatever that means:-)
Hidden in debris on this side of the river dad notices this post marking the Eden Riverside trail.
Not exactly a modern sign, we wondered how long it had been in place and doing it’s duty.
Also lurking amongst the branches mum spotted this golf club.
Resting high up in a tree we puzzled for a while how it would become in such a position.
Given it would not float easily we concluded that it must have been placed here by a frustrated golfer who had lost his grip and thrown his golf stick high into the air.
Maybe it is waiting for next autumn to get down from the tree along with the elephants.
Four years
What a memory my dad has for images, maybe he is an elephant?
As we rounded a bend in the river dad spotted a row of bushes and commented that he had a photograph in the archive, which currently contains over 60,000 images, of when these bushes were planted.
Sure enough he was right and here is the proof. Interestingly the image was taken almost exactly fours years ago to the date (27 Dec 2005).
The large image is from 2005 and the inset is now.
Kyack
Floating down the River Eden to our left was this man in a kyack. Had he travelled far and what had he seen on his travels. Given the high water he possibly had travelled for many miles.
If you were this person then please get in touch so we can find out about your journey and what you had seen?
Our journey now ended where we began. It had taken about an hour but had been great fun. Thankfully we would not need a bath as we had kept very clean if not a little damp from the damp grass.
[slidepress gallery=’bitts-park’]
Until next time and post 101
Buster and Charlie