It was a dark and stormy night, and, shambling through the peak district hills came a band of runners. Denizens of Alpkit and Outside, ambassadors from kit and clothing makers. From the doors of the shop, for many an hour they ran … (editing Si: Okay, stop that now. This Read more…
A work in progress. Well, more play than work, and in several parts … This being part two, part one is here. A Prologue “I was quite badly injured the last half of 2016 and a good chunk of 2017, I needed a target. Having been accused of not acting Read more…
Summer’s here, and with it comes fell racing season. All over the north bunches of enthusiasts scamper updownroundacross rough ground. Very often on a midweek evening after work, then both days at the weekend. None of these events can work though without another bunch of enthusiasts behind the scenes. Usually Read more…
Notes made whilst sauntering: 1 July 2020. ~ a long familiar place, unvisited for decade or so ~ wind, carrying drizzle, in branches ~ grass snake swimming amidst horsetails ~ the great sickness, for a while, far away ~ half traces of maybe paths – tempting ~ explore for a Read more…
Notes made whilst away in memory: 11 August 2020. ~ an old photo, January on Kinder ~ the quietness of cold fog ~ alone ~ an isolation not imposed but freely chosen ~ running easily within a moving twenty metre cocoon ~ distant guback-gabuck grouse laugh ~ then silence, bar Read more…
A picture can paint a thousand words, or so the phrase says. Perhaps so. On a long office day, editing my back catalogue, a 5×4 slide starts talking about memories. In 2001 my world, like many other people’s, was turned upside down. On an isolated farm in Northumberland some Read more…
A work in progress. Well, more play than work, and in several parts … … this being part one. An old piece found lurking on my Mac, an idea, … “As it’s ‘that’ time of year(surely the new year really started ten days ago, after the solstice?) a plan. Probably Read more…
The bus has stopstarted out from Sheffield to Fox House. The stopstarting shlep from Fox House, sweatily burdened under bouldering pads and bag full of shoes and food is finished. Time to climb. But maybe coffee and a teacake in this sun warmed hollow first. Eventually the pad is positioned, shoes Read more…
“Millstone Grit; coarse-grained carboniferous sandstones – gritstone specifically refers to such rocks in the Pennine areas of Northern England – the gritstone edges and boulders of the Peak District provide one of the world’s classic climbing areas.” Yes, yes they do. The grit; Burbage South boulders, The Brick. A cold Read more…
A prologue, of sorts. In these interesting times, a vignette of memory from a couple of years ago. It would be wonderful to be as full of love and laughter as those two ladies who shared a good few years of life well lived. spacer Spring. Blackthorn in flower and Read more…