The Dambusters - Five on Friday

Hello there, hope you are well. Cold germs have lingered too long in my bungalow. First me and now my husband. If it's not coughs, it's catarrh... just fed up with it now. I've not been knitting very much lately, I need to get back to it. I crocheted some flowers and leaves, whilst on holiday - to make a brooch for the next WI competition. I need to start putting it together with some buttons for the flower centres. I've bought some felt for the backing and a brooch pin. I'll put it together and show it next time. 

Back in April we all went over to Hope Valley, Derwent Water in Derbyshire. We took Angus and Johnny, Nat took Ellis and her parents.  The weather was dry after lots of rain, lots of chat and a very good walk. We had a coffee back at the café before leaving. We stopped for some fish & chips on the way home. 

  

1) Gathered for the walk - plus me holding the camera. 
We walked around the lower part of the reservoir, starting at the Dam. It's the place where the Dambusters practised for their mission during WWll 

2) The Dam - such an impressive Dam.

3) Angus - on the lead due to the sheep around and some main roads along the walk.

4) Village under the Derwent Water - the tale of the lost village is sad (photo: random people sat down). To build the reservoir, meant flooding the river valley, sacrificing the village. The people were rehomed nearby. In very dry years, the houses can be seen beneath the water of Ladybower Reservoir. 

5) Reservoir and Sunflowers seeds for the ducks - I took sandwiches and a few snacks for us and some sunflower seeds for the ducks. 

It was about 120 miles round trip to Derbyshire, the walk that we took was 7 miles. I'm not sure that we'd visit again, unless we were staying nearby. It's a lovely calm place, beautiful countryside with a vast amount of water. 

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Missing: Holiday & illness

Hello there, hope you are all well. I've been absent from blog-land, first a holiday and then straight down with a nasty cold. 

We hired a motorhome and set off for The New Forest in Hampshire, Friday to Friday. Catching up with the laundry over the weekend, shopping on Tuesday. Then after lunch it all went down hill with sneezing. Angus has hated it, he can cope with thunder and fireworks but not sneezing. He's followed Mark around and jumped on anyone sat down. 

Some photos of Angus in the Forest (Hampshire, south England, UK). He had his first ice cream in a favourite place of ours - Tall Trees Walk, part of the Rhinefield Ornamental Drive. It's a very calming place amongst the trees. 

Angus and me at the bottom of the two trees: Left & Right

So majestic and calming, these tall trees are huge! Difficult to get the whole tree in the photo. Sadly my battery died on my camera and I neglected to pack the charger. So these are all from my phone. 

Horses, The New Forest is famous for wild ponies with a right to roam. They'll be rounded up at the end of the season. Several years ago we were out walking with the boys, it started raining and suddenly the ground vibrated with horse hooves thundering towards the trees for shelters. They literally screamed at the cows already sheltering under the trees. The cows slunk away defeated. 

Ice cream stand in the car park... very expensive!

 

After our icreams, we had rum & raisin and mint chocolate chip, we headed to the Ober River walk - Aldridge Encolsure. It was a bit wet and boggy in places but I'm glad we went as it's another favourite walk that we enjoy. There were three bridges on this walk, the fourth one is closer to Aldridge Hill campsite. It's perfect for children, like the previous walk as you're following sign posts. 

Looking for tadpoles.

I'm going to post a 'Five on Friday' next Friday when I feel better. I'll be stopping by to visit your blogs this week too.