I have always wanted to savour the delights of The Lake District. I’ve seen so many beautiful and atmospheric images in photographic magazines, so when I heard that Mike and Judy were organising a holiday to visit the Lakes, I felt this was an opportunity too good to miss.
Our five day adventure began on August Bank Holiday Monday in Christchurch car park. Once Mike had completed his final head count and was satisfied that we were all present and correct, we ‘upped anchor’ and set off. First ‘port of call’ was Stafford Services, here we ‘dropped anchor’ for our usual morning tea or coffee - sorry for all the nautical terms, I think I am reminiscing about those wonderful boat trips upon the lakes.
After leaving the M6, we headed for Lytham St Anne’s, thus enabling Mike and Judy to visit a hotel which they will be using for a next years holiday. Once lunch had been consumed we headed north passing through ‘the one and only’ famous seaside resort of Blackpool. As Dave, our driver cruised along Blackpool’s Golden Mile, you could not help wonder at all the illuminations that soon will be exploding into an amazing display of colour and light. There was Blackpools famous Tower which had just gone through a £20m face lift and was re-opened the week we were away. I must admit this is the first time I have been to Blackpool. It came across as a very large and vibrant place and the vintage trams had a certain fascination for me. We arrived at 4.30pm at the Broadway Hotel, Morecambe, this was home for the next five days.
The time was 10am, it was Tuesday and all relevant commodities had been packed:- macks, suntan lotion, brollies and sunglasses, (well, this is England). After negotiating a short stretch of the M6, and passing through several pretty Cumbrian towns, we finally reached Bowness which nestles right on the shores of Lake Windermere. Mike informed us that we had enough time to have our lunch and take in some of the sights. Windermere is the largest of the lakes, measuring 10 miles long and 1 mile at its widest point. Chris heard that we had 220 feet of water below us - well, it’s best not to think about it! After the initial safety announcement there was no other communication from the Skipper, they reckon that a commentary is not always appreciated, some passengers prefer peace and quiet whist admiring the beautiful surroundings. As we reached Lakeside (which was our disembarkation point) we could just make out plumes of smoke, indicating that our train was already in the station. With 10 minutes before it was due to leave I could only manage a quick snippet of film. The line between Lakeside and Haverthwaite took us through the picturesque Leven Valley. After just 18 minutes we arrived at our destination where Dave our driver was patiently waiting to transport us back to our hotel.
Wednesday’s itinerary describes Rheged as being Europe's largest grass covered building and is referred to as ‘The Village in the Hill’. I believe it was opened in 2000, being the brainchild of the famous climber, Chris Bonnington. Once inside we discovered it to be a shopping mall and restaurant. Shame I didn’t get to see the huge 3D cinema screen, it appeared to be cordoned off at the time we were there.
It was all aboard our luxury coach, next stop was to be Pooley Bridge which is situated very close to the shores of Ullswater. Dave pulled the coach in right by our departure pier. At precisely 2.05pm we departed Pooley Bridge Pier on our much anticipated cruise upon beautiful Ullswater and believe it or not the sun was just breaking through onto the distant mountains. Our one way voyage covered practically the full length of Ullswater with one stop at around the half way mark allowing people and dogs to disembark. The cruise finally terminated at Glenridding where Dave was once again eagerly awaiting our arrival. The return journey was to take us via the somewhat dramatic Kirkstone Pass, proving a real test of driving for all intrepid coach drivers!
Thursday (our final full day) was upon us far too quickly, so it was a case of making the most of it. To round off our holiday to Cumbria a visit to the famous Coniston Waters had been organised. The road to Coniston consisted of many narrow roads, bends and sharp inclines, so Dave’s skills were put to the test once again. We arrived at our destination safe and sound. The coach was parked in a designated parking space close to the lake and we noticed how pleasant the weather had become, it was the best day yet for sunshine! After a quick bit of exploring we then congregated on the jetty eagerly awaiting our transport - with a plume of smoke and a whistle it made an appearance. Now some of you may think this sounded like the coming of a railway engine, but in actual fact it was a steam driven Victorian Gondola, sounds intriguing, doesn’t it.
To round off our final day a visit to the picturesque village of Hawkshead had been arranged. This village has the reputation as being the prettiest village in the Lake District. 3.15pm indicated it was time to board our coach and head back to our hotel in Morecambe - end of the day - end of the holiday.