Tag Archives: river

Walking between the rain

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Crathie Kirk from the circular path yesterday
Crathie Kirk from the circular path yesterday

Mainly rainy weather for our final day in Ballater, but we managed a couple of walks – the first this morning down a path we had noticed leading off Golf Road and signposted to Old Line Road. As it turned out, this led on to the golf course, and we failed to find the continuation of it, eventually emerging through someone’s garden on to the riverside path. Further research from that end revealed another unknown path leading back on to the golf course but not including so much of it. And avoiding people’s gardens.

Following this discovery we returned to the main road, called at a holiday cottage for two and were shown round it (not bad), then found Larks Gallery open at last and bought two small items. We continued to the chemist, where I left Dot and returned home feeling very hot (too many clothes on). She meanwhile called in at the Deeside Inn, recently reopened under new management, and was quietly impressed. Maybe next time…

We drove down the South Deeside road to my favourite riverside spot with a view down the river to Morven. The river was quite high again, and it started raining, so we went back to the cottage for lunch, then drove to the Crathie-Gairnshiel road, where we took advantage of a small break in the clouds to walk a half mile or so down the hill track. We had intended to reach some ruins in the valley, but the sky was very ominous, so we turned back. But we probably could have made it – just.

After a bit of reading we returned home by the back road and are now in the process of packing – a slightly difficult process because Dot has two P4C events to take in before reaching home, and so she needs smart clothes to be available. We are also stopping tomorrow night at Killington Lake.  Before that however we have booked a final meal at the Glen Lui, scheduled for 7pm.

Gradually fading light

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On Thursday we voted for a police commissioner, and he got in. Not many people can say that. In more exciting news, two of the radiators in the house are cold, and the Evetts are due tomorrow. In addition, the heating failed to turn off last night when it was supposed to, so when the gas engineer eventually turns up (Wednesday is the latest offer) we will have a few questions to ask him. Hope he can answer them.

Meanwhile on Friday we went with the Robinsons to the world-famous Poringland cinema experience and saw The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, which much to my surprise was both brilliant and inspiring, despite being set in India, which is probably the country I least want to visit.

On Saturday, while Dot got rather over-excited watching Norwich City beat Manchester United 1-0, I attended a birthday celebration for Bridget, who was 52. This took place on the Southern Comfort, which started at Horning, set off down the Bure and visited Ranworth Broad in gradually fading light. Atmospheric: really enjoyed it, especially as the forecast had been for constant rain.

Amy Myers in party mood

Spent quite a lot of time talking to Amy Myers (5), who has developed a lot and is fun. She had  a small admirer called Emily (2).

I drove Howard to Horning (and back). Anna, like Dot, had intended to come but had mistimed her return from Derbyshire. The cake was good, and I also had a chat with Bridget’s mother, Joy, who I’ve known for a while. She writes short stories. By today Anna had a stomach upset, so didn’t make church. Dot did make church and seems to be pretty healthy, which is just as well in the circumstances.

Phil came round and lent me a booklet by Paul on the life of Mollie Wurr, who I knew way back in Surrey Chapel days.

20 February 2009

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A photograph of the frozen River Bure taken during a cold winter a few years ago, with the abbey in the background. It has been hanging in a frame in the hall, but it was disturbed during cleaning today and I had to adjust it. Before I did I thought I’d scan it. It’s lost a bit of its colour, but I still like the composition.

2 April 2008

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Dot on a little-known bridge over the Wensum, halfway along the riverside path from the Gibraltar Arms to Sweet Briar Road – our Sunday afternoon walk. Now we’re halfway through another week, and the weather is almost springlike. I’ve just written another piece for my website and made some changes to both the InPrint site and the Meditation Centre site (still in development). I have four websites to keep up to date, which is proving quite difficult, although it will become easier when they are all established. Maybe.

Yesterday Dot and I travelled down to Metfield in Suffolk to see a friend with whom Dot is discussing expanding their “thinking skills for children” activities. While they went into detail I took a three-mile walk through the surrounding countryside and at the end of it found a house which looked as if it might suit us. Nice village, but I’m not sure it has enough pluses: for instance there are no mountains, and it’s no nearer the coast than Norwich is. In the evening we had our usual Tuesday group round – plus one, who said what a nice house we lived in. Which it is, of course.

In between these two events I went to see the nurse, who looked into my ears and said that if she syringed them, she might perforate the eardrum. I asked her how many ears she had syringed, and she said: “Hundreds.” I asked her how many eardrums she had perforated, and she said: “None.” Still, I didn’t go for it. This desire to warn patients about every conceivable thing that could go wrong is clearly having the desired effect.

On Monday I spent a couple of hours with a friend from church showing her how to put a piece on the website. As she had a Windows laptop, this proved a bit of a tortuous experience, but we got through it all right. She has a lovely little house on King Street, in the section that has been done up.

This morning Dot has taken her aunt up to the hospital and left her in the city. We are planning to go through our books this afternoon and get rid of as many as possible, which may not be many, but we shall try to be ruthless. Have just read a brilliant novel by a Swede called Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.

30 March 2008

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Yesterday we swapped the new sidelights for the sitting room, which had proved to clash with the new paint, and decided to go for a walk. Earlier it had been bright and promising, but by the time we reached Hemsby it had grown rather dull, and it was very windy. We negotiated quite deep water at the entrance to the car park and then walked along the valley and up into the dunes, where I took this picture with my mobile phone. I hadn’t really gone prepared: I think I thought we’d be going home before walking, so I had no camera and the wrong shoes. We walked back along the valley, and not long after we got back to the car it started raining.

As it was a day for taking things back, we called at Sainsbury’s and swapped a bright blue bath mat for something browner.

I had been feeling pretty brown the previous day – very down, in fact. It had rained all day and been extremely grey. Several things got on top of me, and it just felt like a wasted day – not part of real life. Strange, because the previous evening we had had a lovely time, going out for a birthday curry with Heather and Sam, who was 14, and some of their friends. Excellent food and company, and the weather had been good enough to walk to and from Ali Tandoori’s on Magdalen Street.

Today the weather was much improved. It could almost be described as warm, which was appropriate as it was the first day of British Summer Time. Happily I remembered to put the clocks forward, unlike LD, who arrived at church with her guitar and looked astonished to find that the service was well under way. It’s always nice when someone does that (he said sadistically). One day I will do it myself. Anyway, we decided to go for another walk – down by the river beyond Heigham Street – a path I’d discovered a couple of weeks ago after visiting the chiropractor. Quite a pleasant three-mile walk (back along Marriott’s Way) but although the river level has dropped dramatically, the edges and fields are still very wet.

In the evening almost forgot to go to Ambient Wonder, but made it in time. Seemed to go well: Annette liked my poems, which is always nice.

19 March 2008

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This is a picture just received of three of my cousin Howard’s four daughters: they are Beverley, Charmaine and Jeanette, and the picture was taken at the engagement party for Bev’s son Leonard (named after his grandfather, presumably) and his girlfriend Lauren in South Africa. I’ve met Bev recently, of course, and am e-mailing Jeanette on a regular basis. Nice to keep in touch with a branch of the family I’ve known little about.

The hectic life continues. On Monday I took Andrew back to Coventry (about 300 miles round trip), with some heavy traffic entailing two diversions. Then in the evening I played chess and got a good draw against our B team’s top board, which was quite pleasing.

The weather’s turned quite cold, and I’ve been busy preparing for the Easter weekend and for the Paston open day on Saturday, which promises to be Siberian, given that the church it will be held in is icy at the best of times. The forecast indicates that the best of times weatherwise is not any time soon: there is even a risk of snow. Ho, hum. Despite all this, I’ve managed a couple of nice walks in the last couple of days. Yesterday, after visiting the chiropractor for a cursory look at my back, which has been good for some time now, I walked along Heigham Street and found a path by the river leading out to Sweet Briar Lane. I never knew this existed, and in the circumstances it was quite enchanting. The river (Wensum) was very high, with some flooding which no doubt covered a multitude of sins. Some lovely shades of green, swirling water, and nobody about. There was a conserved marsh – unfortunately too muddy to walk round – and the sun kept peeping through, glinting off the water. After reaching the ring road, I walked up it, looking for the long-distance footpath that I knew was there. When I found it there was no access, but I scrambled down a steep back on to it, and followed it back to my starting point. Just when you think you know the city, it reveals something unexpected.

Today we had our hair cut at Reepham, and I walked nearly to Salle and back, then revisited it while Dot was being seen to and spent some time looking round Salle Church, which is huge. I then drove a circle of a few miles through delightful countryside – again rather unexpected, as it isn’t on the coast or near a river. But it was very open, with long views, and quiet. Even the huge ploughed fields had a strange kind of beauty. Good walking country. We both said we wouldn’t mind living in the area. I met Dot for lunch in our usual spot – Kerri’s Barn, and then drove back into Norwich, where I continued with my preparations while Dot did a big shop for what promises to be a very busy weekend. She still hasn’t quite finished her inspection report and has just shot off to Gillingham, for a governors’ committee meeting.