floydraser

First full day we usually do the “railway walk” as a starter. Up through the town to the old to the old station and it goes for about 3 or 4 miles to Threlkeld. The bridges are interesting in that some appear “upside down”, but all were designed by the same guy who designed the Tay bridge, which fell down. However, most of these in the Lakes were solid until storm Desmond washed away a couple of them and some of the trackbed too. Anyway, that's a digression because we didn't do that this time. Having retired we have said we need to keep ourselves fitter so this time we went straight in with a walk around Derwentwater. Ten miles according to Strava. We prefer to use time as our guide for exercise; stick to the flat and keep going in bursts of about an hour. Water level was low this time but sometimes you have to take to the road in places to keep out of the water. It's hard to find a bad view in the Lake District: This is the view from the other end of the lake from the campsite, the same direction as the first pic on this thread, only a bit further away! Not a cloud in the sky for most of the week. Not sure what Mum is saying here but I think the second word was "off". Day 3 was a slight disappointment. We are members of Historic Houses and this has it's let downs at times. The houses are all independent so there's no set standard. We visited Lowther Castle near Penrith and while it's a lovely looking building, like a fairy tale castle, the gardens were a let down. Plenty of colour if you like green. “Re-wilding” is my favourite modern excuse for “can't be bothered”. Ceramic daffodils (I think) on sale for a charity, jumping on the bandwagon of the ceramic poppies of a few years ago, looked like a three year old had made them. If your three year old had made them you would hide them until the three year old came round to visit! Then keep, to embarrass them as teenagers... The castle itself has an interesting history and was only finished quite recently by historic houses standards, about 1814. It was only taken apart for tax reasons. Rebuilt, it would make a great exclusive hotel/comference centre etc. I would have been more disappointed if I had paid to get in; I won't be rushing back.

Don't recall ever seeing that but the variety of shops etc. is constantly changing. Latest arrivals are a Premier Inn and a Screwfix! Pencil museum is a must see.

That's two of you mentioning winter - too cold for camping; we're blue gas campers - summer only! I'll do a bit more on this holiday then do a bit on the hotel we use in the winter.

A bit of therapy as we care for my MIL. It's getting more intense now; we are limited to not going very far at all. Last month was the last time we managed to get away in our touring caravan and it was to our most favourite place on the planet: the Camping and Caravan Club's site at Keswick. Apart from the views there is a beach onto Derwentwater and 5 minutes walk away is the town centre with an excellent supermarket, a good range of other shopping, pubs and a main bus station. We found the site almost by accident about 25 years ago when we went to another site at Ulleswater which turned out to be disappointing, so we had a look around. We don't visit this site same week, same pitch etc. every year, but we do try to have a week here and long weekends trying new sites during the summer. We had excellent luck with the weather this year: I always polish the Volvo and clean the van but a little light rain on the 4 hour drive is usually enough to lift the muck from the M6 and chuck it all over both. Not this year. We normally book for 8 nights, Sunday to Monday, and it either rains for the first few days and we have to wait, or we have a few days great weather followed by rain, and go home early. This year we booked 7 nights Monday to Monday, and had great weather all week! Anyway, here's the view from the pitch we had this year: And less than a minute's walk away is the beach: To the left in the dark you can see a row of lodges. I have a photo from 2003 when there were static caravans there. When new the lodges were about £350K each, but then the view is: Up the middle is the ridge of Catbells. I walked up there as a younger person 15 years ago, the views are amazing. Some idiots can be seen jumping off with paraglider things sometimes. Takes all sorts. Actually where I'm standing to take this photo is usually under a couple of feet of water; it normally goes all the way to the trees on the right and the bank in the middle is submerged. Very shallow entry to the water so ideal for paddleboards, canoes and dinghys. You just have to watch out for the old, wooden water bus launches which wizz round the lake churning up quite a swell if you get too close. They won't slow down for smaller craft. The view from here changes dramatically as different cloud formations come over; it can change in minutes as you watch. Early, misty mornings bring out the keen photographers too. Sunsets bring out couples with camping chairs and bottles of wine.

That, to me sums up the complete ludicrousy of so called "team building" events. It says to me that if you haven't got a smart phone then you're not part of the "team". I walked out of one such event. In some circumstances they can be counter productive in that they cause resentment among other areas of the workforce.

And to try and balance things up a bit: to employ someone these days costs a lot more than just the wages, for instance everyone wants maternity/parternity leave, sickness benefits etc. All has to be costed. We are happy to have our wages paid into the bank direct instead of a brown packet every Friday, and we are happy to buy fuel and groceries anytime of the day or night by waving a card over a sensor. We can't have it all ways. Banks (and rail ticket offices) can't afford to pay people to twiddle their thumbs all day because we have all found alternatives. There'll always be losers unfortunately.

I'll guess that tune in one: Adam Ant before he was famous?.....

fast food outlets and tattoo parlours... And as you exit be careful not to get run down by a youth on a bike delivering Just Eat orders.

Just a suggestion for pics: Get your widest angle lens and find a spot in the shed where you think you could get a pic of the finished boat. Take a pic and mark the spot. Take more pics from the same spot during the build. Maybe more than one spot; front and rear? Sod's law says that during the build someone will park something in the way but hey ho...

This weekend coming for those of you who like your gardens. I can't post a link because I'm using the phone. We wanted to go but our caring duties have become more intense recently.

Toilets: You only need to deal with the smelly stuff if you use sites without their own facilities. Join the Camping and Caravan Club and/or the Caravan and Motorhome Club and most of their sites have nice, clean facilities. Then just use your own for No.1s and emergencies. Or use an independant site with facilities. Hiring is the best advice for beginners. Towing with an A frame is for the experienced only, and I think it's now illegal in Europe. Campsite guides and websites usually give details of local transport links - nearest bus stops etc. A lot of retired people with caravans or motorhomes like sites to have a bus stop near the entrance; this has new emphasis for us this year as we both have new bus passes!

We're trying not to be political but it IS political unfortunately. Poverty, the amount of homes available/being built, food banks etc are tools used by all parties to try and score political points. Some even manage to sound like they care.

I wonder how this compares to other holiday forms like static caravans? We have had more last minute deals from a hotel we use in the Lake District this year, than we have before.

This is a good point. Some seem to assume that most liveaboards are there through ill fortune. We can never know an individual's personal circumstances of course. If a local council did have a marina as suggested by Cambridge Cabby, they would be encouraging people into the circumstances suggested here by YnysMon. Whereas a council house is owned and maintained by the council, housing association etc. Such a marina would have to have good transport links if these people are actively seeking work, which they would have to prove to keep their benefits. So thats Norwich then.

How many liveaboards on the Broads are there because it's cheap living and how many are there for the alternative lifestyle?

If you want any cheap stuff from here: https://wilmslowaudio.co.uk/ I can fetch it over for you. I don't know them although they're two minutes walk from my house. I don't speak the same language.

Dad, what are these people talking about?

"about the only option" is different to "the only option". Having nearly been made homeless with two kids in the early nineties I don't believe that in this day and age anyone is forced to live on a boat; it's an option. And I don't believe local authorities dealing with these people in East Anglia would encourage it, especially on the broads.

The bumper is held by two 10mm bolts and two plastic rivet things where you push the plastic pin through and then hope you can find it afterwards. Then unclip the panels from each other with a trim tool. Or bit of old plastic cutting board with chamfered edge in my case.

Volvo washers packed up the other day, here's why: All this was "growing" in the washer bottle. Apparently there are various reasons for it and just as many cures. Looking on Youtube to see how to get to the washer pump I was amazed to find it takes just a few minutes to remove the headlights and bumber: Cures: Use winter strength additive all year round - add bleach - add meths - don't mix brands of additive. Any more? I was surprised not to vinegar in the recommendations?

Welcome to the forum. I've never hired but in that situation I would ask the hirer if it were possible to go along, have a look and discuss it with them. Looking at some of the un hired boats on the webcams I would have thought it possible for a trial run? Or don't they do that?

Beware: this the basis of the saying, " A boat is a hole in the water into which you throw your money!"

I seem to be having one of those retirements where you never get any free time. Anyway, further to Vaughan's observations here's the flue from the outside: Remove the four bolts and: Oo look, there's the top of the heat exchanger. Mr Henry's been in there and cleaned up the detritus now. So what is more dangerous: playing with the boiler or standing on the top of a step ladder using a Henry? I was wearing a hi-vis vest, goggles, hearing protection and I had notified rospa of my intentions. Honest!

Had a quick look. Is it me but the dimensions are given as 6.09ft wide but the pics make it look wider??

I have no idea what the crack is with boats but a while ago a car was abandoned in a field next to and belonging to, a garage business for about 25 years. Garage owner wanted rid of it as he wanted to sell the land for houses so he put a notice on the car and left it there for a fixed period. I can't remember how long but at least 6 months I think, then sold the car. Of course, then the bloke who left the car there suddenly decided it was worth a couple of grand and went after the new owner. No joy. I remember because a laptop was 2 grand at the time (how things change) and the guy said he would settle for one of those! The new owner shoved it in a lock up for another 12 years before I came along and bought it. That's it in my pic.