The Lake District

Between Rallies - 20th June 1988

As I said, it was a slightly different part of the Lake District my club were staying in this year. As opposed to one of the campsites near Ambleside or Wasdale Head, we stayed behind a pub (fancy!) in the charmingly named Sour Nook, near Sebergham.

The pub was apparently used by the local MAG group for a rally, but the field seemed amazingly rough, although this was presumably due to the digging that was underway, (but not while we were there), for the improved drainage of the pub, and a new out-building.

As soon as we arrived and had the tents set up, the pub was investigated and beer sampled, until one guy suddenly remembered he had left his airbed inflating from the pump running off his bike. He almost reached it before it exploded. Obviously, a new airbed had to be added to the shopping list when we went into town.

Surprisingly, it took quite a while to find a camping shop in the town we visited. The rest of us used the time to stock up on food and other supplies. One of our members was surprised by a Cumberland sausage! (She was unaware that there was only one sausage, which is cut off at the weight you require.)

While there we visited a lake/mere or two, and went trudging up Aira Force, or at least as far as each of us could comfortably make it - a few got to the top, and generally relaxing camping-type things which, co-incidentally, involved drinking in the pub of an evening.

We also hacked over Hardknott Pass, with its 1-in-4 (25%) to 1-in-3 (30%) hills and hairpin bends, to visit the Roman fort at the top.

Bright and early on Friday morning, I loaded up the bike and set my sights for Hastings, to attend the Norman Rally, the next step of my holiday.

Phil Drackley - Phil the Spill