The first blog for more than four months. It's not that we haven't walked at Furness Abbey. Far from it. But when the country locked down just after Christmas, the lights just went out, didn't they? I'm sure that feeling was a universal experience. These months have just been about surviving. No work, no visits, polar temperatures and not even Poldark on the television (just finished watching Leonardo though. Sigh!). We've come through, though, and have walked nearly 700 miles since January- averaging 5-6 miles per day (apart from the two days I had in bed after Astrazeneca Dose One!)
Looking lovely in the chilly afternoon sunshine. And do you know what? It felt great to have a cup of tea and a cake at Abbey Mill Cafe! Still going strong. Hats off to Jackie. And to Mike and Deb Stephenson, who are going to reopen our favourite Last Resort Cafe, against all the odds. More than ever, we have to support local businesses.
There are some lovely places to walk in our town. Aside from FA and Channel Side, we've become fans of Barrow Park. We've walked in lots of parks, and I always think that whoever is behind the maintenance of our local one knows what they're doing. It looks beautiful, whatever time of year.
Another gem- Holker Hall. Despite the wedding and hospitality sector of our economy being slammed shut for such a long time, the SteveHillmanCamera got himself invited to a wedding photoshoot at this fabulous venue last month. What a stunning place for a wedding!
So, what else have we been up to? Lots of wedding bookings coming in, but no actual, real weddings until the end of May, then it really hots up, fingers crossed! I have now got two books out on submission, and am working on a third, as well as the final part of the first year of my MA. And my daughter has turned into the female version of Percy Thrower! Go to her house if you want veggies or flowers! Her jaw hit the floor when her old headmaster turned up with some timely gardening advice, too. There's no doubt about it, the outdoors has saved us during the lockdowns, and I'm sure that's a truth for many people. Long may it continue.
And yes. There was snow in May!
