We were up early and I spent most of the morning getting ready to go away with the lads, then I spent an hour or so with Penny and then we went to (the) ASDA and then Dave and Matt picked me up, and then Lea and Stew and John arrived and the 2 cars drove to The Lake District (via Truckworld. Its name promised so much more).
We got to the cabin just before 5:30pm and settled in. We spent far too long getting a fire lit, but were quick to get the booze opened. Before long it was like, I don't know, midnight and we all turned in for bed.
It was 9:37am before we started stirring and almost 1pm before we got out the front door. I'd made bacon and egg butties for everyone, as per the agreement, and then we drove round some really rather dangerous roads, with ice and snow and arrived in Ambleside. We went for a walk round the town, had a hot chocolate and then found Windermere. Then we drove back to the cottage, spying the pub we were due in that night.
We freshened up and set out on what was billed as a "delightful 15 minute walk through the woods" and were dismayed to it was neither delightful, nor 15 minutes, and it was more accurately a hike over rocks, mud, streams and swamps.
Still, we found the pub (it was dark, too, by the way) ordered a pint and some food and then Howard turned up. He didn't have much to drink, which was fortunate as he was able to give us a lift home. He took me and Stew first, with Lea as a guide, which allowed me and Stew time to get the fire going before everyone else got back.
We all had a few drinks and stayed up chatting until about midnight again, enduring thunder storms, rain, hail, sleet and gale force wind (probably) and the went to bed.
We all woke up just after 8am, got ready, got packed and headed out. I got in with Howard so he wasn't lonely on the way back, and also we both wanted breakfast. We headed the right way but were turned back by a man who was waving a stick (too icy, apparently), and eventually found somewhere for breakfast and then it was a lovely 90 minute drive back home.
Penny was pleased to see me. Melissa seemed to be too. Now it's just a case of waiting out the day before work tomorrow.
Can't wait.
Had a great birthday week, and an excellent couple of evenings with some good mates. Same time next year?
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| Windermere |
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| (l-r) Howard, Dave, Matt, John, Lea, Stew. |
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| "home" |
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| Rewarding. |
