The Fourth Place Trophy!!!

[Mo Britain less Europe]

It's on lads! It's on!!!

[Sir C]

It's on lads! It's on!!!

The season's finishing in November? Has the king died?

[Burney]

The season's finishing in November? Has the king died?

How was the North? The missus showed me a picture of you up some mountain at some ungodly hour. I imagine there was a lot of that sort of thing. :-\

[Sir C]

How was the North? The missus showed me a picture of you up some mountain at some ungodly hour. I imagine there was a lot of that sort of thing. :-\

It was perfectly marvellous, thank you. Bright and sunny for the majority of the time. There were many delicious tranches of excellent bacon.

Yes, we find walking up mountains is best commenced at around 7 a.m., before the brain and body have a chance to realise what they are in for. (For what they are in. :hehe: )

We had some interesting off-piste moments, as well.

We're considering another trip in January.

[Burney]

It was perfectly marvellous, thank you. Bright and sunny for the majority of the time. There were many delicious tranches of excellent bacon.

Yes, we find walking up mountains is best commenced at around 7 a.m., before the brain and body have a chance to realise what they are in for. (For what they are in. :hehe: )

We had some interesting off-piste moments, as well.

We're considering another trip in January.

My strategy always used to be that, wherever you were going, you should end up at the turnaround point at about mid morning, since this meant that one would finish in time for the pubs to open and one could reward oneself with ale and pub grub.

[Sir C]

My strategy always used to be that, wherever you were going, you should end up at the turnaround point at about mid morning, since this meant that one would finish in time for the pubs to open and one could reward oneself with ale and pub grub.

We are of one mind in this matter. Walk from 7 until 12 or 1, a couple of pints and a plate fo carbs for lunch, then a short siesta to encourage muscle recovery.

I have, and I would admit this only to you, of course, taken to carrying a thermos of tea, so that en route we may pause for a nice cuppa, the first sip of which being greeted with a sigh of 'aah, lovely!'

I appear to have become 70 years old.

V told me last week of a chap in her office who had just booked a long weekend away. Having looked at Dorset and Devon and dismissed them as too far away, he was pleased to announce that he had decided upon Ware, because 'it's only 309 minutes from home.' This seems to me an excellent choice from a purely pragmatic point of view. One wonders whether Ware has attractions for the vacationer?

[Burney]

We are of one mind in this matter. Walk from 7 until 12 or 1, a couple of pints and a plate fo carbs for lunch, then a short siesta to encourage muscle recovery.

I have, and I would admit this only to you, of course, taken to carrying a thermos of tea, so that en route we may pause for a nice cuppa, the first sip of which being greeted with a sigh of 'aah, lovely!'

I appear to have become 70 years old.

V told me last week of a chap in her office who had just booked a long weekend away. Having looked at Dorset and Devon and dismissed them as too far away, he was pleased to announce that he had decided upon Ware, because 'it's only 309 minutes from home.' This seems to me an excellent choice from a purely pragmatic point of view. One wonders whether Ware has attractions for the vacationer?

The problem is the consumption of tea. It is essentially a drink for OAPs and encourages OAP behaviour. You will be speaking enthusiastically of biscuits and 'a nice sit down' next. :-(

Ware is a very nice place to live, but it is in essence a semi-rural market town. There are good villagey bits around it, some nice ancient woodland walks, and Hertford is a nice County town, but I can't say I would never think of it as a place for a weekend away. :shrug:

[Pokster]

The problem is the consumption of tea. It is essentially a drink for OAPs and encourages OAP behaviour. You will be speaking enthusiastically of biscuits and 'a nice sit down' next. :-(

Ware is a very nice place to live, but it is in essence a semi-rural market town. There are good villagey bits around it, some nice ancient woodland walks, and Hertford is a nice County town, but I can't say I would never think of it as a place for a weekend away. :shrug:

I had a weekend away in Ware once.. it was spent at Hanbury Manor, so involved Golf and Spa... never got to see the town

[Burney]

I had a weekend away in Ware once.. it was spent at Hanbury Manor, so involved Golf and Spa... never got to see the town

Oh, yeah, but I suppose you could do that sort of thing anywhere there's a decent course and hotel. In terms of wanting to get out into the countryside, Ware isn't awfully adventurous.

That said, as someone who spent most of the first 40 years of his life in South London, I do still have weird, panicky moments when I suddenly realise I'm now sort of in the country and think "What the fùck am I doing here?" :hehe:

[Luis Anaconda]

Oh, yeah, but I suppose you could do that sort of thing anywhere there's a decent course and hotel. In terms of wanting to get out into the countryside, Ware isn't awfully adventurous.

That said, as someone who spent most of the first 40 years of his life in South London, I do still have weird, panicky moments when I suddenly realise I'm now sort of in the country and think "What the fùck am I doing here?" :hehe:
Try moving 600 miles south b. It's snowing today and people appear to be happy with it

[Burney]

Try moving 600 miles south b. It's snowing today and people appear to be happy with it

Yeah, but at least that's still urban. What freaks me out is when country shít goes down like hearing the church bells on a Sunday morning or you walk out of the house of a morning and can smell the malt toasting in the malthouse down the road.

[Sir C]

Yeah, but at least that's still urban. What freaks me out is when country shít goes down like hearing the church bells on a Sunday morning or you walk out of the house of a morning and can smell the malt toasting in the malthouse down the road.

:threadjack: Our bibulous chum had his day before the beak. 12 months, reduced to 9 by going on a course, £500 fine. I'd say that's a decent result.

[Burney]

:threadjack: Our bibulous chum had his day before the beak. 12 months, reduced to 9 by going on a course, £500 fine. I'd say that's a decent result.

Yes. Still rather a pain in the hole, though, I imagine. Is the poor chap going to be stranded? Will you have to take him food and drink parcels or drive him to the shops?

[Sir C]

Yes. Still rather a pain in the hole, though, I imagine. Is the poor chap going to be stranded? Will you have to take him food and drink parcels or drive him to the shops?

Indeed I shall not. He has his mum nearby and friends in the apartment next door, so I think he's reasonably well covered. A pain, as you say, in the hole indeed though.

Makes you think.

[Viva Prat Vegas]

:threadjack: Our bibulous chum had his day before the beak. 12 months, reduced to 9 by going on a course, £500 fine. I'd say that's a decent result.

Your chum must be happy with the reduction
9 months of drinking without the worry of getting arrested for D/D

[Burney]

Indeed I shall not. He has his mum nearby and friends in the apartment next door, so I think he's reasonably well covered. A pain, as you say, in the hole indeed though.

Makes you think.

Yes. One must feel a bit bereft. Like having a limb removed or summink. That's another thing about being all countrified - not having a car would basically make life impossible. :-(

[Sir C]

Your chum must be happy with the reduction
9 months of drinking without the worry of getting arrested for D/D

One fears for his liver. He certainly doesn't need encouragement to step up his intake.

[Burney]

Your chum must be happy with the reduction
9 months of drinking without the worry of getting arrested for D/D

I think the problem was rather the fact that worrying about getting arrested for it wasn't something he'd done enough.

[Sir C]

Yes. One must feel a bit bereft. Like having a limb removed or summink. That's another thing about being all countrified - not having a car would basically make life impossible. :-(

I suppose I could lend him my bicycle, although I'm not sure he'd manage the 50 miles to work.

[Viva Prat Vegas]

I suppose I could lend him my bicycle, although I'm not sure he'd manage the 50 miles to work.

The early morning rambles will of been good training for 9 months of increased walking
Think of the benefits to his lungs and body mass
Is he already a fit Adonis?
Does he have a morning cough?

[Burney]

I suppose I could lend him my bicycle, although I'm not sure he'd manage the 50 miles to work.

This is why we need driverless vehicles, you see? Mind you, I expect the killjoys will require us to be sober in them as well - thus defeating their sole useful purpose as far as I can see. :-(

[Billy Goat Sverige]

Try moving 600 miles south b. It's snowing today and people appear to be happy with it

We've had about 20cm of snow this weekend. It's great :cloud9:

[Burney]

We've had about 20cm of snow this weekend. It's great :cloud9:

When I was in Oslo last December, they told me they liked the snow, because the reflection of light off it meant the near-perpetual darkness wasn't quite so bad.

This depressed me. :-(

[Billy Goat Sverige]

When I was in Oslo last December, they told me they liked the snow, because the reflection of light off it meant the near-perpetual darkness wasn't quite so bad.

This depressed me. :-(

They all say that here as well and i'd probably go along with it. November and December are much more tolerable if there's some snow on the ground. It's dark and miserable otherwise.

[Burney]

They all say that here as well and i'd probably go along with it. November and December are much more tolerable if there's some snow on the ground. It's dark and miserable otherwise.

These days, I have to spend quite a lot of time in Scandiwegia. Enough to make me realise that I'd struggle to cope with living there.

[Sir C]

The early morning rambles will of been good training for 9 months of increased walking
Think of the benefits to his lungs and body mass
Is he already a fit Adonis?
Does he have a morning cough?

He's a 15 stone lump, ruined by a lifetime of booze, fags and coke.

[Billy Goat Sverige]

These days, I have to spend quite a lot of time in Scandiwegia. Enough to make me realise that I'd struggle to cope with living there.

I found it quite hard at the start with the long winters and darkness but i'm over that now. The only thing that annoys me now is the weird people and politics. Nobody says what they really think. They don't know how to queue. They have no manners. They spit everywhere. A lot of them are socially awkward and don't know how to interact with strangers. They're quite a weird bunch to be honest.

[Burney]

He's a 15 stone lump, ruined by a lifetime of booze, fags and coke.

Oooh, look at you with the body-shaming! :hehe:

[Sir C]

Oooh, look at you with the body-shaming! :hehe:

:hehe: I must confess that I am suffering lidl bit the hubris. Feeling as fit as a fiddle I launched into a week of charging around and up and down willy, and also nilly, and now feel like I have been in a car accident. Every part of me aches.

[Burney]

I found it quite hard at the start with the long winters and darkness but i'm over that now. The only thing that annoys me now is the weird people and politics. Nobody says what they really think. They don't know how to queue. They have no manners. They spit everywhere. A lot of them are socially awkward and don't know how to interact with strangers. They're quite a weird bunch to be honest.

I find that with them as well, actually. Of the nordic peoples I've met, the Finns are probably my favourites, though. The Swedes are uptight, the Danes are basically just Germans, the Nogs are just a bit yokelish and backward (Guns excepted, of course), but the Finns - while a bit mad - like a drink and a laugh and have a decent (albeit dark) sense of humour.
That said, their apparent belief that all of life's problems can be solved by getting naked with a bunch of people in a steamy room is a bit weird.

[Burney]

:hehe: I must confess that I am suffering lidl bit the hubris. Feeling as fit as a fiddle I launched into a week of charging around and up and down willy, and also nilly, and now feel like I have been in a car accident. Every part of me aches.


Sounds to me like your ratio of walking to napping and imbibing was out of whack. It may need adjustment next time.

[Pokster]

:hehe: I must confess that I am suffering lidl bit the hubris. Feeling as fit as a fiddle I launched into a week of charging around and up and down willy, and also nilly, and now feel like I have been in a car accident. Every part of me aches.

I have ached ever since i did the Marathon in April, still going to the gym 3-4 times a week but every morning my calf muscles feel like they have shrunk and i can barely walk for the first 30 mins of the day

[Sir C]

I have ached ever since i did the Marathon in April, still going to the gym 3-4 times a week but every morning my calf muscles feel like they have shrunk and i can barely walk for the first 30 mins of the day

My fear is that it's just inevitable with age. Exercise will cause pain, and that's an end to it. :-(

[Burney]

I have ached ever since i did the Marathon in April, still going to the gym 3-4 times a week but every morning my calf muscles feel like they have shrunk and i can barely walk for the first 30 mins of the day

I'm currently running about 30 miles a week and coming downstairs in the morning, I basically have to do it sideways one step at a time such is the stiffness. My cat runs ahead of me wanting to be fed and skips down the stairs, looking at me insolently from the bottom as if to say 'Come on, you decrepit old cünt!' :hehe:

It's fine after that, though.

[Burney]

My fear is that it's just inevitable with age. Exercise will cause pain, and that's an end to it. :-(

Yup. And lack of exercise will cause unsightliness and death. It's a no-win job.

[Ash]

The season's finishing in November? Has the king died?

This is the only on-topic post of the thread. Mo will be thrilled.

[Burney]

This is the only on-topic post of the thread. Mo will be thrilled.

Well given that it started with a commonplace bit of heavy-handed sarcastic moaning, it's done far better than he had any right to expect.

[Ash]

It was perfectly marvellous, thank you. Bright and sunny for the majority of the time. There were many delicious tranches of excellent bacon.

Yes, we find walking up mountains is best commenced at around 7 a.m., before the brain and body have a chance to realise what they are in for. (For what they are in. :hehe: )

We had some interesting off-piste moments, as well.

We're considering another trip in January.

What sort of devilish time does one have to get up at to be out at 7am? Especially as breakfast has to be cooked, ablutions abluted and, apparently in some cases, thermoses prepared and so on?

Also, the off-piste stuff stuff: Was it a case of the old "oh, I think we can take a short cut down there" famous last words?

[Ash]

Well given that it started with a commonplace bit of heavy-handed sarcastic moaning, it's done far better than he had any right to expect.

We were a bit **** though, tbf.

[Burney]

We were a bit **** though, tbf.

I wouldn't call us ****

We weren't as good as we might have been, it was a North London Derby and the fact is that Tottenham are a tough side to beat.

My money would always have been on a score draw, if I'm honest.

[Sir C]

What sort of devilish time does one have to get up at to be out at 7am? Especially as breakfast has to be cooked, ablutions abluted and, apparently in some cases, thermoses prepared and so on?

Also, the off-piste stuff stuff: Was it a case of the old "oh, I think we can take a short cut down there" famous last words?

Up at 6, breakfasted, packed and out by 6:45. Easy peasy.

Well, having trotted up Cat Bells, then along and up Maiden Moor, then along and up High Spy, the map (and satnav) showed a footpath going down the side of the ridge, but then the path sort of diappeared, leaving us stranded in a wilderness of bracken, rocks, cliffs, crags and scree. Too far down to go up, it was a question of scrambling whilst trying not to **** oneself to death. There was a moment when I actually checked the phone to see if we had any signal, because if it had got just a tiny bit trickier we were going to need help... (obviously there was no signal). Anyways, it took 3 hours to get down, and if I could find the lying **** at the Ordnance Survey who thinks there is a footpath down a vertical fúcking cliff face he'd get the rough edge of me.

[Burney]

Up at 6, breakfasted, packed and out by 6:45. Easy peasy.

Well, having trotted up Cat Bells, then along and up Maiden Moor, then along and up High Spy, the map (and satnav) showed a footpath going down the side of the ridge, but then the path sort of diappeared, leaving us stranded in a wilderness of bracken, rocks, cliffs, crags and scree. Too far down to go up, it was a question of scrambling whilst trying not to **** oneself to death. There was a moment when I actually checked the phone to see if we had any signal, because if it had got just a tiny bit trickier we were going to need help... (obviously there was no signal). Anyways, it took 3 hours to get down, and if I could find the lying **** at the Ordnance Survey who thinks there is a footpath down a vertical fúcking cliff face he'd get the rough edge of me.

Ooof. Lucky the weather held for you or you'd have been properly fùcked. :-(

[Sir C]

Ooof. Lucky the weather held for you or you'd have been properly fùcked. :-(

It was really bizarre. Those paths are maintained by the National Trust, aren't they? I'm tempted to pop down to Chartwell this afternoon, find a blue-haired old dear sitting on a chair by the door of a living room, take her by the back of the head and slam her face repeatedly into my fúcking map, screaming, "SHOW ME THE FÚCKING FOOTPATH YOU MENTAL OLD BITCH!"

[Burney]

It was really bizarre. Those paths are maintained by the National Trust, aren't they? I'm tempted to pop down to Chartwell this afternoon, find a blue-haired old dear sitting on a chair by the door of a living room, take her by the back of the head and slam her face repeatedly into my fúcking map, screaming, "SHOW ME THE FÚCKING FOOTPATH YOU MENTAL OLD BITCH!"

I think it's the responsibility of the Lake District National Park. I guess you do have to accept that at the end of the day, it's a wild place and not Regent's Park. Footpaths can get covered by scree falls, landslips, boulders or what have you and it isn't possible to keep up to date with every path in the whole of the Lake District. Have you informed anyone?

[Ash]

Up at 6, breakfasted, packed and out by 6:45. Easy peasy.

Well, having trotted up Cat Bells, then along and up Maiden Moor, then along and up High Spy, the map (and satnav) showed a footpath going down the side of the ridge, but then the path sort of diappeared, leaving us stranded in a wilderness of bracken, rocks, cliffs, crags and scree. Too far down to go up, it was a question of scrambling whilst trying not to **** oneself to death. There was a moment when I actually checked the phone to see if we had any signal, because if it had got just a tiny bit trickier we were going to need help... (obviously there was no signal). Anyways, it took 3 hours to get down, and if I could find the lying **** at the Ordnance Survey who thinks there is a footpath down a vertical fúcking cliff face he'd get the rough edge of me.

Ouch. Was it the path marked by a beck just north of High Scawdel on the map on this page?: https://www.walklakes.co.uk/walk_47.html

When we did that Catbells walk we went on to Dale Head and then got a bit lost coming down, though not in peril. That area must be cursed, I tell thee. Catbells is lovely, though.

[Sir C]

Ouch. Was it the path marked by a beck just north of High Scawdel on the map on this page?: https://www.walklakes.co.uk/walk_47.html

When we did that Catbells walk we went on to Dale Head and then got a bit lost coming down, though not in peril. That area must be cursed, I tell thee. Catbells is lovely, though.

North of that; eastern side of the ridge, going round Nitting Hawse. Bloody thing.

In retrospect it's amusing to think of us staggering off 't fell, like Japanese soldiers emerging blinking from the jungle, to then face a four mile slog on shaking legs back to the car.

[Burney]

North of that; eastern side of the ridge, going round Nitting Hawse. Bloody thing.

In retrospect it's amusing to think of us staggering off 't fell, like Japanese soldiers emerging blinking from the jungle, to then face a four mile slog on shaking legs back to the car.

It must have severely delayed your ale consumption as well :-(