Fording the Ford at Stanhope, Co.Durham

Now here's a quandry. What photo to choose for today? We were on our way to North Yorkshire to visit ...well, you'll see in tomorrow's blip, and so far today I'd taken a lovely shot of a huge poppy field, and after our stop at this ford, I'd taken a photo of a delightful old sculpture in the gardens at the back of the Dale Centre in Stanhope.

But, but....I've chosen to put this photo on because the way I see it is that if blipfoto is a journal, then I should document significant happenings, where possible. Crossing this ford was a highlight of our day because it was so much fun! I'd spotted the stepping stones from the road and had noticed other people both walking along them and through the water itself (the ford is now closed to cars by the way!). Knowing how much J likes stepping stones, and given that he had endured a long and boring journey down from Scotland, I parked up so that we could both have a go at crossing the River Wear.

After we'd crossed the stepping stones, we couldn't get back across them because a man had stopped in the middle of them with a little fishing net and was trying to catch fish I presume (minnows maybe) for his son. So off came our shoes and socks to paddle back. The water was cold and J was a bit hesitant at first but then he literally took the plunge. It was slow and careful going as it was slidey in parts, but he ended up enjoying his wading so much that he went over and back again.