KIRKHEAD TOWER

Day 46 of my lockdown (cos I started on 13th March).

Hello all, I've just discovered that I'm not too late for the virtual blipmeet,s so I'm including that as mine.  With many thanks to laurie54 for hosting and to Yana1 for letting me know it is today.

Gladders, via his lovely wife C, told me about Blipmeet and it was because of them that I joined.  I'm finding I love it because it is a really friendly, positive and supportive community - no nastiness on here.  I have attended two real life Blipmeets in the past and loved them. I love reading everyone's blips, and the mix of them, some leaning heavily on the photographs and some not.  It doesn't matter.  It is a wonderful place to be, especially in these terrible times.

Whatever you do, wherever you are please do stay safe and don't take any  unnecessary risks.  I am so thankful here in the UK for our NHS and all of our key works and worldwide for all their health workers and key workers - they are true heroes in this world.


Day 44 of  my Lockdown

Inspired by FastAperture to go out again and look for the miniature steam train in the neighbourhood - AND I FOUND IT. 

Last night I just got a little stir crazy, that hasn't hit me before, but I suddenly felt I needed to go out.  So this morning, I went out about 10.30 hoping it would be early enough to avoid people.  I did come across a few though, but everyone kept their distances and we all acknowledged each other.

I walked up to the main Allithwaite Road and along to the start of Allithwaite, then down Kirkhead Road, into Greaves Wood Road, Up Priory Crescent and then onto home.  This took me about an hour, with stops to take photos.

I pass the Kirkhead Tower en-route.  I can't find out much about it.  It was renovated last year and I missed the one day they had when it was open to the public.  It is on private land and I've only been up there once when we first moved here and it was covered in snow.  Fantastic views up there.  It is believed to have been built by The Cavendishes of Holker Hall in the early 19th century as a folley.

I noticed an awful lot of hedgerow plants, wildflowers by the side of the road and in the fields/meadows.  I also noticed an awful lot of people had teddies in their windows with rainbows, it was lovely to see.  Everyone I saw said hello, except one jogger who, to be fair, had headphones on so wouldn't have heard me.

I saw some people had really had fun with their teddy displays and one had them in cars with a sign to say they were key workers - yeah to the Teddies.

I then came across a man almost finishing constructing his carriages for his miniature steam railway.  He had tracks going all round his bungalow.  He was so pleased that I was interested that he went and wheeled out his engine as well (please see extras for both).  He told me had had built both of these from scratch and that he also has sit on carriages and the little engine can pull as many as 25 people.  He also advised there is a man lives behind him who has a mini steam traction engine (not that mini, just not full sized).  

He also advised me of the miniature railways at Cinderbarrow and Millerbeck, which he has connections with.  I have heard of them before and I must visit when I can.  Another friend of his has a full-sized steam engine at Carnforth, who will be working on it during lockdown as he can't do anything else at the moment.  We kept a good 3 metres apart.  I would dearly loved to have gone and had a closer look but, of course I couldn't.  The carriages that you can see in the extras he says has a padded seat as part of the roof and can be sat on too, but he's got to install windows first.

I heard such a lot of birdsong whilst out today it was so lovely to hear.  I could only see one of them though sitting on telephone wires - I looked but just couldn't even get a glimpse of all the others.

I then got back and had a minor anxiety attack 'cos I'd spent time talking to somebody, other than my household on a face-to-face basis.  Isn't that a dreadful way to be as it is so nice to meet people that live in your neighbourhood whom you many otherwise not have met.  I hope I've done the right thing by going out *gulp*.  I did need to get out though,

Hope you all have a good day.  Take care, and please stay safe.  See you all tomorrow.