Dale

I don't remember missing England while we lived in Hong Kong but on some level I must have as two of the series that I repeatedly borrowed from the Helena May library were the 'Jennings' books and Arthur Ransome's 'Swallows and Amazons' adventures.

Most of the latter were set in the Ransome's imagined Lake District, based around the towns and environs of Windermere and Coniston. The fact that his settings were not, for the most part, based on any actual places meant that a few years later when we would visit the Lakes each Easter, pretty much anywhere could feel to me like part of the books.

Possibly my favourite of Ransome's books is 'Swallowdale' (with 'Winter Holiday' a close second), in which the children find a hidden valley where they set up their camp. Their base is concealed by the topography of the hills and is only seen when you are almost on top of it; I think of it whenever I come across anywhere up here that is similarly tucked away.

Today we took a drive out as Dan's foot is still too sore for walking and came across this place. Hardly ideal for camping, as you can see, but quite concealed and visible only fleetingly as you drive over the small stone bridge that crosses it. (My Extra is an addition to my occasional series concerned with things that are falling apart.)

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-10.6 kgs
Reading: 'Circe' by Madeline Miller