Lakeside

We left the house at 10:10 this morning, to catch the 11:10 from Euston to Lancaster and by 14:26 we’d connected through to Grange -Over-Sands where Mum and Dad met us and we drove on to Lakeside, on Lake Windermere, where, later, my brother and family were arriving in order for us all to celebrate Mum’s 80th. The car journey was very slow going because of a broken down lorry but it’s not that far and, eventually, we could stretch our legs at the hotel.

The train journey was painless. Strangely, Avanti had socially-separated parties who had booked together so that PY and I were on separate tables in the same carriage. There was a family travelling together who were also separated across the same two tables. It made no sense and, thankfully, everybody worked together so that we could travel with the people we had booked with. Due to the limited availability of tickets we’d needed to book a first class seat and so the journey north was accompanied by a small selection of food. It’s all pre-packaged but nicely served and they did offer a glass of wine! I watched an episode of Vera which meant the longest part of the journey whizzed by.

The hotel gave us a quick tour upon arrival - showing the views of the lake, the restaurant and the pool and spa area - before taking us to our room which looked across Windermere itself. We joined mum and dad for a coffee on the lawn in front of the lake - and then went for a bit of a walk - before my brother arrived. I was surprised that there were few, obvious, walking paths along the lake but Dad and I did go to the pier to look at where we will be taking the boat tomorrow and then into a woodland walk.