Walking Weekend from Coniston Water Holiday Fellowship Hotel

A total of 21 members and friends based themselves at the Holiday Fellowship hotel "Monk Coniston Country House" from Friday afternoon until Sunday morning. Some members did a 5 mile walk on Friday afternoon from the hotel to Tarn Hows and back on a circular walk. Afterwards they met up with the rest of the group for afternoon tea of scones with jam. Then after everybody was changed it was time for pre-prandial drinks and dinner.

The next day the party split into two groups one of which were doing the longer walks whilst the rest took a more leisurely day. Most of the walkers did a lower level walk organised by Donald Brumfitt which he claimed was 8 miles, but at the end of the walk several were heard muttering that it was more like 12 miles (expletives deleted!). John Waterhouse and Tim Ratcliffe, however, chose to do an 8 miles high level walk up The Old Man of Coniston.

The more leisurely group 0f 10 led by Barrie Birch visited John Ruskin's museum which contained an interesting history of Donald Campbell's Bluebird. They then headed across the lake to visit the house where Ruskin had lived. 6 took the boat across the lake whilst the other 4 drove around it. Those on the boat were treated to a running commentary on the area by the boatman. After looking around Ruskin's historic home of Brantwood the boaters caught the bus back to Coniston where they met up with the rest of their party and the long distance walkers.

Everybody retired to the Sports and Social club to watch the Grand National and refresh their thirst. Alan Arthur managed to win the sweepstake on the National with John Waterhouse, Alan Morrell and Graham Robinson picking up smaller winnings on the placed horses. Afterwards it was back to the hotel for dinner.

On Sunday morning it was breakfast and a short stroll before most people headed home. But one group of 6 members undertook a 3 miles walk and visited Tilberthwaite Gill. Barrie Birch said that Ruskin would approve of the images he took of the Gill.

The consensus was that the weekend was thoroughly enjoyed by all and John Waterhouse was congratulated on his excellent organisation.