Keeping Cool in Crich
Thursday 14th July 2022
Inbetween heatwaves, it is important to keep a cool head when planning a trip around Crich. A good, slightly chilly night's sleep? Tick. Park in the shade? Tick. With Alison, Jo and Helen J raring to go, we paused to wait for Julia and exchanged even more belated birthday presents. After a quick 'hi' to Bob and 'adieu' to Julia, we set off up the hill. Shady? Of course.
Anyone seen some sheep?
As life is returning back to a sort of normality, other babes were either on holiday or had other plans. Life just seems very busy and there were even hints that the blog might be late.
We mostly chatted about the stress of self-updating computers, our inability to keep up and their ability to use up yet more space. Ilford photos are a definite rose-coloured picture of the past.
Alison, the nettle basher and gate crasher on a path to... ?
We arrived early at The Loaf and start with a lovely brunch. Just as Julia arrives, Jo needs to rush home to put the kettle on for Matt who may or may not have escaped from Heathrow. So swapping one J for another, we start our activity: the Northern Loop of the Crich Heritage Treasure Trail. We wend our way to the old village green and check out the telephone kiosk which handily doubles up as a Defibrillator.
Crich's open air lido
Having nearly lost the Treasure Trail questionnaire in a bin, Alison took charge! Once a travel and tourism teacher...
We diligently follow the trail up the hill, admire lots of buildings and find answers to the questions..
Until we hear cries for help; the source of which was a vintage gentleman laying on the ground. We kept cool heads, checked he was ok, helped him to his feet, wobbled him to his door and left him in the capable hands of his handyman who, luckily was just finishing a bit of plastering in the shade of the back garden. He's not called a handyman for nothing! Let's also just say that we were thankful that Alison did not need to race back down the hill to that telephone box! We allow ourselves bonus points for services to Crich.
Ignoring instructions not to stray onto the road, we cross it several times. We survive and admire all sorts of stonework and end up at the old cattle market.
Julia's re-enactment of a beast tethered to the rail
We continue to learn about George Stephenson's influence on Crich: the narrow-gauge railway, his love of ale and a grilled chop.
And George's legacy... a playground at the end of the tunnel!
We head up past the church, admire views of Crich Stand, decide to visit it at a later date, and give a cheery wave to a lovely lady.
We know we are nearly back as we spot the quirky planters from the morning.
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Albeit a few hours late, Lynn is doing exactly what she said she'd be doing. So we chatted about those sort of books one reads, not for their literary merit but because they are set in our locality.
Set in the Dark Peak then!
We settle into afternoon tea and cake and compare days before Stag and Hen parties were invented, getting married abroad, honeymoons and cute great-niece baby videos (my payback.. haha!). Holiday costs are also spiralling, but that might be owing to our need to regain our lost entitlement (so, why not add- a-few- more-days- whilst- we- are-here) and the trouble with arrogant waiters. And what about the continuing effect of Covid? With numbers up again, and even greater numbers of family and friends recovering from it, how on earth are some of us still dodging it?!
Our time soon comes to an end,, so with further gifting, we then bid goodbye to Lynn and Julia
Might come in useful for dog-catching!
To finish with a literary mis-quote of a truly accomplished writer : did Alison and Helen J 'cut themselves a new path'* ? Or did they retrace the path Jo found? Our secret's safe between us!
Birds were mostly hiding today but we did see..
Crows
House sparrow
Swifts
Swallow
Magpie
*Maya Anjelou
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