Bluebells, cowslips, butterflies

Closer to home than our usual bluebell woods.

we also saw orange tips, peacocks, tortoiseshell and brimstone butterflies.

Local Exercise and other stuff during lockdown

We have managed to do a few very local wanders over the past four weeks.  No routes, but a few photographs.  And one or two other activities too.































we have seen masses of wild flowers, watched trees coming into blossom and leaf, seen and heard lapwings and skylarks, and seen hares as well.

Oh yes, and this...

mother walks with toddler
looking for teddies and painted pebbles

in our window
a yellow cut-out teddy waves
and behind it I dance

around coffee time
we dance each morning
to the strains of China Crisis

The child looks from the gate
I wave and carry on
three times I wave

the music stops
I open the door and say hi
and the child and I dance
at a distance.

Pitsford Water - clockwise

With Marta, Wednesday 11 March 2020.

The usual almost 7 miles, in sun and wind, followed by a sandwich at the cafe.

Lots of fisher people around, and walkers and cyclists.  No lapwings, but plenty of mallards, tufted ducks, coots.

Market Harborough to Foxton Locks and back

The same 12 mile walk as last Thursday, with Norma, Maureen, Kate and Harry.

This time we did the detour via the ten-lock staircase before an early lunch at Bridge 61 pub.

Weather brighter than on Thursday, but a chill wind, and we got back just as it started to rain.

Market Harborough to Foxton Locks and back

Thursday 05 March 2020.  A 12 mile flat walk, almost all along the canal towpath. With Eddie and Maureen. Dry, grey and muddy after earlier rain.

Reflections in the greylight

One of the millennium mileposts erected by Sustrans and the national Cycle network. This one, about 1 and a half miles from the Locks, needs some TLC. There is another by the Welland in Harborough, looking much smarter.

This is part of a time trail puzzle. Unfortunately some ejects have nicked some of the discs, making the puzzle impossible to complete now. For more info on these millennium  posts click here

Eddie and Maureen descend the slightly slippery cobbles of Bridge 61, before we go into the pub of the same name.

Into the Bridge 61 pub for coffee and cake...or a pint...and still a cake.

Spring is springing

Maintenance of the flight of ten locks

and back to the start.

We ended the walk with a sandwich and coffee in Market Harborough's Eco Village.

Irthlingborough, Rushden Lakes, Rushden, Higham Ferrers.

With Norma and Maureen. About 7 miles. Sunny, though there was still a wind. We parked in Church Street car park.


The Greenway path between Irthlingborough and Higham was posted as flooded, but in fact the water has gone down, though there was evidence of past flooding on the path.



Coffee at Rushden Lakes was far too tempting to resist, and it was warm and sheltered enough for us to sit outside.


From there we walked all the way back without another break.


Lunch in the cafe@25 in Irthlingborough. Though they were suffering from a power cut they were able to offer us tea or coffee and a sandwich.

Pitsford Water - again

Thursday 27 February 2020. With Maureen. 6.88 miles. Our first decent walk for about three weeks.

The morning began dull and wet, and a heavy shower of sleet at around 9am put us right off the idea of walking early on. For once we decided to go later, and were rewarded with sunshine, though the wind was still cold and strong.

The paths round the reservoir were fine, with a few muddy puddles, and we even managed to sit at a table and eat a scone, though we didn't hang about for long.
not too many birds seen today - the usual  lapwings along the causeway weren't there, though there were a few geese, coots etc.

We kept up a pretty steady pace and covered a distance of almost 7 miles. 

When gorse is out of season....