LSE Bees

As you all know, I've been very lucky to be involved with LSE Bees. I went from complete novice who had never even seen a beehive in person, to completely fascinated and in love with beekeeping.

Recently the society asked me to participate in an interview for their blog and it's been posted - and I'm completely blown away and touched by all the lovely things they've said. It also feels really great to know that I've encouraged other people to get involved and become apiarists in their own right!

I also talk about my favourite hive at LSE, what I've learnt from the bees and the most fun thing I've ever done as part of the society. So, if you're interested head over to LSE Bees and have a read!

Jacob's Ladder and Kinder Scout - walk #4

Our final walk was an absolutely stunning circuit from Edale, onto the Pennine Way, up Jacob's Ladder and onto Kinder Plateau.

The day started off a bit grey but after a windy drive to the heart of the Peak District we arrived at Edale and to the beginning of the famous Pennine Way which goes all the way to Northumberland.

We started off on a path through the trees towards paddocks where the way was marked with large flagstones. After walking for a few kms up through the Edale Valley we reached the bottom of Jacob's Ladder. It was a hard 22 minutes up to the very windy top but very rewarding once we got to the end!

Here's a (very noisy - so don't have the volume up too loud!) video of us at the top:

Then it was right across the Kinder plateau (also known as Kinder Scout) where we walked across very springy black peat to the gritstone tors of the Kinder Edges which was like walking through a moon scape of giant rocks. The view out over Edale valley was just spectacular and the silence was something quite unusual for us city dwellers! We did encounter other walkers (or ramblers as they're known here) but it was nowhere near as busy as I imagine such a famous walk would be during summer or on the weekend.

We made it through the tors back onto the moors where the light was stunning over the heather. Unfortunately I must have been overly distracted as it was on the (mostly flat) flagstones that I toppled right over, spraining my left ankle and right shoulder and putting a massive bruise on my left knee... Very annoying but after accepting the very kind offer of some paracetamol from a passing Duke of Edinburgh leader, commandeering Adrian's Lesothan walking stick and taking his helping hand, we finally made it down to the end of the walk just as it started to rain. Pretty perfect timing all in all, and then off home to relax with plenty of ice (including in my G&T) on the couch.

Despite the mishap it was a brilliant walk and well worth doing if you're in the area. We had a fabulous time up there and it was just the thing we needed. Now I just need to get this swelling down before my new job starts on Monday!

At the official start of the Pennine Way

Don't think we'll be going all the way to the end this time!

The very pretty Edale valley

At the bottom of the ladder

Nearly at the top!

Made it! At the top on Kinder Plateau

Heading off across the peat

The tors on the Kinder Edges behind a pair of very squinty ramblers

Jump!

Pretty mountain stream

Can you see the two faces of the dog?

Such pretty heather (and lethal - to me - flagstones)

And the unfortunate end of the walk - should be right soon though!

Pemberley (Lyme Hall) - walk #3

Today we ventured all the way across the national park to Lyme Park to see "Pemberley" - (aka Lyme Hall) as made famous in the BBC's version of Pride & Prejudice with Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle.

After driving through Buxton and failing to see any of the springs to get their famous (in the UK) water, we made it to Disley and Lyme Park. It's a National Trust property (and therefore not the cheapest place to visit) but after getting the iconic photos in order, we joined a free guided walking tour of the gardens. The work they do on the gardens, which is mostly done by volunteers, is quite astonishing and there was lots to see, including a painting being restored in an anteroom to the hot house, an awesome playground and an art installation which involved banging drums to make lights on the faraway folly change colour.

We also walked through the deer park and walked up to the "cage" - a building that was used as a hunting lodge. The local inhabitants of the fields - Highland cattle - were either very friendly or hostile depending on your perspective!

As they say, the building is very favourably situated and the reflective lake is quite gorgeous. I'm very glad we visited!

Bit of a change after 600 years...

Beautiful! (and very aptly named "reflection lake")

Could I pass for Miss Bennet?

The famous view

The side of the house and the hot house gardens

Painting restoration

Very cool art installation - the lights on the far away folly change colour when you bang the different drums

View out over Derbyshire

The cage

Friend or foe?? Let's just walk around in a big, wide circle to make sure...

Awesome digger!

Sun setting over Pemberley after a lovely day

Eyam & Abney - walk #2

Today's walk was one of our "strenuous" category walks - 14km up and down the moorlands and cloughs (anyone know what those are??). [Edit: it's a steep valley - although can't quite work out what the difference is between a clough and a dale now!]

On our way to the start in Eyam (pronounced Eem) we passed Chatsworth House - Pemberley in the most recent Pride & Prejudice movie). It had extensive grounds with loads of deer.

Eyam is known as the "plague village" where 260 people died over 18 months between 1665-1666. But it is most well known for the fact that the rector asked the villagers to quarantine themselves so as to not spread the disease. People were buried in their own gardens and food and medical supplies were left at the points marked by plague stones on the village boundaries.

We started our walk from Eyam up through farmland into Eyam moor. The wind was whistling across the moor and during the walk we saw all sorts of sheep, rabbits and a lovely red fox. I really liked the heather and bracken on the moor as well as the fantastic stone walls everywhere.

There were a lot of ups and downs so it was a good thing we'd decided it classified as a two sandwich walk - and we stopped in at Bakewell on the way home and got both a Bakewell tart and pudding (the first has shortcrust pastry and the latter has flaky pastry). Adrian doesn't like marzipan so neither rated very highly in his book. It looks like it'll be almond desserts for me for the next few days! 

View towards Chatsworth House

Beginning of the walk - looking back towards Eyam

Onwards over the moor

Couldn't be moor excited!

Surveying the landscape

Nearly at the end

Typical autumn colours

Bakewell tart on the left and pudding on the right

Monk's Dale - walk #1

Today we had a glorious sleep in (any time we encounter a bed larger than our "small double" it makes for an epic night's sleep) but made it out of the house just before midday for our first walk - a three to four hour circular walk from Tideswell through Monk's Dale.

We drove down the very windy roads from our place through Matlock and Bakewell (didn't stop for a tart this time but did scope out some places for a future stop) to Tideswell. After minor uncertainty on my behalf regarding the gps (where we have ascertained that Adrian is probably better at directions than I) we headed out across the fields.

We encountered some cold-looking cows ("freeeesians"), lots of stiles and various breeds of sheep. Then it was down into Monk's Dale which was a lovely valley between limestone cliffs. It was chilly but when the sun came out it was lovely and the autumn leaves were out in full force. We crossed the River Wye and then circled back up to Tideswell after spending a bit of time on the Monsale Trail - a cycling and walking path on a disused railway track which had very cool hand-cranked storytelling stations where you could hear tales from the local area.

So, one walk down, many to go!

Walking across the fields

In Monk's Dale

Emerging from Monk's Dale towards Miller's Dale

You shall not pass!

Listening to the stories on the Monsale Trail

Looking out over the hills from the Monsale Trail

A new friend!