8 April 2020

Tuesday

Yesterday afternoon, Clint drove me to the edge of the city and the end of Yorkshire. We were in the suburb of Totley. After parking, I tied my walking boots and set off on a gentle three mile ramble along familiar paths. In the past, if I had undertaken this walk on a weekday, I would not have encountered another soul but yesterday several other people were out and about including a runner who ran right through my invisible two metre ring. 

This keeps happening. I try to observe the two metre principle and others encroach. Its worst in supermarkets. Even supermarket employees enter my two metre circle. Don't they know how vital it is to stay apart? I never see cops in or around supermarkets. I guess they are too busy flying drones in The Peak District.

In Gillfield Wood there was a sea of wood anemones. I crossed Totley Brook into Derbyshire and headed up to Woodthorpe Hall. The annoying runner passed me on a tight path that runs by Holmesfield Park Wood. I watched a busy bumble bee casting his shadow on a layered sandstone wall. Can you see him? Where's Mr Bumble?
Up to the edge of Holmesfield village then following the "B" road over Holmesfield Common before taking a little used path by Gooseberry Farm. Then back down into the valley of Totley Brook crossing a large crusty field where small shards of crockery reminded me of a certain West London collector of the same.

On Famshawe Gate Road, I paused to take a picture of The Old Hall - an early seventeenth century country house though records show that the estate dates back to at least 1260. Eat your heart out Wyoming!
Back down to Gillfield Wood and over the brook into Yorkshire. Three older teenage lads were resting by a hedgerow that was  dressed in pretty hawthorn blossom. Their bicycles rested beside them. I arced around the group as they were blocking the public footpath. Not much social distancing going on there.

Up ahead I could see Clint gleaming in the sunshine. He was humming "Greensleeves" and as I approached he broke into song:
Alas my love you do me wrong
To cast me off discourteously;
And I have loved you oh so long
Delighting in your company.
He was probably thinking about Margaret, the shapely VW Beetle, who lives up our street and consistently repels Clint's romantic advances. Poor Clint.
A garden gate at Woodthorpe Hall

26 comments:

  1. I love that garden gate and stone wall at Woodthorpe Hall! You had a very nice walk and took some lovely pictures. I too have noticed that it is difficult to keep the appropriate distance at the supermarket. The aisles are not wide enough to follow the rules when passing other shoppers. We are trying to not go to the store every week but that can be difficult. They keep telling us that the next two weeks will be the worst here and we should not go out unless it is urgent. I'm glad you are still able to get your walks. You and Shirley take care.

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    1. The government keep saying "Stay At Home" but they allow us to exercise "locally" every day. They also allow us to visit the country's biggest D.I.Y. chain store as I did yesterday - though you are not allowed inside. I wonder what "locally" means. They haven't defined it and the people who keep telling us to "Stay Home" are not in their own homes.

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  2. YP, you brighten my day. I love your clint stories and the celandine's are beautiful.
    Keep safe on your walks.
    Briony
    x

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    1. Wood anemones and celandines are country cousins. I will obey your safety instructions Briony and "Stay Safe" even if I don't always "Stay Home".

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  3. Wonderful photos again, thank you, Neil! Of course you know I especially like the garden gate and the glimpse of The Old Hall.
    Reg. distance, I know what you mean - so many people do not shift when I encounter them during my walks, they insist on walking next to each other as a couple whereas O.K. and I always file one behind the other when we see others on the paths, to enable all of us to give us as much space as the path allows.
    From all I have been reading and hearing, it is unlikely that one can catch the virus from a runner or cyclist, or even from another walker passing on the same path; it takes a longer time such as working together or having a conversation close to each other.
    In my local Aldi, they have restricted the number of customers allowed into the shop at the same time, making it easier to keep the distance.

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    1. At our "Lidl" it is a gamble - trying to aim for a quiet period. This was easier when they closed at 10 p.m. but last week they reduced their opening hours. I try to be very strict about keeping away from others. Better to be safe than sorry. Germany continues to show Europe the way with regard to addressing The Plague but I notice that your recorded deaths have crept up over two thousand. It's pretty bad in both Belgium and The Netherlands but they don't get mentioned on the BBC news.

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  4. Margaret's got a spare engine in the boot if Clint breaks down. Love the drystone wall photo. Stone is an amazing natural material. The wall is like a sculpture or work of art YP.

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    1. Some people wear their hearts on their sleeves but Margaret's heart is in her boot. Did you spot Mr Bumble Dave?

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    2. I was looking for Harry Secombe for a minute YP. The bee is ten stones down from the top me thinks?

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    3. If he was still alive, it would be hellishly easy to spot Harry Secombe. Can you see Mr Bumble's shadow on the same slightly larger stone?

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  5. Margaret probably thinks Clint has dirty habits. He goes out and gets his wheels covered in muck and cow clap and keeps muddy walking boots and wet waterproofs in his boot.

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    1. Some VW Beetles are partial to "a bit of rough". Have you ever read "Lady Chatterley's Lover" Tasker?

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  6. I love that garden gate. It is wonderful the attention to detail that was paid to even the humblest of objects back in those days by those who could afford it.
    On my walk yesterday I was passed by two young women cyclists, who were laughing and calling to each other, and who made no attempt to give me a wide berth even though the road was empty of traffic and wide enough. I did cover my nose and mouth with a hanky although I doubt that would really have made much of a difference.

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    1. Some seem to think that a swift penetration of somebody's invisible circle is perfectly okay. It isn't. We are talking about death here.

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  7. I love the English countryside. My cousins lived in Sussex and it's so pretty down there too. And the lovely old (money pit) homes. There's nothing much old around here.

    Thank you for the lovely pics to start off my day.

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    1. Work hard Lily! You have got mountains and rivers and forests. They are very old indeed.

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    2. You're right, I had forgotten about the natural world. We were supposed to go to Jasper next month but that's gone now. Of course will still be there when all of us is eventually over, one day.

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  8. Thank you for the pictures. I need a reminder of the beauty in the world today.

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    1. In this situation it is easy to forget.

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  9. Great walk and photos to prove it. Yes, some people don't get the distancing bit.

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    1. I think I need to walk around with an extra large hoola hoop around me. Naturally its colour would be red!

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    2. I walk with a stick that is 1.5 m. I can keep my distance very well!

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  10. I never imagined Clint had such an active romantic life. LOL

    As for the runner, I have similar things happen all the time. I hold my breath and squint my eyes and wait until they're past me, hoping they haven't sent any viral particles spinning in my direction. It makes me crazy. Some people just DO NOT get it.

    Love the wood anemones. I'm seeing those here, too. Oh, and I hope you picked up some of that pottery!!!

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    1. I picked up four shards of pottery but told myself, "You should not be doing this!" It could easily become addictive and then I would have to make paving stones in an old frying pan! Lord knows how those shards ended up in that open field with no buildings or gardens nearby.

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  11. Oh, I love the picture of the garden gate! And, right there.....no, there, is the bumble bee. OOPS! Gone now.
    I so enjoy our walks and the pictures that you take. I was in hopes of traveling to England with the Princess and her Consort this June/July. Was hoping to meet you and your Lady.....not to be, I'm afraid. So, dear man, you will have to keep taking me on your walks. Take care and stay well!

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    1. I would be nervous about meeting you - either over here or in Denver but I would just swallow hard and try to stop trembling. I hope you and Yogi Bear are self-isolating successfully.

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