Long term visitors to this blog may remember that there's another place called Hope in England. It sits in the centre of The Hope Valley - just five miles from this keyboard. I have often been there and I guess that I have walked every path in that green valley.
Yesterday, I was in Hope once more. I parked Clint near the village's little country station. It is on the line between Sheffield and Manchester. There were nine other cars parked there.
Soon I was heading up the valley side - on my way to the hamlet of Aston - then up the narrow lane to Edge Farm where I paused upon a convenient memorial bench to look at the view while chomping on the juicy apple I had squeezed into my camera case.
Then more upward motion before turning down to Twitchill Farm. There I spotted a sign on the gate: "DO NOT STOP IN THE FARMYARD". Of course I was on a public footpath so I made a point of stopping in the farmyard and checking out the three holiday cottages there.
Soon I was back in Hope walking by The River Noe - depleted by the dryness of this disappearing summer. The familiar grey canopy above had been prised open by sunshine and the world was now once again in technicolour. Let's hope that it stays that way for our cottage holiday in Leicestershire - beginning later today.
There's a BC town just east of Vancouver called Hope. Nice link with Clinton.
ReplyDeleteI never knew that. "Fort Hope was built in 1848–49 by Henry Newsham Peers. He had discovered a route through the mountains that did not dip below the 49th parallel which had become the American border. Thus, the hope that his route would be workable was fulfilled."
DeleteI wish you a great cottage holiday!
ReplyDeleteYou know that I have been to Hope years ago - I believe it was in 2010 or 11. It was a great two days with two sets of uncles and aunts; they were so active and fit back then. Sadly, one of the uncles has developed dementia in the past years. I wonder whether he remembers our visit to Hope and beyond.
Let's Hope he does. We all need to live in Hope.
DeleteI enjoyed that walk with you this morning YP.
ReplyDeleteKeeping my fingers crossed for perfect weather for your cottage holiday.
Thanks JayCee... though yesterday you wanted to trap me in a bell tower!
DeleteIt says do not stop in the farmyard because they want you to stop in one of the holiday cottages there instead of stopping in one in Leicestershire.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the explanation TD.
DeleteI was excited for a moment, thinking you took a train trip from Hope Station and there will would be a full report. Never mind. You will give holiday reports from an exotic location. Fingers crossed for good weather.
ReplyDeleteThanks Andrew though Leicestershire has never before been thought of as "exotic".
DeleteI think we all need a place called Hope.
ReplyDeleteAt the risk of causing offence, you sound like Bill Clinton.
DeleteSo there is a Hope in Arkansas, a Hope in British Columbia, and a Hope in Yorkshire (by the River Noe) where Meike spent two days? Can we link up all three by Zoom?
ReplyDeleteDid you sit in that little railway station waiting on a train for Arcadia?
Or perhaps a train to Annwn, the otherworld of Welsh mythology?
Or the Summerland beloved by Wiccans?
We have to hope for the sake of the children, it is their world as my father used to say.
To hope till hope creates
From its own wreck the
thing it contemplates.
Haggerty quoting Shelley
I was waiting for the train to Hopelessness but it had already gone. By the way Mr H, I realise that you are a chap who is not prone to making mistakes but the Hope I was referring to is just over the county boundary in Derbyshire - not in Yorkshire where we have Grimethorpe and Crigglestone and The Land of Nod.
DeleteThe Land of Green Ginger sounds like the great good place.
DeleteI am know a young woman in Glasgow who hails from Morpeth.
She is going down to the Lindisfarne Music Festival, another semi-mythical place.
She said she was once nearly drowned by the tides at Lindisfarne.
I love the seaside and fear the grey widow-maker the sea.
*Glastonbury Tor Documentary - Glastonbury Tor Myth and Legend* YouTube.
H.
It appears it is just about 2000 miles from Puolanka, Finland, the most pessimistic town in the world.
ReplyDeleteI wonder why it is so pessimistic? Maybe those very long winter nights are to blame.
DeleteI'm an Arkansan and I had no memory of that qu ote from Clinton. You had me looking at the town's wiki page and I see that another former Governor of the state (Mike Huckabee) was also born there. Two diametrically opposed political figures, neither of whom I supported. That said, I probably would enjoy sitting down for a few beers with Slick Willy as long as we didn't have to talk politics.
ReplyDeleteI wonder how many places have cities named Hope. Now I have to check my state. :) Hope the weather holds for your cottage holiday!
ReplyDeleteWe once stayed in Hope in a hostel. Lovely place and calming atmosphere.
ReplyDeleteWe have a Hope here too, in BC. I didn't realize there were other Hopes, makes sense though. We drove though Hope on our way home.
ReplyDeleteHave a lovely holiday.
Great Journeys on Vimeo.
ReplyDeletePoet and novelist Ben Okri travels from London to Greece in search of Arcadia, directed by Jonathan Stedall.
This documentary was first shown on BBC Television.
Haggerty
I wonder why you're not supposed to stop in the farmyard? Is someone worried about the threat of attacking cattle? What a weird sign.
ReplyDelete