I awake the next day to the pitter patter of rain on the window pain in the early hours. It matters not, I'm warm, comfy and spend the large part of the early morning relaxing, listening to Nick doze and allowing my mind to wander. When Nick wakes up, he is keen to finish the film we were watching (Spiderman-No Way Home) so we do just that while getting a lazy breakfast in bed- It's a pretty good flick TBF and gets the Nick seal of approval- 'yes, it's alright' accompanied by a shrug- high praise indeed🤷😂.

After all that lounging, I'm keen to get some fresh air, so we don our waterproofs (they have proved themselves highly useful this holiday) and wander down to lakeside. Although raining, the view is a bit clearer today owing to higher rolling cloud and whilst I ogle paddleboarders on the lake using my newly invested monocular (that sounds dodgier than it was), Nick gets to work building miniature bear traps???. I know what your thinking?...what the hell?...but such is the charm of the lad, that soon I find myself digging holes and collecting sticks and foliage in an attempt to help him. Now I'm uncertain as to how many pocket sized bears live on the shores of Lake Windermere but they best watch out as we made some of the best traps this side of....well Lake Windermere....as the below picture will atest.👍

After all that hard work (well just the bear necessities really 😉), we decide to walk a bit further up to shore to Windermere Jetty Museum...mainly because I know it has a good cafe. However, on arrival, we also are pleased that there is a few things to see and do. Even without paying to go in, you can wander and see a few of the exhibits, it has its own model boating club and sailing lake- sadly too windy for then to be out today, but it also has a few well thought out creative tasks littered around the place. Allowing our inner engineers to take hold, we rebuilt a replica of a steam picket boat and then set to work constructing an artists impression of a power motorboat from polystyrene blocks. Nick can be seen taking her out for a spin below 😂👇

After lunch (I carried on the boating theme by having a delicious Cullen Skink 🤤), we tootled a little further into Windermere to see some more shops, however, this felt like a wholesome day so far and I didn't want to sully it with more shopping (aside from the fact, if we visit another gift shop, I may have to file for bankruptcy), so with a little encouragement, I persuaded Nick to commit to one last walk of the holiday- besides we had a job to do!!!!

I'll explain. Before we came away, my mum (and Nick's Grandma) had given him a 'memory rock' that one of the attendees of her dementia group she volunteers at had painted. The idea is that the rock is placed in a special place with a little message telling the finder to record where they found it, and a bit about them and to move it somewhere else for another to find- a kind of travelling memento- a very sweet idea. We we originally planning to leave it a top of 'Old Man of Coniston' but since that plan was rained off (or boated off as it turned out), we still had to find a fell to place the rock at the top of- and well. .if your in the centre of Windermere...there's only one choice...well actually there's 2 (Brant Fell is the other)...but it was a non-contender ...we were walking Orrest Head!

Now I've not walked Orrest Head in probably 10 yrs but I still have fond memories and if I may say, I enjoyed it even more this time! It has become something of a child friendly/accesible walk with the welcome addition of a 'Miles without Stiles' endorsed path that takes you right to the top without really breaking a sweat. For those that might appreciate a liccle scramble, the original rocky route is still on offer. Also, they have added a cute little diversion through 'Red Squirrel' gladed territory with lots of wooden carvings of woodland creatures and kids storybook characters (Gruffalo anyone?). All of this is about a mile from the train station making it perfect for families with younger kids. However, for me the real joy (aside from the outstanding views) is the story behind it....

This was the first fell one Alfred Wainwright walked, on a curious day trip out to Windermere nearly 100 yrs ago. It inspired not only his passion of walking countless other fells but 1000s of other people in his wake. Not to mention the fortune, conservation and attention that has been lavished on the Lake District and wider geography, ecology and tourist economy, as a result of this splendid one hill walk and one man's decision to record it. Just think about it!... Natures ability to inspire is truly awesome in the real sense of the word and I am now more than ready for it to 'Awake my Soul'. So was Wainwright and as I read his quote that is etched into the trig point overlooking the fells summit, I happily teared up. I'll re-print it below, in case, you can't see it- I hope it brings you the same feeling. Xxx

"These few hours on Orrest Head cast a spell that changed my life....Quite suddenly, we emerged from the shadow of the trees and were on a bare headland, and, as though a curtain had dramatically been torn aside, beheld a truly magnificent view...This was truth. God was in heaven that day and I a humble worshipper"

A.Wainwright

Ok, bringing myself back together and wiping a tear from my eye as Nick tugged on my sleeve (he now knows when to bring me back from Wanderlust  😂), we still had a job to do! You'll notice from the above picture that we intended to leave the stone placed on top of the trig point next to Wainrights monumental words but alas the winds were too strong and it would have blown right off. So instead we attached it to one of the east looking benches, in the hope that someone will spot it and carry it on to its next resting place. We spend the next 30 mins looking at the view and playing an orienteering style game that Nick plays at cubs ..good fun. Before we leave, I remind Nick he has just bagged his very first Wainright and set him a challenge ...we shall return to this very place in 8 yrs time (God willing), he will be 18 and I will be 50! If he has conquered all the other 213 Wainright fells by then, I say, I'll buy him a car. "No it's alright...but I'll still come back with you" he says cheerfully...and you know what...that'll do for me.❤️Xxx