Apologies for the lack of posts! Here is a picture dad sent from Spain. The gentleman in the photo is the farmer that mum and dad have befriended. He supplies them with eggs and any other produce that he has going spare (don't worry, not pork!)
I have had a relaxing birthday weekend with Sarah for company. Langdale on Friday night for a swim, lunch in the pub yesterday and a short walk today.



I planted some roses that had arrived for grandad today, I hope they survive until he gets back. I'm no Alan Titchmarsh!

It has been another stunning day, that's two in a row and definitely a record this winter! I had a short wander and took a couple of shots. The flowers are going to struggle the next few days with the frost.



With the clear sky you could see dozens of vapour trails from airplanes we obviously live on a busy route. There was a sprinkling of snow on some of the lower fells and a bit more on the Old Man. I think there will be more tonight. In fact, just been outside for a log of wood and there are some tiny snowflakes in the air!

There was a bit of an invasion in Sawrey yesterday a group of Jehovah's witnesses descended on the village distributing literature and apparently are coming back today to ask questions
We had nice meal out last night at the TBA, we were joined by Philip and Sheila from Whinfell, Peter and Moira from next door were out dining with their family as well and it was surprisingly busy for the time of year, a really good atmosphere.
We have packed the bags this morning and are off for a couple of weeks R&R in Spain, Matthew will home looking after everything and will no doubt post the odd entry on the blog.

These are some pictures of last nights Burns Night supper



Mark the piper piping in the Haggis

Davy who comes down from Scotland especially to address the haggis.

Serious dart action

We had great night out at the Burns night supper marred only by an unfortunate incident, Nancy who lives in Far Sawrey and is usually the life and soul of these types of occasions had a bit of a dizzy spell as she arrived and stumbled, the First Responders sprang into action, Steve from the pub and Steve and Mary from the village took control until an Ambulance arrived, it took the ambulance a worrying 50 minuets to get there.
The First Responders are a brilliant idea, a group of locals are trained in first aid and equipped with specialist equipment to deal with suspected heart attacks amongst other things.
It goes without saying we all wish Nancy a speedy recovery.

We are off out tonight to the Sawrey Hotel, there is a Burns night supper on in aid of The Sawrey Institute. Haggis, piper and all the trimmings.
The bar at the hotel is called the "Claife Crier" below is a excerpt from the Sawrey Hotels web site.

"The old stables were altered to a bar in 1971, now known as the Claife Crier Bar - this is named after the local ghost of legend,who is believed to be the ghost of a monk from Furness Abbey in Medieval times, whose mission was the rescue of a fallen woman. He apparently fell in love with one who rejected him and he went mad, dying, crying his anguish on the heights of Claife, which his ghost has haunted ever since. On one occasion, the ferryman mistook his cry for a call, and he went out for his fare. When he returned, his hair had turned white and he never spoke again. Subsequently, the ghost was exorcised and his spirit confined to the quarry known as the Crier of Claife Quarry"
I will take some pictures tonight. (of the Burns night not of the ghost)

The carpet fitters are busy with the new stairs carpet today, a father and daughter team doing the work.

Off to Kendal today and unbelievably the ferry was working, we have never been across in such bad conditions, having said that it was off when we wanted to come back, so we had to go round via Ambleside.



This is a pretty miserable shot up the lake on the way across the ferry.

I took the car down to Cunsey where Alan lives, he will take the car to work in the morning and put it through the MOT test and then will fetch it back tomorrow night.
We have just had a call from Spain, Denis & Margaret are both fit and well and having a great break in the sun.

We thoroughly enjoyed the Miss Potter film last night,check out the web site for the movie by clicking on the link in the side bar, in fact the whole package was excellent, we had a great meal in the the restaurant and had seats reserved in the cinema. The restaurant was really busy for a Monday night in January, it is a vegetarian menu and first class with lots of choice and I would recommend it to anyone.

We awoke this morning to a frost which was a bit of a surprise but it turned out to be a fantastic sunny day.







I needed a couple of wiper blades for the car so we went to the garage at Torver and then went a walk over Torver common and down to the path along the side of Coniston Water, we then took the path back up into Torver and back to the car.
I went a bit mad with the camera but the views were stunning especially after all the gloomy weather.







On Friday night At the Sawrey Hotel there is a Burns night celebration and darts and dominoes competition, haggis will of course be served and a piper will be present it is all in aid of fund raising for the Sawrey Institute.

Three Dubs tarn.

Mark the joiner arrived early on this morning and he has now finished at Buckle Yeat,we were able to give the stairs a final coat of varnish and also do some long overdue finishing touches at home.

It was a calm morning but the wind and rain returned this afternoon, still it did not deter some hardy souls looking for Hill Top.

Me and Helen are off out tonight, we are going to Zeffirelli's in Ambleside, we are having a meal in the restaurant and then they reserve you seats in the cinema, the film showing is surprise surprise " Miss Potter"
Film review tomorrow.

At last a dry day, it was blustery but fantastic compared to the last few weeks.
We went up to Buckle Yeat and put a final coat of varnish on the new hand rail, Mark will be here in the morning to fit it and replace and renew some skirting boards.

We set off up towards Moss Eccles and because the weather was so much better there was lots of walkers about so we took a detour which I think is across land without public access, but we were not causing any damage.





These daffodils are almost up.





We ended up at Three Dubs Tarn and took these pictures of the boathouse, we have been there a few times over the years but is really spooky and dead quiet.

Back down into Far Sawrey and had a word with Graham on his quad bike out feeding his sheep, he was struggling to find them, he said they keep out of the way when the cold wind blows and take shelter.

Sunday lunch at the Tower Bank then back home.

A welcome break from the DIY today but the downside was shopping, we headed to Kendal and had to go round the lake because the ferry is out of action and has been all week, high winds and high water.


This is a shot of a damp Sawrey.





On the way to Kendal we stopped at Waterhead Ambleside and took these pictures.
It was busy in Kendal and I treat myself to a new watch, my old one failed just before Christmas.
Helen has just spoke to Denis in Spain they are just off out for a meal at one of their favorite restaurants in Spain, they are having great weather, a lot better than here.

Another miserable wet and windy day, just the finishing touches left on the staircase and landing, they seem to take forever.
Matthew had a problem with his car this morning, it has been a bit unreliable but its one of those faults that seem to clear themselves for no apparent reason and so make it hard to find. Anyway we think we have got to the bottom of it.
We are just waiting for the fire alarm people to arrive, we had to remove a bell because we had to remove a wall and when it has all gone back together the said bell is not working.

A wild and windy night with terrific gales, the power was off for a couple of hours overnight and we thought we would have to fire up the generator this morning but thankfully we had the power back on.

The news is full of overturned lorries on the M6 and floods at Appleby and the forecast looks no better.

No new pictures today, we will have get out for a walk when we get this decorating finished this weekend.

A lot of bookings came in today, it seems it is regular customers who are getting booked early because they have seen and heard about the Miss Potter film and do not want to miss out.

Busy busy busy, we are still at it, papering and painting the staircase and the lounge at Buckle Yeat.It seems incredible that last Wednesday the joiner had not arrived and this Wednesday we have papered the staircase and even painted the wall that had to be taken out and replaced in the lounge.

At last a little bit of sunshine today, a steady stream of "Potter Hunters" as we call them wandering round the village, Miss Potter the movie is going to make Sawrey even more popular, in fact yesterday yet another film crew were in the village and in the the Tower Bank Arms.

Denis rang last night and he has had a lucky escape with a con man in Spain, suffice to say it was a good job he had his wits about him or should I say Margaret did. No harm done.
Matthew has a couple of days off and this morning he went to meet up with a mate over in Langdale and this afternoon he has gone to see Sarah in Lancaster.

Football!!! I hate it, till next time.

We worked most of Sunday and have been at Buckle Yeat all day today, Roger has been plastering and making good the walls, this day last week it was New Years Day and we still had a house full of guests so we are really pleased with the progress. In fact we have brought the carpet fitting date forward.
It has been raining all day and the same is due tomorrow, Denis rang yesterday and suffice to say it was hot and sunny.

A better day on the weather front, we thought we would have no workman today so we took the opportunity to go and get some paint for the lounge, we went to Barrow and called in at the cemetery in Ulverston with some flowers,it would have been mum's 76 birthday tomorrow.


This is the famous landmark of Ulverston, Hoad Monument, it was built in 1850 to commemorate Sir John Barrow one of Ulverston's most famous sons.

On the way back we saw a very nice grey Porsche, it had somehow managed to end up straddling a dry stone wall near south lodge at Graythwaite, I think the wall won on points.
When we got back I went to Buckle Yeat for some eggs and got the shock of my life, Roger had let himself in and had just about got all the plasterboard up.
FA Cup day and I will be watching the Liverpool v Arsenal game on the box later, we could do with a win over the gunners.
Well we might win on Tuesday (with a different goalie)

We have been getting on with next refurbishment stage ie the stairs, when we removed the carpet it was evident that the carpet was keeping them together,they were never in danger of collapse but we were not to know that till we managed to get under them.
Before Mark arrived to start work we had removed all the wallpaper and then started to hang the new paper at the far end of the landing.
To get the new stairs in place we had to remove a wall in the lounge, you would not believe the dust.

This is the stairs just as they were about to be removed on Thursday afternoon.


The new stairs in place and the partition wall going back up on Friday afternoon.
They look quite modern but when we get the wallpaper and the new carpet down I am sure it will look swish.

It's Denis's birthday today so Helen rang him in Spain to wish him many happy returns, they are settled in and enjoying some nice weather.

Denis & Margaret set off to sunny Spain this morning and rang late afternoon to tell us they had landed safely and the weather was fantastic.
Me and Helen have been busy stripping wallpaper and have started to put some new paper back on, 2 rolls out of 20 but at least we have made a start.

David, who is one of the New Year gang has e-mailed some of his pictures.


Yours truly with mother-in-law Margaret on New Years eve, I think I was trying to involve her in the party game, to no avail.


Margaret surveying the New Years Eve buffet.

HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM ALL AT BUCKLE YEAT
We had a great New Years Eve, we had a meal with all our guests at Buckle Yeat then went to the Tower with them all, and then back to Buckle Yeat for party games, Anthony Elaine and their son and daughter Sam and Amy from the pub called in for a drink after midnight.


Alan and Denis as the party started.


A team picture.


Pete and Lynn playing the game, one of the pictures I dare publish.


The gallery, David 1st left took more pictures and will send me them.