Boy's Day out at Melrose

A few weeks ago John and I planned a day out at Melrose and a walk on the river Tweed. That day arrived and what a glorious day it was. Tom and I met Martin, John, and Ken at Tweedbank Station on the train from Edinburgh and we headed to Melrose to start our 4 miles walk.

This is just past the Greenyards Rugby ground the home of Melrose

 This is the Greenyards and in my opinion the most beautiful sighted rugby ground in the country. 

The main square in Melrose. It was a very busy day in the town with loads of visitors.

We soon headed up river and this is the footbridge we will cross at the end of our walk when we return down the other side of the river.

It was a perfect day. Cold at first and no wind but in the sun it became quite warm

There were a few fishermen about but none using the boats

The fastest flowing bit of the river

One of the fishermen just above the footbridge

Heading up river

The footbridge from the other bank near the end of our walk

Time for a rest and a posed photo. Tom, Gavin, Martin, Ken, and John. Good friends for many years and in the case of John and myself for 66 years when I moved to Langholm from Rowanburn and we ended up in the same class at school.

Tom and Ken bringing up the rear. Ken used to love bringing up the rear with Peter Bart-Smith who sadly died in April and they talked mostly politics so Tom is taking over Peter's roll.

These sheep were enjoying the shade

Ken and John, both retired pharmacists.

A lovely stretch of calm water

After the walk we visited a walled garden and orchard next to Melrose Abbey

Martin wanted to see the Apple trees

Still plenty of Apples on them. We enjoyed a lovely lunch after our walk and then took the Edinburgh contingent back to Tweedbank railway station for their 3.20pm train back home. A perfect day out in good company.

 

A Visit to Peniel Heugh and The Waterloo Monument

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I arranged to meet John and Ken from Edinburgh at Harestanes Visitor Centre near Ancrum at 10.30am and we arrived within a minute of each other. The walk was an almost 5 mile one to the top of Peniel Heugh, which is 237M high and on it sits the Waterloo Monument. The monument was built between 1817 and 1824 to commemorate the Battle of Waterloo. There is a projecting gallery at the top of the monument but the tower is not open to the public. The hill is the site of an iron age fort.

These trees appealed to me so I took a photo of them only to discover I had taken the same photo 8 years ago when we last visited.

Ken and John were good company. We missed Tom who was packing for his holiday to Barbados.

A wee pond on one of the many paths through the woods

The Waterloo Monument on the summit of Peniel Heugh

The locked gate stopping us from getting to the balcony

This is Ruberslaw in the distance and we have climbed that a couple of times.
 

A Selkirk Walk With the Last of the Summer Wine Walkers

It is almost a year since we have all been together on a walk in the Borders so it was great to be back together again. It was a special pleasure to see Ken who has been in hospital recently and now hopefully on the road to recovery. Unfortunately Sandria had to call off at the last minute as she was unwell. Our route was a 6 mile walk at Selkirk with part of the route being on the Border Abbey Way

 

I remember this detour through a field to avoid farm buildings from my Border Abbey way walk almost 14 years ago. We did a December walk from Selkirk to Melrose in December 2007 and the temperature at the start was -8C and at Melrose when we finished it was -3C. A few days later I was in Salt Lake City when it reached -25C and then another week later we were in Hawaii when it was 25C

I love this signpost outside the farm near Lindean

John and Elizabeth having a good chat.

This Border Collie gave us a great welcome. We finished our walk with lunch in The Waterwheel Cafe and the service and food was excellent.

A Day out at Ribblehead

I like when a day goes to plan. We set of from Langholm at 7.45am and even Tom was on time. The plan was to catch the 8.55am train from Carlisle to Ribblehead on the Carlisle to Settle railway line. At Carlisle station we met Ken who had travelled down from Edinburgh and at Ribblehead we were joined by Ken's partner Anne who had travelled from Blackpool. Bang on time we set of on a 5 mile walk on a route from the famous Ribblehead Viaduct. The weather was perfect and at times very warm.

Ken finds he cannot walk and talk at the same time so is always bringing up the rear

A freight train crosses the viaduct 

At a farm we came across these 4 pigs enjoying the warm summer sun

It's a good job we have a geologist in the party as Niall was able to explain this limestone outcrop to us. 

Yet another train crosses the viaduct

The meadows were full of wild flowers 

This was a huge fungi at the base of a tree trunk 

Back near the railway station this was our final view of the Ribblehead Viaduct. We had time for a pint and a light lunch in the Station Pub and then bang on time caught the 2.05pm train back to Carlisle to be back in Langholm by 4.30pm after a perfect day.

Officially I am Now an Old Man

Yesterday was my 70th Birthday so the family held a party in my honour with all my walking friends invited. Fiona was the driving force behind it and she made it such a special day by putting on a wonderful buffet. 

The original Last of the Summer Wine Walkers but it has been added to over the last 10 years and now there are now 8 of us plus of course partners.  

Ken, Peter, Bruce, and Jean.

My cake which was made by Fiona and decorated by Hannah

The Buffet which was just perfect and well appreciated by everybody as was the ample supply of Sparkling Wine

Elspeth and Martin

Almost the entire group of friends and family

Hannah & Leo did a great job welcoming guests and are now enjoying some cake

Our good friends Jean & Wattie Rutherford had a great time

Tom and I relaxing on the settee with me on my phone as usual but it was a Face Time call from Fraser in California and the kids sang Happy Birthday to me. Just wish they could have been here.