A Toast to Tom's New Seat

This morning Tom, David, Niall, and myself headed to The Tarras valley Nature Reserve ponds to make our way to see Tom's seat which is on the pathway at the furthermost part of the walk where all the trees were felled 2 years ago. It's quite a climb at the start of the walk but we took our time and managed it without much difficulty. Considering the average age of the 4 of us was over 80 we did very well. It's such a lovely place for a walk.

It's only 2 years since the trees were felled but there is considerable growth returning

These white flowers were everywhere.

Most of them growing next to an old tree stump

More of them

Some Fungus growing soon the side of one of the remaining trees

Heading up the hill

Moving back up after our first rest at the seat provided by Rotary

Our first rest on the Rotary Club seat

Loads of Foxgloves everywhere

A lone tree 

Tom was glad to have a rest on his very own seat and to prove that he is still very much alive. Somebody saw this seat outside Langholm Initiative offices before it was placed here and they contacted me to ask when Tom had died. He is pleased to report its not a memorial seat and its the only one placed locally that has arm rests

Niall produced a half bottle of whisky and some small shortbread biscuits so we happily toasted Tom and his new seat.

Before this area was planted as a forest it was ordinary fields bounded by these drystane dykes

Heading back down the path to the ponds

Back at the pond area we saw thousands of tiny frogs that have just left the ponds. They were everywhere and so tiny you could hardly see them. This is a much magnified photo provided by Niall

If you are walking in this area please take care for the next few weeks as there are still many thousands of Tadpoles in the ponds still to come out as frogs

One of the remaining tadpoles

 

Visit From An Old School Friend

Gaye and I were delighted to meet up with an old school friend of mine Robert Irving today. He lived in Rowanburn at the same time as me in the 1950s and then was in my class at Langholm Academy for 2 years before going on to Dumfries Academy. Many years later he was a tutor to our son Fraser in the Computing Science department at Glasgow University.

A photograph from his excellent album

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Canonbie School Primary 5,6 and 7, 1957. I am in the back row 3rd left and Rob is 4th left.

Canonbie School Primary 3 and 4, 1955. I am 1st left back row and Rob is 3rd left back row.

Five New Seats on Tarras Valley Nature Reserve

Langholm Walks Group have been working with Tarras valley Nature Reserve to provide 5 new Recycled Plastic Seats on the lower part of Tarras Valley Nature Reserve. This is the first one just above the new ponds and it overlooks the furthermost pond from high up above it.

The view from the seat

Charlie and Mike who placed the brass plaques on the seats today. We walked about 4 miles to do this job on a glorious sunny day and it was a most enjoyable morning.

This is the highest up seat on the new path from Hallpath to Broomholmshiels. It has a wonderful view of the Esk valley

Mike and myself this morning. The easiest way to do this walk is from the ponds to Hallpath as the climb up the hill is much more gradual.

Langholm from the seat

Lower down the hill toward Hallpath is the second seat on this path and it has probably the best view of Langholm in the distance 

Charlie and me enjoying the wonderful view of Langholm

Looking across the valley from the seat

This seat is on the lower path from The Round House to Broomholm and it is just before you turn down to Jenny Nobles Gill

This was 2 hours after we started doing this job this morning so Charlie and Mike are glad to have a rest

The view from this seat and there is a special request on the brass plaque so please follow the instructions

The final seat to be completed today is overlooking an ancient Oak a bit further along the path.

A spot supremely blessed

The view of the ancient Oak from the seat. Langholm Walks Group would like to say a special thank you to Kevan Hotson and his son for putting the seats together and to Simon Richardson's team for placing these seats in difficult places. We would also like to say a special THANK YOU to Jenny at Tarras Valley Nature Reserve for all her work in putting this project together. It's been a great team effort and we are all sure many people will enjoy sitting on these seats for many years to come. There should be a full article in the E & L Advertiser about this project soon.

A Walk at Back of the Hill in Annan

Today Tom and myself went to Annan to do a 4 mile walk to The Back of the Hill and the Solway shore. I had only once been to The Back of the Hill, but never walked there. We parked near the Town Hall in the centre of Annan and headed to the old Harbour. It is in the process of being improved and is all fenced off. We both thought it needed improving but you cannot make a silk purse out of a sows ear. The whole area is very grotty, but certainly the improvement will help.

These old wrecks of boats need to be moved

It will take a long time before its ready to reopen.

The railway line going over the river Annan 

The Solway Firth

A cairn in tribute to Robert Burns who inspected the cargo of boats going up the river Annan

The river Annan enters the Solway Firth

A line of Hawthorn trees next to the shore along the path to Back of the Hill. The blossom was tremendous.

Lots of wild flowers on the open area past the harbour

These were the most colourful

A right marshy area

Plenty of cattle chewing the cud

The road to the shore, but hardly used by cars as it is gated

Tom looking very summery

Cochran Boilers in the background. I visited it many times during my 24 years working in the Air Cargo industry. We used to get regular shipments for boiler spares going all over the world. Many were for ships boilers and we were given a couple of days to get the spares to a port where a vessel would be due and "ships spares in transit" was the way it got through customs very quickly.

Near the harbour we met this guy with his granddaughter Georgia on his back. Tom had a chat with him about local history but I chatted to Georgia and she was a star. Plenty to say, but I had a hard job understanding her. She gave me a high five on departing. 

Growing near the harbour

Next to the railway station the old Central Hotel which has been closed for many years and is now a real eyesore.

Annan Station

The Solway Firth with the Lake District hills in the background

A better view of Cochran Boilers

The Hawthorn blossom path

A most enjoyable 4 mile walk in excellent weather. We came back to Langholm for lunch at The Buccleuch Centre on a very busy day for them and the service was excellent.