Light and shade

I awoke first thing, to notice that the same unearthly quality of light that defined yesterday's dying sun also illuminated its initial showing this morning: an all-encompassing sulphurous yellow glow which appeared not so much to bathe, but to positively drench all in its sights.

I returned for a while to sleep. When the alarm aggressively brought to an end some quite vivid and telling dreams, the first thing I noticed was the change in the light again: the warmth of its previous state now replaced by a frosty, foggy whiteness.

















A fine day, then, to follow through with my plans to head back up to Matlock for another day of walking. I was on my own this time. Company brings with it a completely different set of dynamics on days like this, whereas on my own my thoughts and moods tend to ebb and flow - in accordance with probably a whole number of factors - to sometimes seemingly bipolar extremes.
By way of illustration, here's a not entirely scientific equation:

Mood + thoughts = level of physical exertion +/- blood sugar levels +/- level of hydration (directly influenced by last night's alcohol intake at the pub quiz) + x (where x equals immediate surroundings and my response to them) + y (where y = any amount of memory triggers) x z (where z equals the amount of mental space for reflecting on recent events).

Simple.

So whereas at many points on my perambulations today I was eager, enthusiastic and full of energy, then at certain moments I either actively avoided particular places due to the memories and feelings they evoked, or I trod a very careful path through them to say the least.

On the one hand, the contrasts experienced on a day like this - warm, bright sunshine, yet with snow and frost underfoot - can be breathtaking, regardless of the relatively modest scenery of Matlock. On the other, it can be like returning to an old photograph: a reminder of absence, or of something diminished - a trigger for recollection, but always linked to the awareness that the moment, in being captured, is gone forever. Thankfully the former took precedence over the latter.

Taking a sidestep from all that, I found myself wondering if I might ever reach a point at which I feel I've taken enough photographs with the camera pointed directly against the sun: on the evidence so far, that looks pretty doubtful.

Oh, and I made friends with another cat.

Walking like there's no tomorrow

I was up north at the weekend, and I was really glad to get out of town on Friday. That thing, what's it called.....daylight, that's it: the daylight thing never really happened on Friday. The weather was so dark, shitty and rainy with no respite, that I felt like I could quite easily take it personally.

As I waited for transport to take me up north, I sat and had a regular coffee. I forgot just how big regular coffees can be, but it was very nice so I drank nearly all of it, and was rewarded with a nice dollop of hypoglycemia about an hour later.

Still, up north I was in the company of some old friends and a couple of new ones, all gathered at someone's house for food and drinks and conversation. As I've mentioned in a previous post I'm taking a break from alcohol at the moment: rather than that being a struggle in any way shape or form, I found myself actually having to remind myself that I was sober, such was the atmosphere. It was easy to get lost in the flow of conversation.

Once again I took dozens of photographs, and the following day we had a walk for a couple of hours. The weather couldn't have been more different to the previous day: bright and sunny, and surprisingly warm. Despite being with others, I tended to lapse into my own thoughts as I walked: I usually do, and it's not a bad thing, it helps me to think things through.

Weekends just seem to be too short these days.

Last of the holiday walks

I started back at work today, so here's a post (and photographs) about yesterday: yet more walking, this time in Matlock and Matlock Bath.

An early start was had in order to get the train there for a reasonable hour, which in itself felt like a rehearsal for getting up today. It was dark and grim.

Matlock occupies a curious place in my thoughts and memories, having spent my childhood living about half an hour's drive away (and my dad never drove fast). It reminds me of maudlin Sundays from Spring through to the Autumn months when my parents used to take my brother and I there for the afternoon. I think the main reason I would be maudlin was because it was Sunday and also because the chances of us visiting a garden centre on the way home would be pretty high. Otherwise I really did like it there since we'd often get fish and chips, spend time and endless 10p pieces in the amusement arcades or in the parks with their various attractions, and generally have more fun than I would often credit the place as being able to provide.


It also gives rise to memories of my late teens and early twenties when I would go down there with friends for drinking and in search of any excuse to go out and party. After attending someone's birthday party at a local and rather grand venue, my friends and I had nowhere to sleep, until by a curious turn of events we spent the night wrapped up in blankets in a small industrial unit nearby.

Yesterday was mainly about the walking though. None of it is off the beaten track, as such, though the some of the paths and tracks are pretty steep and so we expended a satisfying amount of energy. We also took a walk near to Riber Castle, which I remember from at least one visit in the summer of 1976. Now it's a desolate and rather eerie-looking empty shell, and this gave me pause for reflection in an otherwise exceptionally pleasant day.

















Oh, and I made friends with a cat.

Still walking

I've been tagged again courtesy of wayfarer: I'm going to do this one for a number of reasons, though overall I'll continue to politely decline tags unless it's something that really grabs me (which is why this one looked interesting). Thanks to wayfarer for that: it's an end of year meme and, while I'm cynical about the whole New Year's Resolution type of stuff, wayfarer rightly pointed out that this isn't really about that as such.

But! (it's not a big but....this is a big but) it will have to wait until tomorrow since there are plenty of questions to be answered and I'm not in the frame of mind just now, having come back from yet more walking. This time I was out with a couple of friends in the Malverns, having a very bracing two hours or so in the hills, which I really enjoyed. So, yet more photos for your edification.










We also found this obelisk (though to be honest I've a suspicion that other people may have found it before we did) and decided to recreate the tower in Mordor from Lord Of The Rings, the
one with the big evil all-seeing eye on top of it: I haven't linked to any photos of the one from the film since I think you'll agree that this is a supremely convincing mock-up, without any tinkering on Photoshop believe it or not.


I'm in a pleasantly drowsy state following the walk and a welcome pub lunch and a pint of Old Speckled Hen, though I'll be heading out again later for a gathering round at someone's house: I'm sure it'll be pretty hellish in many of the pubs this evening. I'll take this opportunity to pass on my best wishes for the New Year to those of you who stop by to visit the Press. Hope you have a good one.

Fog

I was hoping for fog and, on our shortest day walk, we got it. I'm just back at home briefly and will be heading back up to Derbyshire again later on but I thought I'd take the opportunity to post up a couple of photos from the walk. It started out not exactly bright and sunny, but far more so than we'd expected.

As we got onto higher ground (we were doing a ten-mile route which took in Mam Tor and Kinder Scout) the fog descended and it was beautifully bleak and very other-wordly. We were out walking for nearly five hours and managed to find a sheltered spot for a lunch of sandwiches and mulled wine, after which we got thoroughly soaked thanks to a steady fall of rain which carried on for a couple of hours. So a pint and a chance to get dry and warm in a pub in Edale was more than welcome (I always like the idea that the signs for Edale will say "Abandon Hope..." since that's the name of a neighbouring village).









It's good to have a few days to relax. Here's hoping everyone has a good Christmas and New Year.

Walking with Pixie

Those who frequent Prada Pixie's blog might be forgiven for thinking that I've stolen some of her photographs of rather impressive scenery. I took these yesterday, having met up with Pixie for a walk.

I must admit to being scared and nervous before meeting her: I haven't met anyone Off The Internet before, since other such opportunities have unfortunately proven too difficult so far, for a number of reasons. So as I arrived at the station and stepped out onto the platform I was having to make sure I was breathing slowly and steadily to keep myself calm. What would I say? Would we have anything to talk about, or would we walk in an uncomfortable silence?

No such worries, I found her to be a very warm and friendly person and we conversed about life, the universe and everything over a four-hour walk. I even managed not to say anything bizarre (well, not at first anyway). It feels a very weird thing to me, meeting someone Off The Internet, but that really wasn't an issue on the day: we had a very pleasant and enjoyable time.

I shan't try and describe the walk that we did - hopefully the photos speak for themselves, plus there are authoritative descriptions on Pixie's own blog. But the scenery was great, the weather was kind to us, and I had the benefit of someone being able to give me all sorts of insights and stories about the place as though I was on a guided tour. I even managed not to fall and break my ankle, despite my best efforts on more than one occasion.

We rounded off the afternoon with a drink at a lovely pub, and if you like real ales I'd recommend a pint of Rich Ruby (notice how I remember the name of the beer but not the place names where we walked) . All in all, a very fine day was had, so thank you Pixie!

In fact the only downer was later on, courtesy of an otherwise adorable cat: I've been feeding him while his owners (or rather, staff) are away this weekend, and he chose to throw up on the carpet.
Bless him.