Our pick-up stop was the last on the bus tour we had chosen today and we took the last two seats available. It was a tour of 10 lakes in the Lake District. The drizzle came down as we boarded the bus and turned to full-on rain an hour in. No matter. You can’t control the weather. Neither can you control the nasal intonation or constant drivel from that one annoying person, who has positioned herself right behind your tour guide/driver. Poor man. He was a bloody saint.
Four hours in, fellow passengers were exchanging rolled eyes and the yap-yap hand signal, indicating they too had had enough of her inane interruptions.
The Lake District is of course, stunning, even in the rain. In Scottish terms it was a very dreich day - Rebecca Hislop. The most abiding memory from today’s tour will be the history of Beatrix Potter. What an amazing woman. Sadly, women at the time were dismissed. Barefoot and pregnant and in the kitchen was the best woman there was.
Beatrix was clever and intelligent. I am full of admiration for her. She was not only a children’s book writer she was a botanist, an artist, an amazing sheep farmer and had incredible foresight in terms of conservation. Her wealth from her writing was phenomenal. She used it to buy up the land and cottages here in the Lake District, putting in tenant farmers to work the land according to her strategies. It’s a long story, but basically she outstripped the male farmers in terms of flock numbers and success. It didn’t go down well! https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/beatrix-potter-gallery-and-hawkshead/features/beatrix-potter-the-farmer and also https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beatrix_Potter
Beatrix had the foresight to put her plans and lands in the National Trust into perpetuity. Nothing can change. Even today. That keeps this area stunning and free of new-builds and available to all.
Very few photos. It really was a wet day. Back to London tomorrow, get cartons delivered and get organised to leave. I’ll be fine.... honest. No need to get the tissues out ....
