Saturday, August 16, 1980

Saturday August 16th

Nothing happened overnight and I awoke to see sunlight streaming through the curtains. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky – typical. The day we are actually going home and it decides to be fine.

After packing at a leisurely pace we set off back at 10.40 a.m, going down the dale to Reeth and turning off for Leyburn along an A-road. We were soon out of Swaledale and dropping down into Wensleydale. It is much wider and generally “bigger” than Swaledale or Wharfedale with much more agricultural and arable farming going on.

We passed through Leyburn and continued on to Aysgarth, where we stopped. The last visit I made to Aysgarth falls was on a coach trip with Mum and Dad years ago. I didn’t reckon much to them then but today, with all the rain we’ve had lately, they were quite spectacular (especially the lower and middle falls).

We had a meal (Cod and chips £1.20 a head) at the Falls Motel and then drove on to Hawes, over Fleet Moss and down into Langstrothdale, stopping near Yockenthwaite, by the river.

Driving down through Wharfedale was like returning home, it so so familiar – Buckden, Hubberholme, Kettlewell – all these places we know from the hundreds of walks we’ve done there over the years. After stopping briefly at Barden Towers where we had our sandwiches for tea, we went home via Lowbrough. Total journey 107.3 miles.

I’ve enjoyed this holiday. Even though it wasn’t far away (a holiday is as enjoyable as you make it), it was really memorable. We walked a total of about 40 miles on five days.

When I got back Andrew and I played Santana “Moonflower” Side 2, “Borboletta” (“One With the Sun”) and Hendrix (“Electric Ladyland” and “Jimi Hendrix” Soundtrack). A week is a long time to go without ace music.

Late on I went out into the garden and found several large Common Garden Snails. Several large moths also flew into the brightly lit kitchen although I couldn’t identify them.

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