Sunday June 22nd

We set off to go hiking quite early – about eight o’clock. We were quite optimistic when we set out, because although there was a lot of cloud around the sun kept breaking through. The weather soon did a dirty on us though, because by the time we got to Lowbrough it was absolutely throwing it down.

We decided therefore to abandon the walk and go back. Not surprisingly, it took up again by the time we passed through Royden.

Mum was really disappointed and angry and we all three sat around the dining room table gazing at the fine weather. I wasn’t as cheesed off as Mum and Dad were – I didn’t really care what happened. I felt sorry for Mum though, so I suggested that we find a walk described in the Echo on Friday 13th (“Walking with Conklin”) round about Heber moors. Within an hour of getting home we set off again, this time to Heber.

The weather, in total contrast to the morning, was pretty sunny, even though there was loads of Cumulus about. When we set off for Bishop and Daughter rocks up the hillside I, for some reason, felt really irritable and short tempered. Perhaps it was because deep-down inside I had wanted to stay at home and was frustrated at coming out.

We stopped several times (as we always do) to admire the view and recover. Consequently, it took us quite a time to reach Bishop and Daughter. There were thousands of people up there – kids, dogs and mountaineering types predominantly – and it was good to get away across the moors. We had to follow the moor-edge along to ‘Crumpet Stone’ where we cut sharp right to a group of rocks on the horizon.

I no longer felt irritable – I now felt incredibly weary! My legs ached and I wanted to rest every few minutes. I must be really out of condition (I’m never in!) for walking.

After reaching the aforementioned stones we followed the path of a recently laid pipeline to the Three Wise Men Stones and then, eventually on past Dubbin Stones and to two EW radar masts. I was thinking as we passed the radar masts how easy it would be to sabotage them – they were only minimally protected and seemed to be unmanned.

We continued along the moor to another group of rocks where we then cut down and across rough moorland to a wall and then, eventually, back down into Heber. It was a pretty enjoyable walk after all and one of the sunniest days we’ve had for weeks.

We took fish and chips home and ate them while watching cricket on the box. In the evening I watched quite a good film, “Breakout,” with Charles Bronson, and then played one of Robert’s Hendrix LP’s and read “A Guide to Marxism.”

Late on I watched a strange, sub-titled Jap film called “Onibaba” – it was really weird (and pretty blue !!!).