Looking Ahead – 2022

Truthfully, I’ve been feeling rather overwhelmed and worried about what the future holds this new year. There was and still is some health concerns regarding David, and then there’s the squeeze on the cost of living here in the UK. However, I’m fed up of feeling sad and was wondering what to write for my next blog. I have to admit my previous posts have not been filled with much joy! So, I decided to write a post that looked ahead with optimism, to all the good things I’ve planned for 2022. Here’s with faith my hopes and plans for the year go ahead.

Hopefully, I’ll finally get to see Hans Zimmer Live! Booked in 2020! It’s easy to almost forget that I’d booked tickets to see this as it was supposed to be for 2021.

Hans Zimmer Live

I love going to the theatre and have not been since 2020, so I went and booked seats for The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time at Liverpool Empire. I’ve read the Mark Haddon book but can’t remember the synopsis. I’ll have to read the book again before watching the play!

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time

To celebrate our 16 year anniversary, I’ve booked a few days away to The Lake District this March. Of course we are staying with Phil and Helen, the lovely proprietors of Hermiston Guest House. I hope to revisit some lakes such as Ullswater in preparation for a forthcoming YouTube project.

The Knowsley Borough of Culture celebrations, have planned a sculpture trail of 30 pairs of owls and cats in commemoration of Edward Lear who penned the famous poem The Owl and the Pussycat while staying at Knowsley Hall with the then Earl of Derby in 1871. So, I will be looking forward to following this trail as I’ve not been on a sculpture trail since the robins at Nottingham and The Snowman Trail at Manchester in 2018! It’s been too long!

Much to David’s consternation, I loved staying at the lochside cabin by Loch Venachar, The Trossach’s. So when a week in August became free for me, I just had to book and plan another swim holiday to Scotland. This time booking a rather pricey boathouse on the shore of Loch Tay. I simply can’t wait to stay at this luxurious cabin and experience some wonderful Scottish wildlife and scenery!

From https://lochtay.co.uk/lodges/osprey-lodge/

2022 also sees the 10 year anniversaries of both the passing of my father Graham, and of buying our first home. Where have those 10 years gone?

Of course I’ve lots of other plans inside my head, I wonder if any of them will be realised?

What exciting opportunities lie ahead for you in 2022?

Thanks for reading,

Christine x

Wild Swim/Walks… Anticipation 2019

March has arrived! The old adage of March comes in like a lion, goes out like a lamb, seems to be true as Storm Freya threatens to batter us with high winds. However March also marks the arrival of longer days as the clocks spring forward. It is also a time where I start planning in earnest forthcoming swim/walks.

Over the past three-four years I have made some wonderful wild swim/walk memories. From swimming before giants at Wastwater, beautiful morning swims at Derwentwater and Rydal, to swimming in misty drizzle at Llyn Cau and with fish at Buttermere. I even swam in a Scottish loch or two.

Wastwater

Swimming at Derwentwater

Rydal Water

Swimming in Llyn Cau

Buttermere

Swimming in Loch Lomond

Loch Etive

Each swim/walk has been memorable in its own right. I am excited to see what new swim/walk adventures I get up to in 2019!

Of my many hopes for the new swimming season, I aim to bag the big lakes of the Lake District, Winderemere and Coniston, and maybe, just maybe I’ll get to swim in Llyn Lydaw and Glaslyn of Snowdonia fame?

Windremere

Llyn Lydaw

Coniston

Where would you like to see me swim in 2019?

Thanks for reading,

Christinex

Planning Ahead -2019

A new year and a fresh clean calendar to fill up with events, days out and holidays. I am really excited for what 2019 brings! Below are just some of the theatre visits already booked.

Julian Bliss – Mozart’s Clarinet

Les Misérables at the Empire

Macbeth at the Epstein Theatre

• Mahler’s 5th Symphony at the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic
• Shakespeare’s Macbeth at the Epstein Theatre
• Les Misérables at the Liverpool Empire. David wasn’t enamoured with coming along with me, but the last time I saw the show was some 20 years ago, back when I felt sad and lonely. I vowed that if Les Misérables came back to Liverpool again I would take David. Poor David!

Also in 2019, I will continue to participate in initiatives such as:

Big Garden Birdwatch

A Year in Books

30 Days Wild

Sunday Sevens

• RSPB’s Big Garden Bird Watch
• Circle of Pine Trees, The/A Year in Books
• Natalie’s Sunday Sevens series
• The Wildlife Trust’s 30 Days Wild in June
• Country Walking’s #walk1000miles 

At the time of writing I’ve leaned that 2019 is the Year of Environment for Liverpool. I look forward to the numerous events taking place across the city.

This year, (thanks to Sharon at sunshineandcelandines for the suggestion), I’ve decided to have a go at participating in Postcrossing, a website which connects people via postcards.

Llyn Idwal

Coniston

2019 is also my fourth year of wild swimming. I am already planning on swim/walks to places on my bucket-list, such as Llyn Idwal in Snowdonia and Coniston, the Lake District.

It’s looking like 2019 is going to be a busy year! What events/holidays are you looking forward to in 2019?

Thanks for reading,

Christine x

Exciting Times Ahead – 2018!

I did a similar post looking forward to the new year of 2017, so I thought I would follow the trend and do a 2018 one too! There’s so much I have already booked for the new year! If all goes to plan 2018 is measuring up to be one wonderful year!! Here’s what’s to come in the year ahead.

Of the many events already filling up the new calendar are two concerts to see the Liverpool Philharmonic in action.

Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra

Recently whilst in town, I walked past a billboard advertising the return of a short run of Khaled Hossieni’s The Kite Runner at the Liverpool Playhouse. After reading the book and missing the first run of this acclaimed play, I just had to book tickets this time around.

The Kite Runner

Terracotta Army – World Museum Liverpool

Another much anticipated event happening in Liverpool in 2018 is the ticketed China’s First Emperor exhibition. Highlighting artifacts from the emperor’s spectacular tomb.

Street Art:

2018 is measuring up to be a fantastic year for street art trails. Here are just some of the Wild in Art trails I hope to visit.

GoGo Hares

Hoodwinked

Bee in the City

We have visited the lovely city of Norwich in the past, to see their gorillas and dragon trails. From the 24th June to the 8th September 2018, the city’s streets will be graced by colorful hares in their, GoGo Hares trail.

Nottingham have an imaginative trail called Hoodwinked, this year. The sculptures in the shape of robins are an inspiring take on the Robin Hood name! I can’t wait to see them!

Also, Manchester has a swarm of bees hitting the streets this summer in Bee in the City.

These are just a few Wild in Art trails happening in 2018. Will you be going see any of them?

And continuing:

#walk1000miles

30 Day Wild

Sunday Sevens

A Year in Books

This year I will carry on with initiatives such as:

• The Wildlife Trust’s 30 Days Wild in June
• Circle of Pine Trees, The/A Year in Books
• Natalie’s Sunday Sevens series
• Country Walking’s #walk1000miles 

2018 is the centenary of the end of WW1.

Middleport Pottery, Stoke-on-Trent

IWM Manchester

There will be forthcoming displays of Wave and Weeping Window by Paul Cummins and Tom Piper in the NW Region. The Weeping Window will be at Stoke on Trent’s Middleport Pottery in August/September and the Wave will be at Manchester’s Imperial War Museum September/November.

Follow this link for more destinations in 2018. Will you be visiting any of them?

As yet there are no holidays planned, but I do have some ideas. I just need to book time off work and to plan them!

What events/holidays are you looking forward to in 2018?

Thanks for reading,

Christine x

Wild Swimming – A Few of My Favourites and Looking Ahead!

2017 was the second year of my wild swimming adventures. I thought I would do a post reminiscing about some of my favourite swims of 2016 and 2017 and then look forward to some swims planned in 2018!

Swim Map

Bowscale Tarn:

Bowscale Tarn

One highlight from the 2017 season was my swim at Bowscale Tarn, where I went in search of immortal fish but only found a rubber trout! :p

Derwent Water (or Derwentwater): I prefer the latter spelling.

Derwentwater

You can be forgiven for forgetting that all this ‘madness’ stems from a crystal clear winters day in 2016. When I visited Derwentwater for the first time and wondered what it would be like to dip my toe in its silky waters. Two years later and I have swam at Derwentwater twice.

Swimming at Derwentwater

My second swim, during a cool autumn morning is one of my best wild swimming memories. The early morning light that caressed Cat Bells made the morning seem ethereal. My hands burned with the cold, hence wearing neoprene gloves from then on!

Rydal Water:

Rydal Water

There must be something about early morning swims. Another highlight from my 2016 season was a 9am swim at Rydal Water. With wisps of mist still lingering on the hills, I shared the dawn of a wonderful day with a weary but majestic swan.

Blea Tarn:

Blea Tarn

I was almost deterred from swimming at Blea Tarn (the Langdales) as it is a designated Site of Special Scientific Interest. However I waded in slowly and respectfully. Blea Tarn was a delightful swim with a nice graduated entrance into the water. The views were good too. 🙂

Buttermere:

You can tell which lakes are my favourite as I swim in them more than once. My first swim at Buttermere in 2016 only made me want to visit again in more favourable weather, which came a year later. My 2017 swim at Buttermere turned out to be one of my longest that year, of around 20 minutes. Though in hindsight I maybe shouldn’t have stayed in so long, even though it was a bright but cool autumn day. The shivers on shore afterwards were fierce!

Buttermere

Wastwater:

No wild swim was more epic than at Wastwater. Another of my longer swims, Wastwater was graced with wonderful scenery. It’s a lake I want to return to.

Wastwater

2018:

There are so many Lake District swims I want to embark on in 2018. So here’s a small handful.

• Tarns around the Old Man of Coniston – Blind Tarn and Goat’s Water.
• Bleaberry Tarn – Buttermere
• Elterwater and Loughrigg Tarn

Llyn Cwellyn:

Swimming in Llyn Cwellyn

Inspired by the blog of Vivienne Rickman Poole, who regularly swims the 100+ llyns of Snowdonia, in 2017 I embarked on my first Welsh swim. If I was to suggest a body of water for a beginner to wild swimming, Llyn Cwellyn  would be my suggestion. The water’s edge was close to the car park and the entrance into the water was the best I have experienced. The soft shingle beach gradated slowly, meaning you could walk straight into the water and chose which depth you felt confident with. I spent a good 15 minutes in the water with RAF jets flying overhead. It was a good introduction to swimming in Snowdonia.

 

2018:

I’ve not been as successful with swimming in Snowdonia as I have in the Lake District. Many llyns are still on my bucket list. Perhaps in 2018 I will be able to tick off Llyns Glaslyn, Llydaw and Teyrn?

Scotland?

The Kelpies

It’s been a good few years since I have visited Scotland. The last time I was there I toured the majestic Kelpies. I have fond memories of standing at the lakeside of Loch Ness, Lochy and Lomond, but never thought I would be eager to go for a swim!

Film maker and keen wild swimmer Calum Maclean, has been swimming around Scotland and documents his escapades for Outdoor Swimming Society and his TV series on BBC Alba. His love for the sport is infectious. Perhaps in 2018 I will be able to get back up to Scotland and go for a swim? Here’s hoping!

 

Have you swam in any of the many lakes, llyns, lochs or loughs of the UK? Do share your stories.

Thanks for reading,

Christine x