night hike

HaPpY nEw YeAr everyone and welcome to 2016!

As you can see, our New Year's Day hike was mega spooky, seeing as we didn't set off til dusk and ventured onto Wharncliffe Chase in the near dark.  Mind you we're well used to exploring in the dusk after experiencing the Polar Night just a few weeks ago.

Kicked off Christmas with a visit to Showboat at the Crucible which was an amazing production, probably their best Christmas show ever, and they are always good.  Great reviews and still on til 23 January.

But back to our hike - there was plenty of ice about

 and wild barren winter moors

 treacherous ponds

 and for the final leg through Greno Woods, it was torches all the way

but soon home to a welcome hot cuppa and reminiscences of a wonderful Christmas.

Mum managed to get over the Pennines to share it with us and enjoyed a Christmas morning toast.

 but it was a waiting game to get to those pressies . . .

until finally we were all happily opening

 with fun surprises

thank you hugs

 impromptu recitals

 and a windy visit to the Yorkshire Sculpture Park on Boxing Day

 to see the amazing Bill Viola works

 then some emergency mince pie and jam tart replenishing

until it was home for Grandma and London for the rest of us.

Final dinner in Shoreditch after a great 24hrs London buzz, meeting up with friends and braving the sales

 Great overnight stay at Park Farm on the Shuckburgh Estate in deepest Warwickshire

 skull and crossbones on the little church

 and this is the 'big house' - all very 'private'

 first snowdrops

 Then an interesting visit to Napton on the Hill and the church of St Lawrence

 with its precarious graves

 and arrow sharpening grooves from days of yore

And after a tasty homemade lunch and warm welcome in the village post office, we visited a lovely old friend in Dudley then home and ready to welcome the New Year with our usual hike up the top of Grenoside to see all the fireworks. And glorious it was - a clear night, bright stars, half moon and the whole city shimmering at our feet.

HaPpY nEw YeAr