23/07/2026
What a lucky guy I am to have such an amazing lady in my life. Over the past year I have been reminiscing with her about the many places that I have been fortunate to go collecting or visited around the country, one of them the English Lake district.
I have visited as a tourist and a mineral collector since the early 1980`s with my parents and later with good friends for collecting trips. Showed her many that have been kept in my collection and everyone has a side story to tell.
Liz booked an amazing holiday for us both, our journey started last Wednesday morning heading north on the M5, stopping at intervals for leg stretch and refreshments, then carrying on our journey north wards.
Soon we were on to the M6 headed in the direction of lake Windemere, eventually we got closer to Ambleside and pulled up at a lovely looking venue right on the water’s edge of Lake Windermere, where we got booked in and then got a beer and vino and sat out by the lake. A nice cool relaxing time after a long hot drive as sadly my air con that had been serviced and re gassed the week before failed.
On the Thursday we found out there was a market in Keswick about 16 miles up the road, and who don’t like a good market to wander around also have great memories of an amazing rock shop that first visited in the early 1980`s Grove house Gallery that sadly is long gone, but have many specimens in my collection obtained from there over the years.
We wandered around the market and bought a few items and had a few refreshing cool drinks. On the way back we called in at Grasmere where gingerbread had to be bought from the famous Sarah Nelson’s gingerbread shop.
On the Friday we hit the open road, heading further north again up to Keswick then to Penrith then to the high road up A686 to Hartside pass with altitude of 1903 feet above sea level.
What an amazing road and wow views, although Liz was a bit apprehensive about the hair pin bends, onwards to the old mining town of Alston with its cobbled streets and a short stop to explore.
Onwards to possibly the smallest mineral show and the remotest one in the country, the north Pennines mineral show in Saint John’s Chapel in Weardale. This is one show that I have wanted to visit since it first started. Liz knew I had wanted to go and support our friends who organise the show and was a great to surprise to them when we turned up! Had a great couple of days at show which is well worth going to if you are in that area next year.
A great holiday that was well needed by us both as our first break away this year.
