We ate at Casa Biancas last year and it was very excellent. The decor is also bonkers!

Go to the aquadome- very relaxing!

We’ve gone snowcard again as cheaper than dogtag. Not sure what their Canada premium is like only have European cover.

September is a great month- walked in the Wilder Kaiser in Austria last year and off to Andorra this year. I would suggest you can’t go wrong booking last minute- in one of our huts was a honeymooning couple who’d booked the week before arriving. Cicerone make some excellent walking guides to most of the alps.

Morzine is a good bet- we did some rafting from there on a day off from mtb

Just woken up after a well- deserved sleep. We got a bit overexcited due to the good weather forecast and smashed the first section. Actually stopped for chips in Moffat rather than trying to live off the londis like last year- great decision. Fab to hear the piper as we missed them last year due to all the frightening thunder and lightening. Jaeger bombs at the rave and a good dance to loosen the shoulders, then it was a great run all the way to the sea for sunrise. Fantastic logistics by the Scouts. Thanks to the organisers for such a perfectly pitched event!

There is the pub car park at the ODG as well as the NT one – worth giving them a ring and striking a deal for beers?

It looks like Sustrans have reduced the number of categories of volunteering which might also have contributed to some name changes, along with launching a new volunteering programme. More info here https://www.sustrans.org.uk/get-involved/volunteer/changes-to-our-volunteering-language-at-sustrans
I don’t think ranger is a gendered word, ( aren’t one of the guides sections called rangers?) but that might not be why the change has occurred

I use Brooks Cascadia for such a mix- very good on rock/light mud although a bit hit and miss in mud more than an inch deep.

Grandad, dad, dentist is indeed open and in reasonable nick. There was felling on the central section which made things a bit dull for a while, but it’s now packing down and some great rock fins are appearing.

Second for the Drunken Duck- great food and good walking and riding.

Isn’t that predator experience south of the a590? Only thing I’ve heard in Grizedale recently is owls, so intrigued by the suggestion of something more exotic!

You won’t regret it! Lots of YHA’s are closed/whole hostel self catering only over Christmas and NY, but looks like there are still some roooms in Borrowdale for betwixtmas. Second that the dales could also be a good choice. The weather does look manky up north for the next few days, so I’d definitely be more tempted by an indoor option which drying space rather than camping.

Bit of snow on the very top of Fairfield yesterday. Very cold right now. Will be wearing considerably more than usual for night ride tmrw.

Did they not have 20 or 25% off everything over the weekend? And it has now adjusted back to ‘normal’ prices? Only ever buy things in the sale anyway :-)

All the main bridleways in the forest are now cleared (boulder alley, triple descent, diagon alley, the fox etc. Went over to parkamoor 6 months ago and there was some walk around to get to the top, but the bw descent itself was clear. I haven’t been down Lawson park since it was blocked by Arwen. As far as I know, the west side (above coniston) was logged out then arwened, pretty much destroying everything. However, I have seen pictures from this weekend that suggests lines are being cut again. Hopefully someone more gnar will join this thread with some more up to date info?

Anyone know how long you have to confirm rider details if you secure tickets? One of our riders is unhelpfully still in the bay of biscay!

If we accept the possibility that it was the suffragists who won the vote for women, rather than the suffragettes. Reason and experience might be more effective than violence?

We went for a topper and then quickly followed up with a duvet from https://www.thewoolroom.com/bedding/wool-duvets/

Something with an adjustable back would be most useful. Then it’s mostly down to how much you want to spend. Rucksacks specifically for women have different shaped back and strap systems, but she will change a lot in the next 20 years and could probably do with just a ‘rucksack’ for the time being. Women specific rucksacks are harder to source and can be more expensive.

Are you needing equivalent to English grade c (also known as a pass in English)? If so, functional skills level 2 is the award you are after. If you want the teaching aspect of it, seek out your local FE college and they will do a course, often for free, usually at different time slots so you can fit it around work. If you back yourself (and there are self assessment tests online so you can have a go) then you could go straight to assessment using an organisation like https://passfunctionalskills.co.uk/functional-skills-english-level-2-past-papers/
I have no affiliation or experience of this company, but there are a few around.

And not all campsites are marked with a blue icon. Something one of my DofE groups found out the hard way.

What a fabulous event! First time for us (group of 6 colleagues from work) and had a great time. We really got stuck into the rave at the Crook Inn- great way to warm up the extremities after the long downhill run. Met 2 brothers one of whom had flown in from Nashville. Please pass on magnificent praise to the Scouts for logistical and moral support. Never has a bacon butty been so welcome. And thanks to Cycle Law for the beers at the front in Crammond- nicely complemented the jaeger bombs we’d enjoyed at the esso garage on the outskirts of Edinburgh. Will be back!

Harrowslack descent has now been cleared and is rideable. Thanks trail fairies!

Yep, Grandad, Dad, Dentist is clear- middle section has been logged so has changed in aspect somewhat.

Most of the downed trees have been cleared off the bridleways in the forest and over Claife way. I think the NF trail itself is still closed though. The coniston (west side) off piste was mostly destroyed by logging before Arwen. The bits above Bogle Crag car park seem to be getting some action.
fyi they are installing anpr solar powered ticket machine in bogle crag so it won’t be free for much longer.

Sutton Hoo has a new museum, viewing tower, and a good walk down to the estuary. And a cafe, NT shop and second hand book shop.

We did this between Christmas and New Year- lovely! Stayed in Dunwich, Aldeburgh and Orford. Did coastal walking, road cycling, visit to Sutton Hoo. There was a dinner boat trip in Orford that looked amazing- was fully booked by the time we found out about it. Orford Ness (NT) boat trip over- old radar and mod testing station. Check out house in the clouds in Thorpeness

Homepage

We used these for Fuerteventura last year- very straightforward and transparent pricing.

Officially, nothing on the west side is open. But there hasn’t been a website update since before Christmas. It would be worth giving bike treks a ring to see what the current situation is. Strava suggests that there is riding happening in the west side, but not clear how frustrated it is by trees down. There are a lot of trees down! And matchell coppice car park on coniston is closed because it is full of felled/cleared trees

Claife is still not clear, neither was the west shore of windermere at the start of the week. Kentmere all seems fine, Loughrigg is clear also

Second the Feversham Arms. The Devonshire Arms near Bolton Abbey is also good (small but good spa). The Low Wood near Bowness has an epic spa, with infinity pool looking up the Langdales. The Titanic Spa near Huddersfield also gets very good reviews, but I’ve not made it there myself yet.

Worth giving the visitor centre or bike shop a ring to get the current closures. The website is still saying that the west side of the forest is closed.

Not sure on shipping time this close but https://shredly.com/collections/short-sleeves are excellent

https://9barista.com/ maybe one of these?

Try the Green Roasting Tin cook book- advantage of being one tin meals! Also, if you like Asian flavours, check out Meera Sodha’s recipes from the guardian. Currently cooking her soy-pickled pumpkin maze gohan.