back of the ferry

I will cover a bit of ground in this blog literally from north west to south west of England.

The family went on a trip up to the Lake District this week for a few days. A university veterinary reunion for mum in Keswick was the primary reason. So after a decent drive, the first stop was at Lake Windermere, the largest natural lake in England.  Stunning landscapes and lots of walkers (may be too many) …. the home of poet William Wordsworth (“I wandered lonely as a cloud” …… you know the rest ). The weather was superb, a barmy 28C, hired a boat and sailed out on to the lake. Not quite Sydney Harbour and no long necks in sight went for a thirst quenching beer after the boat trip. At the top of Windermere is the village of Ambleside and the Wateredge pub, we found a good spot in the beer garden on the edge of lake. I went for a pint of Collie Wobbles beer which had a good tangy fruity taste. This beer was fairly light in colour and not too heavy at 3.8% and ideal on a hot day. This beer is from Ings which is on the road between Kendall and Windermere. A very good thirst quencher.

After a fair amount of driving we found the pretty village of Sedbergh in the Yorkshire Dales (although not far from the Lake District – cannot be far into Yorkshire). Looking for a meal for the kids, we ended up at the Red Lion, lots of pubs with this name in England. On the beer front went for a pint of Laughing Gravy by the Jennings Brewery. Dark copper real ale, looked a bit like gravy you would have with your roast beef, although not tempted to pour it on the food. Good taste, pretty smooth and creamy. Apparently named after Stan Laurel’s dog.

Next a detour to Blackpool saw a trip to the PleasureBeach – rollercoasters, ghost trains … kept the kids entertained, unfortunately no beers only fish and chips on the prom.

Ended the weekend back home in Zumerset at the Blue Bowl pub near Chew Valley lake. A bit of favourite for food, and being close to Chew, lots of fishing pictures and the odd stuffed trout to look at. Aside from the food went for an old favourite which don’t believe have done on the blog – Thatchers Gold (and is as good as gold). Hopefully the photo tells the story.