Saturday, March 9, 2013

Youlgreave YHA weekend

Last Friday, after the epic 24 hour lecture,  we set off for Youlegreave and our annual Youth Hostel weekend with our friends in Sheffield City Morris. Good meal when we got there - beef stew and mashed potato followed by apple crumble and custard. Just the sort of comfort food you want after staying up all night. Usual session/beer/wine evening followed


 and then off to bed in our bunks with 8 of us sharing. I slept like a log, unsurprisingly and had to be woken up for breakfast and hadnt noticed 7 people getting up and dressed round me.

Beautiful sunny day, and saw the Youth Hostel for the first time - a converted shop:


We gathered by the water butt oppsoite to set off on our 3 different walks.


and we chose the one that went down Lathkilldale and had a pub in the middle. Set off to the River Bradford


 with its swimming area and salmon weirs, and it was a lovely walk along it, past some angry geese who tried to see us off


 and into Lathkilldale - one of my favourite dales - it really is spectacular, especially in the sun.


Loads of spring flowers out, crocuses, snowdrops etc. Then we climbed the valley into Over Haddon, past a house who I think were try to tell us they had a dog in every language:


This was my favourite:


and on to the Lathkill Hotel, where we enjoyed a nice pint, overlooking the valley we'd just walked down


Back down the valley, and straight up the other side. Quite a climb, but worth it when we got into the fields and were able to sit down and eat our packed lunch.

Over some undulating fields, and we were back in Youlegreave in time for a walk round the village.
Normally we're miles form anywhere in our hostels, but those time we were next door to a pub, so time for a pre dinner session where we were joined by a pipe player from a Kletzmer weeekend which was happening in the village and two banjo players who happened to be passing.

 

After dinner, another session, and we had the obligatory  "I wish I'd looked after me t*ts" which Lizzie loves her mother performing so much


Quite a late night, and I think brandy was consumed. Either that or it evaporated as the bottle was empty in the morning.

Another walk inthe morning, along Lathkilldale again, with some amazing colours in the river


Back for lunch in the pub, and off home. Another great weekend.




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