Then on Friday we head up to the Lakes. We have a cottage
booked in Staveley, somewhere we’ve always wanted to stay, on a late deal.
Finding it is the first problem. It’s dark, the directions aren’t great and
there’s an inch of snow on the ground. After trying to break in to several
properties we finally find the right one.
We have a great first night in the Hawkshead Brewery, where
we’ve never been able to manage a session before due to having to drive, with
the dogs at our feet. Things start to go a bit wrong on the Saturday. First we
head up to Keswick parkrun which goes ok until I badly twist my ankle on a rock
and have to hobble over half the distance much to MD’s frustration. He was
running with me.
Then Doggo has a funny turn and passes out on the pavement
outside the cottage, I have to carry him inside thinking that this is surely
the end. Then to add to our woes MD starts vomiting everywhere.
Doggo then seems to quickly recover but we don’t know whether
this is just temporary and this, along with MD’s illness, somewhat ruins our
Saturday night out.
We had booked a table at the Eagle & Child, which is
always hard to get into and they also have Snecklifter on the bar but we are so
worried about both dogs that we end up driving the very short distance there so
that we can have the unwell pair close to us in the car.
The stress destroys my appetite but enhances L’s. Must be a
girl thing. To be honest we also realise that the menu isn’t that great at
Eagle & Child anyway, not sure we’ll be back. It does mean there are some
leftovers to tempt the dogs to eat and that does work.
Sunday is New Year’s Eve and both dogs have recovered a bit
more. We take them on the park in Kendal and go buy L a new walking jacket from
Ambleside. I even manage to eat a full meal when we have Sunday lunch in the
Watermill at Ings, then we go back to the Hawkshead Brewery for the evening.
It’s £3 to get in which is reasonable, this I assume pays
for the disco which we escape from by going upstairs. We have been brave enough
to leave the dogs back at the cottage, in the car parked outside, although this
is still only a short stroll away.
It’s still a slightly subdued evening and we don’t stay
until midnight but I’m not sure we would have done anyway. As is tradition we
spend it with Jools Holland on the TV and with the dogs.
Monday we head back down the M6 as I want to be back for the
New Year’s Day match but first we stop off near Wigan so that L can do a
parkrun and which has a convenient 10:30 start. Sadly after my mishap in
Keswick I’m unable to join her.
(Monday 1st January)
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