There was a sudden cold snap last week, with a couple of snowfalls and a lot of nasty black ice. By Sunday, although it wasn’t brilliant, it had warmed up just enough to melt everything away, so we donned boots and our special northern ‘big coats’ and went out for a walk.
At the moment, with lockdown, we’re a bit limited on what we can do, so we just trotted from the doorstep down to the lake. On the way down through Bowness we peered in all the shop windows in a wistful sort of way, but at least the pavements are now clear of the throngs of tourists we had during the summer and autumn so it’s easier to get around.
The lake looked rather lovely in a wintry sort of way, with lots of ducks, geese and swans dabbling about and a nice light over the water. Rather than hurrying straight back we carried on past the chandlers and boat sheds, the old rectory and the cemetery, and the coach park, before retracing our steps back home.
It was quite a treat to get out and about again, but made rather less enjoyable by the sight of a police van doing the rounds of all the car parks, presumably to challenge people on why they were there. We understand the necessity for some vigilance but it still seems oddly sinister, here in Britain, to feel we might be questioned every time we set foot out of doors.
FIONA GLASS 