Lake Windermere (Bowness-on-Windermere) There’s a certain irresistible pull to Lake Windermere on a still day — the kind of pull where the entire lake looks like it’s been politely asked to freeze for a photograph, and, like anyone who’s ever awkwardly posed for a group picture, it has complied immediately. Well, almost. The tourist tour boats remain the lone rebels, chugging along with the unstoppable commitment of a bus driver who refuses to be ahead of schedule. Everything else? Perfectly still. Dozens of private boats sat motionless, as though they were deep in meditation or had simply forgotten what their engines were for. The water was smooth enough to offer its own opinion on your hairstyle, though it was kind enough not to. It was funny, really. All that potential for movement just… sitting there. Like a group of people who’d planned a big night out, got dressed up, and then collectively decided they’d rather stay in, order a takeaway, and question their li...
Richmond Castle Wall Last weekend we took another wander around Richmond in North Yorkshire — because when you find a place you like, you just keep going back until it practically starts greeting you by name. It was a proper leisurely stroll too, the kind where you nod knowingly at familiar streets as if you’re locals (even though you still check the map now and then, just to avoid confidently walking in the wrong direction). As we ambled along, the great outside walls of Richmond Castle appeared once again — standing there with the same impressive confidence as always, looking far more put together than we did after 45 minutes of “gentle walking”. The castle stood there with the quiet confidence of something that has survived far more than any of us would care to imagine. Weather-worn, dignified, and only slightly crumbling (in the charming way), its walls seemed to say, “I’ve been through storms, sieges, and coach-loads of tourists — what’s your excuse?” And, strangely enough, thos...