above: Blencathra from St John’s in the Vale. Taken on 5/12/21 at 11:5am

EARLY SNOWS 5th December 2021

Coincidentally it’s a year to the day when my last early snow pics were posted. So you can compare and contrast. On this occasion it was sensational light over Blencathra that caught my eye and camera lens. There was a thick bank of cloud immediately above the mountain but patchy blue sky to the south let the low winter sun shine through to illuminate its upper reaches and striking ridges. A strong wind blowing the fresh snow into clouds of spindrift added to the drama. I had to stop and take photographs though the real purpose of this outing was to check out the bridges on my “A ROUND OF THE NEWLANDS VALLEY” – it’s WALK 14 in “WALK BORROWDALE & KESWICK” which I am revising for its 2nd edition.

Incidentally on the 4th December I somehow lost, probably in Kendal, my little Sony HX90 camera – it’s in a black leather Sony case. A great loss – I loved that camera. If anybody finds it or knows of its whereabouts please drop me an email at bill.birkett1@btopenworld.com

note:  The Plaque dated 1641 on building at Birkrigg. Possibly once a fire-back there seems to be a lot going on here. An “English Lion” complete with naughty bits. An English Rose, headed by Scottish Thistle and a French Fleur de Lys. Charles I (a Scot from the Stuart Clan) was on the throne – his position looking very dodgy. The Irish Civil War broke out (thousands slaughtered) and the next year the English Civil War started. The ‘good old days’. Taken on 5/12/21 at 15:03pm.