Safe Return Doubtful

A week catching up with a few friends hiking around the maze of tracks around Shap village, based at New Ing Lodge.

Scott and Leigh Ann have been at New Ing for almost 13 years now and in that time it is barely recognisable from when they first bought it. Most bed and breakfast guests are walking the Wainwright Coast to Coast long distance path, though the whole house is rented by groups at weekends which gives the staff a break. There is camping in the large garden at the rear, and three brand new self catering apartments in an adjacent renovated barn. It’s become something of an Empire.

I’m parked up on the top field by the children’s playground and vegetable garden, and have great views over Shap fells and the regular (at this time of year) murmurations of starlings in the late evening.

Roja’s getting some family time, as his cousin is here who he spent a lot of his first year with.

Over the Bank Holiday weekend some good friends, Frank and Sinead, have been up, so there’s been a bit of catching up, and some exiting adventures locally with Scott’s little ones, Maggie and Arthur.

The team photos are up on Knipe Scar in a tremendous afternoon adventure through the jungle that is the bracken at the moment, it has grown to 5 feet high in recent weeks. The other two dogs are Frank’s, Nora and Dave. The adventure culminated at the Pools of Doom with the kids, and Scott, paddling (and falling) with the dogs.

After just two and a half years fairly heavy use, the diesel heater in the van has packed up. It is displaying an ‘error 3’ which indicates a glow plug problem. These are Chinese 5kw heaters, quite cheap and efficient, and still probably better value than the others on the market, even with a fault after 30 months. Bad news that it malfunctioned, good news that it malfunctioned here, and I’ve managed to get it booked in in South Lakes for a replacement on 11th September. A replacement glow plug and its fiddly fitting is possible, but around £150, and not sensible as other things could well go wrong. A new one is £225 with the fitting on top.

Until then I’ll hang around the Eastern fells here. The weather is more like autumn than summer, but that quite suits me, and I will take the chance to get a few other van jobs done.