Return to the Lakes - A Short Bimble

As I half expected I was definitely feeling the effects of the moderate amount of walking I’ve done over the last couple of days, I prefer not to have painkillers for breakfast but needs must! Having checked the weather forecast I decided on a change of plans; given that tomorrow is looking wet, and hence a good time for railways and indoor museums, I broke out the mobility scooter and had a trundle down to the Windermere Jetty Museum. The weather was drizzly when I set off but soon dried up, although there was still the chill wind to contend with. 

The museum itself was very interesting to look round, inevitably there’s some Swallows and Amazons content.. 

These two were used in the most recent (and worst) film adaptation.

Esperance may have been the model for Captain Flint’s Houseboat and was used in the 1963 film.

Steam launches are a big feature of Windermere (I did consider buying one many years ago) and come in all shapes and sizes. Branksome is one of the larger ones but what intrigued me more than the vessel was the Hunslet boiler, although it’s fired from the side it’s very similar to those used on their locomotives. 

After a coffee and another wander round I attended the Restoration Conversation, a few minutes chat from a young lady who’s been working on a project to build a replica skiff. Her background is slightly unusual as she’s Swiss, from the shores of Lake Geneva, learnt her boatbuilding in the Basque Country and is now on a fellowship in the Lake District! 

Demonstrating the difference between clinker and carvel built hulls.

I started my trundle back into Bowness with the intention of exploring up into Windermere Town when things came to a grinding halt, literally - one of the front suspension arms on the scooter sheared off. I don’t think I’d hit anything much, and I wasn’t going overly fast, so I’m really not sure what happened, in hindsight I’m wondering if it was already damaged from when I broke a suspension spring in a pothole last year. Having disconnected the wheel from the steering I was able to ride/walk the scooter back to the hotel so is safely back in the car. I should be able to get a replacement and I know how to fit it having done the spring, but obviously I’ll be walking for the rest of the holiday. That shouldn’t be too much of a problem, especially using the walker, but will be a bit limiting. Having sorted that I wandered back into the town for lunch, Fish and Chips, then just relaxed in the hotel for the afternoon, girding my loins for tomorrow.