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My Twenty Year Love Affair With the Lake District
“Wherever you go, go with all your heart.” — Confucius
The Lake District was the first place my husband and I went on holiday together. We stayed in a small log cabin in Ulverston, so it wasn’t technically the Lake District, but it was all we could afford.
By night, we snuggled up underneath a blanket in front of the TV to keep warm. By day, we drove up to Ambleside, taking our first tentative steps into the world of walking.
We didn’t have a clue about anything: walking gear, backpacks, food, water — nada. We bought the cheapest rucksack we could find and a small book from the tourist information centre, ‘Walks around Ambleside. 10 Walks Each Under 6 Miles’.
It did what it said on the tin and helped us on our way to exploring the great outdoors.
This book is now dog-eared and torn, sellotaped back together too many times to mention. Although it hasn’t been used for many years, it sits on the bookshelf — a reminder of how far we’ve come.