“Oh, to be in England
Now that April’s there,” Robert Browning.
What a glorious day! 15 happy souls plus dog gathered in the warm sunshine at Curbar Gap and after a slightly disorderly start set off along Baslow Edge with birds singing and not a cloud in the sky. Down the woods to Cupola Cottage, stopping to admire the skunk cabbage blossoming along the stream edge, then up the path towards Robin Hood with some mutterings about “up and downs,” but soon silenced by a stop for coffee. Still the sun shone. Down to the Chesterfield Road where some of the group heard the first cuckoo of the season. This was repeated at the lunch stop – even hotter – on the top of Birchen Edge although the meet leader missed it again! The permanent bog below the edge was successfully negotiated before the climbers in the group decided the lure of sun-kissed rock could be ignored no longer. They (and one or two others) set off at quick(ish) pace back to the cars, while the rest finished with a romp up and over the moor to Curbar Gap. No ice-cream van, but never mind we’d had a fine walk in wonderful weather. Thank you all for your company and well done Ali on doing so much of it.
Jennifer