DOCSLIB.ORG

“Once Upon a Time

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
“Once Upon a Time Photo by Jon Brook of Bentham Imaging “Once Upon a Time ….” By Shirley Brown Back in September 2020 when Issy Carr was interviewed in our ‘People of Bentham’ feature, she told me that her life was like a fairy story. And so it is. “Once upon a time, an attractive young woman called Isabel Staveley, became pregnant. When her time came to have the baby, she went to ‘Homesteads Nursing Home’ in Melling and gave birth to a son. She loved her son and named him George. But she was not allowed to keep him, or even to hold him, and he was taken from her to be adopted. She was told that she would soon forget him and should just get on with her life.” That was in 1955 in Britain, when to be unmarried and pregnant was very different to today. At that time young mothers were told that if they really loved their babies, they would give them up for adoption. This was considered to be in the best interests of the mother and the child, and the mother should want her child to be raised by a respectable married couple, not under the shadow of illegitimacy. Find us on Facebook the bentham news find us on the web www.thebenthamnews.co.uk 2 This might seem strange and unbelievable to anyone born since the 1980s. But Isabel was one of a large but still unknown number of unmarried women throughout Britain who were coerced into handing over their newborns for adoption between the 1950s and the late 1970s. There was little understanding then of the lifelong grief and distress that this would cause to the women concerned. Isabel, now known as Issy, did get on with her life. She stayed in the Bentham area, working on the family farm until 1962 when “Cinderella eventually met her prince” and she married a farmer, a kind man, John Makinson Carr, 17 years her senior. John always said he would have taken in Issy’s son and brought him up as his own. They did not have any children, but both worked hard, made a living from the farm and were happy in the home where she still lives, Lowther Hill Farm. John died in 1991. Back last year when I asked Issy what her perfect day would look like, she answered without hesitation that it would be if she could find out anything about her son’s life. She told me she, and many other good friends and family members, had tried lots of ways but had always drawn a blank…..until now! 25 years ago Issy’s niece, Angela Bowskill, who lives locally, travelled to Somerset House in London looking for him through formal adoption certificates but no record was found. Other concerned local friends had had similar experiences over the years, so family members Janet and Andrew Staveley, who live in Tatham, decided to search using DNA rather than adoption records. Over Christmas lunch in 2018 Janet and Andrew suggested putting Issy’s DNA into ancestry.com to find her long-lost son. In March 2019 Photo of family members Janet helped Issy use saliva samples to put her DNA Janet Staveley and Angela Bowskill into the ancestry.com database. This database uses by Jon Brook microarray-based autosomal DNA testing, which surveys a person’s entire genome at over 700,000 locations world-wide. As it happens in November 2019, Kym, a 43-year-old woman living in Perth Australia, also put her DNA into ancestry.com trying to find her biological father. In January 2021 amazingly a close match was discovered between the DNA of these two women, Kym Photo of iPhone chat between Issy and Kym, her and Issy. granddaughter in Perth, Australia, by Jon Brook Janet then used Facebook to check Kym’s profile and both she and Andrew could see immediately that there were strong family physical resemblances. They realised they might have hit the jackpot! In February 2021 Janet and Angela used social media to connect with Kym, and in March 2021 Issy was able to have a zoom call with her. Wouldn’t it have been great to be a fly on the wall when that conversation took place! Both Kym and Issy were very 3 excited and through the wonders of modern IT were able to see and talk to each other on Angela’s iPhone. Issy and Kym chatted about all sorts of things and soon discovered that they had a similar sense of humour, and by an amazing coincidence that each of them had a much-loved cat who they’d called ‘Bonnie’. To make absolutely certain that this was indeed a 2 photos of cats called Bonnie, long-lost family member, Janet and Angela then took looking very alike - Issy’s above and the very wise decision to commission a second DNA Kym’s below. test from a different company. In April 2021 the results showed a 99.59% match, confirming with absolute certainty that Issy is Kym’s grandmother. So, Kym had found her biological paternal grandmother and Issy had found family who she hadn’t even known existed. Kym was raised by her loving mum and wonderful stepdad. Although her biological father had not been involved in her upbringing, she was now at an age where she was keen to find him. If the fairy story had stopped there it would have been fabulous, but the family had only just got started! If this miracle could happen, maybe they could go further and actually find Issy’s son/Kym’s dad? They knew he was no longer called George, but Keith, and that possible surnames were Garrett, or Garnet. Using all the information they had between them, Angela created a ‘Looking for Keith’ poster: (See photo right). This was posted on social media and shared throughout Perth, and replies started coming in from people who remembered him, and in particular who remembered his car! Excitement mounted. Remember that at this point no one knew whether he was alive or dead, in Australia or any other country in the world. A trawl through records at the library revealed a definite surname, ‘Garrahy’ and an address for a Keith Garrahy. 4 Kym, with her husband Jamie, decided to check out whether this was where her dad now lived. On 11th May 2021 they drove to the address and knocked on the door … probably with a mix of emotions – excitement, anticipation, anxiety. The door opened, and there was Keith. He later said that before he opened the door, he was a single man on his own, but that, in a moment, he became a father, a grandfather (Kym has 2 adult children) and, heart-wrenchingly a Photo by Angela Bowskill of Issy standing in son: “I’ve found my mum”. front of Ivy Cottage, Kearstwick where Keith A few days later, on 15th May 2021, (George) spent some of his childhood. Janet and Angela set up a zoom call between Issy, Keith and Kym. Issy had found her son! If this is a fairy story, then that really is the end of a chapter. But maybe there are more chapters to be written? The zoom call revealed that Keith had spent some of his childhood at Ivy Cottage, Kearstwick, near Kirkby Lonsdale. So, after the call Janet and Angela drove Issy to visit the cottage. He went to Dallam School. He had two sisters (one who was also adopted). In 1970, at age 15, he left school, and the whole family relocated to Perth, Australia. Both his adopted parents are now dead. Keith has no children, other than Kym. He’s applying for his passport, and when Covid restrictions allow, Keith is coming over to meet his mum and Kym and her husband Jamie are also coming to meet Grandma Issy, and the rest of their new, extended family. The story continues! Photographs wanted for ‘Bentham & Beyond’ 2022 Calendar By Christine Downey, Town Clerk The search is now on for fantastic photographs that capture the distinctive landscape, wildlife and communities in and around Bentham for the 2022 calendar. So please get your cameras out and start snapping! You have two summer months to take some pictures and/or to scour through your photograph archive to submit your past best shots, taken in any season, for consideration. The photographs need to be high resolution and should state where the photograph was taken. Please submit your contenders to [email protected] by 31st August 2021. Last year the 2021 ‘Bentham & Beyond’ Calendar raised over £1,500 for Settle Swimming Pool. Thanks must go to our local sponsors and all those who purchased it. The beneficiary of the profits from the sale of the 2022 calendar has yet to be decided. The town council would like to hear from local organisations who wish to be considered. If your organisation would like to be considered, please forward details to me at the above email address. 5 Ronnie Tomlinson’s 100th birthday lunch at the Golf Club The top photo is of Ronnie’s birthday cake, right with his card from the Queen and bottom Ronnie, Phyllis and their children. Photos all taken by Pearl Woolerton 6 Person of Bentham – Gail Lister Gail has lived in the area since the seventies and is known for her warm and bubbly personality and delicious cooking. She is also well known as having been the landlady of the Punch Bowl for years and has worked in various other restaurants and pubs as well.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Forest of Bowland AONB Access Land
    Much of the new Access Land in Access Land will be the Forest of Bowland AONB is identified with an Access within its Special Protection Area Land symbol, and may be accessed by any bridge, stile, gate, stairs, steps, stepping stone, or other (SPA). works for crossing water, or any gap in a boundary. Such access points will have This European designation recognises the importance of the area’s upland heather signage and interpretation to guide you. moorland and blanket bog as habitats for upland birds. The moors are home to many threatened species of bird, including Merlin, Golden Plover, Curlew, Ring If you intend to explore new Parts of the Forest of Bowland Ouzel and the rare Hen Harrier, the symbol of the AONB. Area of Outstanding Natural access land on foot, it is important that you plan ahead. Beauty (AONB) are now For the most up to date information and what local restrictions may accessible for recreation on foot be in place, visit www.countrysideaccess.gov.uk or call the Open Access Helpline on 0845 100 3298 for the first time to avoid disappointment. Once out and about, always follow local signs because the Countryside & Rights of Way Act (CRoW) 2000 gives people new and advice. rights to walk on areas of open country and registered common land. Access may be excluded or restricted during Heather moorland is Many people exceptional weather or ground conditions Access Land in the for the purpose of fire prevention or to avoid danger to the public. Forest of Bowland itself a rare habitat depend on - 75% of all the upland heather moorland in the the Access AONB offers some of world and 15% of the global resource of blanket bog are to be found in Britain.
    [Show full text]
  • Lonsdale Fell Runners Bowland 1500S
    Lonsdale Fell Runners Bowland 1500s The Bowland 1500s round visits 19 tops over 1500ft with one ring contour in the Forest of Bowland massif. Starting and finishing from Abbeystead it immediately appealed to us as an adventure very close to our home in Lancaster. Jess posted it an an idea to Lonsdale Fell Runners back in the spring and we set a date for 30th September after checking that there would be no grouse shooting then. More information is available on the gofar website and we also found Andy Verden and John Rodgers’ accounts on the Bowland Fell Runners website very helpful. Most of the photos here are from recces. For reasons which will become clear I didn’t manage to take many on the day itself. Leg 1 - Claire, Phil and Rob Rob and I met at 0530 at Quernmore crossroads ready to car share over to Abbeystead for the start of the adventure at 0600. I received a message from Phil at 0532 and he joined us shortly afterwards in a world of missed alarms and adrenaline. To be fair, he’d only got back from a conference in Berlin at 0330 that morning. We eventually set off from Abbeystead at 0617 and lost Rob within a minute. He’d run back to the car to get all his food! Recce rainbow They joked that I would have to mess something up later in the day. And I did. More on that later. Head torches on and off into the dawn. The climb up Hawthornthwaite seemed to take a long time, but we made it to the ridiculous fallen-over trig eventually.
    [Show full text]
  • The Forest of Bowland AONB
    FOB Access Land2.qxd 6/6/06 10:44 Page 1 The Forest of Bowland AONB What to do and where to go? Livestock, wildlife and dogs The Forest of Bowland Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) is a nationally It is your right to walk freely across Access Land but with that right comes In order to protect the interests of the wildlife that relies on Bowland’s Access Land, protected landscape and is internationally important for its heather moorland, responsibilities and walkers must be mindful that much of Bowland’s Access Land is local restrictions are in place. blanket bog and rare birds. The AONB is managed by a partnership of privately owned, grazed by sheep and cattle and is of international importance for • Dogs are not permitted on many of the moors in Bowland. landowners, farmers, voluntary organisations, wildlife groups, recreation groups, its wildlife. • In other areas, from 1st March to 11th December, dogs must be kept on a fixed local councils and government agencies, who work to protect, conserve and lead of no more than 2m in length. At all other times dogs must be kept under enhance the natural and cultural heritage of this special area. Even in areas where open access does apply, local restrictions may restrict access. close control. Plan Ahead - For the most up to date information and what local restrictions may • Dog restrictions do no apply to trained guide/hearing dogs and dogs on the Much of the Access Land in the Forest of Bowland AONB is within a Special be in place, visit www.countrysideaccess.gov.uk or call the open access land with the landowner’s permission.
    [Show full text]
  • Welcome to Chapelside
    Welcome to Chapelside Chapel Lane, Ellel, Lancaster, LA2 0PW Lancaster Cathedral Clougha Pike seen from Grit Fell Lancaster University Nearby Galgate Marina is one particularly tranquil destination, acting as a gateway to the winding canal that stretches for 41 miles between Preston and Kendal. The Marina itself is the perfect spot to watch narrowboats drift by, or for a relaxing stroll or bike ride along the towpath. Lancaster Canal Boats also offer relaxing cruises to the nearby Lune Aqueduct, Welcome to Chapelside allowing you to take in the stunning views and local wildlife along the way. Stunning contemporary bungalows in a rural setting The local area has amenities right on your doorstep, with artisan cafes, shops, friendly country pubs and more all within a short stroll, drive or bus ride. These new homes are also ideally-placed for trips out to other Applethwaite Homes are proud to unveil a superb new range of bungalows local villages and hamlets. The old market village of Garstang makes for a for the over 55’s in the village of Ellel near Galgate, Lancaster. These new perfect day trip, while the 12th century country house at Thurnham Hall homes are ideal for those looking for a countryside location while still offers superb leisure facilities on its magnificent estate. Conder Green’s having excellent access to the rest of this beautiful part of the country. canalside inns boast exquisite dining options in the heart of the local We are delighted to offer a diverse choice of 32 contemporary bungalows countryside. with 1, 2 or 3 bedrooms available.
    [Show full text]
  • (V) 43.36 43.50 Vet 040 43.51 46.27 46.36 Vet 040 46.40 L&M
    17rHJune 2006 - 5 Miles 1250ftof ascent. The 16thrunnins of this racein memory of Darren Morecambe Organisedon behalf of QuernmoreSports by John Gibbison,assisted by High School Record: Ma-rkCroasdale 2006 36.30 Lady Record: JackieHargreaves 2004 42.t3' NAME CLUB / SCHOOL TIME - 1. Mark Croasdale L&M 36.30 WINNER New Record 040 Harrv RobinsonShield Mike Breslin Shield fuoucher) And 1" Mole Vet. 2. SeanBolland Bowland 37.41(v) 3. Mike Johnson Bowland 39.18(v) 2"dVet 040 4. Mark Chippendale Bowland 40.08(v) 5. Richard Melon Bowland 40.22ft) 6. Derek Hurton Eden Runners 41.14(v) 7. SteveSwarbrick Bowland 4t.23 (v'l 8. Andrew Preedv Rosendale 4t.47 (v) 9. ChrisReade Bowland 42.05(v) JilVet 0.40 and l" local 10.Mark France Darwen Dashers 42.16(v\ Vet.040 11.Stephen Worsley InvernessHarriers 43.17 Vet.040 i2. JonathanFish L&M 43.36 Vet 04C 13.David Wilson Bowland 43.50 Vet 040 14. Simon Thomas L&M 43.51 15.Skio Donahue Spen 43.58 Vet 040 16.Clive Davis Bowland 44.54 Vet 040 17.Nick Hewitt Bowland 45.49rv\ Jura Shield ln MaIe vet .050 18.Andrew Crowther L&M 46.27 I 9.FrankMcTominay x(v) L&M 46.36 Vet 040 20. Paul Wrisht Helm Hill 46.40 Vet 040 21. Chris Adams L&M 46.54 Vet 040 22. JobnGorst ula 47.07 Vet 040 Gloush Cup (v) I" Mqle u2l 23. CrisoinHalsall ula 47.r3 24.Iulian Donnelly Darwen Dashers 47.28 Vet 040 25. SirnonFox Darwen Dashers 47.31 Vet 040 26.
    [Show full text]
  • Wildlife in North Lancashire 2016
    Wildlife In North Lancashire 2016 35th Annual Newsletter of the North Lancashire Wildlife Group Price £2.50 NLNG Committee 2016-17 North Lancashire Wildlife Group Chairman Mike Moon The Group is a local group of the Wildlife Trust for Lancashire, Manchester & N. Merseyside, primarily for Treasurer Chris Workman members living in the Lancaster City Council District Minutes Secretary Cis Brook and immediately adjacent areas of Lancashire, South Cumbria and North Yorkshire. Newsletter Editor Barbara Crooks Meetings are open to all members of the Wildlife Webmaster Martin Sherlock Trust. If you are not already a member, come along to Member Linda Renshaw a few meetings and, if you like what we do, join us. Member Rob Zloch The Committee coordinates all the work of the Group Member Steve Garland and, in particular, arranges meetings, field outings, recording sessions, and the production of an annual Newsletter. The Recorders receive and collate records page to help conserve interesting sites, to monitor changing numbers and distribution of species and to contribute Contents 2 to national recording schemes. News from the Committee 2 Our events and meetings are listed on our website - Editorial 3 www.nlwg.co.uk and also on the ‘What`s On’ section of the Lancashire Wildlife Trust’s website. For further Planning and conservation 3 information contact the Chairman, Mike Moon, E-mail Reserves Reports 4 [email protected] or telephone him on 01524 Recorders list and Reports 8 701163. Field Meetings 30 Printed on paper from sustainable sources by itnetuk Miscellany 36 The copyright to all the photos in this publication remain the property of the photographer or organisation named.
    [Show full text]
  • The Agricultural History of South Lancaster and FAUNA & FLORA
    The Agricultural History of South Lancaster and FAUNA & FLORA Mike Derbyshire ORCHARD LGGS Lancaster FAUNA Aldcliffe FLORA OS 25 in 1893 River Lune 120 m contour 250 m contour 400 m contour BULK Lune QUERNMORE Estuary LANCASTER Little ALDCLIFFE Fell 22 kmkm SCOTFORTH Conder Clougha Pike Valley Stodday Grit Fell ASHTON Conder Estuary Highfield Greenfield Mawdale Head Haw Oaklands Longlands Edenbreck Pennylands New Close or Swallowholme Bowerham Sowerholme Haverbreck 400 m or 440 yds Highfield Mawdale Greenfield Head Haw Oaklands Longlands Edenbreck Pennylands New Close or Swallowholme Bowerham Sowerholme Haverbreck 400 m or 440 yds Highfield Mawdale Greenfield Head Haw Oaklands Longlands Edenbreck Pennylands New Close or Swallowholme Bowerham Sowerholme Haverbreck 400 m or 440 yds Marton Lancaster Corporation Hinde Dawson 1824 Carr House Farm Eden- breck Aldcliffe Farm Estate 20th Century Parts of Little Edenbreck Sourholmes parcell of lande … in a place called the New close Betwene the land belonging to the Towne of lancaster called the deepe Cares Towards the East and the lands of [blank] Teldesley towards the west contayninge by estimation halfe an Acre … RCHy/2/2/72 1610 unam parcellam terre continentem per estimationem unam Acram … in quadam Clausura … vocata Edenbreake inter terras Ricardi Shearburne militis ex utrisque partibus … RCHy/2/2/44 1589 parcell or peice of Arable Meadow or pasture Ground lying in a Certain Feild Inclosure or Ground Commonly called Soweerholme … Adjoining to a parcell belonging to George Townson … on the
    [Show full text]
  • Route Description: Around Abbeystead
    Route Description: Around Abbeystead 1. There’s car parking in Abbeystead by Stoops Bridge (SD56360 54351). Cross the road & Follow the Footpath (Wyre Way) heading E, the muddy estate track then crosses a meadow, keep L oF the wire enclosure For a First glimpse oF Abbeystead House. Cross the river by a Footbridge (SD56641 54344) & ascend the short slope into the pasture. By a Ww stone marker post (SD57092 54339), leave the Wyre Way and head N For 100m, descending the slope to Marshaw Wyre & a Footbridge (SD57084 54387). Ascend the slope alongside the estate wall to emerge on pastureland, the path crosses a tree-lined estate road using two ladder stiles (SD57122 54575). From here, there are wonderFul views to Jubilee Tower on the skyline, Grit Fell and Wards Stone to the N whilst behind is the south Flank oF Over Wyresdale topped by Hawthornthwaite Fell Top. Cross the pasture to another Ww stone marker post (SD57160 54746), Higher Emmetts Farm is close by to the R. 2. We turn L (heading W), along the Wyre Way, crossing the Field to a gate (SD56698 54641), walk through the garden oF the stone cottage to emerge on the road. Descend Strait Lane & cross Stoops Bridge. 3. On the R is a Footpath, cross the wall & Follow the estate track between the river & Larpet Wood, then continue through Fields to Grizedale Bridge (SD56579 55294) at Lower Lee. 4. Cross the stile to the road, then immediately enter the adjacent Field using a stile on the L, ascend the slope to a small Footbridge (SD56539 55262), continue on the higher ground to cross a stile (SD56152 55082) & a brook, then Follow the hedge line.
    [Show full text]
  • The Wyre Way Garstang to Abbeystead
    12 Wyre Self Guided Trails: Wyre Way Part 3 –Garstang to Abbeystead Start Point . LaKes fishery and caravan site the route re -joins the eventually leading to a gate at the foot of At the circular “Villa de Garstang” mosaic in river Wyre through a lovely stretch of countryside Broom Hill. Cherestanc Square Garstang to the former mill village of Dolphinholme. The 4. SD 4981 4639 Go through the gate and follow Post Code: PR3 1EF route to Abbeystead begins high along the side of the path, through another gate, round the edge the river Wyre valley, offering great views across to OS Grid Reference: SD 4915 4529 of some trees on the left and along the field the North Bowland Fells of Ward’s Stone, Grit Fell edge, with Grizedale BrooK on the left. The and Clougha. After descending to the riverside we Distance / Time . pass the site of the tragic Abbeystead water-worKs path eventually leaves the brooK and goes 16Km (10 miles) explosion of 1984. The final stretch passes in front straight across the field to a gate onto 4 – 5hours of the now disused Abbeystead dam – which in Hazelhead Lane. former times was used to store water for the many Maps…… ………… mills sited downstream along the river. THERE ARE NOW TWO ROUTE OPTIONS; OS Landranger 102 (1:50000) or paragraphs 5-8 below follow a slightly higher level OS Explorer OL41 (1:25000) Route Description route across field paths to the village of Scorton, Terrain…………………………… 1. SD 4915 4529 Stand on the “Villa de Garstang” with good views on a clear day.
    [Show full text]
  • Route Description: Grit Fell and Clougha from Jubilee Tower
    Route Description: Grit Fell and Clougha from Jubilee Tower 1. There is a good car park at Jubilee Tower (SD542574). Leave the car park heading NE up the obvious path alongside the wire fence, the gradient is steady, interrupted by short excursions to avoid the wettest ground and to negotiate the cloughs, particularly the upper reaches of Castle Syke - but it gets much better as we ascend. Remember to take time to admire the view behind, Lancashire’s river estuaries can be seen; from The Ribble in the south; sandbanks mark the Wyre whilst the Lune dominates the scene. The River Lune can be seen winding its way between Glasson Dock and Overton as it silently slips by Sunderland Point and Plover Scar Lighthouse into the Irish Sea. As our eyes sweep north we can see the distinct mass of Black Combe and the Kent Estuary. Pass the carved Boundary Stone (SD54908 58090) on the ascent to Shooters Pile, the carefully constructed marker dominates the skyline. 2. Shooters Pile (SD555588) is placed at the entrance to the moorland plateau. Skilfully constructed and robust, it appears on maps from the 1890’s. From Shooters, follow the path over rocks to a stile where the fence takes a distinct turn. Cross the stile (noting the 2nd carved boundary stone and benchmark (SD 557589)), Ingleborough, Whernside and Pen-Y-Ghent are now in view, it’s a short walk to Grit Fell summit (SD558588). 3. From the summit, a short excursion may be made to the Castle of Cold Comfort (SD55716 58561), there’s no path so take care through the heather and rocks.
    [Show full text]
  • Ramblers Gems
    Ramblers Gems A Spring Vale Rambling Class Publication Volume 2 Issue 7 12th February 2021 For further information or to submit a contribution email: [email protected] Web Site http://www.springvaleramblers.co.uk/ I N S I D E T H I S I SSUE Leave those screens and distractions behind you and a 1 Share a Walk Together stroll together will result in some quality time. Choose the perfect walk of course! The lockdown 2 Reason to be Cheerful means we’re all staying close to home at the moment, so think about places that hold special memories for 3 Managing Stress you, have lovely views, interesting history or natural features. Perhaps you can find a hidden gem, 4 The Christmas Rose / somewhere nearby where you’ve not been to before. A Snowdrop Fairy / A way to gain some brownie points would be to pack a The NAAONB picnic of your valentine’s favourite treats. Let’s be frank, in our current lockdown situation, even a 5 Walk to Clougha Trig Point takeaway coffee feels like a huge treat right now! So, pack a flask of hot chocolate and some fancy cake and stop en route to enjoy this special treat. We’re still in the throes of winter. This can have its advantages so by wrapping up warm and heading out Share a Walk Together into the early evening might just add something special As Valentine's Day approaches this Sunday, why not to your walk. The clear skies that we are experiencing take the opportunity to connect with a loved one.
    [Show full text]
  • Andy Verden's Story
    Andy Verden's Story Bowland one contour 1500ft top challenge Andy Verden & John Rodgers. Bowland Fellrunners. Saturday 21st February 2004. Saturday morning. 5am . The alarm clock rings and brings me out of a rather fitful sleep. I don’t want to drag myself from beneath the warm duvet and force myself to eat soggy Wheatabix and drink plenty of warm tea. Today is the day on which myself and John have decided to give the Bowland one contour 1500’s another shot. The weather has been exceptionally cold for the past week and we’ve been getting out and doing long runs every weekend since Christmas. We’ve hidden almost 8 litres of water at various places around the proposed route so that we have something safe to drink, en route. The water around here is too dodgy to trust. The original route was conceived by three of Bowlands top long-distance runners, Les Orr, Alan Heaton and Terry Houston, who ran their route in a little over 10 hours. They started from the more traditional Bowland Fellrunners starting point of Fell Foot near Chipping and took in every 1500ft top in the Forest of Bowland, using 2 map contours as the criteria for determining a “top”. A few years later, Les, together with Duncan Elliot, Andy Walmsley and Ian Roberts, revised the criteria to include all tops of one contour and also decided that the optimal place to start and finish would be Stoops Bridge at Abbeystead. So the present challenge of the “integral” Bowland 1500’s was born.
    [Show full text]