Calver, Rowland, Great Longstone, and Bakewell

Since I've started losing weight as a result of taking my tablets I've noticed that I'm feeling the cold a lot more, particularly cold winds. Well today has been one of the coldest days of the winter so far, only a couple of degrees above freezing, and so I put on an extra two layers of clothing on top of the additional layers I'm already wearing. It worked though...I was fine.

Today has been a mainly sunny and full-colour day for photography - in contrast to Thursday's trip to Lincoln. When I reached the railway station at Doncaster I walked over to take a picture of the newly opened Platform 0, the only platform that doesn't have any overhead wires - it's used by the local diesel-only trains out to Hull and beyond.

I caught my first glimpse of the snow as I was sitting on the train a couple of miles north of Rotherham; it was glistening on the hilly parts of Sheffield, only a few miles from the city centre. I'd be seeing a lot more snow later...and walking in it, several inches deep in places.

I got off the bus at Calver and took the bridleway that leads up Coombs Dale, but I soon found the footpath that goes up through the woods. I noticed a lot of damage to the trees caused by the recent strong winds...especially to the trees bedecked with mistletoe.  This path took me along a route I hadn't explored before until I reached the top path which goes over some grassy pastureland as I headed off towards the old quarries. There was plenty of snow to be walked in here...and some pretty views too.

It was a gentle descent down Hardrake Lane to Rowland. I met some Highland cattle on the way...and a couple of Landrovers a few minutes later.

I'd been aware of the Landrover coming down the hill behind me being driven very carefully along the icy single track byway, stopping a couple of times to open and close the gates, but at the point where I needed to get out of his way another Landrover suddenly appeared from around a corner...coming up the hill. I immediately turned around and put my hand out, signalling for the driver behind me to stop, and then assessed the situation. Having already walked where the Landrover coming down the hill had driven I knew that there was nowhere convenient for him to reverse up so that the other vehicle could pass so I jogged down to the other driver to see what they wanted to do. Fortunately the hill wasn't too steep where he was and there was a suitable passing space no more than a distance of thirty feet behind him, and he had already  put his vehicle in reverse before I reached him. I know that reversing downhill isn't considered safe, but he was obviously a confident and competent driver, and must know the area well and had decided that this was the best option. I signalled for the other driver to approach; I didn't get out of the way though - I walked a few yards in front of him until we had passed the other Landrover. One honk and a wave for my efforts. I regretted not having a red flag.

Once I was free to concentrate on my walking again there was more beautiful countryside for me to take photographs of.

The track led down to Rowland. I'd barely entered the village though before I took the first footpath which went across the fields to Great Longstone. There are a lot of criss-crossing paths in this area.

I headed straight for the church at Great Longstone, hoping for some good opportunities to take photographs. The angle of the sun was okay and this was my best effort.

I took the footpath that starts as a narrow ginnel between the houses, then passes the recreation ground and a housing estate before walking across a couple of fields until I reached the Monsal Trail.

After about a mile I left the Monsal Trail and walked back to Bakewell along the path, which was quite muddy in places...there was no snow here. I got to Bakewell with enough time to visit the toilets and have a stroll along the waterfront. Before crossing the road to go and wait for the bus I took a photograph of 'The Wheatsheaf'. This image well illustrates something that I've noticed for the last two years - the large number of pubs that all have very similar minimalist grey and white signage.

On the train coming back to Doncaster a young woman got on at Meadowhall, sat opposite me and immediately got out her copy of Cosmopolitan magazine. She flicked through a few pages until she found an article that she was interested in. The title of the article was 'Have You Got Vegan Wrinkles?'

I have enough difficulty as it is with reading people's facial expressions without having to cope with this additional imposition. 

I'm doomed!

Calver, Curbar, Owler Bar, and Totley

When I was waiting on the platform at Doncaster Station this morning I noticed that new signage had been put up showing Platform 0, even though this additional platform at Doncaster isn't in operation yet.

Terminating services from Hull and Scunthorpe will be using the platform, which is completely separate to the rest of the station so that these trains won't be interfering with traffic on the busy East Coast Main Line. Unfortunately I can't use my free travel pass beyond Thorne in this direction: I like Hull and would be going there a lot if I could. I would be using the city as a base for exploring the Yorkshire Wolds.

My train to Sheffield ran on schedule and the bus out to the Peak District was on time too. I got off at Calver and walked up the track and then through the woods to Hare Knoll. There are some lovely panoramic views up here.

The path descended to the river at New Bridge, which I crossed over then walked on the other bank for a couple of hundred yards before finding the path which climbs up to the northern part of Curbar. I walked north along the road, then took the footpath which cuts through the woods and comes out quite high up on the climb to Curbar Gap on the road. Before reaching the road I stopped to talk to a fellow walker for about ten minutes about local accents; I didn't mention that he had a large globule of transparent snot precariously dangling from the tip of his nose...it looked quite striking as it glistened when the sunlight caught it.

Whilst still down by the river I spent a few seconds reading this notice and pondering what word has been erased; what activity can I now do which I wasn't allowed to previously?

When I reached the road I still had a bit more height to gain though before joining the path which runs along the top of Baslow Edge. I turned left just past the Eagle Stone and later spent a bit of time photographing the Highland cattle...I love the Highland cattle.

I found a path through the boggy parts of Big Moor which took me to the track leading to the cottage at Barbrook Reservoir. I then walked along the main Sheffield to Bakewell road, first to Owler Bar, and then the bus terminus at Totley.

As I approached the terminus I saw that a bus was waiting and so I started to jog. All this movement caused my pelvic muscles to do something that I don't understand causing my trousers to drop down to my knees; I grabbed them, and held onto them for the rest of the day. I've got a sufficiently long length of string in my ruscksack to hold up my trousers, but I didn't want to draw unwanted attention to myself.

I'm very happy to be losing so much weight, and I still need to lose more, but I'm starting to worry about possibly having problems when my weight has reached its optimum and I'm still needing to be on the maximum dose of metformin to keep my blood sugar levels low.

The mixed game pie which I bought at Matlock yesterday and I'm going to have for my supper should help me replace some calories.