Using Google Maps

This is something I noticed a few months ago: when I click on a bus-stop icon for a location in South Yorkshire I now get the actual scheduled times of the buses that are due in the next two hours, a service that has always been provided for the Derbyshire bus-stops.

I've only got a desktop computer, I can't be bothered with fiddling about with an i-phone, smartphone, or tablet...I imagine this service would be very useful for those that have continuous access to the internet on mobile devices.

Howell Wood Country Park

Another short local walk with Marshall, my support worker. Howell Wood is in the extreme far north west of Doncaster Borough and consists of woodland, open areas of grassland, and a fishing pond, located in rolling countryside.

The weather wasn't very good again, cold and cloudy; certainly not good conditions for photography.

Until we reached this sign at the far side of the woods we thought we had stayed within the bounds of the country park...obviously we were mistaken.

We didn't have any problems with tanks though...only a woman and her dogs.

A Visit To Beningbrough Hall, Near York

Another trip with Siobhan, one of my support workers, to Beningbrough Hall, a few miles north west of York, a trip that was originally scheduled for a fortnight ago but had to be postponed due to an administrative error.

The weather was rather disappointing, cloudy, with a bit of rain...and cold again. The weather forecast yesterday was so much more promising though.

The hall is nothing special, just a typical eighteenth century grand country house: the walled gardens are impressive though, the best I've ever seen - well maintained with a large variety of fruit trees and vegetables, all clearly labelled.

The farm shop was poor; no rabbit pies or game pies.

Eyam, Housley, Burnt Heath, Great Longstone, and Bakewell

It was a rushed start this morning. I didn't wake up until 07:30; the cocktail of painkillers I'm taking at night for the dry socket pain after a wisdom tooth extraction makes me drowsy...which is good I suppose.

It was a lovely day today, it actually felt like summer; mostly sunny, warm (hot at times even), and no cold wind...and the wildflowers, they were blooming everywhere - clover, campion, vetch, and buttercups; entire fields of them in places.

I got of the bus at Eyam and walked through the village, taking plenty of photographs.

Towards the far end of the village I took a lane that leads to the south, then a footpath across meadows and then down to Horseshoe Quarry through the grassland and woodland - a lovely spot for picnics.

Because the entrance to Horseshoe Quarry isn't marked on the map I wasn't sure how far along Middleton Dale I'd come out at; regrettably I made the wrong decision and turned right and had to walk for half a mile along a busy road without a pavement until I found a path at Housley.

It was level going along a byway and then some fields until I reached a location which is identified as Burnt Heath on the map, but every time until now when I've been there the sign would show 'Cavendish Mill' - well, now it's called 'Glebe Mines'. It must have new owners.

I then descended down Black Harry Lane into the upper reaches of Coombs Dale, and climbed up the other side to reach the top of Longstone Edge.

I found the safest way down, along a beautiful dry dale and then a lane which comes out near to the church. No chance to photograph the church though because it was covered with scaffolding.

I popped into one of the pubs in Great Longstone and bought a very expensive glass of Diet Coke; in the process of sitting down my map case knocked over a very slender vase in which two lilac-coloured cornflowers had been very carefully positioned. I might have apologised...but I probably just blamed gravity.

On the way from Great Longstone to the Monsal Trail, and then later as I was walking along the Trail, there were some stunning views of fields carpeted with yellow buttercups.

At Bakewell I treated myself to fish and trips in the restaurant - the mushy peas were served in a small stainless steel bucket.

Denaby Ings Nature Reserve

Another short walk at a local beauty spot with Marshall, my support worker; today was a chance to talk in a different environment, away from my front room...and there's a lot I needed to talk about, there are a lot of issues on my mind at the moment.

Located close to Mexborough, Denaby Ings is a lovely spot right next to the River Dearne, featuring a variety of landscapes, ponds, waterways, pastures, woodland, and meadows; all formed when mining subsidence caused the land to sink and permanently flood.