THE STAG DO

August 2003

Coniston Old Hall campsite, Cumbria.

All images by JB.

We stopped at Carnforth to pick up supplies of alcohol and then set off with B (who isn't a hairdresser), following in his MG. M, his passenger wasn't allowed to smoke even though the hood was down!

It's a fine campsite, National Trust-owned. (01539 441223). There's no electricity!

The steam launch, Gondola

Why does this shot look as if were taken in the 1960s?

Gondola.

I grilled loads of veggie grub on two small portable barbecues and even the most carnivorous enjoyed the results.

DAY TWO - The gorge walk

Note that the best man had acquired a (disgusting) rock 'n' roll wig (from Blackpool).

So excited that we were running to the foot of the gorge.

Several of us had previously done this gorge-walk. It's in Church Beck, just behind The Sun Hotel and it's a belter.

From the bridge at the end of the "walk". No action shots because the photographer had an attack of trepidation.

Coniston Old Man as we walked back down.

A slow worm held by the wildlife expert.

DAY THREE - Hodge Close and Tilberthwaite

Arriving at Hodge Close.

From here with all five of us on board I drove along a most fabulously rough track down to Tilbertwaite. On a stepped section of bedrock where I had to take a run at the slope M bounced so high that he hit his head on the table boss and even spilled a little beer.

That last night my "friends", certain of them more than others, and you know who you are, were so damned noisy that as I tried to sleep in the van I realised they were the fellow campers from hell and had we been on a posher site we'd probably have been ejected and banned for life.

Really it was a tremendously good three days and we often talk about doing it again some time.

As long as I don't have to re-marry.

By some mighty strange coincidence I did an image search on "coniston old hall campsite" and found only this!

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