" A Keswick Christmas "

Date & start time: Saturday 17th December 2011.

Location of Start : The Boat Landings, Keswick, Cumbria, UK ( NY 264 227)

Places visited : Derwent Water Lake and Keswick town centre.

Walk details : Minimal.

Highest point : Meeting Santa, the sherry and mince pies !

Walked with : Our family and grandchildren ~ Paula, Al, Tom, Abi and Ann (no dogs this time)

Weather : Rather unseasonable, overcast and grey but dry.

Family festivities get under way with a visit from our daughter and her family to Loweswater.

A trip on the Keswick Launch was planned for the grandchildren but last year it was cancelled as the lake was totally frozen over.

Would Santa be able to navigate his way into the boat landings today ?

Making our way over to the boat landings, passing the ever-hungry ducks along the way.

Male and female, some feeding . . .	. . . some just conserving their energy.

Ho ~ Ho ~ Ho . . . the boat arrives on time . . . and look who's on board.

We all pile aboard and are immediately offered a mince pie and a sherry.

Note : Everyone else enjoyed their mince pie in the warm cabin !

. . . but then they probably didn't enjoy such nice views as all their windows were steamed up.

Nichol End and Derwent Water Marina across the lake

as we pass inside Derwent Isle.

A good crowd enjoying the view

and waving from Friar's Crag.

Tom enjoying (?) the weather on the foredeck.

There's a good scattering of fresh snow on the fells above Derwent Water Youth Hostel.

The hostel was under threat earlier in the year but has now been sold to a private trust who will continue to run it as before.

Click here for more details.

Our extra crewman keeps a watchful eye out for our next stop . . .	. . . the landing stage near the Lodore Hotel.

Father Christmas . . . no . . . it's Abi present in hand, looking out over the water at the view.

Castle Crag at the head of Derwent Water.

The weather looked decidedly unsettled at the head of Borrowdale but fortunately it stayed dry for our trip.

"And what would you like for Christmas Abi ? "

We had a very sociable chat to Santa and learn what she would be writing in her Christmas letter.

Having met him in person it will at least save the postage.

"I would like a Million Pounds and a Car "

" Right Tom ... I think we might manage a Dinky Toy to start " . . . I think Santa coped with that one well.

Brandelhow Point and Brackenburn House higher up the fell.

Brackenburn was the home of the author Hugh Walpole and where he lived when he wrote Rogue Herries.

Snowy Catbells as we pass Otterbield Island.

Warm and snug on the front seating . . . make sure you don't lose those gloves !

Nichol End was our penultimate stop on the way round the lake.

A certificate for Tom to remember his journey . . .

. . . and a family photo with Santa for Abi to go with hers.

- - - o o o - - -

Keswick is celebrating Christmas with illuminations in and around town.

The Rotary Club "Tree of Light" near Fitz Park.	The Moot Hall in the centre of town.

Keswick has an illuminated climbing motif on the Tourism Centre to compliment the town's "UK Centre of Adventure" reputation.

Cornerwise has joined in with their own brand of "Spirit of Christmas".

The lower end of the Moot Hall Square.

Chocolate Father Christmases . . .	. . . and stockings by the fireside . . .

. . . adorn the windows of Ye Olde Friar's of Keswick Chocolate Shop.

A cheering display in Food Ewe's delicatessen.	Christmas flowers at Evergreens.

Back in Main Square and the lights of the Skiddaw Hotel.

The lights are on, the mince pies are warming, the cards are sent, the Christmas Trees are all decorated,

. . . it is beginning to feel like Christmas.

- - - o o o - - -

Technical note: Pictures taken with either Ann's Fuji Finepix Compact or my Canon digital camera.

Resized in Photoshop, and built up on a Dreamweaver web builder.

This site best viewed with . . . that warming glow keeping out the mid-winter cold !

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Previous walk - Tuesday 6th December 2011 The First Winter Snow

A previous time here - 19/21st December 2010 Family in Cumbria

Next event - Sunday 18th December 2011 A Glorious Winter's Day