Hiley Website

Ann and I have travelled down to Suffolk to stay with Cathy, Richard and the family for a few days.

Just before we left we introduced Harry (for the first time in his 11and a half years) to a dog groomer here in Loweswater.

We took a sheep-look-alike dog and returned with a clean, sweet smelling, fluffy retriever.

His fur has been thinned, perfect timing for what looks to be a hot spell of weather ahead.

Dylan is impressed but I wonder how long Harry will look so good ?

After a slow journey across country to Scotch Corner

we made good time but still arrived late in the evening to Cathy and Richard.

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In the morning I took the camera out for a walk before breakfast.

The tide is in . . . and Pin Mill will be looking its best.

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Walking through the archway from the inner courtyard of the houses

makes the adrenaline rise a little . . . we are on holiday.

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Perhaps we should exclaim . . . jolly hollyhocks !

Morning sunshine on the Green at Pin Mill.

After Arthur Ransome moved to Pin Mill in 1934 he used to sail from here in his boat The Nancy Blackett

Many of his famous "Swallows and Amazons" books were written whilst living in the village.



Harry King's boatyard on the foreshore . . .	. . . . and the second boat yard owned by the Webb Family.

The village and foreshore are full of history . . .



A lovely old Thames Barge . . . plus a morning visitor.	Another barge, one of several moored by the slip.

The River Orwell is looking beautiful with the sun full out and the tide full in.

	Richard has organised a day's sailing for himself and myself today on a friend's boat in the Blackwater Estuary. - - - o o o - - - Ann stays back and enjoyed a shorter outing with Cathy, Alexander and the dogs, walking up river to Woolverstone. This is the view from the Sailing Club looking up towards the first bend in the river that eventually extends 5 miles upstream to Ipswich.

The three of them set off along the riverside path and then cut up across the fields.

On the top fields the warm Suffolk spring has encouraged the blackberries to grow.

Yesterday Cathy and Alexander had picked a whole bowl full of new season fruit for everyone to eat.

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It has also rained in recent days and a couple of the deeper ruts in the path along the way were still full of water.

In view of his recent hair-do Harry wasn't encouraged to wallow. . . but Dylan and Boris had other ideas. . . .

Oh no . . . I hope it will wash off !

Fortunately they found a clean pool a little further on and by the time they reached Woolverstone they were clean and dry once again.



The marina at Woolverstone.	Alexander and Ann with respectable looking dogs again.



It is very warm today, so time for a cool down . . .	. . . courtesy of a little shade and an ice cream.



Cathy and Ann relaxing on the yacht club lawn.	Time to be heading back for lunch at the house.

Their route back followed the river edge more closely.

Pin Mill is on the right, tucked in to the turn of the river in front of the distant darker headland of trees.

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Meanwhile, Richard and I had driven down to enjoy our slightly different day out on the water.

The pictures for that will follow shortly.

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