The Loweswater Discussion Group (The Farmers) traditionally meet during the winter months

for beer and a conversation, usually with a guest speaker and always at the Kirkstile Inn.

At this time of year the group has a day out together and this year was no different. We hired a bus and head down to the South Lakes.

Richard, (third from the left) has organised a bus trip to visit a land reclamation scheme that we've heard about in one of our evening meetings in the last year.

Our host for this part of the day was Mr Paul Barnes (second from the right and next to me) who farms near Keswick but who advises Farm Co-operatives on land improvement.

The other members of the group will remain reasonably anonymous, to protect the guilty !

I've just come back from a Dutch Holiday, so to walk out of the bus onto a low lying meadow with a sea wall was rather "déjà vu".

These land reclamations however, were created back in Napoleonic days in order to increase food production on what was potentially good soil.

Now the land seems to be used for cattle and sheep as needs have changed and, lets face it the climate has changed too.

In the early days the land would have drained naturally by gravity but silting up of the Kent Estuary has given rise to the need for positive water extraction.

Paul took us over to the Ulpha Pumping Station, set low on the farmland next to one of the local drainage channels.

He explained that the whole system has now been automated, at vast expense and is now only visited by the Environment Agency as required.

Without this pumping station the water would fail to get away to the sea and the farm land behind would become waterlogged and unusable.

Comment was made of the bureaucratic organisation that appears to have spent loads of money on equipment and fencing but not on the system

that still suffers from blockages and silting up, with additional hassle of numerous delays to get environmental permissions to get out onto the land to put things right.

The outflow of the pumped water.

The two cables are there to lift flood doors if required. They should naturally open and let the water escape once the tide drops.

We walked back in the rain to the bus, passing Crag Cottage along the way

The name made sense on our return as the Crag was a rock outcrop that was used as part of the dyke reclamation scheme.

Paul also wanted to show us another part of the scheme, so Eddy our driver took us round to the River Winster area,

just a few miles closer to Grange over Sands.

Everyone off the bus again . . . but fortunately the rain has now eased.

This was the River Winster channel which was straightened as part of the original drainage scheme.

You can just make out the small dykes each side to contain the water within the river.

The larger volume of water is enough to ensure natural drainage, even though the river was subsequently crossed by the Cumbrian Coast Railway.

More flood and drainage gates and a lined river channel exist beyond the railway embankment, but the outer banks of that channel have collapsed,

which is endangering the free flow of water out into the sea . . . another slight problem that Paul told us about.

We walked up and over the rail crossing to see the seaward side of the land and the distant River Winster outfall that he talked about.

Grange over Sands is in the distance. These are semi-tidal salt meadows which flood on spring tides.

It is still possible to graze sheep here but you've got to keep one eye on the tide tables if you do.

Time to say goodbye to our host and he headed back north to Keswick and we headed across to our bus which was waiting close by.

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Richard had reserved adjacent tables for the group . . . soup and a sandwich was my choice . . . what would yours be ?

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We now had a few hours to enjoy a leisurely look around the museum.

An impressive old Fire Engine, saved from oblivion after it's working life in South Africa.

For those of you eagle-eyed viewers, in the background there's an old Automobile Association Phone Box from much closer to home . . . Newby Bridge.

A beautiful old 1955 Jaguar XK 140.

One of my favourites. . . a Mini Cooper S . . . I had the basic 850cc version way back in college days.

In amongst the exhibits was a display about a 'Rickets Blue' factory that used to have a factory in the valley.

If you like iconic vehicles , there's all sorts . . . from the Sinclaire C5 to the DeLorean gull-winged sports car.

A much more modern Mg sports car that has racing pedigree.

Couldn't leave this section without a photo of this 1960's MGA Roadster in Police livery,

complete with siren and 'Police' lights operated by simple pull switched on the dash board.

Moving on through the decades to the mass produced Raleigh bikes of the post-war era.

Want to travel faster and more easily . . . add a motor !

Bringing things right up to date, you could sit and enjoy a virtual video ride of the Isle of Man TT Circuit

and check out a few of the bikes that had actually taken part.

If you like small . . . how about this 1960's Messerschmitt, three wheeler Cabin Cruiser

Smaller still . . . a collection of child's pedal cars.

Someone has donated the entire contents of an old motor garage, which has been beautifully restored and is now on display.

Downstairs again and a beautiful 1937 Jaguar 100 Sports Car, the 100 implying a top speed, when most cars could only reach 50 mph.

Over the back there is a 'Bluebird Blue' sports car.

This was a Bluebird land speed car that broke the land speed records in the 1950's and 60's.

Donald Campbell's infatuation with blue extended to his road going vehicles.

As well as cars, there were also boats driven by Campbell in his attempt to break the Water Speed Record.

This is a replica of Donald Campbell's 1939 boat - Bluebird K4, a mono hull.

The star of the show must be the 1967 Jet Hydroplane that reached the magic speed of 300 mph on Coniston Water.

[ This is actually a replica of the famous Bluebird K7 commissioned by the BBC for the 1988 film "Across the Lake" staring Anthony Hopkins.]