The Lake District - will this ruin everything?

[Brian Peacock]

There's pretty much nowhere in the UK that isn't a managed landscape. I often bemuse Americans i meet on the Cotswolds way with the fact that many of the stone-walled field patterns are 1000 years old. They find that idea staggering, and bumble off wide-eyed, imagining their stepping through the ancient landscape of Middle Earth or something.

I don't think there is anything wrong with amazement over ancient things. I had sort of that reaction when touching a 1000 year old cathedral, and nearly 1000 year old headstones in its courtyard. The fact that someone carved those stones, and placed them with their hands, and carved words and images into the stone, and here I am 1000 years on, reading and touching that same stone. There is wonder in that.

It doesn't even have to be that old. I was at the fortress at Nassau, Bahamas a couple of times, and in that fort there are stone rooms that were soldier's barracks. Carved into the walls are 18th century inscriptions of Englishmen who were stationed there. It gives one a sense of communication between or through the ages. Someone carved that stone, and I am reading it. I know his name, his rank, and something of his thoughts.

That's always been interesting to contemplate.

Oh don't be so sensitive man. It wasn't a criticism. In my experience American walkers are hands down the most friendly and engaging of the breed, second only to the Dutch funnily enough, and far more so than the Germans (who seem hell bent on collecting X miles in N hours and ticking them off in their notebooks: "Please to Cleve how many kilometer?" without breaking stride). Americans are always willing to stop and pass the time of day. Their questions about the Cotswolds Way are pertinent to their journey, and after they've been assured that they're pretty much where they think they are and, more importantly, that there's a decent pub in the next valley (!) they almost always talk about the landscape, its use, and such like. They bloody love it here.

[pErvinalia]

You forgot about the Aussies who are hell bent on sinking as many cans of piss in N hours while urinating all over the countryside!

[Forty Two]

There's pretty much nowhere in the UK that isn't a managed landscape. I often bemuse Americans i meet on the Cotswolds way with the fact that many of the stone-walled field patterns are 1000 years old. They find that idea staggering, and bumble off wide-eyed, imagining their stepping through the ancient landscape of Middle Earth or something.

I don't think there is anything wrong with amazement over ancient things. I had sort of that reaction when touching a 1000 year old cathedral, and nearly 1000 year old headstones in its courtyard. The fact that someone carved those stones, and placed them with their hands, and carved words and images into the stone, and here I am 1000 years on, reading and touching that same stone. There is wonder in that.

It doesn't even have to be that old. I was at the fortress at Nassau, Bahamas a couple of times, and in that fort there are stone rooms that were soldier's barracks. Carved into the walls are 18th century inscriptions of Englishmen who were stationed there. It gives one a sense of communication between or through the ages. Someone carved that stone, and I am reading it. I know his name, his rank, and something of his thoughts.

That's always been interesting to contemplate.

Oh don't be so sensitive man. It wasn't a criticism. In my experience American walkers are hands down the most friendly and engaging of the breed, second only to the Dutch funnily enough, and far more so than the Germans (who seem hell bent on collecting X miles in N hours and ticking them off in their notebooks: "Please to Cleve how many kilometer?" without breaking stride). Americans are always willing to stop and pass the time of day. Their questions about the Cotswolds Way are pertinent to their journey, and after they've been assured that they're pretty much where they think they are and, more importantly, that there's a decent pub in the next valley (!) they almost always talk about the landscape, its use, and such like. They bloody love it here.

Wait. Merkins are the most friendly and engaging, but the dutch are even more friendly and engaging than the most friendly and engaging?

[Brian Peacock]

OK, followed a close second by the Dutch.

[JimC]

There's pretty much nowhere in the UK that isn't a managed landscape. I often bemuse Americans i meet on the Cotswolds way with the fact that many of the stone-walled field patterns are 1000 years old. They find that idea staggering, and bumble off wide-eyed, imagining their stepping through the ancient landscape of Middle Earth or something.

I don't think there is anything wrong with amazement over ancient things. I had sort of that reaction when touching a 1000 year old cathedral, and nearly 1000 year old headstones in its courtyard. The fact that someone carved those stones, and placed them with their hands, and carved words and images into the stone, and here I am 1000 years on, reading and touching that same stone. There is wonder in that.

It doesn't even have to be that old. I was at the fortress at Nassau, Bahamas a couple of times, and in that fort there are stone rooms that were soldier's barracks. Carved into the walls are 18th century inscriptions of Englishmen who were stationed there. It gives one a sense of communication between or through the ages. Someone carved that stone, and I am reading it. I know his name, his rank, and something of his thoughts.

That's always been interesting to contemplate.

I have had the experience of seeing rock paintings in Northern Australia which have been dated to over 40,000 years ago...

Just wow...

[Brian Peacock]

That actually is really... WOW!!

[rainbow]

You forgot about the Aussies who are hell bent on sinking as many cans of piss in N hours while urinating all over the countryside!

...or the Africans who will catch and eat the bunnies.

[pErvinalia]

Pissed Australians do that too..

[laklak]

Tula, Tula, Tularemia,
That's a 'Strayan lullaby...

[Hermit]

I live half an hour from the English Lake District - an area of outstanding beauty and really very special. Now the bastards have made is a UNESCO World heritage sight like the Grand Canyon, Taj Mahal and what have you.

This will probably bring millions more people to it (as well as my small city) every year - a 'good thing' for local businesses no doubt but I like the fact that it is a bit of a sleepy backwater here to be honest. Here's a link to the story and some pics that show the place off a bit.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cumbria-40547691

Why do we have to ruin everything!??

I know exactly how you feel. The same thing is happening in my neighbourhood, though on a very much smaller scale.

Behold the Whyalla Wetlands.



All 24 hectares of it. Like the Lake District, it would be quite a stretch to describe it as pristinely natural. In fact, that is where the town's aerodrome used to be until its runway turned out to be too short for the new generation of aeroplanes. In 1951 a proper airport was opened a few kilometres further to the southeast, and the old paddock fell into disuse. Then the mayor had this idea to dig some holes in it that would fill up with storm water and turn it into a nature reserve. Sure enough, all sorts of water birds settled there, native flora flourished, and if you trod lightly you could see quite a range of lizards and snakes. This is where I take the retard, cunningly disguised as a tiny terrier mix, for the occasional, peaceful walk.

Peaceful yeah - until further notice. The powers that be had one of the park's features registered with The National Public Toilet Map, which is a project of the national incontinence program. Well, I tell you, that's the end of peace. Hordes of geriatrics with weak bladders will invade our little oasis, polluting it because half of them will fall short in their desperate lunge for the dunny. They'll litter the area with soggy incontinence pads, used up hearing aid batteries and empty packets of the dozens of different pills old geezers pop every half an hour to keep the aches and pains that come with old age at bay (if they remember). The uncontrolled influx of the gerontocracy brought about by the aforementioned registration is going to wreck the unpolluted, tranquil ambience of Chloe's playground. She'll get intimidated by furiously waved walking sticks, and her chase after sticks will be blocked by walls of zimmer frames. Not even the view of the antique hangar that now serves as the club house of the almost equally ancient bikers will make up for any of this.



I feel like screaming at all of them: GET OFF MY LAWN!

[Feck]

Rum, it's going to get worse as the value of the pound falls .

[Rum]

Thanks (not) Beardy...but there is worse to come.

Carlisle (where I live) airport has just expanded significantly and can now take international jets. We have seen a big increase in Chinese and other tourists this last couple of years who use our small city as a base to visit Hadrian's Wall. I have this vision of millions of the fuckers arriving from Shanghai to do a 'tour' of the Cumbrian 'attractions'. Fuck knows what they make of it all. Saw one group the other day enthusiastically taking photos of a B&Q! (home remodelling produce for the Mericans)

[Feck]

Here we have another problem New roads .... Ok we possibly needed a ring-road and road improvement to some existing A roads but the council has given carte blanch to virtually every planning application within 5 miles of these 'new' roads .

[Rum]

Here we have another problem New roads .... Ok we possibly needed a ring-road and road improvement to some existing A roads but the council has given carte blanch to virtually every planning application within 5 miles of these 'new' roads .

Aberdeen, right? I was up in your neck of the woods last summer. We were visiting the Highlands but I had never been to Aberdeen and thought I would take a look. Frankly (no offense and all) I found it a profoundly ugly place, But worse, the city had a network of roads like a spider web all around it, presumably built in the hope that 'industry' would build and everyone would get richer. Most of the space between the connecting roads was of course empty and 'industry' had not after all filled in the gaps. It seemed to me to be vandalism on a huge scale. Quite possibly the fault of the SNP.

[Alan B]

Thanks (not) Beardy...but there is worse to come.

Carlisle (where I live) airport has just expanded significantly and can now take international jets. We have seen a big increase in Chinese and other tourists this last couple of years who use our small city as a base to visit Hadrian's Wall. I have this vision of millions of the fuckers arriving from Shanghai to do a 'tour' of the Cumbrian 'attractions'. Fuck knows what they make of it all. Saw one group the other day enthusiastically taking photos of a B&Q! (home remodelling produce for the Mericans)

Perhaps it reminded them of back home in China. I passed a B&Q on the way to Beijing airport a few years ago...