Martha's Marvellous Munchies

Back in March, I finished a blog post with the words: "If I disappear for two sunny days, I'll be walking from Matlock to Castleton." And on a hot sunny day in August, Mom and I put on our hiking shoes and did exactly that, following the original route of the Limestone Way. Day 1 First, there was a hill: a steady climb through fields and along holly-enclosed paths, with a wide view up the Derwent Valley as our reward. We dropped down again on a stone-paved track and emerged in the village square at Bonsall. The cross was decked with rainbow ribbons, and bunting fluttered above us. All very cheerful. Another ascent took us to Upper Town, and then we were out into open fields heading towards Winster. The Limestone Way seemed a little shy of villages; the official route often avoided them. Mom and I preferred to visit, though, and enjoy such delights as public conveniences, postbox toppers and the local church. Winster is a pretty little place, I'm glad we didn't mi...

On the first Saturday of the month, the Ecclesbourne Valley Railway runs a railcar from Duffield to Wirksworth at 8:20 in the morning. Its stated purpose is to carry people to the monthly farmers market in Wirksworth; I suspect that the railway needed to get the railcar up the track anyway, and decided that they might as well carry a few customers at the same time. To me, it looked like the perfect way to start a walk on the Ecclesbourne Way . The railcar was a funny little thing, more like a tram than a train, with stripy seats and a good view at the front through the glassed-in driver's compartment. Toby glanced at the other passengers and decided that he was the youngest by a long way. I guess not many teenagers get up early on a Saturday morning to travel on vintage rolling stock. We chugged steadily along the track, pausing at a couple of level crossings where the guard had to hop off and open the gates for us to go through. The railcar then stopped again for him to get back o...