Coniston Days

Coniston views

Tova at Torver

Ride the White Swans

I am a swan

Clan gathering

Games over, time for ice creams

We are being treated kindly this year in the Lakes with four days of warm sunny weather so far. The collection of beers at the start of the week was impressive with 30 bottles of local beers from the north of England including favourites such as Timothy Taylors and Thwaites Wainwright Ale. We decided on a picnic at Coniston to see how Tova would cope with stony beaches. The beach near Torver was where we chartered a yacht for an unforgettable day in 1986 when our children were all under seven by acting out Swallows and Amazons and reprising Bluebird's last run. We were buzzed by RAF jets flying at low levels on practice missions and also popping our ea drums. We anchored near one of the islands for a lunchtime swim before hoisting the spinnaker for the return to the mooring. The risk-taking in those days seemed mandatory.

Today was more sedate with a one-year-old grandchild and eight adults from two generations. We were all easily encouraged by the setting, the balls, frisbees and lunchtime prosecco to act like children. Apart from the children on the adjacent lakeside learning to canoe, we had Coniston to ourselves. The Lakes in early July have all the advantages of summer without the crowds.