So that was Langdale

Little Langdale Cathedral

The 40th year at the Langdale timeshare was a curious mix of sadness, nostalgia, and elation. Arriving on Saturday evening after a 4-hour hill walk from  Caldbeck, I collected the keycard from reception and let myself into the lodge. There were no apparent changes to the lodge this year, but the heating was on full and some windows had been left open. I trudged upstairs with the bags of food and deposited my bag and rucksack in the downstairs bedroom. Aileen was not around to sort the food and create a sense of home. It was too late for a swim so I made some pasta and watched the first stage of the Tour de France in the Basque country. My namesake won and his twin brother was second, a good omen for the week. 

Gregor phoned and said he had decided to come down from Glasgow on a morning train the next day. I had already invited my sister so I would not be able to meet him without changing their plans, so I arranged for him to travel to Oxenholme where she could pick him up. I didn't sleep well, the vacant space in the bed held too many memories of happy family holidays and, in more recent times, the contentment of ageing together.

The next morning I went into Ambleside early to purchase the incidental foodstuffs like salt, olive oil, and juice that Aileen would have packed but I had forgotten to bring. I browsed the outdoor shops but they have lost their appeal as prices have spiralled by about 50% and I am conscious of all the outdoor stuff that is still functional in drawers and cupboards at home. Ambleside has become incredibly expensive following the COVID years when it became a magnet for wealthier people who couldn't travel abroad. I suspect there may be a kickback as they return to more distant vacations and families seek out sunnier climes and less expensive accommodations than the Lake District. This was confirmed as the week progressed and there was evidence of near-empty shops and eating places. 

 My sister and husband were held up on the M6 and were late to collect Gregor from Oxenholme. We spent a rainy afternoon in the lodge before a walk when the rain relented. Gregor went on a long run in the evening whilst we had an evening meal in Ambleside. The next day we went to Oxenholme to collect my daughter and visited the Waterside vegetarian cafe in Kendal, a place that was a regular haunt when the children were young. Whether it led to them all becoming vegetarians in later life, I am not sure, but they always requested a visit. They also have a taste for Indian food that probably stems from weekly visits to Glasgow Indian restaurants when their taste buds were being groomed.

I caught up with some friends who also had been coming to their lodge since 1984. They had 4 children who were ages with ours and together they terrorised the swimming pool for other swimmers. All 4 of them were also here this year with 8 grandchildren. I attended the owner's weekly meeting and surprisingly still felt like one of the youngest in the room as the questions were largely about activities of a sedentary variety. My question about when was the Lake District going to ban visitors by car got a muted response from my fellow owners who are welded to their cars but the speaker was quite enthusiastic and talked about proposed parking locations at the entrance to the National Park and the great success of recently improved bus services with lower fares. 

I suspect the commercial interest of the hotels, visitor attractions and Airbnb will do everything in their power to prevent this happening. Driving a car in the Lakes has become tortuous as cars that are too large clog the narrow roads and finding parking spaces in towns and for walks is like a game of musical chairs. The very essence of the Lakes is the scenic road and path network that is in harmony with the landscape. The last thing that is required is any attempt to make them into highways. I am sure that an electric car pool such as zipcars could be made to work well in the Lakes by utilising the parking places and eliminating the need for all the cars that stand idle for 90% of the time. It could reduce the number of visitor vehicles by over 50% whilst maintaining the flexibility required by visitors.

Our next four days were spent walking. First, on a cold windy and rain-splattered day, a local walk to one of Aileen's favourite places, Little Langdale, where we visited Slater's Bridge and the Cathedral a vast cavern that had been created by the slate quarries. We continued to Skelwith Bridge for a late lunch at Chesters, Aileen's favourite lunch spot. We then had three days on the fells despite the showery and windy weather. The three of us climbed the Whinlatter Fells on Wednesday. the Fairfield horseshoe along with Emily who had driven down and my walking partner, Mark on Thursday. 

On Friday we headed to Buttermere so that Gregor could complete the 214 Wainwright hills on the Lorton Fells: Low Fell and Fellbarrow, and then the final glorious and easy saunter up Rannerdale Knotts. He had started in 1984 when as a two-month-old, strapped onto Aileen who carried him up Castle Crag. As a two-year-old he had charged up Helm Crag and a frustrated teacher had told his pupils to keep going like that toddler.  We celebrated with some Wainwright beers in Wainwright's Hotel in Langdale before a meal at Fellinis in Ambleside. The next morning we left just after 9am, Gregor and Emily returning direct to Glasgow whilst I dropped my daughter at Penrith station for her train to London and picked up some provisions from Booths.

As a week it had worked better than I expected despite some pretty poor weather. Gregor and my daughter had been to Langdale to keep me company on the first year without Aileen. We had more scope for hill walking but that was no compensation for missing the other activities that Aileen enjoyed like visits to houses and gardens, gentler walks and good food. 

We had bought the Timeshare in 1984 when Gregor was just 2 months old, it was an instinctive decision after several holidays in cottages that were in good locations but usually lacked household comforts. Langdale in contrast was very modern, well specified with top-of-the-range furniture and equipment and an excellent leisure centre. We were mesmerised during the first five years by the luxury and the joy of spending time with the young family. It was then a godsend as mortgages increased to 15% and it was the only holiday we could afford as the Thatcher years took their toll. It was also a chance to spend time with my parents and brother and sister who would come and visit for a day during the week. It continued to be idyllic for a few more years with the children soaking up the attractions and exercise until we had teenagers eager to travel. Aileen felt Langdale restricted our opportunity to take holidays in Europe with the children before we became empty nesters., although we did manage trips to France, Greek islands, Corsica and Minorca before they became independent. 

There were then some less memorable years as we had the place to ourselves. Since her retirement in 2010, Aileen had grown fonder of Langdale and always looked forward to the week as a relaxing filler. It did not prevent other holidays, to France in June or longer holidays in the autumn. Langdale was a familiar place that holds many memories of watching a family grow and fledge. This familiarity has also been instilled in the children and in almost every year since 2008 we have been joined by one or more of the children. Whether I will keep it is another matter, sometimes things have served their purpose and become an encumbrance. As I watched other older owners at the lodge owners meeting attempting to recalibrate the facilities to respond to their less active demands I thought that I would not want to visit if I was unable to enjoy the freedom of the fells and the walks in Lakeland. Memories have to be created not just remembered.

Quarry above the Cathedral

Little Langdale and the Cathedral entrance