It was a beautiful November day for the walk to Chatsworth. We parked at Rowsley to avoid traffic queues at Christmas Market weekend. Roses were in bloom at Edensor. No need this year to find a sheltered spot for lunch – instead we sought out the sun. Great atmosphere in the courtyard at Chatsworth was provided by a trio of clarinetist, ukelele and tuba player, with kiddies dancing to the catchy rhythm. But crowds aren’t ideal for long and it was good to get back into walking rhythm.
There were two walks this month, the destination of the first was determined by the prospect of mulled wine and other goodies at the Cressbrook. It was my first visit to the Cressbrook and I thought that it was a lovely place. It was a great bonus not to arrive drenched, as we had done last year, at the Queen Anne in Hucklow for Christmas lunch. Rucksacks rarely contain festive headgear but on this occasion one did! Suitably attired we had an excellent meal. You could be right to think that this group needs to focus more on walking in the future rather than wining and dining but really all that matters is that we enjoy ourselves.