A Love Letter to The Lakes

London, Autumn 2023

I hope this communication finds you in radiant good health.

Please forgive the following emotional ramblings. For some time now I have been meaning to put into words my appreciation of your wild beauty, an opportunity to acknowledge your benign influence and show my gratitude for the cherished treasure you have bestowed on us over the years.

Our love affair began over a decade ago when someone suggested it would be fun for a group of us head to the countryside for the weekend, to seek clearer air and perhaps enjoy a brief escape from the stresses of work. We agreed on The Lake District as a suitable destination and it proved to be an inspired decision. You gave us all the chance to bond again, to reignite our friendship amongst your dramatic valleys and windswept fells.

From Grasmere to Patterdale, Hawkshead to Buttermere, we have walked, laughed and drank our way through many golden days. Together, you and us. A band of brothers traversing timeless landscapes, skimming stones across crystal waters, creating happy sunlit memories and enjoying balmy evenings notable for hearty meals, hilarity and fine local ales.

We come to life underneath your ephemeral skies. At once clear blue and then, later at the apex of some rugged ghyll, shrouding us in atmospheric mist, as vague as the future and vanishing just as quickly. Later still, as we navigate our return from the evening revelry, a canopy of shining jewels upon which we gaze, captivated and spellbound.

On these sojourns it is always apparent just how much we value our precious time spent in your beloved terrain, how simply being there creates a precious sense of well being and how fortunate we are to be able to do this.

Power and gratitude to the YHA in whose warm and welcoming quarters we rest our tired souls. The midnight stories. The reminiscing. More laughter. Some sadness. No regrets.

Until next time.