Wednesday 7 November 2012

It's My Birthday and I'll Post Photos of the Lake District if I Want To.

Happy Birthday Me!  Today I turn 27 - the age at which Anne Elliot was washed up in Persuasion.  Don't worry, I don't actually have a neurosis about 27 - even though I spend a lot of my time amongst undergraduates, so I feel ancient - but when 30 rolls around, things might feel rather different.  My goal is to have finished accruing degrees by then... (!)

I thought I'd indulge on my birthday by sharing with you photographs from my recent trip to the Lake District.  I've been there many times throughout my life, often with family, and this time I visited my friend Phoebe (who works at Wordsworth's house) and was joined by Colin.  Autumn in the Lake District is pretty stunning, I have to stay.  Well, enough with words - shall we let some pictures do the talking?

This is the view from my friend's house - amazing, no?

Getting ready to go on a ferry... and it's sunny! (but freezing)

The original purpose for visiting for a birthday visit to beautiful Blackwell -
an Arts & Crafts house; one of my favourite places in the world.
Sadly no photos allowed inside, but more on their website.

Not a bad view to have from the house, is it?

And here we are, outside it!

My friend and her boyfriend, on Wansfell.

I've never carved a pumpkin before - so I was pleased by my first effort
(inspired by the peacock frieze at Blackwell)

And we make a delicious cat carrot cake!

I co-ordinate with the autumn, by Lake Windermere

Sepia makes EVERYTHING like classy, doesn't it?

The sun didn't last long - Colin and I take a walk over to Ambleside,
and it was cloudy and rainy - but still beautiful.
I don't think the Lake District could be unbeautiful if it tried.


38 comments:

  1. Happy Birthday Simon (and Colin too)! Many happy returns.

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  2. Happy Birthday, Simon! Those photos from the Lake District are stunning - what a beautiful trip you had. I've only visited the area once but I can't wait to go back.

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  3. Happy Birthday from one of your regular readers (though I don't have my own blog). Beautiful pictures, I would love to visit the Lake District some day. And don't worry - you are so young!! (speaking from someone who is 36, haha)

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  4. Happy birthday, Simon, I hope you have a wonderful day today, with cat carrot cake (that looks very cute, I must say!) and sunshine and of course your family and friends,

    greetings,

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  5. Many happy returns to both you and Colin. Thank you for sharing your vacation pics with us - they are beautiful.

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  6. Have a great day Si. Lots of luv. Dad & Mum xxx
    (Writing this as President Obama makes his victory speech).

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  7. Happy birthday :) Thanks for the beautiful photos, I've always wanted to visit the Lake District.

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  8. Happy Birthday Simon and Colin. Fabulous photos. The Lake District is one of my few regrets about not living in England any more -- stunning all the year round but autumn glorious.

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  9. Happy Birthday to you and your brother Simon. As it is your birthday I shall bake a cake, and force myself to eat it!

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  10. Happy Birthday Simon - the setting looks absolutely amazing!

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  11. Many happy returns Simon - hope you have a wonderful day! The Lake District looks lovely!

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  12. Happy birthday! And 27 is a very good age to be!

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  13. Happy Birthday, Simon! What a lovely time you must have had on your holiday, the snaps are gorgeous and what a pumpkin!

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  14. Love the peacock pumpkin, very classy indeed. Happy birthday and may there be many more books and lakeside rambles for you in the next year. :)

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  15. Happy birthday! What a fabulous view to celebrate with.

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  16. Lovely pictures; thanks for sharing! And happy day! 27 didn't bother me so much, 30 rather did, but I think I'm over it now :) and now 31 looms! hang in there!

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  17. Happy birthday Simon! Lovely pictures. The Lake District is indeed stunning!

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  18. Thirty, Forty, even Fifty + where I now sit, all are fine just a little different in some ways. My 50th year saw some of the very best moments of my life, but for reasons that would be very clear if I shared them I'm afraid I'm not going to!

    Happy Birthday from your spiky feline fan.

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  19. Happy happy birthday, Simon. And thanks for all those pics.

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  20. happy birthday ,all the best stu

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  21. Happy birthday! What a gorgeous place to spend it - you have convinced me that the Lake District needs to be my holiday destination for next Autumn - it's stunning!

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  22. I would love to visit the Lake District some day.

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  23. Happy birthday! Loved the photos, thanks for sharing them!

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  24. Happy birthday to you and Colin, Simon!

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  25. Happy Birthday, Simon and Colin. Normally it is the person who is celebrating their birthday who receives all the presents (and rightly so) but by sharing these photos it seems you have given a real treat to your reading public.

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  26. Happy Birthday, Simon & Colin. From my vantage point (aged 68), even 30 seems incredibly young! Enjoy every year & every birthday. Thank you for the gorgeous photos.

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  27. I loved your birthday, Simon, so it was very nice of you to share it! However, even though I've been to the Lake District several times (and love it madly), I have never even HEARD of Blackwell House before. Wish you'd show more of it in another post - surely it has some books in it to give you an excuse?

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  28. Happy Birthday, Simon. As it's nearly over I hope it was a good one although spending it in the Lake District can't be bad!
    I love Blackwell - was there last year and only this morning I was looking at PCs of it because, as you said, you can't take photos inside. It's a house I could live in - especially the white room where I could snuggle up by the fire and read.
    I'd find it hard to choose between it and Hill House, Helensburgh.
    Delyn

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  29. Happy Birthday - hope there are many more cat cakes to come this week!

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  30. Happy, happy (belated!) birthday! Hope you are prolonging the celebrations still and that lots of bookish shaped parcels have been unwrapped. My son's 18th birthday is tomorrow, which makes both of you good intense and hawk-eyed Scorpios!

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  31. Happy late birthday, Simon! The Lake District does in fact look gorgeous.

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  32. Lovely photos, my favourite place in the world, happy birthday!

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  33. Happy birthday from Texas!! I would certainly post photos of the Lake District if I was lucky enough to visit!

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  34. What beautiful pictures! I must get back to The Lake District some time!

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  35. Belated Happy birthday, looks like you had a great time

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  36. Happy birthday and very best wishes for the year ahead. I hope you know how much delight you bring to your readers.

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