Barnard Castle Meet
Michael: “This was my first ALC Meet. Being a cycle-camper for the best part of 30 years, I had intended to get the train to Darlington and cycle over to Barnard Castle with my camping gear, but a bus-replacement service for the journey home on Sunday put paid to those plans. Reluctantly, therefore, I decided to drive to the event.
Being new to the ALC I wasn't quite sure what to expect, so I loaded my bike and all of my cycling gear into the car as well my walking kit so that I could join in with whatever was being offered on the Saturday. Unusually it would seem, of the 6 of us that turned up to the Meet, I was the only one with a bike or with plans to go on a longish walk. Fortunately I had a Plan B and met up with Mick, a cycling friend who lived locally in Bishop Auckland and we went on a 37 mile ride through the glorious countryside of County Durham and North Yorkshire, sampling the delights of two cafes along the way!"
"Saturday's warm and sunny weather continued into Sunday, so I went on a solo ride around Teesdale before driving home in the afternoon.
I found everyone at the Meet to be very friendly and welcoming and the facilities at the Barnard Castle Club Site were superb - I can't believe it only cost £9.04 to stay there for two nights! Apparently it was unusual not to have an organised walk or a bike ride on the Saturday. I have already booked for the Easter Meet in Nottingham which is only about 35 miles from home, so I'm aiming to cycle to and from the event. I look forward to meeting more ALC members!"
"Simon: At last the weather forecast was looking good and just in time for the Meet. At the site there was a warm welcome from the staff and a lovely tea and biscuit from Meet steward Sarah. My tent was up quickly although I had planned to try out a new tarp. However with the poles safe and sound at home it was tent only. For winter car camping I have been using caravan awning ground cover to stop the grass around the tent turning to mud. Sold in a width of 3m and length up to 25m not something I would carry on the bike but not ridiculously heavy.
Friday evening I took the opportunity to walk the path to Barnard Castle before the light failed. Deepdale Woods are well worth a visit and make for a pleasant walk into Barnard Castle avoiding the road. On Saturday I followed Deepdale woods into town and spent the day exploring the castle and town."
"With the sunshine it made loitering around the ruins very pleasant. I had planned on visiting the Bowes Museum but having looked at the website realised that this deserved a day to itself and will await my next visit."
"Susan: the Bowes museum certainly does need adequate time, and as Sarah and I were both staying an extra night we scheduled the Bowes for Sunday after the Meet ended. As Simon has said, the walk from the site into the town is a very pleasant stroll through woods, part of the day out rather than simply a means of getting there. The last time I visited the museum was probably in 1987 when we had two Polish teenagers staying with us and decided they might benefit from a bit of history... As it turned out, they were more interested in buying Guns 'n' Roses paraphernalia to impress their friends back in Warsaw!
However, I had not forgotten the Silver Swan for which the Bowes is famous. Said to be one of the finest examples in the world of an 18th Century moving mechanical device, it featured in Mark Twain's book The Innocents Abroad, after the author saw the structure at the 1867 Paris Exhibi1tion. It was purchased by the Bowes museum in 1872 with daily performances drawing enthusiastic crowds. Unfortunately, it was a casualty of the Covid lockdowns, having seized up due to lack of use. Restoration by the Cumbria Clock Company means that the swan has returned to daily performances and an added bonus is that visitors can now see inside the workings. The performance is over very quickly (a couple close to me described themselves as 'distinctly underwhelmed' - I would not agree) but it must have been remarkable 250 years ago when people were not swamped with amazing 'visual effects'. Bowes Museum: Silver Swan performs for first time in three years - BBC News"
"A personal interest at the Bowes was their collection of Worcester pottery where I hoped to find a cup and saucer comparable to a set we have that is possibly 18th century. They did have a very similar one dated 1790s but I learned that this design was popular for decades. Early pieces were mostly unmarked, or had a simple crescent, but our cup has a Worcester crown, so Victorian, not Georgian. Apart from the museum, the town has retained a variety of independent shops, including a master butcher, artisan baker, bookshop and some very good cafes and pubs. There's also a thriving Arts Centre - of which more below.
Peter: (aka the Camping Widower!):
Dancing made easy... Your Editor and I had tickets for the Kathryn Tickell concert in Barney on the Thursday night. She (Kathryn) is an internationally famous folk musician, Northumbrian pipes her particular specialty. The concert was at the Witham Centre, old and picturesque, like much of the audience (this includes Camping Widower). We perched high up on tiered seating which gave us a wonderful view of the two very fine performers.
As the old folk got more into it, though, feet began to stamp. Not good if you're sat high up on a sprung platform and have balance problems*. We were bobbing about as in disco days of old, without having to make any effort. A genuinely great venue, but next time we'll choose a concert where the music's less rhythmical...**
*Editor: that's me, not the CW.
**or alternatively we'll book early enough to get one of the front seats as those are on a solid floor!
The joy of having an extra day...”On my way home I visited Summerhill Force and High Force waterfalls which are only 13 miles from Barnard Castle Club Site. After struggling to take a photograph or video that did justice to either I remembered the advice of the guide demonstrating the mechanical swan at the Bowes Museum the day before. “Put your phone down and enjoy watching it. You can find much better photographs and videos online than you'll be able to take with your phone”. So I did, mainly, but still couldn't resist taking this picture of the delicate Summerhill Force that I had all to myself." - Sarah