June 2022

The main event throughout the country at the beginning of June was the Queen’s Jubilee and Loweswater joined in the celebrations.

A cherry tree was planted at the Grange at the other end of the lake. Chris Todd, a local farmer, did the heavy spade work and Jonathan Edwards, the Olympic triple jumper who has a house in the valley, added the final spade of soil. Local residents watched happily on, a glass of fizz in one hand, a flag in the other. We then moved to a beautifully decorated village hall for lunch followed by cake which was cut by two older residents who attended the village hall in the 1940s when it was the local school. It was a very happy and friendly occasion.

Sarah, one of my Saturday helpers, is a great cake maker and she brought in an amazing cake for us all to share at our lunchtime break on Saturday changeover. Needless to say, it was delicious.

Lorton marked the occasion by creating a beautiful Jubilee Garden next to the Yew Tree Hall: its opening was celebrated with Pimms and afternoon tea.

The West Cumbria Rivers Trust working with local landowners and farmers are continuing to create wildlife ponds in the valley. The four in the field behind Foulsyke  are now looking very established. A new more extensive pond system has just been created in the field in front of Foulsyke. I am looking forward to seeing what wildlife it attracts, I have already seen some ducks checking it out.

Thinking of wildlife, we have so many birds visiting the feeders at present, today I counted six young bluetits on the nuts at the same time and there are also woodpeckers, including young, visiting several times a day. I was very excited the other morning as I walked the dog along the river path at Crummock to see a goosander swimming along with two chicks. I wondered if it is the same one that I used to see flying around the beech trees in the front garden.

It is particularly beautiful walking by Crummock at present as the meadow along the shore between the pumphouse and the kissing gate is full of grasses and wild flowers. The views along Crummock towards Gable are very special but it can also look very attractive in the other direction.