LETTER FROM LAKELAND                                               Dick Courchee

    The first week of February was probably the wettest for 50 years over here and from our upstairs the new Lake Lindale was a fine sight; ducks played on the golf course and Thirlmere rapidly refilled. Orienteering however was in much shorter supply and you might have thought that NWOA had gone into liquidation. But raiding parties continue to come from Yorkshire under the leadership of Tony Carlyle and his henchmen. These forays are called "Squad Weekends" and Jack Wood has sent me this: 

   On the 17th of January me, and my fellow Yorkshire Squad members were due to attend one of our many training weekends of the year. It was held in the Lake District on the areas, Great Tower and Tarn Hows. Because of a cross country race I missed most of the Saturday exercises, but arrived in time for a short course which I ambled round. We then went to the Humphrey Head Outdoor Centre to stay for the night. The centre was one of the best places that we have stayed at before, with comfy bunks, table tennis table, pool table and TV! On the next day, we travelled to Tarn Hows for some more exercises. There was plenty of snow around, and the lake had completely frozen over, showing how cold we were going to be. Luckily, we had all packed enough warm clothes to stop us from freezing and after going round the courses that the coaches had planned we soon warmed up. After the final exercise we all headed for home after a great weekend!
Soon we will all be able to enjoy again the superb areas South Lakeland has to offer. Many are beavering away on plans for the JK and others, including me, are keeping a low profile. After all, Grange is supposed to be a retirement town, not a hotbed of international sport! So I will focus on places other than Graythwaite for you to enjoy when you come.
First, Kendal, which has two excellent shoe and clothing shops, Pete Bland's for running gear and the K Factory Shop for everyday wear. I have a pair of town shoes from there which are ideal for most activities, including mountain biking  (but they won't take a crampon). Moving west, go into Staveley and turn right at Woof's newsagents to get to Wilf's, recently expanded with a "conference area" at the back downstairs where such subjects as the politics of new cycleways may be discussed, and plots hatched for a mass trespass on the A590.   Bypassing Windermere,  Ambleside is known as "Goretex City", which is a little unkind as it has both Rock and Run and the Climbers' Shop, now owned by the one and only Ben Lyon.
What can I recommend for short walks after running or for non-orienteers?   
Grizedale Forest is a place for all seasons; Wild Boar Clearing is a bit eroded but Red Fox will stand the test of time, and children (of any age) can ride on him. The Elephants in the south-west take a bit of finding, adding to the excitement. The café at the centre ranks with Wilf's as five-star. To get away from the crowds, go west to the Duddon Valley and walk up the gorge from Seathwaite, or bask in the sunshine below Wallowbarrow Crag and shout useful advice to the climbers. If you get a whole wet day, perhaps Keswick is best, but that won't happen, will it?