Number 678 Guest House - the blog continues
Tour de France 2014

Wow..... the Tour de France 2014 is coming to the South Pennines in 2014.  Watch this space as we keep you informed!

How exciting................................ The Grand Depart 2014

They will be cycling through Hebden Bridge which is where we cycle to often on a Sunday!

Number 678 Guest House - the blog continues

Just sitting in the garden today, enjoying the sun, watching and listening to the water gently running past...........................

  Two little wagtails were fluttering and chasing each other in and around the water.  As I was quietly watching the wagtails a kingfisher came sweeping past..... I kind of think this was the male kingfisher with it being on its own, maybe mummy kingfisher is back at the nest tedning her young.  Maybe we'll have some additions to our Kingfishers in a few weeks.

Number 678 Guest House - the blog continues

Well, what a smashing cycle along the Rochdale Canal from Todmorden........  Once again the weather was fantastic with us generating quite a bit of heat!  We have, on many occasions, cycled from Todmorden to Hebden Bridge and without doubt it is a lovely route.  However, cycling in the other direction to Hollingworth Lake is bright, spacious and definitely less crowded.  That is of course if you do not count the Canada geese and ducks!  As is expected at this time of year mummy geese and mummy ducks were parading their babies along the canal bank. 
A great attraction of the Rochdale Canal for the leisure boater lies in the fact that (unlike the Leeds and Liverpool and the Huddersfield Narrow) it climbs high over the Pennine moors rather than tunnelling through them, and the boater is surrounded by scenery which is correspondingly more spectacular (with the "penalty" of having to work more locks!)

Number 678 Guest House - the blog continues

Fortunately, we are set in such a great place for a variety of walks.  This week we went up to Lumbutts just outside of Todmorden.  Despite there being a fair breeze blowing we had a smashing walk up Scar Clough.  Although we were climbing the hill it was not such a difficult walk, not like climbing up to Stoodley Pike Monument just further up the road in Mankinholes!!  Actually, our walk did link up with the Pennine Way so quite easy to walk over to the monument if you wanted to, or even continue on to Halifax.  Not us, though :)  we then walked up and around Gaddings Dam.  Gaddings Dam is quite a pleasant surprise up on the top of the hill.  With its very own beach it is absolutely perfect for swimming and indeed attracts lots of outdoor swimmers both for pleasure and for training events.  Well worth a walk up, and especially lovely when you have a picnic.  If you do not have a picnic then the Shephers Rest Inn is the perfect place to start and finish for the well earned drinks and an excellent menu.

Number 678 Guest House - the blog continues
In and around Rossendale we have beautiful wildlife.  During this past week our guests have been delighted with the pretty kingfishers  that fly up and down our pretty brook.  From the two back rooms, watching from the juliet balconies, they were also tickled to see the mink  swimming and diving catching fish.  With such lovely weather the garden has been the perfect spot to relax, listening to the water and watching the heron come down twice each day.

Number 678 Guest House - the blog continues
What a lovely bank holiday weekend here at Number 678, a busy weekend with lovely guests.  Our lovely son, Thomas, was over on Saturday with his delightful wife, Gillian.  A weekend stopping over always involves good food and a gargle (or two) :-)  and this weekend was no exception!  Anar Kali at the Farmers Glory in Haslingden is one of the best Indian restaurants around...The food, wine, service, atmosphere and of course the company was excellent, we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and would recommend to all our guests.  But,,,,, there's no such thing as free food so on Sunday Thomas' engineering skills were fully utilised, and we now have, once again, fully functioning security lights on the front of Number 678 :-)

Number 678 Guest House Rossendale - the blog continues here in East Lancashire

Now it is really time to get things moving in the garden.  The milder weather is here and with everything grows!!!  When we see the daffodils and tulips we know "the only way is up!"

Why, oh why, when I'm terrified of heights did I agree to go climbing at Go Ape?  http://goape.co.uk/days-out/rivington  The practise run was a doddle, my feet were but 6" off the ground, easy peasy.  However, I climbed up the first "real" tree and froze!!  OMG, how on earth was I meant to get down?  Encouraged by my grandson who thought it quite funny that grandma was tree hugging I put my life in the fate of the gods and went for it................ lol, I'm still here to tell the tale.  It took us over three hours to get round the course and there were one or two occasions that I thought myself quite mad.  But there were more occasions when we laughed so much we nearly rolled over. We climbed, swung, crawled, pulled and ziplined ourselves round and I hadn't felt so good in ages!  Go Ape Rivington is just 40 minutes away and so well worth the trip.

So invigorated was I that the following day I conquered my fear of fairground rides and spent the whole day at Pleasureland Blackpool.  The mad mouse was truly mad, how did we not get thrown off at every corner??  I have always hated fairground rides, I'm really not an adrenalin junkie but there comes a time when grandma just has to succumb to grandson's pressure.  Fortunately, The Big One wasn't running so I was saved the embarrassment of that one!  Apart from having my head buried into the back of Cameron all the way round The Avalanche I did extremely well and my pride was kept intact.  Blackpool Pleasureland is just less than hour away and the peace and tranquility of Number 678 is the perfect place to wind down from a busy, hectic and adrenalin filled day.  Look forward to seeing you soon!