Number 678 Guest House - www.number678.co.uk

There are a dozen of us local ladies that make up the Rural Rossendale group, we’re a determined and committed bunch with a passion for Rossendale that cannot be matched. As we sat by Waughs Well enjoying our packed lunches sharing Wendy’s home made brownies and jam flapjacks the final touches were made with regard to this year’s walking festival. We don’t need those plush city offices to ‘bounce ideas’ or ‘brainstorm’, we bounce along the natural pathways and windstorm, lol!!; our passion for the valley lies in the valley and decisions are therefore made therein. By a natural fall overlooked by nature’s wind generating our next batch of electricity the use of Lancashire Fayre is used to create a weekend event to suit all ages and all tastes; whisky, cheese, blackpudding, soup, fudge it’s all there to tempt you into those walking boots and enjoy what nature gave us. Further details: www.ruralrossendale.co.uk walking in Rossendale has never been so good.

Throughout the summer our monthly meetings will take in one of the listed walks and this week we took in part of the Whiskey and Wind Turbine walk combined with part of the Mary Townley Loop and above the hills overlooking Cowpe Valley.

The wind turbines really are a sight to be seen. It is one thing to see them up on a hill from a distance but stood next to/under them is just another. Like them or loathe them, they’re amazing. When you stand next to them it sounds just like the drone of an aeroplane and it’s so strange with the propellers whirring and slicing over your head as you walk under them. Another strange thing we noticed; one can look at a turbine and it looks gun metal grey then, with the blink of any eye, it just changes colour to a silver grey. Alright it could be the clouds or even the light but the drastic immediate change in colour is striking. This walk is a definite must!

Never mind Richard Llewellyn’s “How Green Was My Valley” – How green is Cowpe Valley, and for that matter How green is the Rossendale Valley. Richard may have had first hand experience of the by gone days of his own Welsh valley but as you walk the rutted paths with natural springs running across those paths high above Cowpe Valley those feelings of nostalgia are there within us all. To walk along the paths whose ruts were made by those long ago horse and carts, to stumble across the fossilised fern just lay in rest surrounded by an abundance of wild cotton, it’s feeling the nostalgia of Lancashire life.

And then…….. on Saturday and Sunday it was Rossendale weekend. The weather may have shortened the activities, especially the outdoor speciality food stalls, but it was definitely worth a visit.

After a family trip to Barley in Pendle on the Saturday (but that’s another story) Tom and I walked over to Marl Pitts for Sunday’s activities in Rawtenstall. It was certainly a bracing walk over the hills, with a wind that kinda reminds you of why the Rossendale Valley was chosen to house the windfarm!!! Walking in Rossendale propelled by the wind!! There was definitely a multicultural feel to the festivities with a wide variety of music and food to reflect Rossendale’s multiculturalism. We rather enjoyed an Indian meal followed by Truly Scrumptious cakes and flapjacks home-made by Paula Bond, www.trulyscrumptious cakes.co.uk and then brought home home-made biscuits made by some local ladies for cancer research. A varied and interesting day which will be followed by a Gala Day on 5^th July again at Marl Pitts.

Three days of walking, home-made baking and curry… I think I’m going to need a week at work to get over it!!

Number 678 Guest House - the blog continues

And then there were………………………………… nine!!!

Sadly, mummy duck lost one of her little balls of yellow fluff last night and now only has three. However, mummy with ten still has nine of her ducklings, they are somewhat bigger than our others so were obviously born earlier and of course now a lot more agile.

The Rossendale Triathlon was on this weekend with over 200 competitors, all exciting stuff. Starting at 9am at Marl Pitts swimming pool the contestants started with 400m swim, 20k bike ride and 5km run. As the cycle race included the length of Burnley Road East I fully intended to have some colourful pics of 200 cyclists riding by, however in a triathlon we just wouldn’t have all 200 competitors cycling past at once, doh!!!! So here is a snapshot of just one dedicated competitor. We hope Derek and Carol Sinkinson from Cumbria enjoyed the event as they both looked very determined and fit when they left us. I envy you all the commitment, drive and energy! For all you running diehards keep in touch with up and coming events. And for those of you that want to keep up with events at Marl Pitts

Leaflets have now been printed and distributed for the Adrenalin Live weekend. Adrenalin Live is a celebration of adrenalin sport, it is completely free to spectators and promises to be an exciting adrenalin filled weekend with skiing, snowboarding, waterskiing and mountain biking. The events will be held at Ski Rossendale, Whitworth Waterski and Lee Quarry with categories from 10 yrs to 50yrs+.

In addition to the adrenalin events there will be lots of extras happening; equipment demonstrations, mountain bike skills workshops and lots more.

The closing date for entries is 7^th July so people really need to be thinking about this seriously if they want to enter.

Cutting edge music from Oli Brown Band and Chantel McGregor on Saturday evening will be supporting the event.

For further overall event information

Ski Rossendale

Cown Quarry activities

British Disabled Waterski Championships

Adrenalin Gateway Project