The Lakes, the wind and the rain

"Billy Elliot" was just as amazing the second time around, and Grace thoroughly enjoyed it, too. "The Hobbit - The Battle of the Five Armies" wasn't really that enjoyable for me.

1. "Having reclaimed Erebor and vast treasure from the dragon Smaug, Thorin Oakenshield (Richard Armitage) sacrifices friendship and honour in seeking the Arkenstone, despite Smaug's fiery wrath, and desperate attempts by the Hobbit Bilbo (Martin Freeman) to make him see reason. Meanwhile, Sauron sends legions of Orcs in a sneak attack upon the Lonely Mountain. As the fate of Middle Earth hangs in the balance, the races of Men, Elves and Dwarves must decide whether to unite and prevail - or all die."

   

The sets were marvellous, the CGI very impressive, and a lot of it was "fun", but it lacked a story, and I'm told by those who have read the book that a lot of the content was not original. The director even saw it necessary to invent a totally new female elven character, Tauriel, presumably for the sexual attraction element in a film otherwise almost devoid of women.

On Saturday, we drove up the M1 and M6 to the Lake District, stopping on the way to see Kantara, and to re-set the dehumidifier we'd realised we'd set wrong the last time we visited her. The journey was slowed considerably by very strong, gusty winds, and we took seven hours, including stops, to get to the cottage in Borrowdale.

A view from the cottage garden

There was snow on the hills when we arrived, but that subsequently got washed away by torrential rain on Saturday night. Water levels are very high - we're in a flood-plane here. Derwentwater is the highest we've ever seen it, the roads are flooded in places, and water gushes down the hillsides in swollen gills. The wind is due to be gusting up to 34 mph on Thursday; it's been strong all of the time we've been here.

But it's not stopped us getting out, and driving and walking around to enjoy the countryside, which is beautiful in any weather.

Footpath? What footpath?

Ah! Well, there's the other end of it, over there!