Roving Mark Mason Reporter. A
The Lake District,  21st June 2019 
Windermere, Coniston & Motor Museum
 
As our Mark meetings are far and few between at this time of the year and needing some fresh air we decided to get off for a few days up to the Lake District last Monday, one and a half hours later we pulled into White Cross Bay Holiday Park which is situated on the East side of Windermere Lake. It’s a great location, all the accommodation is in large log cabins / chalets complete with all the usual amenities, two bedrooms, two bath rooms, kitchen and a large lounge / dining room, outside on two sides was a large area of decking complete with Hot Tub.
The Cabin
Ducks
Swan
Views around White Cross Bay Park
It can get chilly
Dock at Bowness
The park is set in beautiful quiet grounds complete with lots of trees and wildlife all around, a large restaurant and bar is on site called the Boathouse where decent food and a good selection of drinks can be purchased, there is a boat launch and Marina complete with lots of yachts and small craft, as for ducks, geese and swans all I can say about that is quack, quack, they are brilliant.
Lakeside
Entrance to the Motor Museum
Welcome
Dennis Fire Engine
Curator
Some Great Bikes
Everyone knows what this one is
The weather for once was superb for a change so early the following morning we set off for Bowness  to catch the boat to Lakeland where the wonderful Motor Museum can be found along with the Campbell Bluebird Exhibition. The museum is located on the Heritage site of a former steel works, Gunpowder factory and Backbarrow Blue Mill where they used to manufacture the well known “Dolly Blues” which were used for Monday washing days, (well they were in my house). I can remember running home from school on wash days at dinner time when all the windows would be steamed up with my Mum stood possing the washing in a tub before feeding it through a mangle, and I could sit and to read the latest Dandy and Beano which had been delivered. On site there are displays such as “How it used to be” shop windows, a Co-op store, a cycle and accessory store, Post Office, Toy and Hobby outlet a boutique all of which contain authentic items. There is also some historic Female fashion clothing from the 1800’s to the early 70’s. 
A Caddy
Info for the Caddy
Mexico
Capri
Its just like mine used to be
Remember the RAC Bikes
MG Police Car
On Patrol
The Info card for the Police MG
Now for Petrol Heads you will be in heaven, there are upwards of 30,000 exhibits on display, even my wife was impressed, a wonderful XK 140 hard top was my star exhibit and one I’m sure Arthur Robinson would enjoy, for Ian Nairn there was a classic Mexico and my good friend John Waring would be amazed as I was at seeing an example of an MGA Roaster one of 50 which were fully kitted out as Police Cars for Lancashire Constabulary, I never did see one and I wonder if he ever did.
A Jag for Arthur
One of Donald’s Cars
The Info Card
It’s Tea & Scones Time
Making a Wish
I’m definitely putting money in
Before we moved on to the Bluebird display which is in another building we sat at the side of a picturesque fast flowing river having afternoon tea and scones from the first class Museum Café, you got that feeling that all was well with the world. Just a short walk and you arrive at the door of the building dedicated to the Campbells both Donald and his record breaking father Malcolm, here can be seen life size recreations of the vehicles used for both land and water speed record attempts along with again many interesting artefacts and a film showing the last moments of Bluebird K7.
Inside the Bluebird wing
From here we made our way back to the dock at Lakeside for the cruise back to Bowness which on arrival we found to be very busy with tourists from all over the world who all seemed to be having a great time and eating lots of the local ice cream. We spotted an interesting church called St Martin’s and thought now we really need to take a look in there and we weren’t disappointed, the first records show that a church was on this site in 1202 and that the present one was built in 1483, now that is old, needless to say I did take quite a few pictures. 
On to Coniston
A short walk and we were back at the car which was a very reasonable in this day and age £4 for a full days parking, a short journey along a pretty traffic free road and we were back at the holiday park and decided to go into the Boathouse where we enjoyed an excellent meal along with a couple of drinks before returning to the log cabin, after feeding the ducks of course. Now for me that was a full day in the fresh air in great surroundings, sat down turned the TV on and oops the next thing I remember I was waking up and it was gone midnight, I must be getting old.
A Few more from Coniston
We got up bright and early the next morning, opened all the doors, the sun was out and all the birds were singing, a couple of rabbits were having a great time playing in the grass opposite, then whoosh two Typhoons went over low level !! now that would wake anyone up.
Windermere
How Much !!
Today a trip to the Ruskin Museum at Coniston was on the cards where they have on display an actual piece of the Bluebird which crashed and sank in the lake killing Donald, the remainder of the craft was eventually recovered and has been incredibly rebuilt, they are hoping eventually to put it back on Coniston Water before placing it in the museum. Now you may ask who was Ruskin !! The Museum and Gallery holds the most comprehensive display in the Lake District about the life and work of John Ruskin [1819 – 1900], who had one of the most profound and influential minds of the Victorian age, becoming the greatest pundit on aesthetics and ethics in the English-speaking world. Ruskin’s friend, confidant, and first biographer, W.G. Collingwood, organised an influential Ruskin Memorial Exhibition, held in the main Assembly Room in Coniston Mechanics’ Institute over the summer of 1900, and visited by over 10,000 people. The proceeds paid for the construction of the new museum dedicated to his memory and celebrating the local cultural and literary heritage.
Coniston is also Swallows and Amazons country. Arthur Ransome fictionalised the lake and The Old Man [The Matterhorn/Kanchenjunga], borrowed Peel Island’s secret harbour for Wild Cat Island, and SY Gondola for Captain Flint’s houseboat, and used the copper-mines and slate-quarries as the context for Pigeon Post. His readers will discover in the museum the sailing dinghy “Mavis”, the inspiration of the fictional Amazon, complete with centre-board.
Before we left Coniston we visited another interesting church St Andrew’s thinking that maybe the grave of Donald Campbell may have been there, but alas it was not, in fact it was in another location down a side road in a quiet pleasant area which was in fact another well kept grave yard, I did think there would have been a large Headstone of some kind paying tribute to this special man but in fact it was quite a humble stone near to a wall, you could see that his grave was well remembered by the number of recent flowers which had been laid, near to the car park however there is a special memorial stone.
 
On returning to White Cross Bay we fed the ducks again, I got a real shock though, I was looking away for a short while and on turning round I was faced with a huge swan who’s head was level with mine, it frightened the life out of me, I didn’t exactly run but I did make a fast exit left. Do swans frighten anyone else.
How did he get in here
Spent the evening chilling out, watching the sun set over the Lake a great site, next morning we packed up and set off for home, stopped in the quaint little town of Windermere for a while where I found a local pie shop !! purchased two huge sausage rolls and a pork pie (medium) as he handed the pie over he said make sure you don’t drop that on your foot, he wasn’t kidding either. (back to the diet next week)
 
Well that’s about it, I know lots of you have visited the Lake District but this was just a taster for those who haven’t yet made the trip, it’s not far, even from Manchester it’s only about one and half hours to get there and it’s like another world full of peace, wildlife and fresh air, lovely..
Here’s to the next one, a Visit to The Edinburgh Defensive Band Lodge No. 151 for a good friends 60 years in Masonry, a full bus load of us set off from Stockport early one morning, and yes it was a Craft Lodge but being Scotland most of us would wear Mark Degree Regalia, and were welcomed with open arms (especially one chain bearer) it was brilliant. During the visit we went to Rosslyn Chapel, Edinburgh Castle and before leaving we were taken on a private tour of Scotland’s Grand Lodge.  
 
Hope you enjoyed this visit to the Lake District.
 
Words and pictures by Austin N Fletcher, PGStwd Flixton Shepherd Eastwood Mark. No.1173