The coastland times. [volume] (Mnateo [i.e. Manteo], N.C.) 1947-1959, 1954-04-16
THE HIGHER
THE FEWER
There's Always Plenty of Room
At The Top
BY
NANCY ]. MIDGET

| Is DdIC 1CCI anu OSS"SSAA viz
toes, the delight Of all small boys
as described by A. A. Milne in, !
believe, his Christopher Robin Sc
ries
Now l like the sleepy hot days
fine if l can get chance to sit
back with most of my work behind
me and listen to the breeze in the
trees and the. bees droning. The
trouble is that when / start sitting
in the open the bees and bugs and
things that crawl get all excited
and quit droning and start to buzz
and bite.
At home, winter or summer, folk
usually like to get out in the coun-
try or to the sea even if it is only
for the week end much the same as
they do here. Mostly we went by
train or bus and then having reach
ed our destination set forth on
foot. That was for week end walk
ing jaunts. Of course if it was a
longer vacation we went along bag
and baggage in the hotel bus or
what have you and collapsed in our
rooms and got ourselves straight
ened out before seeing the town.
l liked walking vacations and
belonged to a walking club. Some
times two or three of US would
go off for two weeks or a week
Youth Hosteling'. We would ar
range where to meet, sometimes
going on the same train together
and start by spending the night in
the first hostel nearest to the point
we left the train. The last of such
l spent / went with two friends
Edith and Tryphena; Edith was in
the Civil Service and Tryph then
worked as stenographer for law
yer in Richmond, Yorkshire, so Ed
it'll and l travelled up together and
met Tryph at Windermere in the
Lake District in the northwest of
England. We set off next day with
the intention of climbing Helvel-
Ign, some 5000 odd feet high, but
not far from the summit we had
to turn back and come down for
there were low driving clouds and
mist coming across and to get lost
up there with evening coming on
would be foolish.
The Youth hostels were just eat
ing and sleeping shelters in those
days. Everything was kept down
to the basic utility level. Food,
blankets and heat were provided
but all carried their own sleeping
bag, eating utensils and clothes.
The latter were cut down to the
least possible; usually a change of
shoes or ankle boots, which are
almost a necessity for climbing to
support and protect ankles from
the rocks if there are any slips OF
falls and from the small stuff when
coming down the scree slopes which
is best done by running and jump
ing into a slide once you have
learned to keep balance. A change
of underwear, several pair of socks
and an extra sweater were also
good things to have with you. The
pants or heavy weight tweed skirts
was usually sufficient to see you
through the vacation. Of course by
the beginning of the second week
if the weather had been bad it
was usually in such ripe condition
from mud, and perspiration that it
could walk along without you in it.
At such times walking into a stiff
breeze was the pleasantest direc-
ton to go even if it didn't take one
the right route.
When meal times came at the
hostels, so many of the crowd vol
unteered to cook, the others wash
ed up and cleaned up the living
room and kitchen which were
sometimes one and the same. Each
was responsible for their own bed:
shake and air the blankets and
leave everything ship shape for the
next arrival. When you think of it,
that is a very good way to live,-
cleaning up ones own mess ]
mean, instead of leaving it for
the next poor soul to wallow
around in before they can get GO
ing making their own mess or bed
of roses as the case may be.
! We spent many happy time
up in those hills and mountains.
When we wanted to live in little
more luxury we went to the Coop
Holiday Association centers. At the
one in the village of Boot in Esk-
dale there was the best cook ever
when / was there last. Her cakes
both fancy and fruit, her nutbreads
and rum butter and preserves, to
say nothing of the ordinary meat
cuts and vegetable dishes, were the
best / have ever tasted. Of course
the fact that / had breathed in g
quantity of very fresh, clean all
and had an energetic day all in
very beautiful surroundings may
have had something to do with it
Always in the Lake District one
IL l.