In the bleak midwinter

Snow, ice and fog were no barrier to our intrepid walkers earlier this week.

With a lunch time appointment at the Lescar already arranged (thanks Martin), we decided that we would restrict ourselves to a one-way walk from Fox House.

The resolute five joined First's 272 bus at various stops on its way from Sheffield to Fox House (Longshaw).

Our route today would take us over Houndkirk Moor to Ringinglow and then along the Round Sheffield Walk along Porter Brook back to our lunch-time meeting place.

At times our trek reminded me of  "In the Bleak Midwinter" - a Christmas carol based on a poem by the English poet Christina Rossetti written before 1872 in response to a request for a Christmas poem. It was published posthumously in Rossetti's Poetic Works in 1904 and became a Christmas carol after it appeared in The English Hymnal in 1906 with a setting by Gustav Holst. 

In the bleak midwinter

Frosty wind made moan,

Earth stood hard as iron,

Water like a stone;

Snow had fallen, snow on snow,

Snow on snow,

In the bleak midwinter,

Long ago.

Please note this is not a sun hat - allegedly it is a reversible one with corduroy inner or outer



... but Stuart and Steve still think it looks like a sun-hat

This alpaca has just heard one of Stuart's jokes!

... but Stuart needs to explain it to Steve

Well, this is one way to descend the slope to Porter Brook

Martin was dying to have a go

Shepherd's Wheel, Bingham Park

A snow dragon in Bingham Park

We made it in time for lunch

"Cheers, and a Merry Christmas to all our readers"