Another trip on the 272 to Hathersage and we dragged our aged bones up to the Hay Meadows on Ridgeway Side. What so interesting about these meadows? First the mixture of plant life is vast compared to "modern" pastures. Second the reason they still exist in this particular place, is probably mainly the result of about 30 years of dedicated stewardship. One man, who is a estate warden (not to be confused with a "Ranger") working for the
Peak National Park Authority, typifies such dedication. Sad to say that there are so few such individuals who have that wide level of hands-on experience in todays world where "Authorities" are awash with middle-class theorists and Knowledge-College environmentalist and managers who are dedicated to their careers, company policies, goverment targets and politically correct performance aims. Oops, that's not very PC old chap!
Sadder is the state of the atmosphere in the Hope Valley. The day was hot and an
inversion kept the crap down so that a blue haze dominated the view. Why so much crap? Mainly from car exhaust. Rave about industry and power stations all you like; it's cars that are the problem. The sheer numbers of them - they've got to go ... What's wrong with public transport and walking. Er, you have to mix with the common folk and can't show off how posh you are ... waiting for a bus is sooo common ... you don't see pop-stars, TV personalities and top sportsmen standing at the bus stop; it just isn't what the A-List do ...
The most spectacular of the flowers? The native ochids.
Sadder is the state of the atmosphere in the Hope Valley. The day was hot and an inversion kept the crap down so that a blue haze dominated the view. Why so much crap? Mainly from car exhaust. Rave about industry and power stations all you like; it's cars that are the problem. The sheer numbers of them - they've got to go ... What's wrong with public transport and walking. Er, you have to mix with the common folk and can't show off how posh you are ... waiting for a bus is sooo common ... you don't see pop-stars, TV personalities and top sportsmen standing at the bus stop; it just isn't what the A-List do ...
The most spectacular of the flowers? The native ochids.