Photos

Just back from a brief trip in the English Lake District. This is a view from the North side of a hill called Green Gable, Haystacks is the knobbly one in the centre (made popular particularly by Alfred Wainwright, writer of the well known series of walking guides which are full of his sketches). The village of Buttermere lies in the valley, between (Lake) Buttermere and Crummock Water. The Lake District is a mecca for outdoor lovers in England and contains England's highest peaks. The tourist industry is well developed and recovering once again after the disastrous outbreak of foot and mouth disease three years ago, when many rural areas were closed off for fear of causing transmission of the infection. There used to be huge numbers of sheep on these hills, these days the numbers are lower (and the hills are greener!) because many animals were culled to prevent spread of disease. Debate continues about whether this was necessary or more a political move to show something was being done by the government. Hill farming remains a hard way of life; lamb prices paid to farmers are pitifully low despite the high cost of lamb in UK supermarkets.