Drama on Simonside

The daughters and children arrived in the morning to play in the woods and have a picnic lunch.

The weather improved so we headed up to Lordenshaw car park and walked up Simonside the long way. The children ran ahead investigating caterpillars and slugs on the way. The flagstones, there to prevent erosion, were quite slippy and wet but I had my sticks.

The rain came but we pressed on to the top. We had no choice as the children were so fast. They said the preferred coming up the steep way rather than going down. We reached the red forestry track which they find boring so Ella gave James, the heavier of the younger ones, a piggy back and showed Thomas how to carry lighter Nathaniel.

Mr C decided to take them the more interesting diagonal path back to the car but owing to my foot I elected to stay on the red road and go the longer way round to reach the road where Mr C thought he’d pick me up in the car. He wasn’t there so I walked on and saw them all coming down. Their way was no quicker.

Then it appeared they were making no progress so phoned them. #3 daughter had slipped and fallen and couldn’t put weight on her ankle. Mr C and #2 were helping her down. The children thought it all great sport and rushed to tell me she might have broken her ankle like I had. I sent Ella to run up with my walking poles and went to meet them.

By then they’d called 111 which was a mistake as they kept #3 standing out in the cold and wet answering lots of questions. Mr C went to get our car and we put her in the back with her foot elevated and drove to the car park. We were all soaked. The children were still high. It was 5.30pm so we sent #2 and boys off home. Mr C drove injured daughter’s car and children to our house and I drove daughter.

She arranged for her sister-in-law to drive with her husband to our house. We all got dry clothes on, I fed the children and daughter got instructions to go to Wansbeck A and E.

Her brother in law took her there and sister in law took the children to her house. They were happy as she has a dog they love which compensated somewhat for them
not getting a night in the camper van as planned.

She has thankfully not broken her ankle but had sprained it and is now at hospital waiting for a friend to pick her up. (They couldn’t raise her husband who was asleep as he is on night shift!)

What a drama. We are all exhausted. I had a hot bath and Mr C and I ate the Gorgonzola Pear and Pecan Pasta I’d prepared for us and daughter and children to have.

7 miles walked and climbed in the rain by all the children aged 5; 6, 7 and 8 so well done them.