Bassenthwaite Lake

That is what it says on the red sign on the side of this former station building. Brought to my attention by fellow blipper Paula J I decided we would make a visit today to this former station now cafe as we were in the vicinity. Thank you Paula.

We are not often in this northern most area of the Lakes so beyond Keswick it is not very well known to us and it seemed a good opportunity to not only make this visit today but also to make it a blipmeet venue with Valerie12 who lives nearby after she’d suggested we could perhaps meet up some time.

We were there sooner than expected and I was a bit taken aback when I was asked if I’d made a booking. You enter through a shop/cafe area which was probably the ticket office just behind the building in the blip and then, if there is room, you are taken through to former dining car carriages. We were in the luggage wagon, possibly as there were to be three of us or because we hadn’t booked. No matter it was beautifully decorated with bunting. Extra

A film was being played on a screen, without the volume, of the most recent Kenneth Branagh version of ‘Murder on the Orient Express’ as apparently the larger than average engine was used in the film. ( Don’t know anything about engines but I was told it was larger than usual)
A great location, a nice coffee and lots of chat. What could be better? Great to meet you Valerie I must try to live up to your photography prowess. 

The day has been better than forecast with, as you can see, mainly bright and blustery skies. I could see Blencathra ( I think) from where I was sitting at breakfast disappeared at one point but not for long. When we went on to  on the coast, not sure why, there was a sudden squall with hail but it didn’t last long either thank fully as we’d just paid to park. 
On the way back to Keswick we pulled up alongside Bassenthwaite Lake (the only ‘Lake’ in the Lake District!) and there didn’t seem to have been any rain or hail there.  It’s not a particularly accessible lake and is not well known to us but there are some nice villages around it.
We returned through the Lakeland landscape looking good in the sunshine (water in Thirlmire is still looking pretty low) then we then stopped at Booths in Kirby Lonsdale for a bit of shopping before continuing home.

Now home we have enjoyed a cuppa with our cake that was gifted to us wrapped in a little parcel at breakfast. A fruit traybake made by our hosts own fair hands!  We also got a discount code for The Theatre by the Lake as they were Ambassadors for the theatre. We’ve had a great little break away and I’m sure we will be back.