Fargo Railroad Co. @ Greystones poster

Peace In The Park 2018

Although my intentions at this years Peace In The Park were to have a good wander around taking in the Reggae Stage, Sheffield Stage and various stalls and other entertainment on offer, the Blues Stage was just too good to drag myself away from for very long.

Honey Bee Blues Club truly excelled in laying on a line-up of first class artists to draw a huge crowd of listeners to enjoy the music in the summer sun.

There's a healthy roots and americana music scene in Sheffield and with the support of promoters like Honey Bee and Wagonwheel Presents it's a movement that is gathering momentum. The bands showcased here are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the wealth of talent currently playing in and around this town.

It's always good to hear someone new (to me anyway) so I made sure I was in time to catch All Day Dog's Breakfast and Chris Martin early on before Banjo Jen hit the stage. After hearing how good Jen is from various people I wasn't disappointed and hope to catch her again at Tramlines.

My only departure from the Blues Stage was to catch the end of Treebeards set on the Sheffield stage and go on an essential beer run, arriving back in time for Fargo Railroad Co. Every so often a band comes along that are so good they transcend their genre to appeal to a much broader audience, Fargo are such a band. Leaning towards the rock end of the country music spectrum their music ranges from rousing songs of drinking and good times to ones that bring a tear to your eye and some that will give you pause for thought long after the last chord has faded.

With a substantial crowd now gathered it was looking like the Blues Stage was becoming the favourite of the day. Martin Bedford's gift for bringing a high standard of musicians to many Sheffield venue's is no secret to attendees of Honey Bee gigs and hopefully the day will have won a few more converts to the cause.

Next on and turning up the heat were established local favourites Black Thunder Revue. These guys have been delivering their own rock edged take on Mississippi Delta blues for the last few years and are can be found gigging on a regular basis around Sheffield.

I first saw Black Thunder Revue along with the much missed Roaming Son and I recall it as being one of those magic times when you go to see a great band and come away having discovered another.

Front man Andy P. Davison can also often be found playing solo spots along with many local artists including some of those here, always an added bonus.

Penultimate band Ash Gray and the Burners are not a band I'm overly familiar with. Many people have told me how good they are but, to my loss, I never took much notice untl now. Originally from Texas, Ash currently resides in Sheffield, much to the delight of local fans of country and americana. This also means I'll have the opportunty to catch up on what I've been missing.

Headlining the Blues Stage to end the day with a bang were the magnificent Cellar Door Moon Crow. Bearded brothers Phil and Tom Goodwin make such an awesome sound for two guys it's just incredible. CDMC craft blues, rock and dash of hip-hop into an infectious explosion of sound that grabs you from the first note and doesn't let go. A spectacular finale to a great day.

A huge thanks to all involved in making Peace In The Park happen. It may be a free to attend festival but rock 'n' roll isn't really free. People give up their time, fundraisers need to happen, artists and musicians need to eat and drink too. Go see the bands again, buy a ticket, buy the merch, buy 'em a beer, support your local music scene. See you at the bar.

Burbage Valley Wild Camp

Six months after my hip replacemant I finally felt fit and confident enough to take on a wild camp. The spot I chose is a small wood in Burbage valley. This is pretty much the only woodland remaining in the area due to some major deforestation last year.

After getting to Lodge Moor by bus I had a great walk around Redmires reservoir and along Stanage Edge to follow Burbage Brook down to the woods near Higgar Tor. As light faded I made camp just inside the woods, out of sight off anyone who may still be passing by.

I awoke bright and early at five a.m. as the valley gradually flooded with sunlight. I had plenty of time to hang out by the brook just enjoying the morning since the cafe I was headed for was only two miles away and doesn't open until nine. 

All packed up and leaving no trace I continued down the valley to cross the road into the Longshaw Estate and make my way down Padley Gorge to Grindleford Station Cafe for a brew and a sausage butty before the train home.

Cabin in Cumbria

For our annual anniversary holiday we returned to one of my favourite locations, Fisherground Lodges at Eskdale in Cumbria. This time round we chose the largest of the four cabins available as the kids and their partners were joining us for the first weekend. Unfortunately the bad weather meant there wasn't much chance for them to appreciate the stunning countryside but it was still great for them to join us for a couple of days.

As the week went on the weather calmed a little and there were enough gaps between rainstorms to get out on the bike and do some walking. A left turn from the site immediately takes you up and over the challenging Hardknott Pass, becoming Wry Nose Pass then on to Windermere.

A right turn will first take you along the road to the excellent local pub, the King George IV. A left here goes over the wild and desolate Birker Fell. Taking the right turn through the village of Eskdale green sets you on the road to Wasdale Head passing Wast Water and finishing at the Wasdale Head Inn in the shadow of Scafell Pike. Awesome riding in any direction.

Some great walking right from the doorstep as well. We had a particularly good day following the woodland path to Gill Force then doubling back to ascend the hill to the impressive Stanley Force waterfall.

As for Fisherground Lodges, I can't recommend them enough. Great location and good quality accomodation at a very reasonable price. Just four cabins well spaced apart, not jammed right next to each other as is common on the holiday parks. There is also a campsite in a separate area if you'd rather go under canvas. More info and booking details at www.fisherground.co.uk

The King George IV is a short walk along the road. Belly busting portions of food, good local beers, a welcoming open fire and friendly down to earth staff. Accommodation is also available here www.kinggeorge-eskdale.co.uk

Middle Black Clough Wild Camp

Access to the bottom of the Three Black Cloughs is easy enough. Starting from the carpark just off the A628 Woodhead Pass go over the stile to the left of the bridge and follow the path with the river Etherow on your left. This path soon bears right, away from the river, up through a pleasant picnic area with the stream from the Cloughs now on your left as it flows into the Etherow.

After little more than a quarter of a mile from the bridge things become more challenging. The path runs out with a small weir ahead where the stream bears left. At this point you need to cross the stream and continue the rest of the way with the stream on your right. You are now heading up Middle Black Clough, you will soon pass Near Black Clough and Far Black Clough to the left and right as you head up the steepest and most picturesque of these three ravines.

Good footwear is essential. From this point on you can't walk more than a few steps without having to scramble over or between rocks, as you go beyond the first waterfall the drop to the stream or onto piles of boulders is thirty feet or more in places. Go careful, go slow and be sure of every footstep. Negotiating these hazards makes it all worthwhile as you stop to take in the beauty of the two waterfalls and the views up and down the ravine.

Finding a spot to camp for the night wasn't as simple as I'd anticipated. I wanted to camp by the waters edge but any flat areas were covered with tightly packed heather and blueberry bushes but I eventually spotted a small grassy area with a couple of trees to hang my tarp from, a big flat topped rock to set up my cooking gear on and a pool fed by a mini waterfall to get scrubbed up in. Home sweet home!

The sense of achievement from getting to this spot combined with the isolation and tranquility I felt is like nothing else I can imagine. After a wander around with the camera I just sat for a couple of hours watching the water and for that time nothing else in the world mattered.

Up at dawn after a great nights sleep I was able to strike camp in just a few minutes thanks to the minimal amount of kit involved. The tarp proved to be a good shelter, standing up just fine to an unexpected shower and wind in the night. Progress back down was even more slow and careful than the journey up thanks to the rain making everything a lot more dangerous due to slippery rocks and soft ground. I arrived at the bike wet, dirty and knackered but still had a grin on my face.

Gotta Getaway: Holy Island

Apparently the ride over Lindisfarne Causeway is one of the "must do" things for bikers in the UK so I've had it on my to do list for some time. Armed with a new camera I pointed the bike North for a couple of days.

Camping is not allowed on Holy Island and some nearby sites are very expensive, of the family friendly caravan / campervan variety and frankly too sterile for me. Luckily I found a reasonably priced site just six miles away at West Kelsoe Farm at the Old Mill Site. The campground is situated well away from the main farm near an old mill (as the name suggests) with good clean facilities. You are also welcome to look around the farm and a map is provided of paths and accessible areas.

After getting pitched mid-afternoon I had plenty of time to go and have a ride over the causeway although I didn't intend to have a serious look or take any pictures until the next morning. The causeway itself is little more than two miles along the sand flats and nature reserve, finishing at a car park at the edge of Lindisfarne. Visitors traffic is restricted to residents only on the island but this is no problem, it's not a big place and everything is within easy walking distance.

Heading back to the mainland I stopped off at various points along the causeway to have a look around the nature reserve and the beach on the North side. This would have been great for a few shots of the area but grey sheets of cloud meant the light was poor and the cold wind coming in off the sea stopped me hanging around for long.

Up before sunrise the next morning proved to be pointless as the golden hour turned out to be more of a grey hour with the flat light caused by the same low cloud cover of the day before. Nevertheless I hadn't come all this way for nothing so after a final check of the tide times I took off again for the causeway.

The refuge hut for anyone stranded by the incoming tide is an iconic image for Holy Island so with my own shot in the bag I made my way on to Lindisfarne to have a look at the castle before the morning influx of tourists started to arrive. Again I stopped a couple of times to appreciate the peace and sense of desolation out on the sand at this early hour.

To my disappointment the castle is currently undergoing refurbishment and is encased in a layer of scaffolding until 2018. Making my way back through the picture postcard village I found the priory. The more interesting parts of the ruins are behind gates with an admission fee of over seven quid for which it doesn't seem that you get to see much more and it doesn't open 'til ten a.m. anyway. Although there's a few little shops, cafe, pub and mead shop nothing is open at eight in the morning so it's back to camp to brew a coffee.

I could have happily spent another night up here if it had been warmer but with it being bitterly cold at night and not much warmer in the day I struck camp and headed for home. I'll definitely be back later in the year though, this is a great place to escape and chill out for a while. 

Check out www.lindisfarne.org.uk for more information, accomodation and tide times.

These Boots Were made For Walking: Cave Dale and Winnats Pass

Heading up the road from Market Place in Castleton brings you to a gap in the rocks marking the entrance to Cave Dale, part of the Limestone Way which leads all the way to Rochester in Staffordshire.

Although once thought to have been a collapsed cave system it's also possible that cave Dale is the result of glacial meltwater from the Ice Age. Whatever the cause it makes for a spectacular view.

Atop the hill on the right are the remains of Peveril Castle, built by Henry II to oversee the Royal Forest of the Peak.

Taking a right turn through a gate at the top of the Dale leads past Rowter Farm with Mam Tor directly ahead.  Just over the road after the farm there is a small bowl in the land leading to the entrance of Windy Knoll Cave, once an Ice Age den of brown bears, wolves and hyenas who would prey on mammoths and woolly rhinoceros.

After a spot of lunch in the quarry at Windy Knoll my intention was to go up Mam Tor but black clouds gathering from the North were heading my way so I turned down the road to Winnats Pass. As I reached the top of a path taking me above Winnats the heavens opened so I made my way back to the road down to Speedwell Cavern the took a path off to the right which brought me back into Castleton passing Peak Cavern on the way.

Arriving in Castleton a little soggy I sought shelter in The George. A couple of pints and a good feed later I was dried out and ready for home.

These Boots Were Made For Walking: Slippery Stones

The breathtaking Derwent Valley is undoubtedly my number one 'go to' place for a quick escape from the city. Although less than fifteen miles from my doorstep the run out there on the bike takes me via the country lanes through Bradfield, Strines, and Ladybower to the start of Snake Pass before turning off.

After riding all the way to the top of the valley I can park up at the furthest point accessible by motor vehicle and walk through the woods to the wild swimming hole of Slippery Stones. The water here is brown in colour and has a 'fizzy' appearance and many reckon it's like swimming in coke.

This is a fantastic spot for swimming, chilling out, exploring the woods or heading out further on the moorland. The best time for getting out here is on a weekday since the road to the top is closed on weekends and there are far less people about.

Something To Smile About 2016

Something To Smile About began last year as a one day festival and has expanded this year to a larger venue over three days at Hatfield Outdoor Activity Centre on the outskirts of Doncaster. The campsite is spacious, on flat land among lots of trees with decent facilities and plenty of parking space very close by.

A bargain of a weekend at £40 for tickets and reasonable prices for food and drink although you are welcome to bring your own if you need to watch the pennies. Bars provided by Abbeydale Brewery and The Meadevil Bar and good grub courtesy of Nan's Kitchen.


Although mostly folk based the music over the weekend included rock, blues, punk, reggae and ska. Great performances from all artists with particularly good sets from Brad Dear, Ferocious Dog, Funke and the Two-Tone Baby, The Majestic, Parsons Lot, Willie and the Bandits, The Bar-Steward Sons of Val Doonican and Taxi For Bob.

Additional late night acoustic jam sessions fired up after the main stage with The Leylines, Brad Dear and Phat Bollard along with members of various other bands making this one of the most enjoyable parts of the festival.

A huge thanks to Pete, Becky and all involved. A great weekend and we'll be back next year.