What I did in my holidays (Part Eight - Pardshaw pre solfest social call)

Now Pardshaw might be a long way from Aspatria but it is at least in the same county so on the way to Solfest I took the opportunity of participating at a Young Friends’ gathering at Pardshaw Young Friends’ Center despite of course not being young. Even if 40 is young for Britain Yearly Meeting. My thanks to the Young Friends for fitting in a somewhat elderly ex Young Friend.

So lets kick off with some random shots of Cumberland



Specifically on a coach into Cockermouth. Cockermouth used to have connection to the railway network. Connection now seems to be via permenant replacement bus. Oh well better than nothing.

This pic though is Pardshaw Crag I think. Did txt the Convenor of the Committee, Friend Anne to say I was on my way, just taking a pic of Pardshaw Crag.



And here we are in Cockermouth itself!



A close up of the pale blue and white house. Dig the colour scheme



Here’s Mayo. Er no. It's the Town Hall which used to be a Chapel funnily enough. Interesting.



Here's Mayo



And here’s Yorkiegirl’s place in the country.



New Labour New Babylon!



Some Knitting Knoras



Dinner is served! After Quaker grace of course….



Majk the master musician



The excitement is too much for some…



Rise up singing!



Had a wonderful evening epilogue when we sang “Lord of All Hopefulness” with an amazing unity plus Laudate Dominum or something. Quite moving. Plus at some point we sang rediscovered Pardshaw song to the tune of “House of the Rising Sun”. Oh how we laughed!

The mob!



Did walk into Cocker on Sunday morning to go to Meeting for Worship at Cockermouth Friends’ Meeting House. Got a nice lift back. There was a Sunday evening Meeting for Worship at Pardshaw, there being one a month. Not so far to walk…..

And where else but Pardshaw! For a celebration of life. In this case Friend Anne opens her cards.



The fruit bowl



Friend Ericka bakes a surprise cake.



Random shot from the burial ground



Friend Ericka again with the cake



Dinner is served!




The birthday girl contemplates the cake.



The cake itself yummy



The dynamic duo jamming



Digicams reproducing by binary fission….



Taking a pic with an identical digi-cam…



Just before the ceilidh. With my best kilt.



Official group photo. Not sure if it made front cover of “Young Quaker”.



Left to Right Back row: Anne, Majk, Kathleen, Tony, Ericka, Jack
Front row: Andrew, Bluebell

Dancing yeah!



Friend Jack looking pensive



A Quaker mural on the ceiling painted by Bluebell and other Friends at a previous workcamp.



Use Cooper’s Dip



The new Pardshaw log book! Golly!



A random shot of Pardshaw Friends’ Meeting House and Young Friend’s Center.



From the other end of the burial ground



My best shot of the Dalton memorial. Taken at night no flash if I remember and pointing my head torch at it so that you can at least see the writing.



I then set off across Cumberland to a gig in Aspatria leaving some lovely Friends at Pardshaw. Hope to see them all again in this lifetime. And Pardshaw is a sort of home from home. “There is an Olde Meeting House Near Cockermouth! They call it Pardshaw Hall, and it’s been the ruin of many a Young Friend…..”