On Monday 17th April 2023, 59 members of the Aughton & Ormskirk u3a made their way to the HF House Derwent Bank on the shores of Derwentwater in Portinscale for the Walking and Leisure holiday.
After checking in, afternoon tea was served at 4.00 p.m. in the Orangery, which enabled everyone to relax after their drive from Ormskirk.
For the energetic, this was followed by a putting competition on the challenging putting green at the house. Dermot Glennon was our Referee with Wafa Alwan acting as his secretary. The event was won by Colin Latimer with Colin Ratcliff and David Moore achieving the distinction of having a ‘hole in one’.
Prizes were presented at the dinner in the evening.
On Tuesday morning, we awoke to clear blue skies which remained with us for the remainder of our stay.
After a hearty breakfast and picking up packed lunches, the walkers split into three groups for a long, medium, or short walk prepared by leaders organised by Barbara Carter.
The non walking members also collected their packed lunches and then set about exploring the area by the local bus service which took them to Buttermere, Windermere and Keswick just to mention a few places. Trips were also taken in the launches on the lake and visits to the Theatre by the Lake in Keswick.
Some members of the group just stayed and relaxed in the house and extensive grounds, persuading the staff to open the bar to enable them to enjoy liquid refreshment with their packed lunch.
During the dinner that evening a quiz was placed on each table forming eight teams. Some sheets were completed during dinner, but the final round was not started until after the coffee which was served in the bar area. Sue Clark’s team were the eventual winners with Bob Broughton’s team in second place.
Wednesday followed a similar pattern with different walks on offer with the leisure group again exploring the local area and making full use of their bus passes and enjoying their packed lunches in various parks or by the lake and hillsides.
After dinner the house provided access to the HF Holidays national quiz which was won by John Tomlinson and his team.
Thursday was the final full day, without any organised walks with groups heading off on their own routes or visiting Keswick market and shops, unfortunately the busses did not appear to be running in Portinscale so to visit outlying areas it was necessary to use our cars.
After the dinner it was time to pack and regretfully after a final hearty breakfast on Friday, we all headed home after a most enjoyable 5 days.
The Walking and Leisure Holidays are organised by a number of u3a walking group members acting as Aughton and Ormskirk Walking and Leisure Group. Currently we are organising two holidays per year – Spring and Autumn.
The Autumn holiday this year, which is fully subscribed is to the HF House Peveril of the Peak in Dovedale Derbyshire.
The Spring holiday 2024 is to the HF House Newfield Hall, Malhamdale in the Yorkshire Dales. We will be opening for booking shortly. Further information can be obtained from John Spurr, Tel. 01695 229538.
John Spurr
Last Updated on October 19, 2023
