Post 18: Ulverston via a Clock

Today Roger and Jenny, friends of my friend Pat Manser, met me at my hotel and took me out for the day. They have come up to Windermere from Cheshire to stay so they could take me out - so generous. Like my visitors on Monday, they spent the best part of 20 minutes getting lost on Kendal's one way streets - but eventually made it. We planned our day over scones - then ventured back into the confusing Kendal streets.
The only place I had on my wish list to visit was the Brewery Art Centre, which now houses the Leyland clock, that Ed, the young son of Adelaide friends Anita and Marty, told me was in Kendal - and important.

Leyland had these clocks made in the 1930s and installed on major UK roads so motorists could tell the time.This one marked the half-way point between Lands End and John'o Groats. Between 7 and 11 were made, the clocks by William Potts & Sons of Leeds. This one has been recently restored.













I took photos from as many angles as I could.

From there we successfully navigated our way out of Kendal, heading north west towards Ulverston and the sea.

We were astounded to see the amount of water lying in the fields as our road climbed.

As we neared the coast it became more wooded. I love the shapes of the bare trees.





Our destination in Ulverston was the Laurel and Hardy Museum. Jenny and Roger had been years ago.













It is housed in an old cinema






and designed for fun.







It houses every conceivable piece of Laurel and Hardy memorabilia.














I liked the costumes.- many hand embroidered.

There was even a clock!

There is also a central theatre area where Laurel and Hardy movies show continuously. We watched a good part of The Piano.



When we came out it was colder and mistier. We set out to return to Kendal via Coniston Lake and Windermere.











There was snow on the high Fells, although I didn't manage to get a good photograph.



We stopped for a late lunch at the Bluebird Cafe on Coniston, named, of course for Donald Campbell's land speed record achieved on Coniston. I wrote about the Bluebird on a previous visit.

There were many stone walls and a brooding greyness for the remainder of our trip back to Kendal.








It is extraordinarily generous of Jenny and Roger to come up to the Lakes and take me out. It is the only way I would have got to see so much of the wonderful scenery.

It is now time to pack my bag again and organise to get myself to the train tomorrow for the next part of this adventure.