Caring and sharing.

As I live and work in Borrowdale, the launches that regularly carry visitors around Derwentwater are a familiar sight.  Last week was a bit different though because I was able to have one of these trips as part of my work.  Since I became the Borrowdale Ranger, the numbers of users of the water has increased enormously.  There are many more kayaks, canoes, small sailing boats and rowing boats as well as the much larger launches and we have to be vigilant about the implications for all users of the lake.  Keswick Launch Company generously offered a trip around the lake for representatives of the Borrowdale Users Group to see what their drivers see.  This is a user group set up by the Trust and I chair meetings twice a year.

It was a very illuminating experience for me and some instructors from Derwentwater Marina to do this with a driver and to see how incredibly skilled they have to be to manoeuvre these large launches in quite confined spaces at some of the jetties.  And, of course, the instructors can use their experience of what small boats can do to identify the spaces that are unsuitable for their use.  


We are constantly looking for safe ways for different users to coexist and enjoy the lake and this trip on the launch was a very useful part of that process.  The instructors have now offered to take the launch drivers on small sailing boat trips so that they can better understand their capabilities.

The work on the amphitheatre beside the shop is coming along nicely.  

It was good to see a local company making use of it recently for a corporate event.  They brought a couple of trestle tables and had a buffet lunch.  It is the kind of space that lends itself to a wide range of uses and we hope many of you will take advantage of it.  There is some log seating; we put out a couple of deckchairs in decent weather and eventually there will be more seating.  If you are passing, just take some time to go and enjoy it.  Have your picnic there; take some pictures; have a grandstand view of the action at the boat landings or just soak up the sun!

Another project underway is the installation of a webcam.  All being well, that should be up and running very soon.  I’ll post details on the blog once it is live.

Once again there was a gathering of people at Castlerigg Stone Circle to celebrate the summer solstice.  Maurice (forest ranger) checked the site the following day and, as usual, he found it was undamaged and tidy.  No matter how many there are, they always respect the site.  It’s great to see people enjoying and looking after this fantastic area.

Hi, it’s Daisy here.

I’m the best there is at running and jumping.  I can run and jump better than any other dog I’ve ever seen.