After breakfast, Philip and I split up for the day. Philip went with our hosts Keith and Deb to explore nearby Cromford where in 1771 Richard Arkwright built the world’s first successful water-powered cotton spinning mill. Richard Arkwright developed warehouses, workshops and built Cromford Village and other housing for the workers for the mills. Lots of history for Philip to absorb and appreciate. They went for a 6 mile (10km) walk around the Cromford industrial site, the workers’ cottages, alms-houses and the canal for transport.

They had a steep hill walk – “steeper than Mt Vesuvius in some parts,” said Philip – a picnic lunch at the top of Mt Masson where they felt the earth move under their feet when a blast went off in a nearby quarry.

Philip forgets to take photos but here’s one he did take of the distant Cromford Mills complex. It’s all a part of UNESCO Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage site.

I went off with good-friend Mandy who’d driven down from Hull. Mandy moved from Perth back home to Hull in January and it was so good to catch up with her again. We drove out – the long way – to Carsington Water, a huge reservoir lake in the Derbyshire hills.

We fuelled ourselves up with a great lunch at the cafe and walked 7.5miles (12km) all the way around the reservoir.

Through wildflower meadows…

… looking out at the wide waters where sailboats and canoes zig-zagged around.

…. woodlands that reminded me of Narnia or Tolkien landscapes…

We stopped off at bird hides to look at the hundreds of birds. I asked questions about the birds’ identities, but I’ve forgotten them already! They certainly left lots of “markers” wherever they’d been on the land!

Below is the bombing tower – a relic from World War 2 when it was used as a lookout for bombing practice for the planes. This was just a valley then as it was before the reservoir was built in the 1980s. The sad thing we also saw was a memorial for four workers who tragically died when part of the dam wall collapsed before it was finished.

This chair is carved so realistically from a single huge log so that it looked like a huge comfy armchair – beautifully done.

We finished the day at an Indian restaurant all together, having a wonderful meal. Sometime ask Philip about the special steak he had there! Thank you Keith and Deb. And “Bye” to Mandy who returns home to Hull.

What a wonderful dallying day. Lots of clouds and occasional very light showers, but a perfect day for walking, talking and connecting with wonderful friends.

And to finish off, here’s a photo that took my fancy – of a mailbox I saw today in the town of Belper that we passed through on our way to Carsington Waters. What a fabulous creation!