Getting stuck in

This last few weeks have been the 'phony war'. I have been talking about buckling down and dieting but in reality, beyond stopping the rot and stopping gaining, very little has changed. My health has improved hugely now, I'm almost cough free and not wheezing at all so now it is time for a proper push!

We are going away in the last week of March to Turkey. It is with a large group of people and was originally booked to celebrate our friend Joris's 50th. He had a terminal illness so wanted a big blow out with his mates before he deteriorated too much. Sadly, the morning after we all paid our deposits, he had a heart attack and died a couple of days later. 

It was devastating - he was a gentle giant with a booming laugh and such a lover of life and people. His funeral, in the middle of lockdown, was a fitting tribute to him. 30 people in the church but hundreds lining the streets in the village of Hope and closing the main road through the valley as we walked behind him to the church and then the graveyard. 

Of the 24 who were going to Turkey, 16 of us are still going including his widow, some of his family and in-laws. Hopefully we will have a cracking holiday and say goodbye to our friend properly. 

Now to the shallow stuff.  It is a mixed group but the majority are golfers so all the blokes and 2 of the women are playing golf 4 days. This then leaves a couple of days hanging by the pool. I will definitely be the fattest woman there and am resigned to that but could really do with not being at MY fattest. 

I have 6 weeks until we go and am going to give it a real push to drop a stone or more. This will make the golf easier, fitting into summer clothes less fraught and being poolside marginally less self conscious!

I have my starting weight (18.7!) and am logging food and exercise. I will be checking in here and panto is not going to derail me!!

Right, I had better start work.  Below are some pics from a gorgeous walk last Sunday. I had no plan so just parked in great Hucklow and walked up an old mining rake right up to the mast at the top then back. It was deserted and stunning, my own private corner of the Peaks.  I did do a whole post about it but then somehow deleted it hence the hiatus in my posts... The pics are too good to waste though (although I say so myself...)

My first snowdrops of the year.

The fearless hens of Great Hucklow. . Although they have a palatial coop with a view they spend most of their time hanging around on the road leading into the village.

It was a vapour trail sort of morning, all those planes coming in and out of Manchester airport!

The remains of old mine workings. The main buildings were demolished in the 1960s and the stone used to build local Council houses.

The White Peak in all its glory.

Bradda Edge on the right and Win Hill in the distance.

I haven't been on this section before. The undulations of the former mine working gave Gary and me a great workout. 

Made it to the top!