We have them, all right, but we don’t talk about our emotions very much. We don’t talk about being angry, or being sad, or being so glad that our hearts swell up and we’re in kind of an exalted state…
Category: Healthy Living
Allen Valley Striders
Derek Todhunter, Chair of the Allen Valley Striders, writes to share a report on the group: “Allen Valley Striders is the name of the local running club which meets three times weekly at the Allendale Sports Club Pavilion in Catton….
A word about volunteers
This village would not be the same without the volunteers who help out, in so many ways. While we often do try to thank them, we tend to forget too that it’s their effort that keeps the place running, and…
New gardening capacity
Getting a little professional help on the raised beds early in the week somehow seemed to stimulate all those creative gardening juices, and by Friday they were in full flow — so much so that after I got the new…
The neglected garden . . . is there any chance of redemption?
From the very start of our sojourn up in the hills, I wanted to develop a garden that, when mature, would require very little upkeep, but that would still, recognisably, be a kept garden, and not a wilderness. It was…
Knit & Crochet, or Natter if you like
Allen Valleys Knit & Crochet Group Meetings: Every Friday 10:00am to 12:30pm at Catton Village Hall Christine Downie, Secretary, writes to chat about this friendly group: ‘It’s hard to define what makes a good social group, but I hope the…
Allendale Sports Club
Nestled into the fields at Allen Mill, just on the boundary with Catton, the Sports Ground looks as if it’s always been there, but in fact it’s only a little ways off its fifteenth birthday. I remember some of the…
Ancient hens, empty nest
Far up on the fellside of Sparty Lea, we’re no strangers to clichés, but it would be nice too if we could develop a few independent thoughts on aging without resorting to the ‘tried and true’. Ooops, probably impossible. After…
Allen Valley Velo
I was young once, and cycling was my passion. But it was a solitary endeavour, on the back streets of Philadelphia, through the extensive park system, and on into the university. How I would have loved to have been able…
Isaac Holden, a very odd and wonderful person
Isaac Holden is probably older than the ‘guysers’ and the bonfire on New Year’s Eve in Allendale’s Market Square, though he must have seen them during his last decade, but he’s maybe not quite as famous as Allendale’s Tar Bar’l…