Sorry!

Just received this email from Pauline:

"There we were about to leave the house when the ‘phone rang – Paul Murray advising us that the walk leader for the Rucksack Club meet was snowbound in Todmorden. No worries think I – a quick adjustment to kit, and a check on the blog for any updates on arrangements, and off I set for the Black Dog for an 8.30 start to recce Darwen Tower etc. Not fancying the road over ‘The Tops’ I go via ring road, Bob’s Smithy and Scout Road . No problems on road and arrive at Black Dog at 8.15. I begin now to have a bit of a niggle because there is no sign either of JTE or JTY’s car at the meet point. I do see a tiny Citroen with two mountain bikes on the roof beginning the ascent of the road over the tops.

Sitting in the warm car listening to the radio it was becoming apparent that no Sat Gang run would take place from here. Having left a message on the blog, saying I wouldn’t be around this Saturday, I wonder if last minute ‘phone calls have resulted in a run from the Bottom Barn. Methinks, if I now go back over the tops and pause for a while at Horden Stoops, I may be able to pick up the group at that point. Just as I point the car in the Rivington direction, the car with the bikes comes trundling back down the road. I chat to the driver who tells me that the road is completely iced up and impassable on the incline up past the Blue Lagoon. At this point I decide to give up and go shopping…. Yes I know - but what else can a girl do, having been stood up twice in one morning! Anyway I went to the Go Outdoors store in Wigan www.gooutdoors.co.uk which I can heartily recommend for top gear at great prices.

I did finally get out for a bit of stroll for a couple of hours with a friend, culminating in soup and sandwiches at the Tea shop in Rivington village. Not the day that was planned but very enjoyable after all. See you all at the Amble – weather permitting!

NLN"

Well, Pauline, having realised on Friday evening that (as you found out) the road over the tops might be difficult, the decision was taken (as you had guessed) to revert to the usual venue. All those whom we were expecting were contacted and there may have even been a little smugness on the Saturday morning with the feeling that we were able to cope with changing the arrangements at short notice.

I realised as we set off that I hadn't updated the blog, but thought that this wouldn't matter as "everyone had been notified". A tiny bit of lateral thinking would have led us to the possibility that if the local group couldn't get where they were going, then possibly the more adventurous group would be similarly thwarted, as indeed you were.

Sorry that we screwed up, as you know, we would not have left you behind for the world. I will try to learn from this, but as you can imagine, at my age, for every new thing I learn, I forget two more! S'pose the three main lessons are never to assume anything, to update the blog and if anything can go wrong it will.

See you Saturday,

EtU