Fun and Games in the Lakes

Fun and Games in the Lakes – March 18th – 21st 2011

As a new employee in the company and having worked with predominantly young people in the past I was keen to see how Ramblers Worldwide Holidays operates with young people.

‘Fun and Games in the Lakes’ takes place at Hassness in the Northern half of the Lake District. Hassness, for those who don’t know, is the house owned by Ramblers Worldwide Holidays and is a fantastic setting for this tour. The grounds and surrounding land offer young people an overwhelming sense of freedom: climbing trees, skimming stones in the lake, or just playing games as a group. This means of course that the adults didn’t have to worry about entertaining the young ones when at the house – an added bonus for the adults!

My role whilst on the tour was assistant leader. I was working with Steve Lodge, a popular, well known leader, who is bursting with a zest for life and can do attitude. The group we were leading consisted of three families coming for three very different walks of life – oh and a petted pooch as it was a Paws on Tour week!

Oh well enough about the people and the place what you all want to know is what we did. Well are you sitting comfortably? Then I shall begin.

Once we had all met at Hassness, said our ‘Hellos’ and broken the ice with some silly games it was tea time. A part I was very much looking forward to as I was famished! After tea and after some more games and exploration we then went to bed.

Awaking refreshed on the next day and with the young people already out in the garden playing by the time I had risen, it was time to get ready for the days challenge – Radderdale Knotts.

Radderdale Knotts is a fantastic shallow ridgeline that runs parallel to Buttermere Lake. Once pictures and lunch had been taken at the top it was back down into Buttermere for a well deserved ice cream.

That evening Steve discussed what we were going to do on day two – the Honnister Slate mine.

I was like a kid in a candy shop – so excited, as I had never been in a mine. All the way round the mine, the young people and myself were transfixed on what we were being shown and experiencing. The team running this small but professional tourist attraction are very friendly and warmly welcome everyone.

Once the tour of the mine had finished we walked down through Honnister Pass, which boasts spectacular views onto Buttermere Lake. On the third day we took a nice gentle walk on the path that does a circuit of Buttermere Lake. There was one mission on this walk and that was to act like Soldiers and spy the illusive Red Squirrel. Our mission was completed once we entered the woods.

That evening it was a meal out at the local pub and restaurant and then we stayed up playing silly games. It was close to midnight when we all very wearily headed to bed ready for the long drive home the next day.

All in all everyone that went on the tour left that day happy, content and wanting to do more.