Month: October 2022

The Cloud Trail

Published on by John’s Postcards7 Comments

This afternoon we walked part of the Cloud Trail, accessing it near the small village of Wilson, between Melbourne and Breedon on the Hill. The Cloud Trail is a 13 mile path from Derby to Worthington where nearby is the Cloud Quarry, hence the name of the trail. It follows the old Derby to Ashby railway line which served the area for over 100 years, mainly carrying limestone and coal. It is a level tarmac path which makes for easy walking and is also part of the National Cycle Network.

Mention Derbyshire and most people would initially think of the Peak District, the Dales, Chatsworth House or at its northern edge, Glossop and Edale, the start of the Pennine Way. South Derbyshire has a much softer landscape with a charm of its own.

The Cloud Trail was very quiet this afternoon, apart from the occasional planes taking off or landing at the nearby East Midlands Airport. I wonder if the plane in the photo below is full of holiday makers heading for blue skies!

Collecting conkers – one of life’s simple pleasures

Published on by John’s Postcards8 Comments

It’s that time of the year when our grandchildren love to spend time in the park or countryside to collect conkers. A walk to our local park usually means going to the far corner, or ‘the den’ and yesterday was no exception. It’s an area under a few trees where the football pitch/cricket field and well cut grass ends, and nature returns. A couple of windy days had resulted in a good supply of conkers – there for the picking. Its almost impossible to leave them on the ground and collecting them can be quite compulsive (even to a 70+ year old!)

Collecting conkers certainly falls within this definition of life’s simple pleasures. “Simple pleasures are experiences that are positive, brief, and usually emerge in everyday settings. Furthermore, they are usually accessible to people at little to no cost”.