Name of walk	Christmas, New Year And The Storms 2013/14
Date of walk	2013-01-13

A few photos taken over the Christmas period 2013/14.

We were asked to ring the St. Mary's bells from 3.30pm until 5pm to mark the start of Dalton Christmas Tree Festival, ahead of the Light Switch-on and Parade through the town this afternoon. So I took my camera along. There were 50 Christmas Trees inside the church. This year the theme was Nursery Rhymes and Pantomimes. Each organisation that enters raises money for a chosen charity by decorating their tree.

In the bell tower. Carl, Stan, Keith, Owen, Jonny and Alan. My turn for a rest! St. Mary's has ten bells. Usually we only pull the front six, but later on we got 12 ringers in attendance, with ringers from Ulverston and as far away as Garstang joining us, so we could pull all ten.

Owen, Andy, Carl and Alan......total concentration! And as good as any gym class for the Abs!

A camel and a wise man.

Santa and his reindeer.

We went to English Martyrs in Preston (Fr. Tom Singleton's previous church), on Christmas Eve for L`Arche's afternoon Christmas Service. A lovely church, but it was absolutely freezing!

Brendan's brother Tim is on the right with the scroll....he played Isaiah.

We had a quiet Christmas Day. Just us and son, Tom. I had to be up early to ring the bells at St Mary's.

Tim came down for Boxing Day.

Felix, decided to go squirrel chasing.

He was no match for an agile squirrel.

He chased the squirrel into the hawthorn hedge, but it escaped, leaving him having to lick away the pre-emptive saliva!

We spent New Year's Eve at John and Mandy's house. "Bonjour mes amis, C'est moi, Hercule Poirot!" Well it was either that or Tom has just come out as a 'Young Tory'. (Tom chose the 'villain moustache' to wear. Brendan already has one and John was just starting to grow his own, and as our MP he is already a villain!).

Mexican? Dan's moustache has gone AWOL.

11am on New Year's Day John Woodcock and Dan join the crazies for a dip in the very cold sea at windy Earnse Bay on Walney Island. John has done this every year since becoming an MP. Penance comes in many forms! We would have joined him, but Brendan was looking after Maisie, John's daughter, and I had to take some pix. Maybe next year!

Big, brave boy!

John and Dan brave the cold.

The happiness just before the big wave hit them!....Ha!

Proof he didn't just paddle.

Refreshing! Now cue the hypothermia!

Brendan acting as John's 'Towel Man'.

Maisie and Brendan at the scene of her Dad's bravery.

A few days later the storms hit Earnse Bay. A combination of high winds and high tides. Sandy Gap about 40 minutes before high tide.

Earnse Bay. Thirty minutes before high tide.

Getting near high tide the waves were starting to go over the mobile homes. The police had evacuated them.

Road closed. No road anymore....all washed away! Police and Coast Guard in attendance.

No one on the Cumbria Coastal Path this morning!

We were safely on the grassy mound.

The entrance to North Scale Village. It is totally flooded all the way along The Promenade.

Close up.

View from John and Mandy's house on The Promenade. (Mandy's photo)

Returned to Earnse Bay at 3pm to survey the damage.

No more road..

Thankfully no damage to the wall or any of the homes.....this time! Brendan chatting with Phil Huck and Richard Hennah from the council. The road is owned by Embra, who own the Mobile Home Park, and they have refused to do anything for years with regards to protection and sea defences for the small stretch of road in front of the homes.

I bet it scared the horses!

The next day I took these sunsets. A complete contrast to yesterday!

Peaches sitting in the sunshine.

Tigger lounging!

Let us hope for a peaceful, non stormy new year!

Jo.