How to arrive in (nearly disastrous) style – Serendipity strikes again!

We arrived early at Glenridding Ullswater for the wedding of Yasmin and Alex on the day of the wedding and Chris suggested a 5 mile walk around the head of Ullswater to Howtown Bay and get the steamer back to Glenridding. Simple eh? Enough time for a tea stop at the farm on the way and a leisurely walk surely?

Oh dear, the tea stop was a bit too long, and the fell track is longer and rougher than we thought and Chris is no longer the fell running marathon model she once was. Time was slipping as we hurried towards the jetty at Howtown and hurray there is the last steamer of the day – but oh no, is not arriving, it is leaving Howtown! We were in an “oops” situation, fighting through the bracken, knowing that when the path met the dead end road there was rarely traffic and it would be miles and hours of pain to get back to the hotel. What to do!?

“Let’s hitch a lift” says Chris and just then we looked down 100ft below us and on the lake a fisherman was packing his gear away in his boat. “Scuse me” bellows Chris, “Any chance of a lift?” The fisherman looks around wondering what is going on, and eventually peers up the hill into the bracken and spies us.

“Ah, you’ve missed the ferry, where are you going?” he says. “Glenridding,” we reply, “any chance you are going there?” “No I’m going to Pooley Bridge” (the other end of the lake). “We are going to a wedding at Glenridding and we could get a bus from the other side of the lake, Please can we have a lift?” we begged. “OK see you at the jetty”. So Pete hobbles ahead to the steamer ferry, the fisherman ties up at a different private small jetty, Chris shouting as Pete disappears around the bend thinking a rescue is becoming split up, but fortunately this was one of the few places where mobile signals worked so Pete got the message to hurry and retrace steps. So climb over private signed gate, rush down fellside and I ask “If I give you £50 will you take us to Glendridding please?” “No”, a pause … “I’ll not take your money I’ll just get you there” !!!

Now, if you are thinking this was a fishing rowing boat with tiny outboard engine, think again. This was a 3.5litre Penta inboard engine speedboat with cream leather seats! Not only was this luxury in adversity but our chivalrous saviour was in a hurry so he (allegedly and without giving evidence to be used in any proceedings) opened up the throttle and … enough said, we roared up to the private jetty at the hotel at Glenridding with guest wondering who those guests must be! And, as you see below, the final stamp of serendipity was that when we arrived at The Inn on The Lake, the boat that was tied up where we moored at the private jetty was called “Yasmin” !

It makes one wonder if there is no such thing as coincidence, we are all on interlinked paths of serendipitous happenings, where will yours lead you next?