Community Highlights Europe 2026 Day 7 - Patterdale Rest Day

2026 Day 7 - Patterdale Rest Day

Published 25 Apr 2026 · United Kingdom · Comments

Another welcomed rest day. Don't fret, tomorrow is a big day. More on that later.

Breakfast at 0830 hrs. Everything from the induction to the small cupboard room was shit at the Old Water View, at least they got the breakfast right. Then again, it takes talent and effort to fuck up bacon and eggs. Mrs Miserable became Ms Anxious and it was quite pathetic really. As long as I was being fed, I didn't really care.

As I went outside for some fresh air, I was confronted by a rare red squirrel. He or she (or any other prefered pronoun) was feeding from a bird feeder laid out by Big Dave. Got some shots although I wished I had my big rig on me. Check out the photos...

Red Squirrel

Very keen on nuts, he is... Then who isn't keen on nuts

We then decided to take the 509 bus to Keswick. 3 pounds each (really quite expensive) but a pleasant journey wending through the country roads.
There was a street market on the high street of Keswick. With the sunshine and it being Saturday, the streets were packed with people. Markets are markets - mostly selling shit. Can't believe that people actually buy some of the crap. Snake oil etc etc. I contributed to the Keswick economy and bought a hat. Something light but broad brim for travelling. You will begin to see my new fashion statement in the future photos. Also bought some soft insoles for my boots hoping that it may make the descents a bit less of an agony. I can empathize with Jesus with that crown of thorns except the thorns are on the ball of my feet.

Keswick

Waiting for the bus

The funky Crafty Baa (Bar get it?). Just throw anything on the the ceiling as a decoration. Great beer and lovely barmaid.

Bewildering choices of beers at the Crafty Baa

Might be unfair but I bet he is a tosser. Probably a finance guru with the trophy wife and entitled annoying shithead of a kid in the back. Ahh so Hollywood

Crappy knick knack to grace your mantlepiece as a dust attractant

They have a thing about sheep around these parts. Must have been reversed colonized by the Kiwis

Deb and I were very excited when we discovered this pho place. Couldn't serve pho at 1300 hrs (stated opening time) because the chef was late. Arrived at 1330 hrs and by 1410 hrs, our pho was still missing. We had to catch the bus back to Patterdale by 1420 hrs so we had to tell them to make it takeaway. We had the pho back at the Patterdale Hotel. It was all very disappointing. Very unasian. I guess these guys have assimilated and have lost their Asian efficiency. So sad.

Was excited about this place as well until we saw that it only opens at 1700 hrs. No bloody good to us.

England is full of clever shop names

Like most chinese places in the UK, this looks invitingly dodgy

Packed high street

cute looking strawberry cafe

Colourful socks in the market

Mugs for sale

High street

High Street Markets

Sample of the real estate. Bloody expensive

this is a Wetherspoon pub - a chain. Their business model is to buy up old buildings and convert them to their pubs. Its is the Maccas of pubs.

Those are not legs - they are sticks. Obviously a vegan

I have been having a Cumberland sausage a day. Really good.

One thing I noticed in Keswick (as well as all the villages we visited), everyone is white. Very little diversity here. Makes me a bit nauseas when I think of it. Where are all the fucking immigrants. Boatloads coming everyday and they are nowhere to be seen. Being illegal, they must be hiding in the lofts! The northern accent was heard everywhere. joking aside, this is where real England is. Chav or Bogan, this is the England I know.

Scott and Fiona took the bus to Penrith while the rest of us took the return bus back to Patterdale. The bus dropped us off in front of the PAtterdale hotel. Again with the sunshine and Saturday, the beer garden was chocka. People and dogs everywhere. That's where Deb and I had our takeaway pho. Delicious but would have been better if it was hotter and with some chilli.

Saw this awesome 4WD. Mud tyres, winch etc. All the fruit but not speck of mud! Maybe it has never been off road....

Then it was back for a nap. God, I love the naps..

Rejuvenated by the REM sleep, we wandered down to the White Lion for dinner. Leonie and Val went early and was able to secure a table for 6. By the time the Maclivers and us arrived, the place was full. There was a long queue at the bar. Not queues are unusual in the UK. British people have is hard wired in the DNA to queue. As an experiment, if you stand behind someone on the street, pretty soon you will a line of people behind you bitching about why it is taking so long!

Anyway, a old fellow jumped the queue. He got really nasty when another bloke pointed out that there was a queue. Jesus what an asshole. He must have been 70 years old and invited the much younger fellow outside to settle the discussion. Fuckwit. Good thing he didn't challenge me. I have a black belt in Origami and would have folded him into a paperbag. It was pretty unpleasant.

The food and drinks were great. Portions were enormous but we bravely finished the food so that they don't haveto send it to the refugee camps in Ethiopia.

Back to the Old Water Edge and here are some photos of the place so you know NOT to stay here

The Goldrill Beck river running through Patterdale, alongside the Old Water View

The Riverside Bar

Beer Garden - wholly in the shade in the afternoon which means that it is cold

The inside bar - I just get the feeling they may attract and cater for alcoholics

Tiny dongas

All they want to sell us was Alcohol and chutney and jams

Thats the building situated right on the curve of the road. Our bedroom is facing the road and we get to enjoy the traffic noise

Either no one has moved that paddle board or it is actually the table top

I just want to straighten the pictures. Fuck crooked hangs are so annoying for someone like me with barely controlled OCD

Other merch for sale - not a chance for a sale with us. We wouldn't give them the sweat of our balls if they were dying of thirst in the Nullabor

Pretty bridge

Scotty and Debbie are leaving very early as they want to to do the whole mountain which is the highest point of the Wainwright way. We, the other more sensible ones, have decided to give it a miss. No FOMO here. We will be catching the steamer on Ullswater lake and walk on the flat to Bamton. The mountain walk is 20 km. Our walk is 8 - 9 km. Much more doable.