The weather has come up trumps for our local Village Social Club Sumner outing. 

The Loweswater 77 Club (started in 1977 ... not our average ages ! )

have hired a coach to take us to two venues across the other side of the Lakes District for a day out to remember.

The assembled group, made up of neighbours and friends from Loweswater and the surrounding area.

A big thank you to John (behind Ann with the shoulder bag) for organising us on the day

and to Yvette from Buttermere who planned the trip but unfortunately couldn't make it on the day due to unforeseen circumstances.

Over the hill and far away . . . to Keswick, Dunmail Rise, Ambleside and on to Bowness-on-Windermere.

Our first visit of the day was to the Windermere Jetty Boat Museum.

I've been here before (with the Farmer's trip last year), but there's lots to see and do, so another visit is well worth making.

The first task was to stretch our legs and grab a coffee (or whatever) after our coach journey this fine, hot day.

This is the miniature boating lake next to the Jetty Cafe (out of picture).

There was an intriguing old building which I didn't notice last time.

Coffee on the terrace was overlooking the boating lake and Windermere itself.

A quick turn around it seemed, as our talk about boat conservation was schedules for 11.30.

However there was still time for a boat trip out onto the lake before we looked around the museum.

The steam driven boat was sadly not available today as it was in for repair,

so we had a trip out on The Penelope, a beautiful 1930's timber launch, diesel powered and built 90 years ago for Windermere cruising.

The lake is busy at this point and our host the skipper was kept busy,

pointing out hazards and leisure craft of all type to his helmsman.

His job was to navigate the narrow waters around this part of the lake.

At the mid section of the lake there are many hidden and not so hidden rocks and shallows, here marked by red buoys.

The pier at Bowness, normally just seen as small white booking offices and jetties, when passing by along the road.

The big hotel on the raised ground stood out for us today, as usually when you are there you look in the direction of the lake.

The boat passed close to Belle Isle, the only inhabited island on the lake.

Another reef, and if you look closely there's a wreck of a sailing cruiser

that broke its moorings and sunk during Storm Arwen a year or so back.

The two islands ahead are called the Lillies of the Valley, as plants of the same name were found on them.

Between the gap between the islands and Belle Isle on the right, is Yoke and Ill Bell and the high fells leading up to Thornthwaite Crag.

One of the Windermere Steamers heading down the lake as we head back to The Jetty.

Inside the next Boat Shed is the heritage display, with so many classic boats and items on display.

They reflect the history of the last 200 years or so of boating (and flying) on the lake.

The museum also has many audio/visual displays highlighting the local residents and users of the lake . . .

. . . and of the many vessels, large and small that have graced the waters over time.

A model of "The Raven", a cargo vessel that used to ply the lake in the days when road transport wasn't as easy as it is today.

Outside . . . there's the actual Raven boat, safely stored and slowly undergoing restoration.

The basic iron hull, looking low and sleek, sits outside the main building as it too awaits full restoration.

- - - o o o - - -

I can see a group gathering by the Restoration Workshops . . . must be 11.30 and time for the talk.

Our group, plus other visitors, gather by the boat builder's workshop.

The talk was given by Stephen Beresford, head conservator and boat builder extraordinaire.

He answered questions about the different boat building styles and gave a very interesting explanation

about how one decides what to conserve and what not too,

based on the historic importance of the boat and the extent of renovation it would entail.

For your visit you are offered a rather different and very practical laminated house guide.

. . . the reverse of which gave lots of detail about the house and its design.

(Click here for an oversize picture if you wish to read the detail)

The house is even more impressive once you step into the family rooms . . . This is the Main Hall.

	- - - o o o - -   One of the pictures is of a tree house that Baillie Scott did the interior design work for Princess Marie of Romania.   - - - o o o - - -

The Shand Kydd Peacock Wallpaper, to all intents and purposes looking like a mosaic.

The view from the Minstrel Gallery.

Baillie Scott's original design . . .	. . . modified of course by the family over the years.

Though the house has central heating, each major room has a feature fireplace adding a focal point to the space.

	- - - o o o - - - Some of the furniture are original Scott pieces often identified by the harebell designs on the wood carvings or wallpaper. In this room the wall decorations are painted onto a simple hessian background cloth.   - - - o o o - - -

The main lounge offers fantastic views over the gardens and the lake, with the Coniston Fells away in the distance.

	- - - o o o - - -   The room is unusual and quite striking in design.   The wood paneling, the block ceiling and most of the features have been decorated in a soft white colour giving the room quite a different look and feel to the other rooms of the house.   The chair was another Baillie Scott design and was available by mail-order in its day.   - - - o o o - - -

The house was used as a School during the war years, when the ladies of Huyton College Liverpool were evacuated to the house.

Ice skates, presumably from the time of the school photos.	The head teacher was a Miss Murphy, after whom the room was named.

The upstairs bedrooms were plain as befits the Art & Craft concept and accessories included local craftsman pieces, like this embossed metal candle holder from the Keswick School of Industrial Art. - - - o o o - - -

The main facade of the house, as seen from the front garden.

The house was never really modernised and so retained the original features far longer than other houses around the area.

After the school closed in the 1950's it was used as office space for a conservation charity and so hardly changed over all those years.

This classic 20th Century House and the new Windermere Jetty Boat Museum are both owned and managed by Lakeland Arts

- - - o o o - - -

Visit over, it was time to return home via Bowness, Waterside and Grasmere of course.

A big thanks to the 77 Club of Loweswater and to Kevin our driver from EllenVale Coach Company.