Karen Wright: Successful trip in heart of idyllic countryside

The main one was we were guests at a family member's wedding and the second was we needed to test run the motorhome that we will be using for our upcoming European cooking tour. It could not have worked out any better than it did.

We arrived in the Lakes to find the whole district bathed in blue skies and sunshine. The motorhome behaved well, and I was able to get acquainted with how things operated and where I was going to store my things.

The day before the wedding we went for a walk around the village. Out of the campsite we took a very small lane and walked by the ancient church with rows of beautifully kept gravestones which were all made from the local slate.

We took a turn down the side of a field full of Herdwick sheep and their fat bouncy lambs. We crossed then to the road that would take us to the village shop.

I took a photo opportunity and posed with what I thought was an old signpost. The village shop was quaint, just a small hut but packed full of beautiful locally sourced organic produce.

I had wanted mushrooms, but they didn’t have any, however I bought a lovely freshly baked loaf, a couple of homemade sausage rolls, a postcard, some bacon and a bottle of brown sauce - bacon butties for brunch!

Further along the road I was hailed by a lady who had a dog on a leash in one hand and a big dog bed under her other arm.

She introduced herself as Ann, formerly from London but had been retired to the Lake District for 20 years. She didn’t explain why she had a dog bed with her, nor did I ask but I assume as her dog was 16 and blind it may need a mid-walk rest! Ann filled me in on all the goings on in the village and also pointed me in the direction of a better signpost, an older one that had been restored, off we went and took another photograph.

Our walk complete we settled down and enjoyed our fresh bacon brunch. It really is a beautiful part of the world and I would highly recommend people take a trip to the Lake District. It is especially good if you enjoy a nice walk in the countryside or perhaps fancy taking a boat or a canoe out onto one of the many lakes.