It sounds wonderful, Nigel, and as I imagined. Your words already paint a vivid picture. I'm just sorry I was unable to travel up to take my place on the event and experience it in person.

The Grasmere Fells and Tarns. It was a truly wonderful day with the panoramic scenery at its very best in the sunshine. The impressive fells, ridges and summits were bright orange brown still with brilliant white snow patches in contrast to the rich verdant valleys and the azure lakes and tarns. Magical! Words can not do it justice it had to be seen to be believed. Twenty miles does not sound a lot but with around 6500 ft of ascent in the heat in the Lake District it was ample. There were shorter options of 13 & 9 miles to suit all abilities still affording the magical panoramas. There was one well appointed checkpoint visited by all routes with an array of sandwiches, cakes, flapjack hot and cold drinks etc. Other checkpoints were on Fairfield, Easedale Tarn and Silver How.
With the usual excellent route description, map, masses of free parking next to the venue, baked potatoes with choice of fillings and rice pudding a fruit and seconds available; Morecambe Bay and Bowland proved yet again they certainly know how to put on a walk! There was even free gingerbread from the Gingerbread Shop in Grasmere the only outlet for it in the country in with the £8.50 bargain entry fee, plus the option to enter entirely on the internet.

Many thanks, Nigel