Picture Postcard Furness

Ulverston and the Coniston fells


Sunset from Sandscale haws


Sunset in Ulverston


The Isle of Man

How lucky are we here in 'Postcard' Furness?
Yesterday I sat at Rampside and had another reminder of how lucky I am, to live in an area like this is the dream of many people, and we should all be so aware of what we have around here.

When I was growing up in my native West Yorkshire home, we used to have family holidays to the seaside. We would go to lovely resorts like Morecambe and Blackpool on the west coast, and Scarborough and Bridlington on the east coast, and although I lived in a lovely place, these were quite a contrast to my locality.

Coming from so far inland to the coast was so exiting, we could smell the sea air from over a mile away as we neared our destination, and the sight of Blackpool tower and Scarborough cliffs or the glimmer of the sea brought so much joy to us. The sound of Gulls filled the air; bells and music rang out from children’s rides and the smell of candyfloss and doughnuts from the colourful shops on the sea front teased our taste-buds.

Donkey rides took children out onto the golden sands and tractors pulled trains of people far out to the edge of the awaiting tide. Deckchairs lined the promenade where men wearing knotted handkerchiefs on their heads, hired them for their families, and then sat with their trousers rolled up and ate icecreams while the kids played football, built sandcastles or watched Punch and Judy shows.

So here I was back in the present, looking out over the glimmering sea, and surrounded by tourists who thought, quite rightly, what a wonderful place this is. The nicely painted lifeboat station, Walney lighthouse, Little boats bobbing about on the sea, Blackpool tower standing proudly in the distance and the hills behind Morecambe, reaching back to Ingleton in Yorkshire, all reminding me of my good fortune and wonderful life.

Maybe we do take it for granted, I’m sure we all do, but if we take the time to look around us we will see what an incredible corner of England this is. From the Furness area we can see so many places like:
o Blackpool
o Morecambe
o Black Combe
o Yorkshire
o Skiddaw in Keswick
o Scafell pike in Wasdale
o The Isle of Man
o North Wales

Furness is a beautiful area surrounded by nature reserves and green countryside, it is also dotted with quaint little villages and flanked by two incredibly important estuaries. The views of the Cumbria Mountains are astonishing in the early mornings and at sunset as the colours change by the minute, and the incredible sunsets we get here are undeniably astonishing. Then there are the sounds of Gulls and other birds such as Eider, Oystercatcher, Ringed Plover and the many thousands of wintering wading birds, all this and the sight of Seals bobbing about in the water around the rocky shores all make Furness a place of outstanding beauty.

Next time you see an icecream-eating tourist, taking photos of something you take for granted, look again and think about how lucky you are.


Ulverston


Rampside Lifeboat station and Piel island


Roa island