Smithy Hut Meet; January 26th-28th 2018 Meet Report

A sociable and enjoyable hut meet.
Some had arrived in time for a walk on the Friday and by mid evening eleven of us had assembled in the hut.
Saturday had its share of rain and was especially wet on the ground. We all set out (at different times) to Keswick by bus  having avoided the mass demonstration against the proposed Zip Wire. A select few walked from Keswick via Ashness bridge and Watendlath to come back to the hut over High Tove (only as boggy as expected) by soon after 3pm. The other walk left Keswick after retail possibilities and pies were exhausted. We walked back to the hut via Friars Crag, Castlerigg Stone Circle and some of the finest mud experienced for some time. This was exhaustingly slow and provided the time window for the people on the other walk to slave away and peel and chop many kilograms of carrots, swede and potatoes. A valiant effort.
The Burns Super went to plan. The Selkirk Grace; Cock a Leakie Soup; Piping in the Haggis to be addressed by Pete; Plates as full of tatties, neaps and haggis as could be consumed; a monumental Marmalade and Whiskey bread and butter pudding by Barbara; toasts to the haggis, chef, pipers, The Immortal Memory of Burns, the Lassies and as many other toasts as could be fitted between the poetry.
Sunday was not an encouraging day but the option of more plates of haggis and then pudding persuaded most to go for a lakeside walk out with a hillside return.
Those members not able to attend should try hard to attend next year. The Whiskey and marmalade pudding made the bogs, mud and poetry all worthwhile. It is better not to let ones thoughts dwell on the fact that Dick liked wearing a rug pretending to be a kilt. Not a pretty sight.

Please add any suitable photos you may have. That probably rules out the rug/kilt in case children look at the website.