INGLETON, NORTH YORKSHIRE 1994

EXTRACT FROM THE INVITATION SENT TO EACH PIKE
From the Pikehand Archive
Dear Fellow Pike,
THE WEEKEND - 17^th/20^th
      This is a preliminary letter - but do not expect another one. This letter contains vital information of a vitally informative matter informing you with vitality. Try to read it. (That's only fair as Bob tried to write it.)
      Your Pike Organisers for this year's retreat have now put the final edges to their trimmings and touched up their glossings and are prepared to divulge the following information to you alone.
ACCOMMODATION: You will be staying in a converted barn near Ingleton in Yorkshire.
The address is:- Twistleton Near Barn
Twistleton
Ingleton

      The accommodation is about 1¹/₂ miles from the centre of Ingleton in a tiny hamlet. There are five bedrooms - four twins and one double (I'm taking bribes for the double) - all with en suite facilties. All bedding is provided. You can expect to to be well bedded this weekend. For your information I include the following extract from the accommodation brochure: PLEASE DO NOT FLUSH PAINT REMOVER OR DISPOSABLE NAPPIES DOWN THE TOILET - NORMAL LESS BULKY SANITARY ITEMS MAY BE SAFELY FLUSHED AWAY.
      MEETING POINT: There is no access until 5.00pm on the Thursday. Bob and I will be there from 5.00pm until about 7.00pm when we will disappear down to the Craven Heifer P.H. Pikes arriving after 7.00pm should go straight to the Craven Heifer. See map below.

Bob and Ray were organisers. Also attending were Alan, Bryan, Gra, Jeff, Neil, Nick.C, Paul and Pete. Our digs was a stone ex-farm building surrounded by a dry stone wall. It was situated high above the town and would have been hard to find. On the outskirts of the town at the end/beginning of a mountain trail stood a pub serving hearty meals. What made it even more attractive from a Piking viewpoint was a bar sporting sixteen real ale hand pulls. We met supped and ate there before, in mountainous convoy, we drove up the rocky tracks to our digs. It is cold in them thar hills. The stone floors were painfully cold on bare feet which made visiting the loo at night an excruciating wakeful experience.

Whilst we filled our tankards and prepared bread and cheese we were shown part of a video of things we were to look out for. A Pike who correctly identified something from the video gained personal points. Partial video clips were shown strategically throughout the weekend. Unknown to Pikes some scenes shown were deliberately excluded from an actual visit. Oganisers can be cruel as well as, "Always Right." Ray and Bob were inundated with real and fictitious sightings.

A common feature of Piking is that within the invitation there is often a list of items to bring with you. This year was no different. Their equipment had to include some string, stick, elastic, nails and several other items. After breakfast on Friday the first of the Pot Holing tasks was to be undertaken. Teams were each given a set of rules to be strictly adhere to. A number of metal pots were provided by the organisers along with some longish clout nails (because Pike have the ability to interpret things somewhat differently or simply be Bloody Minded), safety goggles and a club hammer.safety The object was that each Pike had to drive a nail through a pot using the hammer. However he was only permitted to hold the hammer. Neither was another Pike allowed to help in any way. Ingenuity leapt into their minds with sudden recollection of their equipment. Each Pike soon recovered his potatoe. He donned his safety goggles, picked up a hammer and hopefully struck his nail. There were numerous weak or missed strikes before all pikes had completed the task. The advantage of the task so early in the weekend is it focused Pike minds. From then on each Pike ensured he had most of the equipment he'd brought with him.

It started to rain so those Pikes who had paid attention to instructions were prepared. Properly clad and made aware that we were going Bungee Jumping we followed Ray who was bearing a large coil of rope we walked to the waterfall route. From the high lake into which a waterfall roared we began our journey down the raging water way. At a convenient bridge we began to get ready for the jumps. Bungee Jumps were oraganised into teams of two. From the equipment they'd brought with them the teams used their string and elastic to pepare their bungee. Their potato was to be the jumper. Each team were to launch their potatoe from the bridge hand rail towards the torrent below. It was to spring back without plunging into the water. The closer it got to the water without getting wet the higher the points it could score. So testing began. Some Pikes thought that by measuring the string down they would get their jumper nearer to the water than other teams. Teams attempting this approach found that their potato tore itself free with the sudden stop and disappeared into the torrent. So all teams arranged their bungees with both string and elastic. One potato was given the name, "Curly." It won points along with another labelled, "Instant Smash!" Other teams failed to score as they were not named. Various launches and length adjustments made until each team had succeeded in the task with differing accuracy. All pikes then continued the journey down the racing water to the town below. At that point the teams were given a photograph and tasked with finding the pub.activity. They had to acquaint the bar keeper with the knowledge that they knew the man who had ordered his beer to be pulled without a swirler. "In Yorshire???" They could enjoy a swirler pint and return to a pre-arranged venue for another pint of lunch. Tipical of the area muddy boots and wet gear was left in the porch. We fed and drank generously before setting off at a fast pace to the next activity. Pikes were not advised what.

After about a two mile trek on the road leading towards the local peak we reached our destination. Peeved pooped Pikes were to begin their second Pot Holing activity. We ventured into, "White Scare Caves." It was quite a tight journey for the bigger Pikes requiring some crouching to avoid denting their hard hats and squeezing through at some parts. Pete was not impressed. Public access to a cavern that had not been available before had recently been completed. A convenient mined tunnel now traversed to a new gallery for which Pete was grateful. All the stalactites and stalacmites were beyond the reach of souvenir hunters and were beautiful in the lighting. It was spectacular and incredibly there were some ancient foot prints in the silt possibly from a human thousands of years previous. Later extricating the Pike was equally challenging for some. Once more in the open our map showed that there was a relatively shorter route back to our digs but we would have to cross the raging river. Daunting though the fearful river crossing appeared and the continuing rain meant it was decision time for Pikes! To take that challenging route or the long way back. The shorter route was chosen despite the risks. About half way we came to the rampant torrent. Stepping stones that were over topped with fast water was the immediate option. None felt confidence in their sure footedness but falteringly crossed without mishap. We all welcomed hot showers and dry clothes even if the stone floors were cold. We were expecting taxis to town to eat and drink so there was no time to dawdle.

Where practical we used the infrequent bus services. One such trip was to Settle, where a treasure hunt had been arranged for both the "A Teams." These are the numbered clues with the points score in braces and the answers in brackets for each.

1. Which old butchers are a mess? {2} (Shambles)
2. What is the date on the pole's plaque? {15} (84)
3. This antique dealer is in no hurry. {4} (Thistle)
4. What colour is the mist? {3} (Purple)
5. Which shop does not reflect the town's view? {3} (Country Scene)
6. Who won the 1990 shop window display trophy? {1} (Hodgen)
7. Who founded the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to children? (PS No-one knows "why") {3} (Rev. Ron Waugh)
8. What value these antiques? {4} (Precious)
9. How many more are needed to make up 39? {6} (22)
10. Do they make tea or beer here? {2} (The Brew House)
11. Where do you go toget rudely touched up? {2} (Blue Goose)
12. The corner shop's world. {4} (Ice Cream)
13. Find in holy Assention Churchyard the master of the National School, Giggleswick for 27 years. BONUS POINTS for any team that can name the occupant two stones to the right (as you face them). {8 + 12 Bonus} (W.J. Paley)
14. Wich company owns PGW 288L? {3} (Sowerbys)
15. At the grinding of the dividing waters what is the fine for for mixing your warp ends with your weft pullings? (If you're ar the entrance you're way out) {12} (2D)
16. For bridge players the number's 11. What did the far one used to be? {4} (10)
17. Langcliffe is 75%. What is Stainsforth? {3} (250%)
18. Which number rings this bell? {2} (07292 823296)
19. What costs £200? {4} (Fine for trespass)
20. The year of the oldest snake on Pole 463501 {6} (1954)

One clue was at the top of a steep climb to a vantage point. Quite a breathless experience. Later it was a close call to catch the last bus to Ingleton as we needed to get spick and span.

Our transportation for the evening was soon expected taking us to and from this Restaurant for our annual dinner. We were unaware if there was any significance in the name. We were aware though that there are Shepherds as well as Goatherds presumably leading lonely lives and possibly indulging mutual in activities with their flocks. Great meals menu, good Yorkshire beer, a quality wine list and good company. How do we manage to excel at this every year?

1994 Slideshow
See Group Photo

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