England oh England

Hi, hope you are well today <3

Do you fancy a little piccy trip with me around rural England? (Completely stole this idea of the gorgeously brilliant LyndsayBobs Bowes @LyndsayBowes in Nova Scotia, as thoroughly enjoy the different landscapes and life that we can escape in to when someone else is doing the tour and you're invited to tag along on Steemit and suck up that country air!) #walkwithme

This is where we start our journey, by saying "goodbye" to my Edwardian House, built at the turn of last century, and 'does what it says on the tin', i.e. it's snuggly in winter and amply cool in summer and thankfully not the other way around. :)

Sheffield, where I live, is famous worldwide for the steel industry, most of which has since shut down or moved on. But the part that I like the most about this wonderful city, is the fact that despite it being a thriving hub of industry, including a brilliant music industry, it has the best of both the urban buzz and the rural retreat finesse.

My house is five minutes from the beautiful vistas of the Derbyshire Peak District and Limb Valley is where we are headed today, because it's sunny for a change, and time to breathe in that GOODASS PRANA. Yh boi lol.

This tree-lined scene is very common in Sheffield, South Yorkshire. In fact, sadly the city has hit the news on a global scale recently due to the controversy over the Council's decision to fell 30,000 trees to repair the road and pavements. The locals have been outraged as they are fond of the beautiful old trees and the gnarly roots that meddle with curbs and paved access. Many think that the council's priority should be to preserve nature and work around it. I have to say I agree completely - but unfortunately the councillors don't! For more information on that go here: https://savesheffieldtrees.org.uk/

Football fans are everywhere this week, as England were playing this weekend. The way these flags flank either side of the car makes them look like the horns of the beast - nationalism, something I understand but believe is the root of many tensions in this world. Anyway... I digress!!

We are headed up hill past a few farms to get to the top, where I shall share the wicked panoramas. This is about 2km from our house on the main road out to Derbyshire. You can't see it, but behind the trees there is a weird fake pine tree with massive aerials. Assume the landowner (farmer) got paid a handsome sum for it's installation on the edge of the grazing field, however not so sure that the neighbours would celebrate its arrival.

Trekking further uphill we pass some whopping big farms, but perhaps not by American, Australian or Canadian standards! Cosy by comparison I guess. [I was being watched by the CCTV when snapping this pic, so a little self conscious. Must show the homeowners STEEMIT so they don't see me as suspect].

Walking up the pathway here now until we get higher up to where you start to be blown away, not just by the prevailing winds today which are a bit noisy on my footage of cows you'll see in a second, but by the incredible views of my hometown from this spot just here. Love, love, LOVE.

The air is so clean here due to being on the edge of the city and no big industry locally, except the occasional noxious fumes from the local working farms and stables nearby. As a result, lichen grows - in vivid colours too. Looks like graff on the dry stone walls. It's good to see and I hope it sticks around a long while, as sometimes there are ominous trails in the sky, all perfectly gridded and a cloud covering follows within minutes... But not today Satan.

I was shocked to see how many ancient monuments there are dotted around the countryside here. I must dig out the map that depicted many of them just randomly located in farmer's fields and not obviously ancient as kept secret from the public so as not to attract more wayfarers on the land. However, I did catch a glimpse of one huge stone that appears to be an anomaly by the roadside on Long Line, (a very straight road, but not sure if Roman). However, the main countryside road called RINGINGLOW ROAD is a Roman Road ~ the bloodthirsty battle-crazy garrison-riddled Roman Empire's legacy lives on!! Mehs, murderous bar stewards.

-- That stone above is actually huge, so this pic does not do it any justice at all.

OK, we are at the top of the hill now and are at the half way point, the return journey back starts from here. Roughly 5.5km from home. Had to feature some of the locals around here, so check out these bad boys taking it easy.

My favourite house in the whole of Sheffield is this one! It has the best views too, lucky people. At this point I want to be wearing a dress and a pinny and spinning to the hills are alive with the sound of music, but its my agent's day off. :)

Whoever does the gardens in this property should feature their work in the Chelsea Flower Show, another famous Blighty annual event. 'Well-being' is a focus this year, which is great, especially as I know many of you guys enjoy time outdoors reaping the benefits of homegrown produce, tending to the chickens, bees or just chilling in the garden amongst the flora and fauna.

You tend to find that front gardens in the UK are rather conservative and dressed-up (designer or not), and any food produce grown is done on rented allotments nearby, or around in the back garden instead, subtle. So it's not all pomp & show as I've heard that some mofos think is the case in contemporary English gardens, haha - unless you're Royalty of course, then it's the whole caboodle and regalia display!

A milestone. Just coz. We don't need to walk in to town though, as my house is in the suburbs, which is a relatively boring part where lots of old people live and their sleepy hounds and twittering budgies. Handy for the park and shops ~ so momma priorities rule. But I do miss London, where I spent most of my adult life... Visiting makes up for that.

Back down the hill and past the Round House, which I am sure you can guess how it got it's name? Right opposite the public house too, not an ideal location. They do say that you only ever live near a pub once in your life and this Round House does exchange hands every five years it seems. It was originally a toll house in c1778, but now some family lives there.

Even looked at buying it ourselves but I think it's more suited for small people as there is no room to "swing a cat", which is a mad and cruel English saying and arrest-worthy indeed! Some UK Statutory legislation will no doubt cover cat-swinging with a £1,000 fine at the very least, for sure. Probably a Tory hobby actually - along with fox hunting, game shooting and spitting on the homeless, when not buying more itchy tweed or getting caught cottaging in Bloomsbury. Forgive me, a small rant infiltrated out of nowhere, must be home time soon. ;)

Another old property near the round house. Lovely, but opposite the pub - so a no-no. Now we head back downhill, homeward bound at last.

Here is the pub, which I remember going to as a nipper and being subjected to jazz music with my dad pursuing his Friday night JAZZ FIX. I was more entertained by the elated down syndrome kid who used to conduct the band at what seemed like a hundred miles per hour to me, and with the cutest smile on his face haha, happy days in amongst the madness of middle England. 'The Good Life' (look it up - great TV sitcom).

Almost done now, but first here is a snap of a farm that sells fresh produce, including plucked turkeys in the winter. Never been there yet as it's always in a right state as we say here, which means a fekkin mess. Drive looks all clean, but just round the corner the pastoral crap pile lays in wait. Scared not to injure myself on the random sharp farm machinery left lying in the yard. In fact, it might be a trap for trespassers... These farmers are so bored ploughing the fields all day, scattering their seeds and shearing the sheep, that they may be wanton murderers, out for some fresh kill. Oh Jeez, I swear I am not tripping - just high on life and, as mentioned before, that; GOODASS PRANA.........

Hope you enjoyed a spot of English country tripping and catch you soon, assuming I didn't shop for potatoes and eggs at that local farm.

We just did 10k, well done. Love and light bites. x