I spent Penny Day in Lathkilldale - not quite what it sounds! - the Thursday after Easter Sunday is designated Penny Day in the Dale. To maintain the footpath's concessionary status , visitors are charged one penny to walk through. Natural England manage the dale, but the Melbourne estate owns the shooting rights and this means they can continue to use it in the pheasant shooting season. It's a slightly odd combination of interests - nature conservation and shooting, but not uncommon in this part of the world. I used to work for English Nature, who morphed into Natural England. When I left, I wanted to stay involved, so became a White Peak volunteer guide. I help with guided walks and events, and Penny Day is one of my favourites, mainly because of the people you meet and their reactions to it.
It was a glorious day on Thursday - the first real hint of the summer to come. the butterflies were flying, the water was flowing crystal clear and the woodpeckers were pecking. In surroundings like that you wouldn't want to be anywhere else.
In complete contrast, I spent Friday in London - equally enjoyable in a completely different way. A two hour queue outside the Royal Academy for the Van Gogh exhibition - sunshine and people watching whilst catching up with my younger sister, and random good company on the train journey home.
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