Birthday walk

For all my complaining about some of the people in the team, there are some who I really like and have a lot of time for, one is Pip.

When she joined she was really quiet and withdrawn, it took I while for her to share that she'd just lost her Dad to cancer.

Since then she comes and goes with skating but everyone loves her; she's so positive and full if life.  She's set herself the challenge of raising money for cancer charities, and done some brilliant events.

This week was her 30th birthday and she decided she'd like to go for a walk in the Peaks, Padley Gorge to be precise.

John and I went along with the group of rollergirls, rollerboys and other friends.

Various kids of friends came alone and John quickly scooped them off and took them geocaching whilst the rest of walked and chatted.

At the National Trust visitors centre I bought Pip a pencil and the list the organisation have published if things kids should have done before they are 11 3/4 - basically outdoor activities such as climb a tree, skim a stone, pick a wild blackberry, wild camp ....Although she's done many in the previous 30 years, she's going to try to do the whole lot again before she's 31!

One thing that wasn't on the list was 'encounter a cow'. We were sitting having a rest after a long climb, Nick and Caroline were changing Indy's nappy, when two cows and a bull wandered along the path - bloody hell they a big creatures!!

So nice to do something relaxing with a group of friends, I really enjoyed myself. I even amazed myself by being able to vault over a five bar gate like I could when I was a teenager!