YIPPEEE... finally!

Okay, so I'll admit it. I'm a big nerd and I love Dawn French. She is a legend, so there.

In the first year of university, I dragged my parents to go and see the fairwell French & Saunders 'Still Alive' tour in London. Yes I'm one of those sad people who actually gets on with my parents and I go out and do stuff with them, Glastonbury 2010/11 included - God I'm cool! It was absolutely hysterical, amazing and everything you can imagine watching those two live, but the problem was, my parents wouldn't let me be a childish fan girl and stick around afterwards to meet the famed duo - I hate it when people still have authority.

Now, after Dear Fatty was released, I geeked out massively and read it in like two days, then of course looked for book signings... I can feel you judging me... please don't!

Anyway I missed the only book signing in opportunity London that was feasible to get to, so I've been dying to make up for the missed opportunity since (this was two years ago by the way)...

I thought I'd found the solution to my nerdy fanatic problem when it was announced good olde Dawn would be at the Cheltenham Literature Festival this year... but no. Of course that IS the weekend my Nan is celebrating her 60th birthday and I have to play the dutiful granddaughter and go home. Cracking.

But alas, finally, after two years... my inner (and occasionally outer) geek has had her prayers answered. I've bullied my fab mother into coming to London with me to go and see Dawn French talk about her new book and first novel, A Tiny Bit Marvelous, as well as a book signing afterwards, HEAVEN!

I don't care what you think... I know I'm cool.

The Coffin Route

Climbing up through the Cumbrian hills is something I have a great fondness for, the views along the way are truly spectacular, especially in autumn when the most beautiful array of colours sweep across the valleys.

The Coffin Route is about an eight-mile round trip from Ambleside to Grasmere and back. The walk offers amazing views of both Rydal water and Grasmere Lake. Even with low cloud, the misty atmosphere adds something special to the trail.

Although the ‘Coffin Route’ may suggest killer climbs and tough terrain, it couldn’t be further from the truth. Up until about 1821 the trail was used to carry coffins from Ambleside to Grasmere, allowing people to be buried in St. Oswald’s church, as there were no graveyards in Ambleside itself. The land is relatively flatIt is also the final resting place of English poet William Wordsworth. (Note: It is well worth visiting Wordsworth’s house, Dove Cottage, on your travels. For more information about parking and admission prices click here).

The land is relatively flat, there is a small amount of strenuous climbing but nothing my 60-year-old granddad couldn’t manage, and can just be a very pleasant Sunday afternoon stroll. There are large flat stones placed along the way for the coffin bearers to rest on, they would prop the casket up on the stone and rest before continuing along the route. So if you’re feeling particularly warn out, there is a rest point every mile or so where you can sit and soak in the unique landscape.

There are plenty of cafés and pubs on route, including the Rydal Hall Tea Room, which serves scones with clotted cream, and not to mention the most amazing raspberry jam you’ll ever taste! A pot of tea costs just £1.20 in the quaint self-contained retirement village – IMPORTANT this is not to be taken lightly. It makes about 3 cups so make sure you pop to the loo before you set off again, because it’s a good hour and a half before you reach Grasmere.

Once you arrive in Grasmere (home of the famous Grasmere Gingerbread), the village is littered with pubs and cafés for lunch. The Lamb Inn is particularly good for a delicious jacket potato, especially if it’s on the chilly side. They also serve a selection of guest ales, you can eat and drink for around £7 p/p.

On the second leg of the journey, the track drops down to the shore of Grasmere Lake, which has been a hotspot for painters over the years. Just a little further along the trail holds ‘Rydal Cave’, an old slate mine that has now been cordoned off due to a series of roof collapses. At one point you could walk inside these majestic man made quarries, and see the beautiful slate that was collected to make the trademark Cumbrian houses. However visitors now have to settle with the murky blue water and slight glimpses into the cave.

There is a bit of a steep decent after the caves, but then it levels out leaving a brisk walk along some duckboards back into Ambleside. It is a lovely way to spend an afternoon and highly recommended.

Grasmere Lake 2010

For more information on this walk and other walks in Englands majestic Lake District, visit golakes.co.uk.

Glastonbury 2011 - You better be worth the hassle!

I feel genuinely distraught and angry for the people who failed to get Glastonbury 2011 tickets yesterday. It was a complete disaster! Five-long-hard-hours it took 5 of us (all with at least one computer and one phone going each, sometimes even two) to get through to SeeTickets. In the end I was the only one so booked all five, but there were just so many people who didn't make it through.

It really was disgracefully handled this year, understandably SeeTickets has to deal with a massive amount of avid festival goers hammering on their website door at 9am sharp, however if you know this is going to happen, and it's getting worse every year, surely it is time to step up and recognise the problem?

Thousands of people were left disappointed and the 137, 000 tickets in just over five hours, some didn't even get to see the booking page! Fingers crossed for the resale in March/April!