Fisher's Favourites - Christine

Our 7th Fisher's Favourite is staff member Christine Bland.

Christine is one of our boot fitters and has been with us for over 24 years. An accomplished runner and keen long distance walker Christine has ran many of the local fell races, completed Land's end to John O'Groats in 46 days on foot, and explored all over the UK, but one place in particular captures her attention most:

"Skiddaw is Keswick's very own mountain, our school anthem was Assurgit Skidda Stabilis. We see him looking over us every day. Green and bright in the sun, glowing with purple heather late summer, snow capped in winter, and often invisible under cloud and rain.
Skiddaw means a lot to me, he was the start of the Lake District 4 3,000's event and the first mountain of the Bob Graham Round. Over 30 years ago a friend suggested going up once a month, the idea appealed to me and I am still going ( apart from one month missing due to a broken foot! )
It used to take me around 2 hours from our back garden gate.....now it takes 4 or 5. I've been up there in all weather conditions. Enjoying the hot sunshine, wandering around in thick mist, summer nights in moon shadows, seeing New Year in on the top,trampling through thick snow and worst of all crawling along the top in howling wind. I think I've been up every route, but usually just slog up Jenkins Hill and back again.
The best thing of all is the company I've had over the years, dogs and people. Too many different friends to mention, some no longer with us but none forgotten. We've solved so many personal and the world's problems going up and back.
Never let anyone tell you Skiddaw is boring, we are very lucky to have him."

N.B. - From the Keswick school song "Assurgit Skidda stabilis / Mons nunquam non durabilis." Loosely translated is "even on a wet day, Skiddaw is always there for us"


We'd love to hear your stories too!
Learn more about our month of celebrations and competitions, and how to get involved here:
https://www.georgefisher.co.uk/news/2017-08-15-celebrate-with-us-enter-our-60th-anniversary-competitions/

 - Victoria