Bank Holiday Moday - Hike around Stanhope Common etc

Me and Jane decided to go on our Stanhope hike loop yesterday over Stanhope moor. It was lovely and sunny, red hot and very little breeze. It was a tough old slog up through the quarry onto the moor but once on the top it is wide open. We also had a cooler section through the woods next to the stream. It was like steeping out into the oven once we come out of the shade of the woods. We were going to have tiffen at the station café but decided to wait until we went back up to the town centre. The stepping stones were nice and dry with loads of kids / dogs playing in the ford. The queue for the open air pool was massive and nearly back onto the road! Once back at the van I had a change of clothes and then we had a steady walk through the Dales centre and down to the shops. We called in past the pie shop for pies / pasties and Jane bought a hunk of cake. Then it was onto the coop for a box of ice creams and the paper shop for some energy drink. The town was quiet, everyone must have headed for the coast instead! We had a steady drive home after eating dinner and on with a few jobs when we got home.