The launch of a new book Wainwrights without a car” by a Penrith author Ron Kenyon was held at the King’s Head Inn at Thirlspot, near Keswick, on Friday 7th March.
A group of guests including local councillors and tourism organisations gathered there to celebrate the publication of the book with some having taken the bus to Threlkeld and walked over High Rigg.
The book is based around the climbing of all the Wainwrights in 2023, without use of a car, by members of the local Eden Valley Mountaineering Club. It does however contain much more information to help encourage people to leave their cars and to use public transport not just to get around the Lake District but also to get there from away.
The book contains details of public transport with buses, trains and boats linked to the fells and the valleys around the Lake District. There are personal tales of ascending the Wainwrights in 2023 to give some idea of routes. It also promotes the need to get to know the area, as with any area one goes to, which assists in not only enjoying the area but can help greatly from a safety point of view - be prepared, plan your route and come back safely.
Ron Kenyon, who wrote the book, thanked everyone for going along to the reception and everyone who had been involved with the book - quite a long list of contributors.
He then introduced David Barrie from Stagecoach, the main bus company of the area, who mentioned the importance of promoting the use of the buses. He had brought along the new summer timetable for the Stagecoach buses, which were soon taken up by people in the room.
Emma Moody, Sustainable Transport Officer for the Lake District National Park Authority expanded on this, underlining her job, and the need to look at the use of public transport and that this book falls in line with what she and the National Park want to highlight and promote.
Kate Young from the Wainwright Society looked at the book from the perspective of Alfred Wainwright, who would have mainly used public transport, with buses and trains, when he wrote his Pictorial Guides to the Lake District in the 1950s and ‘60s. He did make use of car travel and interestingly, latterly in his life, he liked to travel by car to avoid being recognised by people when on public transport - as well as famously avoiding people on the fells.
Most of the profits from the book will be given to local causes with 1/3 being given to Fix the Fells, which is the organisation which helps to maintain the footpaths on the Lake District fell. Ironically the books written by Alfred Wainwright helped to get more people onto the fells and have contributed to this problem.
The book has been published by Jagged Lakes Publications and more details are available on the website www.jaggedlakes.co.uk and now available in shops and online.
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