"A LAKELAND MEMORY" This was painted a few years ago, shortly after a long walk in the Lakedistrict. I got to the car park by the quarry on the top of Honister Pass very early one summer's morning .... about 7.00am. The weather was glorious .... not a cloud in the sky! Having climbed up over the back of Fleetwith Pike, (seen in the painting here on the extreme right - dark up against the sky). I passed through the long disused Dubs Quarry where one of the old buildings had been converted into a walker's shelter where you could eat your butties and brew up a cup of tea. There is even a couple of bunk-beds in there!   I pressed on over Green Crag - which looks right down what must be the most beautiful valley in the Lake district with Buttermere and Crummock Water. I proceeded on round the head of the valley to the next ridge, ... not really very far. This is depicted in the painting right across the middle, and is known as "Hay Stacks" - its summit being at the extreme left hand side of the picture ..... my most treasured spot in all the world I think! There's a lovely pool of water not far from the top there, that has no official name, ... but is known as 'Innominate tarn'!   Having spent the best part of an hour here as a 'butty' stop - with liquid refreshment - and total enjoyment of the surroundings, I noticed the increasing 'haziness' and dimness of the sun. I traced my way back from this ridge to join the main path leading to Gable Crag - which was the ultimate 'goal' of my walk. However, the weather seemed to be quickly closing in on me. I had joined a path called Moses Trod, with the intention of making it to the top of Gable, but it was suddenly getting very dark and I realized I could no longer SEE the top of Gable! I abandoned the idea of going up there, and started heading directly back towards Dubs quarry and the Honister pass! I hurriedly put my waterproof coat on, and had just put the hood over my head when I was enveloped in thick mist and assailed with a tremendous down pour of rain! I could see very little around me and I lost all sense of direction; I just had to stop and stand there! I was quite scared, and was hoping and praying that this would not last too long!   Thankfully, it eased off after a few minutes; but a wonderous and unreal sight suddenly appeared before me ..... bright yellow-ochrish patches of light 'suspended' in the mist ahead! It took a minute or so to realize what they were .... distant fell-sides bathed in sunlight! I struggled to get my camera out to take a snap-shot of it, thinking this would make a wonderful painting! I took a picture all right, but I had missed the best of what I had seen .... so rapidly was everything changing! This is the picture I took:
I did the painting some weeks later, using the photograph. I was unable to reproduce the 'wonderous effects' that a saw, but I produced the painting, with some artistic licence. To finish the picture off I thought I would bring some sunshine into the foreground, and add some sheep! Here is also a picture of Dubs quarry. The hut on the right is the one used by walkers; Hay Stacks is dead centre on the skyline with Green Crag just to the left of it.