Present : Derek Seddon, lain McCallum, Brian Taylor, Lester Payne, Margaret Baldock, Al Metelko, Linda Crossley, Dave Whittingham, Dave Shotton, Dave Sumerfield (and Beth), John Castick, Joanne Castick, Richard Bloxham, Alan (Liv) Jones, Frank Williams, Margaret Williams, (and including Keith and Sue Williams at the Eagle's Head).

Guests : Jane Jackson, Hamelat Rajput.

The weather forecast was good and the day dawned with a crisp frost in the Grizedale valley. The turnout was gratifying and we set out to cover a selected route round the valley in an anti-clockwise direction, one which was nominally 12 miles, including diversions to sculptures.

The forest is a Forestry Commission working forest and so neither trees nor sculptures are to be thought of as permanent. So some vital or amusing pieces have already mouldered away or had their forest context removed by felling. The Commission, through the Grizedale Society, awards residency grants to a variety of sculptors and artists to produce in-context work. This has been going on since 1977 so there are many works dotted around the forest.

Highlights included "Between Elephants", "Woman of the Water" (Bean ant-Visce) and "Private Meeting" in the south-west, "Stream Tension Structure" in the Farra Grain Gill, "Habitat" to the east of Satterthwaite, "Taking a Wall for a Walk" and the witty "Only One Fish Left" followed by "Some Fern" and lastly but not least "Omphalos" on the northern part of the Silurian Trail. We approached "Omphalos" (Navel or Centre of the Earth) through thick forest in almost total darkness, its form like a faint looming ovoid seen vaguely in the trees. Discovering the small entrance, practically the whole meet inserted themselves inside, with mystical thoughts that, Tardis-like, we would disappear into space/time. Or, more prosaically, roll down the slope. A few didn't venture in but were entertained by the mumbly "rhubarb" coming from within.

A call at The Eagle's Head at Satterthwaite allowed us to meet Keith and Sue Williams and to join them for a post prandial pint.

Many were the interpretations of the work, surely the sculptors would have been delighted at the variety of meanings attributed by so many individuals. We marvelled at the beauty of branch patterns, since we were encouraged to be more observant by our search for sculptures. Our resident ophthalmologist recommended standing looking up beneath the trees with awareness of our peripheral vision and blinking rapidly to achieve a maximum aesthetic effect!

Anyway, we visited, stroked, felt or just looked at more than forty sculptures - quite a day, and I don't think anyone suffered from cultural indigestion. Many thanks for your support and your cheerful enthusiasm for the day.

Meet at 9.15am for 9.30 start. Car Park at the Grizedale Forest Visitor Centre. South from Hawkshead. (GR 335 945 on the SE lakes 1:25000 sheet).

There's a route of about ten miles called the Silurian Way round the Grizedale Forest, calling at the Eagle's Head at Satterthwaite at mid-day could make it a twelve miler depending on the weather.

The Sculpture Project was established in 1977 and sculptors-in-residence have been producing work in the forest since then. The works include the impressive "Sidewinder " and "Taking a wall for a walk" by Andy Goldsworthy, the "Stone Forest" by Kimio Tsuchiya, and Emma Posey's "Omphalos" all of which have to be searched for in the forest. There must be some fifty sculptures or more on the trail. It all makes a walk with a difference. Wildlife includes red deer, roe deer, foxes, badgers, red squirrels, polecat and possibly pine marten. Lots of bird life can also be observed from the hides.

At the end, hopefully around 3.30pm, the centre café is open for the refreshing pot of tea, cream cakes and/or toasted teacakes. The perfect walk for a wild and wet January day, or even a crisp sunny freezing cold icy day ---- be there and be coooool for a great walk early in the millenium.