Many of us from the North West Translators’ Network are from around the globe but have chosen to live in the UK for the time being. The question is: why? The answer might be endless optimism against all odds.
Excited to slip into our walking gear and enjoy a lovely summer stroll through Hollingworth Lake Country Park, we were faced with the rainy and windy weather that is the UK’s reality. We started and finished our approx. 2.5 hour journey from the Visitor Centre in Littleborough. Mike Hanson had advised to ‘bring sun cream, a hat and plenty of water if it’s hot’ (expectation), yet, as it turned out, smart hikers brought along a hooded raincoat and sturdy, waterproof shoes (reality). Later on, Mike also kindly pointed out a lovely clearing in the forest; his usual ‘summery spot to picnic in the shade on a scorching day’. We did enjoy our picnic there and the cover provided by the surrounding trees, even more so because it shielded us from the rain rather than the nonexistent sun, however. Nevertheless, the members that did show up on that muggy and muddy Saturday afternoon were in for a treat regardless of the wetness. After having extracted our adorable mascot Ralph, the German dog, from his mud bath, our tour guide Mike pointed out noteworthy historic sites and lead us up and down hills, over fences and right past an array of wildlife: sheep and cows and llamas – oh my! Special guests amongst the hikers included the ‘quickmud’ fan (because mud is better for your skin than sand) Ralph the dog as well as an adorable baby that certainly brightened up the group by being the source of laughter and smiles all around. By the time we returned from our dripping adventure, we were soaked but happy and felt like we had certainly achieved something. After all, with the brain-heavy work we do day in and day out, we should never forget the importance of being physically active to keep our bodies and minds in shape. See you at next year’s ‘summer’ walk!
NWTN’s 2020 Summer Walk will be held on Sunday 5 July – registration will open soon!
Written by Roxane Hugues & Belinda Fischer
