Exciting times

There’s a field of buttercups at the bottom of our garden - this taken in the rain from the house. So, yes we have had quite a bit of rain this afternoon. Not that it worries us at this time of year, as it means there are fewer horses and traps racing through the village at all times of the day and night.

Yesterday was our village book group and as I wandered down to the village hall there was quite a gathering of horse and traps outside the pub. It’s the way many of the visitors get to the pub from Appleby - I am not sure whether it is legal to drive a horse when drunk!

During our meeting we heard a few police cars, which is unusual at any other time of the year, but is not unusual during the two weeks of the Appleby Fair. For 50 weeks of the year we never see a police car in the village, but then for the Fair just about every police vehicle in Cumbria is sent to Appleby to keep the peace and they are often wandering through the village.

Then we also heard a helicopter and wondered what was going on. One of our group said that sounds to be quite near. But we continued with our chat in our little room. 

When we came out later we were amazed to find four police vans, two police cars, an ambulance and a response vehicle. All gathered around the village green. Police everywhere. Then we turned round and saw the helicopter in the field next to the village hall. That was a surprise. 

So what had happened? Some major conflict perhaps. No! It was a case of a cardiac arrest outside the pub and the patient being transferred to hospital by helicopter. So why all the police - we were told that so little was going on in Appleby that all the vehicles decided to attend to the only event in the area . . . they had nothing better to do apparently. 

And ours is such a quiet village!