I park my car in the near Settle Railway Station at 6:05 am ready for the 6:23 train to Carlisle on the Friday morning 30 January. The British Lichen Society (BLS) has a conference each year at the end of January - but usually far away in London or in Edinburgh. Fantastic this time that I can just get on the train and be there in less than two hours.
Will my car be safe till my return? Will the train be running? The station master is in his office 6:10 am!
I chat to the one other person waiting for the train - in the northbound waiting room - he is going to work - to serve in the law courts at Carlisle! The train arrives on time.
I eat my packed breakfast at 6:45. I eat my lunch at 7:45 (yellow label miso salmon salad bowl), just as it is beginning to get light. I am now further west and further north than Settle, so it takes longer to get light.. It is dark, but I remembr former trips on the line with Althea.
I arrive at Carlisle at 8.10.
I explore the big Marks and Spencers, which fortunately opened at 8am. Hmm.. this year's fashion seems to be black, cream, grey and occasionally brown and khaki. Rather subdued colours. Trousers come in every width and length. .. I am sure these can be matched by ancient clothes in my wardrobe.
Almost next door is the hotel where I will be booking into in the evening: The Crown and Mitre. I enter and find Eluned (Pronounced eelinned, or lynn) and several other members of the Lichen Society eating breakfast. I am able to join them for very welcome coffee and a slice of toast. It is a big spacious hotel.
Ever so close, just past the red sandstone Cathedral is Tullie House Museum. The museum is closed to the public for decorating etc, but is open for our conference. I take my "Churchyard Lichen-trail" leaflets to the display room where Eric is starting to assemble the displays.
At 10am we have our "Education and Promotions Committee" meeting - about 8 of us at a board table assembled round a microphone and camera and looking at a big screen where 9th member of the committee, Heather, joins us by Zoom. April chairs the meeting.
Then at 12:15, our meeting over, I return to the display room. More people are arriving. I meet a new member Mike from Lincolnshire, who tells me about the McVities Factory, less than a mile away (Less than half a mile it turns out) where one can buy a huge bag of assorted biscuits for £4:00. But it closes at 4pm he warns.
In the afternoon Council meet. I used to be on Council, and have served my time. But it is great to say hello to some of them. (and have a sandwich) So now I am free to explore Carlisle.
First a glance at the red sandstone wall on the street outside Tullie House. NY39775598 : Caloplaca citrina senso lat, Trapelia coarctata, sheets of Tortula muralis, and somethng I suspect is Acarospora smaragdula. Can I ask one of the experts later to help me confirm it? Enchylium tenax perhaps var ceranoides or var tenax. And Xanthoria parietina on the metal railings.
Tullie House is a grade 1 listed building AND ..The walls, gate and railings in front of the house on Abbey Street are separately Grade I listed
On return from the meeting I see just now that there are NO records at all from the monad containing the gate of Tullie Garden NY3955. So I will enter my records. The rest of the garden is in NY3956 which has one record. You can guess which species that is..
Off I set to the McVities factory. This involved crossing the main road/dual carriage way by a footbridge at the site of the Carlisle city wall, near the Castle. I met Pat Wolsley coming down the steps, going to the meeting.
I buy my biscuits. They turn out to be individual packs of three biscuits - and in date for a year - so will last a long time. On the way back I call in at the Salvation Army Collection point and shop to see if they have any swimming costumes for sale (there is a swimming bath at the hotel) They don't. I ticked off a couple of species on the bridge over the river Caldew. to add to NY3956
This river will shortly join the River Eden in Carlisle. The Caldew I discover starts on the north slope of Skiddaw, and runs near Caldbeck and past Dalston before arriving here. A similar name to the River Calder in south Yorkshire that runs through Hebden Bridge where we held out autumn BLS Field meeting just four months ago.
I check the lichens on the Tullie House garden wall again. And go inside and dump my heavy bags of biscuits. 4pm. Just time to go to "THE BOOKSHOP"
Memories of this bookshop came back to me from the previous AGM held here c 8 years ago. A treasure trove - a labyrinth of underground passages lined from floor to ceiling with.. books.
It is still there.. as enchanting as ever. As they start switching of the lights of closing time I finally settle on two new books - on by One entitled " Gut" updated in 2025 - Lichens are a symbiotic association of algae and fungi. I ama a symbiotic association of my cells and the bacteria in my gut.. So why not find out more!! It is written in a lively style. I later discover Graham Boswell bought one on the origin of language. I wonder what other BLS members bought.
We then have half an hour to look at the displays.. and meet other members
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| I hold up the Horton in Ribblesdale Churchyard Lichen Trail |
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| and show it to BLS Conservation Officer Neil Sanderson Behind is a display of the photos entered for the Photographic competion |
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| Once they started serving drinks we left the exhibition.. |
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| Fay introduces the guest speaker Nicholas Carter |
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| Nicholas Carter tells us about the lichens on surfaces including quotes from historical characters and poems. His tutor at one time had been Marjorie Sweeting. |
Afterwards it was time for the BLS Dinner
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