An illustrious group of fellwalkers climbed Helm Crag near Grasmere for a very special event. The walking party was to record the 100th episode of the popular podcast Countrystride which features the landscape, history and heritage of Cumbria and the Lake District.
Pictured here are writer Harriet Fraser and photographer Rob Fraser of Somewhere-nowhere, the environmental art and research project; eminent climber and writer Bill Birkett; Countrystride presenters Mark Richards and Dave Felton; veteran hiker and former mountain rescuer Gordon Bambrough from Caldbeck who recently celebrated his 90th birthday by climbing Scafell Pike; and Elaine Nelson from Sam Read’s bookshop in Grasmere. The 100th episode is due to be released next month.
Countrystride has been winning audiences since 2020 with tales from the fells, from the people of Cumbria, and stories from the past and present. They have talked to Cumbrian celebrities including the fell-running legend Joss Naylor, writer and farmer James Rebanks, broadcaster Eric Robson who lives in Wasdale and was for many years chair of BBC Radio 4’s Gardeners’ Question Time; and John Dunning, founder of Westmorland Motorway Services. But they also chat with walkers they meet on their hikes and rambles, and the 100th episode of Countrystride will invite listeners to say what makes the Lake District special for them. And they are planning to hold their first ever Countrystride Live event in October, featuring a range of walks, talks and music, at a venue in the South Lakes.
Header image of Helm Crag by Mark Richards
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