(16 August 2011)

Hunter Davies belongs to the group of writers whose books I will always pick up, regardless of the subject matter. But the appeal of this one was obviously also in the subject, as we had our first visit to the Lakes last year and loved it. Mixing the history of tourism and the Wordsworth set with his 1970s trip walking in the Lakes, this is affectionate, funny, intelligent and informative. I even enjoyed reading about Wordsworth (I liked the admission that yes, some of his poetry is BAD), although I enjoyed reading about the parts of the area we know ourselves, fell runners and Chris Bonington more. This could have done with a map of the whole area as well as the individual lake maps. ( )

A good read, although I would've liked more descriptions of the walks, than of the local characters. Still a interesting look at this area and the people who inhabit it. And a fascinating look into Wordsworth and his life. ( )