I was brought up in a small village called Mellor, in the Ribble Valley Borough of Lancashire.  I knew at the time how lucky I was to live and grow up in a fabulous part of the world.  Not only does the borough have the distinction of being the geographical centre of the United Kingdom, but as a child I knew how the place had inspired one J.R.R.Tolkien to construct in his mind's eye his very own 'Shire'.  Surmounted by a Roman signal station, Second World War gun emplacement and with the geography of Middle Earth as my backyard my imagination always carried me away into lands of fantasy.  Even with Blackburn (birthplace of A.W.) so nearby, the countryside of the area was beautiful.  In any case I always found that my affiliation was to the valley of the Ribble not to Wainwright's place of abode.  To me the landscape around my home was beautiful; with the fells of the Trough of Bowland brooding to our north and the Forest of Pendle to our north-east.  On clear days we could even see my beloved Lakeland stretching out its southern ramparts in the form of Black Combe.  Indeed, the viewpoint where I lived no doubt inspired me not only to have a love of landscape but more particularly of walking and mountains.  On particularly good days even Snowdonia was visible to the south-west over 70 miles away and to me, these mountains were sources of adventure.  Initially the sense of joy was interpreted in those days when snow fell on our modest 700' hill and I could go sledging or walking in the snow and then later at school when more independence was given when my school masters let us off the leash to go running on nearby Pendle Hill and Waddington Fell.  With trips to the Lake District at weekends with calls from my friends of, "God! Not again!!", I had an upbringing where the great outdoors was the major influence.  As a child I turned my nose up at visits to Blackpool, although trips there were few and far between and instead opted for the weekends when my parents went north to Cumbria. 

Above: Here I am clinging onto Brown Cove Crags, Helvellyn - Grade 3** Scramble This photograph was featured in 'Trail' Magazine May, 2004.  Please feel free to resize this photo and affix it to a dartboard!

Occupation

In the summer of 2003 I was appointed Head of Geography in a  comprehensive school, called Hackney Free and Parochial Church of England Secondary School in Hackney, East London. I am Head of Geography with two other members of staff in the department. I had previously worked for eleven years at Rokeby boys school in Stratford, Newham.

Fellrunning

This is my great pleasure when I can manage it these days. As I get older my general fitness level is decreasing but I still enjoy getting out on my own.  Some people call it stupid, but I think it's one of the best things out. Of course it can be risky but like all sports it can be fun and free from risk. Like that famous Blackburnian, Alfred Wainwright, I just love the exhilaration of being alone when I am on the fells of Lakeland. Sometimes I am two thousand feet above the valley and away from pollution, people and everything. After living in London, being able to get away from it all is such a privilege. With a decent pair of running shoes and all the necessary equipment fellrunning is a safe practice. I don't suggest you start if you aren't fit but you could start by fellwalking. With the wind in your hair and miles from anywhere, you can't beat it. When out these days I often link several scrambles with running and walking between.

Scrambling

As I begin to slow down with old age, a good way I have found to keep the adrenalin going is to scramble.  More akin to climbing than walking, scrambling is I suppose quite a dangerous activity.  I have always chosen routes away from the norm and often taken to the rock but within the last five years I have actually used guides to identify the more special routes.  As a starte I bought Scrambles in the Lake District by R.B. Evans.  It is a great little book, ideal for the pocket and has shown me routes that I perhaps would not have known about.  Since 2000 I have done many of the scrambles listed there and great sport is to be found linking these somewhat short scrambles with longer day walks on the fells.  I think so far, one of the best small explorations was that of Attic Cave on Doves Nest, Borrowdale.  This is a grade 3 scramble and I must admit quite an airy location to gain.  Other good scrambles are Brown Cove Crags on Helvellyn and perhaps the most striking Lakeland has to offer comes in the form of PinnacleRidge on St.Sunday Crag - this has to be one of Lakeland's best scrambles.

Football

Since going to school one of my great loves has been football. I was never much good but, used to enjoy watching Blackburn Rovers in the halcyon days when they were in the Second Division and everybody else supported Manchester United. Today I no longer follow the team (I leave that to my brother) and instead enjoy a short walk to the hallowed ground of West Ham United at Upton Park (The Boleyn Ground).  In the season of 2003-2004 I finally bought a season ticket and envisage the rise of the West Ham phoenix back to the Premiership.

Other pursuits

I am currently member of Loughton Golf Club, Loughton, Essex and play cricket for the Old Rokebians Cricket Club.  I enjoy the odd pint and have a good collection of books related to the Lakes.  I enjoy computing (you might've guessed) and will turn my hand to anything; baking being the latest!

Travel

As a geographer I have travelled to some interesting places.  So far outside the United Kingdom the most interesting places I have visited are North America, Iceland and the Republic of South Africa.  To me visiting these places has broadened my horizons in many ways.  From the shanty school classrooms of Kwamashu, Durban  to the heights of the Drakensburg Mountains this was just one example of travel and its roller coaster of emotions.

Well, that's enough of me.  I hope you enjoy my ventures with the OFC and please stick around.  If you do see me anywhere give me a shout and introduce yourself, I have already made some great friends via the club, it would be great to see some more of you.  When I am out I usually have some form of OFC identification about me so make yourself known.

Ad altiora!

Peter M Burgess ('fellrunning')

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