Martha's day 1

This was so fun had a great day -I can not wait for tomorrow.  Today we did a helicopter ride and went to a big reservoir. We looked in a hole in the dam where the people go down and then check the dam wall for strength.

Then we learnt about how the water went from the reservoir to your tap.  We saw the water under ground going a tunnel all the way to Bradford.

This is the brown water from scar house reservoir

This is the water that isnt so brown from angram reservoir.

Martha

First Day

Hiya,

I really really enjoyed the first day on out Yorkshire water adventure holiday! The helicopter ride was AMAZING and the ride was surprisingly smooth. Everyone was really really nice and the tour around scar reservoir was informative and I learnt a lot. It was really interesting learning how the reservoir was built back in the day.

Then went around the water works which was probably one of the best parts on the day. The lady who gave us the tour, Adele, was really nice and explained things very clearly so we could understand better. The only annoying bit is that io had to wear a chin strap with the helmet but I guess that was only for health and safety risks.

All in all it was a really great day and I am really excited about what is to come tomorrow!

Evie :-D

Day 2 -activity time

Wow, what a day!  Swinsty and Fewston reservoirs in the beautiful Washburn valley was the destination, truly a jewel in Yorkshire Waters crown.  First up we were learning to fly fish with Yorkshire Water rangers Colin and Andrew.

  

Just getting kitted up was fun in itself. Whoever invented waders needed to invent waterproof zips too, so we could get them on without falling over.  Jess was very good at falling over!

Jess thinks the colour clashes with her T-shirt (oh no!)

Ready to (not) get wet then - Jess and Evie model the latest in wader fashion

Andrew was really good at showing us how to cast.  I wasn't so good at learning it though.  Still no-one caught an old boot!

On the banks and waiting for a bite.

Sam got one -  At least we can eat tonight!

A quick nip to the most amazing Washburn Heritage Centre astounded the girls.  We walked through a graveyard and past Fewston church (originally from 1697 I think!).  As we rounded the corner, the girls mouths hit the floor as this amazing modern annexe appeared with a lovely cafe inside - good job, as it was lunchtime and all that casting meant we were dead hungry.

  

Jess blogging about her nice dinner at the Washburn Heritage Centre

After the mornings angling (which has been around for years on the reservoirs) the afternoon was taken up encountering some of the brand new facilities - the red and blue trails in the woods around the reservoirs.  The girls loved it and it was ace to be able to be in the same area but do slightly different trails.  As you can imagine, all 4 girls each look for something different - smooth and simple; lumps and bumps; corners, steps and technical stuff, as well as longer and shorter options, so we have our hands full when we head out riding!

The new Green, Blue and Red trails are all close to each other, so we were saved, and the girls loved it. Hannah zoomed round the blue bits whilst Evie, Jess and Martha took on the red and did great, though the chicken runs were used on occasion!

Martha enjoying some of the Red trail.

And after all that activity, we celebrated with the days catch.  How simple was this?  Oven on. Quick fillet, lemon, basil, 15 minutes and on our plates. Yum yum, delicious.

Phew, time to go to work for a rest tomorrow!

Dan dan, not a fisherman

Day 2 Thinking about lunch

Despite nearly wading out up to his armpits, Sam failed to catch a fish so contemplated catching something different for lunch;

Luckily the Washburn Heritage Centre was on standby and provided a fantastic lunch. The building was amazing, a true surprise when you round the corner of the church and the food was lovely. Martha discovered that cheese cake doesn't really taste cheesy and that actually she wished she hadn't just filled up on chocolate cake. Just as well that we were then heading off on a bike ride on one of the newly developed bike trails to burn off all those excess calories

Day 2

I love fishing, who would have thought!  

We were taken down to Swinsty and Fewston reservoirs, just a couple of the hundreds of reservoirs owned by yorkshire water that have been opened up to the public to enjoy.  We were taken fly fishing by the experts, the famous (well they should be) Colin and Andrew, the ranger/wardens of the area.

They rigged us up in the very fashions;

Then taught us the very basics before setting us loose into the water.  Evie tried lassoing the fish and Jess tried whipping hers into submission (and a few innocent bystanders too) but Hannah and I were the ones that had to show them how it was done. We both caught whoppers. Well that might be a whopper, but we did both catch a fish.......but didn't land them, does that count? At least we now have  a 'one that got away tale' which every true fisherman must have.  

It was a great morning and was almost a great afternoon too as we took some persuading to stop. Definitely recommend everyone to try it. I want to go back

julie 

Sam's day 1 of Yorkshire Water adventure

The helicopter ride was amazing. We flew from Leeds/Bradford, over several of YW reservoirs including Fewston, Swinsty and up the Washburn  valley, over to Grimwith and Circled around Angram to finally land at Scar House Reservoir. Many of these venues I know well from kayaking on the Washburn, sailing on Grimwith and canoeing on Scar, and from mountain biking in the area (I think I have spotted some new tracks to explore). The commentary was brilliant talking about how the landscape was being revived by YW initiatives.

Thank you for this experience to Yorkshire Water.

From Sam Cook

Fantastic fun

Today I think was the best day of my life.THe helicopter was brilliant because of the view and running commentary.every thing else was brilliant especially the scar house dam.

Thank you to Yorkshire water

From Hannah

The meal!

We all tried a variety of different foods that were all great!! 

In the helicopter!!!!!!!!

It feels so amazing in the air and there is lots of views

Martha

 

Day1 the adventure begins

What a start! A helicopter ride over some of the land owned and managed by Yorkshire water, the second biggest land owner in Yorkshire. Learnt about how yorkshire water are working with the land managers and tenant farmers to try different ways of growing crops and farming that would have a smaller impact on the water run off into the reservoirs.  Flying over the Washburn valley and saw some of the land management systems being tried out in an attempt to restore the water levels in the peat whilst balancing with the requirements of the landowners for productivity and recreation. 

Dan and Hannah enjoying the helicopter ride

Views over the beautiful Yorkshire landscape

Some of the moorland management (heather regrowth) principles employed by local farmers

We landed at scar house reservoir and had a fantastic time looking at the origins of the reservoir and dam   wall right  through to the current technological management of the water supply for the whole of Bradford.  It is a real feat of engineering and the attention to detail was amazing. We followed the water from the dam down the valley to the treatment works, we tried sending the girls through the water pipes but health and safety .......

This afternoon, Adele at the water works led us through the journey of the water through the cleaning process, from arriving from the reservoirs, through removal of what looked like chocolate mouse and pumping air in to help separate the dirt out right through to the clear and clean water that is ready to drink. It is a complicated process, through massive vats but it takes only three hours! The water is stored in a big underground holding reservoir right next to the works but not for long: the holding reservoir only stores about half the water required by everyone in Leeds in one day!

Amazing, thrilling, fun day. Flaw in the plan is I can hardly stay awake to write the blog...

Julie

Before the coach

So excited about the trip can't wait for the coach

Evie the bag lady

Look at all our stuff - we're only going for 1 night!  Maybe it's because it's a mystery tour, so we've put everything in?  

Hannah, Evie and Dan

Before it all starts

It's that time of year; it hardly seems to be dark at all, just a lesser level of light overnight.  It's also that time of year when I seem to wake early, no doubt in some obvious way connected.  Or perhaps it's just rising excitement.  So I saw the dawn this morning:

Recalling the old red sky folklore I wonder whether the weather forecasters have today nailed with their 'cloudy but dry' opinion or if we will all get wet during our mystery #ywadventure today?

At least the kids are still asleep, though it took a while to get them there last night, with their rising excitement levels!

I guess most folk see this end of a weekend day from the other side; on their way home from a good night, but I love the quiet beyond the chatter of the dawn chorus; the calm before the storm of morning chaos (in our house anyway!).  And what a morning to look forwards to.

Dan

A busy night but so exciting

So it's finally here and we can talk about it.  Our super smiling girls have done us proud and somehow we (yes that's us - not someone else but little old us) were chosen by Yorkshire Water to be their family of adventure.

We are all so excited.  The girls were over the moon when we told them and now we have just been sorting out new stuff in readiness for this weekends adventures.  This was their reaction: http://youtu.be/bbHUu0fyXpQ!

Evie is dead chuffed to have a film crew to talk to. I don't think it'll matter to her which side of the camera she is on, and Jess, Hannah and Martha are so keyed up they were running about all evening winding each other up.

But what is that is awaiting us?  Is Bungy jumping down the reservoir walls on the cards, or maybe squeezing down a sewer or two?  Can't wait to find out......

Dan

Yorkshire Water adventure family

So excited!!!!! We have been chosen as the Yorkshire Water adventure family! Two adventure filled weekends to follow, learning all about what Yorkshire Water get up to and what we can get up to with Yorkshire water.  First day has been exciting enough trying on all our new kit to gear us up for the great British outdoors, will we get to zip off our trouser legs or not???

Julie

Very happy Hannah

I am very happy with my gear! My favourite part of my clothes is my top because it is flowery!

Thank you from Hannah 

New Gear!

Having a great time trying on all our new gear! I will post some more photos of everyone later! I am very excited!!!!

Evie :-D