This page tells you a little about myself and family. If you would like to read a bit about what I like, click on the following links to my other pages.
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My name is Liz Lemal and I live in Silsden, a small town near Keighley in West Yorkshire. Silsden is a very friendly town situated on the edge of the beautiful Yorkshire Dales. The old market town of Skipton is 6 miles to the west and Ilkley, famous for its Moor is 5 miles to the east. The pretty village of Bolton Abbey with its ancient ruined priory on the banks of the River Wharfe is also nearby. I lived in Scotland for 17 years, including 2 years on Knoydart (one of the remotest parts of mainland Britain accessible only by boat or an 18 mile trek from Kinlochhourn) where I spent a year as landlady of The Old Forge 'the remotest pub in Britain' - to quote the Guinness Book of Records. I also lived in the small village of Duirinish which is between Plockton (the setting for BBC series 'Hamish McBeth') and Kyle of Lochalsh. |
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The above photo was taken on Red Screes during a lovely walk we did in August 2001 from near Hartsop - there's a short report on my walks page. The 'we' refers to myself, my boyfriend Barrie - who loves the Lakes as much as I do - and usually Barrie's Border Collie, Sam.
I have a lovely daughter Sophie and a lovely granddaughter Hollie Emma, born 13 October 2005 - they live in Skipton. Sophie works in Customer Support at Skipton Building Society Head Office in Skipton. You can see some photos of them by clicking on my Liz's Lakes and Hollie's photos links at the top of this page.
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My JobI retired in 2006 as Library Supervisor at Silsden Library as I decided I needed a couple of months holiday. I now work freelance offering editorial and secretarial services. Have a look at my business page for details of what I offer. I also make greetings cards to sell and hope one day to show some on my website. The trouble is finding the time to do everything. In 2006/7 I studied with the Open University and passed my first course, An Introduction to the Humanities - I can now put Cert Hum (OU) after my name. |
My LeisureI love walking, especially in the Lake District - and English Springer Spaniels. I love playing the piano and listen to a wide variety of music - my favourites include Runrig, Leonard Cohen, OMD, Crowded House, Bryan Adams and David Gray. I also have quite a large collection of Beanie bears and I love spotting Eddie Stobart lorries. I enjoy reading; especially anything to do with the Lake District! I love buying books about the Lake District too - old ones and new ones - and have quite an extensive library of Wainwrights, Heaton Coopers and Harry Griffins. I'd also like to get more done to my web page - more Lakes photos on for a start. If you'd like to just look at some of my photos from my walks, follow the links at the top of this page or go to Liz's Lakes My walks pages aren't meant to be comprehensive detailed routes for people to follow. There are plenty of them already on the net. They're more a diary for me since I met and started walking with Barrie and if people like reading them and find them interesting, then I'm happy too. I started walking in the Lake District in 1992 when I returned to Yorkshire from Scotland - although when I was younger (!) I had actually worked for a year at the Low Wood Hotel overlooking Windermere. |
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There are 214 Wainwrights (hills and mountains in the Lake District walked and climbed by the late Alfred Wainwright in the 1950s and 1960s and beautifully described in his 7 Pictorial Guide books). And on 29 May 2003 (also my birthday) I completed the round finishing with Mellbreak - a super day and a wonderful fell to finish on. In 2006 I was very privileged to be made an Honorary Member of The Wainwright Society for my work on The Great Lakeland Challenge - a book of walks by fellow Wainwright devotees who each climbed a Wainwright peak in one week in May 2005, celebrating the 50th anniversary of the publication of his first pictorial guide
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These two photos are of my old Springer Spaniel, Bertie who died in 1997 age 14. The pic on the left is Bertie on Maiden Moor on New Year's Eve 1993 and the one on the right was taken on a very hot day on Rampsgill Head - we shared the hat!
He was the softest, gentlest dog you could ever meet and was a registered PAT (Pets as Therapy) dog. But he was born with a disability that the vets couldn't put a name to or cure. He could fall over in a puddle and have to be helped up and stiles were an impossibility for him and he had to be lifted over. And on one walk he ended up being carried down Langstrath in the rucksack! But he managed over 100 Wainwrights with us including Helvellyn and Skiddaw. I still miss him. |
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The two photos are of our cheeky cat Jasper who we got from the Cats Protection League in 1997 when he was 18 months old. Having always had dogs, I didn't know if I'd be happy with a cat but Jasper changed my mind for me. He was beautiful and a big softie - he never stopped purring, even when the vet was sticking the needle in for his many blood tests. Sadly Jasper died on 18 September 2009 aged 14. He was a real softie but suffered with hyperthyroidsm.
He was diagnosed with it about 3 years ago and was on permanent medication. Two years ago, he had part of his thyroid removed. His condition deteriorated fast during summer 09 and I made the heartbreaking decision to let him go to cat heaven. I know he'll be happy there and pain free as well. Bless the little man - he will be greatly missed. |
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I am now fostering dogs for the Dogs Trust under the Freedom Project scheme which is to give temporary homes to dogs who come from homes where there is domestic violence. A home is given so that the escaping family can go into a refuge till they get back on their feet again and be reunited with their dogs. I really feel as if I'm doing something worthwhile because in my mind, domestic violence is evil.
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