Tonight has been a very special occasion. We decided to eat out for the first time since February. A country pub within a short walk of the cottage was recommended to us. * After an excellent meal we began to walk back home, only to realise that we had forgotten how to do this. No. We had not drunk too much, nor had we forgotten the way. It was simply dark. We were not able, at first, to see anything at all. As denizens of the city we had become accustomed to street lighting. In the middle of Arkengarthdale there is no such thing.
Fortunately my teenage experience in the army cadet corps kicked in, and I remembered about “night vision”, and the fact that within minutes your eyes begin to adjust to a low level of illumination. My wife struggled on using the dim glow from her mobile ‘phone.
As we walked, and it became possible to pick out detail, such as the white line down the middle of the road, I also became aware of the stars. At home in the city we never actually see a night sky. We are often aware of the Moon, but rarely the stars. By the time we reached the cottage I was determined to enjoy this to the full, and waited in the lane while my wife went home. My decision brought its reward. Soon I was not only picking out familiar constellations, but actually became aware of the Milky Way. The high point of the experience was the chance to watch a meteor crossing the sky. (I believe we are experiencing a shower of them at the present time.)
Since coming here I have been reminded constantly, in different ways, of the peculiar circumstances of the world we normally inhabit. The past is, indeed, “another country”, but also the city brings as much loss of experience as it offers stimulation.
*The CB Inn at Langthwaite.