There aren’t many wild flowers out in mid-November, but on our walk yesterday along ‘The Great Ridge’ from the village of Hope the views over the hills and valley were brightened up with a profusion of flowers on the gorse bushes that grow on the southern side of the ridge.

There is an old country saying that when gorse is in flower, then kissing is in fashion. Gorse of course is one of those bushes that flowers almost continuously all year round!

If we believe another country saying, then we would do well to tie a sprig or gorse to ourselves whilst we are out walking in the hills. It is supposed to help prevent you from falling over. Personally I can’t imagine anything worse than falling over onto a sprig of prickly gorse, so maybe it works by making you tread a bit more carefully! Anyone volunteer to try it out?

Details of our open group guided walks can be found here http://www.peakwalking.com/day-walks/open-group-walks/