The Peak District

That’s the name of a national scenic area in England, although by Oregon standards the “peaks” might be better described as “bumps”. The official web site says it was the country’s first National Park, established in 1951 and covering 555 square miles. About 38,000 people live there. All construction/reconstruction is governed by design standards, like almost everywhere in Britain.

This time last week, I was staying with my parents, siblings, in-laws and nephews and nieces at Broomyshaw Farm, a set of cottages in the Staffordshire Dales part of the Peak District. Manchester is the nearest large town you’ve probably heard of. The farm cottages are relatively new by British standards, the oldest built in 1834. This is the view from the kitchen window of the biggest cottage:

And this is what people in England and probably throughout the British Commonwealth do when given a relatively flat area of grass:

They play cricket. If the grass is long and/or the field uneven (as here), French Cricket, in which the ball is pitched at baseball height instead of bouncing on the ground first and aiming for the wicket below the knees. Cricket is an abysmal game to watch, in my opinion, but a great game to play as a family. Professional cricket matches can take five days. Family cricket games last as long as everyone is enjoying playing together.

And when I say “everyone”, I mean everyone who wants to play. My father and I are susceptible to hay fever, so we stayed inside and watched the BBC’s The Seven Ages of Rock: Punk Rock instead. When my nephew Matthew came inside, he said, “You were so lucky to have this music played on the radio when you were growing up. I have to listen to boy bands and Britney Spears.”

Yep, those were the days.