The Old Man of Coniston

'We'll get up early and go to the Lakes'. That's what we said to ourselves on Friday night anyway. Of course we didn't get up early, but we did go to the Lakes. To Coniston and for a walk around 'the Old Man'. The was a slight delay when we got there, a slight diversion to take in a huge 'mountaineer' breakfast. 'It's five hours up and down' the lady in the tourist centre said

I haven't written about recent developments have I? I was on the BBC evening news a couple of weeks ago, broadcast all over the country and the world. In recent months, building up over recent years, people have been going to A&E more and more. It started in 2004, coinciding with GPs opting our of 24 hour care. The correlation is quite startling, but GPs wont accept it. Anyway, there was a piece about people queueing up in A&E. My 15 seconds of fame was about what response we could give, as commissioning groups, to the apparently ever rising demand on acute services. So there you are, a new media career beckons. I'm meeting the ITV journalists next week, and also filming a piece about 'the Healthier Together' programme of modernising the health service in Greater Manchester.

'The Old Man is the highest point in historical Lancashire, though following the 1974 revision of county boundaries in England it now lies, for administrative purposes, within Cumbria. This assertion rests upon it being higher than its near northern neighbour, Swirl How. There appears to be some doubt in the current literature over whether the height of Swirl How is 802 or 804 m, following resurveying. If modern measurement has not added 2 m to its rival then The Old Man of Coniston is the highest point in the Furness Fells, and the twelfth most prominent mountain in England'

Lizzie went to America to be an aupair a few weeks ago. For some reason I'm more worried about her than I was of Emily. Skype is a great thing, and the few exchanges I've had with her have been very reassuring. Also her facebook pictures tell a good story. She says the family are great and the two children seem really lovely. The woman is a urologist, and he owns restuarants, I think. They live in Cleveland Ohio and they have a house in Miami...must go and visit.

Emily sent a short video of Lucas hoovering the front room. Hilarious. I'm going to see them all in November for a couple of weeks and take in Thanksgiving in America.

'At the summit of the fell there is a unique combination of a slate platform and cairn. The extensive view from the summit on a clear day includes much of the southern Lake District, Morecambe Bay, Blackpool Tower, Winter Hill, the Lancashire coast and the Isle of Man.'

Getting to the top is hard enough but getting down is worse. Going up was steep and windy, but at least the wind blew you up hill. Coming down is slippery on the loose shale, and puts a real pressure on ones already painful knees. We did smile, exchanging banter with climbers going the other way. 'Hope you get up before sundown' and 'what a funny place to have a pub'. Oh how we chuckled.

Talking of which I have officially hung up my boots. No more touring for me. The personalities and characters no longer go and I can't be bothered with their weak banter. This most recent tour was to Zagreb. We lost every game again, but that's not the point. There was also a massive falling out. Besides my knees are so painful in the mornings after that I really think my footballing days are over. Besides I have my media career to consider now. Quit while you're at the top, they say. My top was sometime ago I think. Probably our Portland trip, about ten years ago, was when I was at my best. Ah, happy days.

We did get down from the Old Man eventually, but had to be rescued by car, after taking a wrong turn. There have been several turns recently but I think all of them good. It's also been just over a year since I changed practice. It's good to be somewhere where I'm valued and respected. I can't wait for my next Turn on TV.