I just came across this photo from about a dozen (maybe 15) years ago when we spent Christmas staying with our friends Liz and Terry in Shetland. Liz or Terry took the shot on Julie’s small point and shoot film camera so it’s not particularly clear but somehow seems to really invoke Christmas cheer for me so I thought I’d share.
We had spent the few hours of daylight sledging and as the hill was a good half a mile long (all the way down to the shore) we were all getting seriously tired from the long walks back up the hill in the soft snow. So Tom, a local crofter who had been out checking his stock, offered us a tow back; great fun.
Tom also introduced us to Shetland sledging. Take one large plastic bag and fill with straw, push off and jump on for an amazing ride; seriously fast, zero control, terrifying in the extreme and 100% exhilaration!
Never heard of sledging before, but it sounds like serious fun! Walking a half mile uphill in snow can definitely be grueling – good thing you caught that ride back!
You may have heard of tobogganing which is probably the word that most people would use.
One of life’s little ironies; the better the slide down, the harder the walk back up again.
Other cheap sledges; an empty compost bag which you sit in, that works a treat, also the best i have had so far, the plastic side of a bath, perfect shape, size and smooth finish for speed :D
I’ve tried the empty plastic bag sledge and it doesn’t half hurt when you go over bumpy bits! I once saw four kids going down a slope on the bonnet of a car; I hope that it was salvaged scrap and not something they’d stolen.
When I was a lad growing up in flat as a pancake east South Yorkshire, the only hills were the mine spoil heaps and we would go sledging in summer; down the dry dusty slopes on corrugated steel sheets with the front turned up.
Round here there are plenty of hills but not any snow, when the grass browns in the summer the kids hurtle down the sloes on flattened cardboard boxes :)
Sounds fun.
A moderately dangerous pastime, but very good fun, I have tried it :D
I would have been disappointed if you had not given it a go; you seem to be someone with an adventurous spirit. :-)
Personally, I plan never to grow up and feel that doing daft things is NOT the prerogative of youth.
They say that youth is wasted on the young, I intend to maintain mine as long as possible :)
It sounds like we’ll have a brown Christmas here again for the second year. Parents of small ones must be having a hard time, wondering if they should buy sleds, skis, or skates.
A white Christmas in lowland England where I live is quite rare. The UK as a whole has very mild weather generally, although that doesn’t stop us complaining about it all the time. :-)
PS. I’m looking forward to your next exploration into the wilds, even if there’s no snow on the ground.
I must say Shetland is very nice place.
One of my favourite places in all the world. I posted three times about it a few months ago if you are interested (follow the links on the side menu).
You think I could try that plastic bag in mud? Rain just won’t stop over here!13°C… ;-)
:-) I’m sure it would work a treat but if you fell off, you might regret it.
:-D :-D
I might….
Ah, sledging is the best fun. The more makeshift the sledge, the better. I have used tin trays before but never plastic bags stuffed with straw. It does sound like very good fun indeed.
They were the fastest sledges I’ve ever been on; wonderful.