30th April - Day 45 - If it looks like it gonna rain but it dunna rain, it wunna rain

Having lived in Derbyshire for the past 21 years, I have heard a lot of local phrases and tales, often to do with farming, landscapes or weather. The phrase used in today’s title would have fitted perfectly yesterday evening. All the way home, there were grey clouds ahead and I thought I was going to get drenched - But it dinna rain. I was going to include a picture of the threatening sky but couldn’t resist including the cow and calf instead.

I was trying to capture the calf being boisterous running round the field and around the cow. When I saw the outcome though, the phrase, ‘If looks could kill’ certainly came to mind. Mum was certainly keeping an eye on me, even though I was well away on the pavement. The saying ‘if looks could kill’ is well known from Bram Stoker’s Dracula but is thought to originate from the legend of Medusa and her power to turn anyone who looked at her to stone.

People turning to stone often features in myths and legends. The local legend about the Nine Ladies Stone Circle in Derbyshire is that nine young women were dancing on a Sunday to music played by a lone fiddler. Having committed a sin, they were turned to stone, forming the stone circle with the fiddler becoming the King Stone some distance away.

From past legends to present realities. At the end of another week, we have now raised £2740 and I remain so grateful for all your support. I was hoping to have completed a third of the challenge by next Friday but I’d forgotten about the Bank Holiday. I might do the ride to Sheffield anyway - but given on Sunday and Monday it’s said to ‘be gerrin a bit black ower Bill's Motha's’, (rain clouds are building up), I might just have a bit of a rest. Take care, stay safe and have a good Bank Holiday weekend.