It was even warm on Dartmoor...

We've been having an early preview of summer the last few days. I've no idea what the temperatures have been but it's been warm, properly warm, so that walking has become a real pleasure again. And this weekend has had more than its share of pleasurable walking (and dining) experiences. On Friday afternoon we foregathered at the Borough Arms, Dunmere, near Bodmin. Six humans and four dogs strolled along the Camel Trail in a leisurely manner for an hour or two, working up an appetite for dinner. The woods were full of violets and anemones, although very few bluebells yet, birds were singing and the new leaves were almost too bright to look at in the sunshine. Ty insisted on a swim, and Megs and Harvey joined in for a splash about. After rounding off the evening with a pleasant meal I went home thinking that we'd been very lucky with the weather, not expecting it to last. But it did. Rather earlier on Saturday afternoon, much the same gang plus a couple of extra humans met at the very first car park on the very edge of Dartmoor from the Plymouth direction. We were guided on a circular route, crossing the Devonport Leat (dry) then across country to the Drake Leat (also dry but in better condition) which we followed for a while then back after a couple of hours to the Dartmoor Diner for a Cream Tea in the garden. Our guide knows the area well and was able to explain a lot of the history on the way round. It was such a lovely day that I had to dig out the sunhat and the trekking sandals for the first time this year. Spring isn't quite as advanced on the moor as down by the shore where I usually walk, but what we lacked in spring flora was made up for with fauna. Our first surprise was a young adder sunning itself on the path. It was noticeably aggravated at being disturbed and hissed a bit before moving off to a quieter spot. None of the dogs noticed it, luckily, and were easily persuaded to go in the opposite direction to the snake. We saw quite a few ponies scattered here and there, grazing quietly, but then we saw several all converging purposefully and rapidly on the same point. Where we discovered a lady throwing apples in all directions for the ponies to pick up. This would seem to be a regular occurrence, as we saw her later in a different place where another small herd were waiting for their treat. Buzzards and skylarks overhead, robins and chaffinches in the bushes, many different butterflies, bees and other insects. After two long walks in two days running with the other dogs and pretending to be their age rather than the ten year old he really is, Ty didn't even get all the way upstairs when we got home, collapsing on the landing for a nice long sleep. By morning, however, he was completely restored and ready to start again. Sunday's walk was a little more ambitious, about five miles around Lydford. Lydford is a village roughly halfway between Tavistock and Okehampton on the western edge of Dartmoor, situated in a fold in the hills, not up on the open moor. It was historically one of the most important places in the area, with a silver mine and a mint, stannary courts and a medieval jail, but these days is a popular with tourists coming to visit the famous Lydford Gorge. We didn't do that, though, but went on a circular route first travelling towards Okehampton on the old railway line, now a cycle track known as the Granite Way, then cutting across country and down to a ford (with a plank bridge) and back up through pretty woods and eventually round to the village again. As we had a little time to spare before lunch we also inspected the 'castle' (actually a 12th century jail) and walked down the hill to a bridge over the Gorge, peering down at people walking up and down the tortuous paths to admire the various waterfalls. Where it goes under the bridge the gorge is almost narrow enough to reach across from one side to the other but very deep. To me it seemed dank and claustrophobic, but I am assured that it opens out and is really very pretty. It's looked after by the National Trust these days and the paths, though steep, are perfectly safe. I'll take their word for it, thank you... The Castle Inn has a garden, a very nice beer garden. At the back, through a hedge, can be spied a slightly separated glade under a big alder where there is a large round table perfect for our largish round party of seven and a dog to take lunch. And a very good lunch it was, too. It was also a very pleasant place to just sit and put the world to rights for an hour or so after lunch... I'm told the weather is about to change. Well it would, of course, as the Easter holidays are starting soon. But I'm very glad I've been able to have this little bit of premature summer, and look forward to many more pleasant walks to come.

Cholesterol - is it good or bad?

My father didn't die of a heart attack in his fifties, despite a family history of heart disease. He was lucky enough to become involved in one of the earliest studies into the effects of cholesterol, back in the early 1970s. The research was being conducted at Birmingham University, and he was an ideal subject for the study; overweight, very fond of good living, history of heart disease, in his fifties, highpowered executive whose only exercise was gardening, AND the father of five children aged roughly between 25 (me) and 12 (my youngest brother).

So we all got tested. Dad was told to cut his cholesterol or die, and chose the strict diet (with a bacon and egg treat lunch on Saturdays) which gave him another healthy 25 years of life. Two brothers and myself had high cholesterol levels, my sister and another brother low ones. Back then there were no 'lite' foods or low-fat options - they advised me to eat steak and salad, but as unfortunately I was on a bread and cheese budget at the time I just put the warnings to the back of my mind. I had other more pressing things to think about, then and later, although I have adopted lower-fat, more sensible eating options as they have become available at a reasonable price in the intervening period.

Recently I was offered the opportunity to take part in a trial of Flora pro-activ, a spread containing plant sterols which can, they say, lower LDL cholesterol by 10-15%. Well, why not, I thought, especially as it wasn't going to cost me anything, not even for the cholesterol tests I would have to have done before and after starting the four week trial. So I signed up.

This morning I went on an adventure to Sainsbury's superstore in Plymouth to have my first test. I hadn't been there before, and took some time to find the pharmacy (I was walking round the edge, it was right in the middle). The test was simple and painless, but the results were surprising:

Total: 3.95 (recommended below 5.0)
HDL 2.00 (recommended above 1.2)
Ratio 2.00 (recommended below 5.0)

Well within the healthy recommended limits before I start, then. I must have been doing something right all these years... And now I am about to start the trial. I shan't change anything at all in my diet or habits apart from substituting the pro-activ for the olive spread I usually use, and we'll see what the results are in four weeks' time.