A Barrow of Laughs

Here I am in Barrow with Student Meisha Tranter. After travelling the 50-odd miles from Workington (it’s a little further as-the-penguin-waddles), I was not as pooped as I had anticipated. It seems this road-trip is keeping me trim, I certainly feel a healthier and more vital flightless bird for the experience.

I’m having a tremendously good time here in busy Barrow, a town with a lot to shout about. Not only does it have a very interesting history, it is also a centre of industry. The dockland construction yards don’t just make ships, they build submarines too. I think they’re of the type that we sometimes see in Antarctica, the ones that scare the krill. Frightfully bad form.

Once I conclude all this business of helping NHS Cumbria to encourage the good folk of Barrow to stop smoking, I certainly won’t be short of things to do here. There are seals to see just offshore, and the birdlife is excellent - Walney Island is in all the holiday brochures back home. This afternoon I’m hoping to get along to Barrow’s Dock Museum, I’ve heard excellent reports. It appears to be a striking design and I’m told that it’s built over an old dock – extraordinary!

Earlier today, I noticed a poster which indicated that the autumn conference of the Cumbria Industrial History Society will take place in Barrow this weekend. What a pity I’ll miss it, I do like history. My great-great-great-grand-penguin was a keen inventor, and became obsessed with constructing a machine which would allow us penguins to fly again. He developed a winged harness – but it never took off.

If you want to quit smoking, but you can’t get to Barrow today, call my Penguin Stop Smoking Hotline on 0800 032 7252.

Today is my last in Cumbria and, since I intend to make it one to remember, it’s appropriate I’ve ended up in bustling Barrow.

Cumbria, it’s been a pleasure. Au revoir!

Working(ton) My Way Back North

I was so taken with my trip to Carlisle earlier in this tour that I simply had to return to Cumbria, so here I am in Workington with Stacey and 10 month-old Luke Makin. This is such a beautiful county, no wonder it provided such inspiration for Wordsworth (the most popular poet amongst penguins incidentally).

I passed by his home, Dove Cottage, on the way here to Workington today but there was no time to stop. Apart from having a busy day ahead telling smokers about NHS stop smoking services, I was keen to get some more of the sea air that you do so well in this region. Having filled my lungs in Blackpool I just can’t get enough, and was told that Workington would provide a similarly breezy pick-me-up.

Speaking so freely of geography has gotten me all misty-eyed, don’t you know?

Part of me misses the old Antarctic wastes, after all what’s not to miss? Ice underfoot, stinging gales, and all the herring one can eat. Utter bliss. Talking of ice, I read today that the Arctic is melting. It’s a dashed worry for us in similarly icy circs on the other side of the world, and it made me all the more homesick.

I’m quite the nostalgic aren’t I? But I’ll drag myself back to the present and my duties here in charming Workington. NHS Cumbria has a most excellent stop smoking service which last year helped 2,771 people to quit smoking. We’re seeing plenty of evidence that they retain those persuasive powers and that they are exercising them furiously.

If you want to quit smoking, but you couldn’t meet us today, call the Penguin Stop Smoking Hotline on 0800 032 7252.

This afternoon, on leaving Workington, I’m off down the coast to Barrow. I believe nearby Walney Island is rather popular with your native seabirds – I wonder what time they close?

Cheerio!

Catching up from Carlisle

What a splendid way to round off the week – visiting captivating Carlisle! From the cheerful welcome I received today it is hard to imagine that in the 17th century Carlisle was the site of so many battles across the border.

I’m becoming quite a student of British history on my tour of the North West, and can’t wait to impress my friends and family back home with the fascinating facts I have gathered. Did you know that the first delivery of newspapers by air took place in Carlisle, or that the city was also home to the first letterbox on mainland Britain? (Better not tell my mum or she’ll say there’s no excuse not to send her a postcard!)

I’m happy to report that lots of the people I’ve met today are aware of our campaign from the television. I’m beginning to feel quite the celebrity as so many people have wanted to have their photograph taken with me – it’s very flattering! Here I am with Vera Sunley, just one of the many delightful people I met.

Then again, there is so much useful information on offer from the stop smoking team here – the team leader told me that 41 people signed up yesterday alone, and I’m sure there will be quite a few today too as we had plenty of takers for our informative leaflets on stopping smoking. Everyone has been so keen that it came as no surprise to learn that last year there were 2,771 successful quitters in Cumbria.

Well the weekend beckons and I’m looking forward to exploring some of the beautiful countryside around the Solway Firth. I’ve heard that it is home in the winter to plenty of migrating seabirds – seeing so many terns, skuas and petrels makes me feel right at home – although I’ll have to explain to them that I’m not migrating, just touring the North West with the lovely Smoke Free team.

If you want to quit smoking, do call the Penguin Stop Smoking Hotline on 0800 032 7252 … have a splendid weekend, and you can catch up with me again on Monday when I’ll be visiting Manchester.