Results 1 to 6 of 6

Thread: Foot & Mouth 2001

  1. #1

    Foot & Mouth 2001

    I reckon it's 15 years ago this week since the Foot & Mouth outbreak. I remember doing the Carnethy 5 Hills then by the time Ilkley Moor came round the countryside was closed and Ilkley Moor was cancelled. I think most people thought it would only last a few weeks and Ilkley Moor was initially put back to April but eventually wasn't run till November.

    How did everyone manage without there fell running fix? Although the English countryside was closed it seemed a bit more relaxed elsewhere, in May I went to Arran to do the Goat Fell race and in June we went to Ullapool for a week where the only way you would have known about F&M was the occasional bucket of disinfectant by a style.

    In July it was a couple of trips to Wales to do Moel Siabod and Snowdon then the first Lakes race I remember was Borrowdale

  2. #2
    Master that_fjell_guy's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2011
    Location
    High Bentham
    Posts
    2,022
    Not sure I did a massive amount. I recall being in the Lakes for an interview and taking my bike, then riding around Lowther way. I also went up Scotland and did some Munro bagging. In honesty I never felt 100% happy about doing any of it. The Lakes was weird, driving about and knowing the fells were empty!
    I M Povey New Marske Harriers
    http://manwithoutashed.blogspot.com

  3. #3
    Master PeteS's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2009
    Location
    Live in Brum, run in Worcestershire and Shropshire
    Posts
    2,281
    Still haunts me to this day. I work for a company that had a sheep farm in the north Lakes and that was completely wiped out thanks to FMD. I spent a week up there at the time and obviously could only do so much in the way of running/walking. It was unnerving, upsetting and I very nearly lost my job so not a time I care to dwell on. Although I didn't witness much of the cull first hand, the one thing that I still remember vividly are the scorched marks on the fell side above Caldbeck still there some weeks after. Then when the access restrictions were lifted, the weird sensation of there not being any sheep on the open fells. I think there was another post on here regarding favourite sheep - strange to think that Herdwick would very nearly have not been an option.
    I hope to god it doesn't happen again but suspect it may given the increasing reliance on intensive farming practices in response to ever diminishing profit margins.

    Interesting article here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-12472230
    Pete Shakespeare - U/A

    Going downhill fast

  4. #4
    Master
    Join Date
    Apr 2009
    Location
    Ambleside
    Posts
    5,451
    If it happened again I hope they would vaccinate rather than slaughter, and leave the hills open.

  5. #5
    Master molehill's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2007
    Location
    Rhandirmwyn
    Posts
    4,107
    Our bit of mid Wales was closed down, no off road running for a long time.
    We also helped start the mid-Wales ldwa (the late Carl Edwards) and for our inaugural walk one night we went round and round Newtown housing estates till we clocked up xx miles - then to pub!

    They were pretty grim times and the after effects to farmers lasted for years after. When everyone began venturing into the country again relations were tense and we had some memorable encounters over farmland and mountains before life settled down.

    Not good times, but the hardship of not running on the hills for a few months, was nothing compared to farmers who lost all their stock.

    I hope we don't go their again.

  6. #6
    Master Swoop's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2007
    Location
    Altrincham
    Posts
    3,934
    Quote Originally Posted by Mike T View Post
    If it happened again I hope they would vaccinate rather than slaughter, and leave the hills open.
    It did happen again. There was an outbreak in 2007 but restrictions were put in place quickly and it was contained.

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •