Holiday, Among Other Things
I enjoyed my swim yesterday. There weren't too many in the pool so I could pootle up and down without having to bother (too much) about whether other people were catching up with me or (harder when swimming on my back, but I like to breathe) whether I was catching up with them (and 'swimming up their backs' - not a good thing for either of us.)
There was a stiffish westerly breeze yesterday, though it wasn't as windy as the previous week. Also, by the time I'd dried and dressed, the sun had gone in. I could see rainclouds approaching, particularly over the Island, but they held off until after lunch. Yay! By which time I'd progressed to the Rose Gardens and round Canoe Lake. It was starting to 'spit' in a determined sort of way by then so I got the bus to Palmerstone Rd and did the usual shop-plus-peppermint-tea. Then got the bus home, by which time the rain had stopped, although the sun didn't come out again.
Today it is sunny, but with rain forecast for mid-late afternoon. So the washing is done and out on the line. Gotta dry washing while the sun shines. Haymaking isn't until June, and most farmers these days make silage in May.
I was wondering about writing about What We Did On Our Holidays - North Yorkshire, being 5th-9th March, but decided that a) it was too long ago (nearly 7 weeks) b) there were too many photographs to fiddle with, and c) I have other things to do (like some dusting and vacuuming, not to mention potting-on some pelargoniums, for starters.) That and BiL (who really matters) has already seen the pictures. Sorry if you missed them, S.
So I will merely say that on the Monday we got the coach and drove up to Harrogate - noting the gradual reduction in 'signs of life and springtime' as we headed north. Down here on the south coast we'd long since had snowdrops and crocuses and were well into daffodils, even after The Beast From The East Mark 1. By Harrogate they were still into crocuses, had the odd snowdrop still hanging on and the daffs were just beginning to show buds. There was also a lot of melt-water around, plus a few sheltered snow-banks from TBFTE (Mk1) the previous week.
The Tuesday morning we visited Harlow Carr Gardens - an RHS Garden set up originally by Geoffrey Smith, who wanted to show what could actually be grown 'this far north'. There were snowdrops (by the drift), crocuses, those Cornus with coloured twigs which really glow in low-angle light, helebores, woodland plantings and a small 'hide' by a bird feeding station. There, in the space of fifteen minutes, we counted seventeen different varieties of bird (from 4 varieties of titmouse to two varieties of pigeon) and a brown ran intelligently making the most of stuff the birds dropped from the bird feeders.
Tuesday afternoon was free to visit Harrogate. So we did, and found a very nice little Norwegian-inspired cafe, among other things. Hey, the Vikings are still with us, only now they're sharing their take on food!
Wednesday we headed off to the Yorkshire Dales - where the snow still lay on the high tops and in drifts in the shade of drystone walls. Apparently across in Cumbria sheep were still having to be dug out of 15' deep snowdrifts! It was a very pretty drive, ending in Wensleydale at the Hawes Creamery, which makes genuine Yorkshire Wensleydale. ('Cheeeeese, Grommit!' Apparently Nick Park chose Wensleydale as it gave a good 'mouth shape' when Wallace 'said' it. Wallace and Grommit films certainly gave Hawes Creamery a great boost!)
There we had coffee, tasted our way around the cheese shop (before settling on what to buy,) watched a demo on how Wensleydale is made and how the Creamery came into, and remains in, existence. We even had a look in the factory - through rather dirty windows, which really would benefit from cleaning. We could just about see workers turning great lumps of cheese curd as they drained off the remaining whey. They'd been cheese-making since around 6am. Some of the milk had been in the cows until 5am.
Then we had lunch (yes, even after all that cheese tasting,) and Glynis-our-driver took us on a drive around the Scenery. They've lots of Scenery up in t' Yorkshire Dales. We even stopped for a photo-opportunity by the Ribblehead Viaduct, which was greatly enhanced by the arrival and crossing of a daily log-carrying train headed for north Wales. Yes, I know they have trees in north Wales, it's a (kinda) job-creation, as well as wood-products-creation, scheme at both ends. Though we reckoned they'd probably create more jobs in both North Yorkshire and North Wales if they just used trees grown locally processed locally. Anyhew, the sun came out, the looong train crossed the viaduct and all was very Scenic.
It turned out to be just as well we'd visited the Dales Wednesday. Thursday morning we were scheduled to visit York. We'd arranged to meet D (currently based in Yorkshire) outside the Minster. However on opening the curtains . . .
Snow. Coming down like rain comes down when it's really determined! Naturally enough Glynis-the-driver said the trip to York was off. She was paying attention to the 'if you don't have to travel, don't' advice. We told D, who muttered something about 'soft Southerners' and caught the bus, which, being scheduled, did have to travel.
Turned out Sir Derek Jacobi and a film crew had been based in the hotel while filming around Harrogate. The film crew had headed off Wednesday after wrapping. Sir Derek had remained another night and was wondering about being snow-bound. They hotel found him a taxi and he was off. That was mildly interesting (I even spoke with him for a few seconds. No, no selfies, I don't have that kind of phone, and no autograph either! His blue jumper matched his eyes.)
Much better was seeing D again and catching up with her. By the time she arrived the snow was melting fast on the pavements in Harrogate, so we headed off to the Norwegian-style cafe for lunch. D was impressed that they did oat milk as well as the more usual non-dairy alternatives. They also do vegetarian and vegan foods, all very delicious. That was the best part of the tour. No, Dear Reader, not the cafe, seeing D!
Then the Friday we loaded up the coach and headed south, fortunately the snow had (been) cleared on all the roads we travelled on, so it was just a case of 'drive'. We finally hit Winchester around 'coming out of school' time, with the rain. Consequently travel was kinda slow, particularly as we dropped people off along the south coast - through the Friday Rush. By the time we got to Fareham Glynis-the-Driver warned us that she had twenty-five minutes left before she had (by law) to take a 45 min break. Fortunately by then the traffic had cleared, though it was still raining, she made it to Portsmouth with five minutes to spare!
Of course by then it was Friday evening, it was raining, and there was a 30 minute wait for taxies. We put on our waterproofs and headed for the nearby flash, new, bus station, and were home well within that time!
Pardon? Yes, of course I took knitting. Socks in a lacy pattern in a skein of green/pale green/white yarn which, I thought, looked very like the Yorkshire Dales when we saw them. Hence they will be my North Riding Spring socks. They're almost finished now, which is just as well as, after last week's highs, we're back to 'normal temperatures for Late April', and thus suitable for woolly socks.
Right, better go chase some dust and keep an eye on the sky for that forecast rain.
Y'all have a good day now!
There was a stiffish westerly breeze yesterday, though it wasn't as windy as the previous week. Also, by the time I'd dried and dressed, the sun had gone in. I could see rainclouds approaching, particularly over the Island, but they held off until after lunch. Yay! By which time I'd progressed to the Rose Gardens and round Canoe Lake. It was starting to 'spit' in a determined sort of way by then so I got the bus to Palmerstone Rd and did the usual shop-plus-peppermint-tea. Then got the bus home, by which time the rain had stopped, although the sun didn't come out again.
Today it is sunny, but with rain forecast for mid-late afternoon. So the washing is done and out on the line. Gotta dry washing while the sun shines. Haymaking isn't until June, and most farmers these days make silage in May.
I was wondering about writing about What We Did On Our Holidays - North Yorkshire, being 5th-9th March, but decided that a) it was too long ago (nearly 7 weeks) b) there were too many photographs to fiddle with, and c) I have other things to do (like some dusting and vacuuming, not to mention potting-on some pelargoniums, for starters.) That and BiL (who really matters) has already seen the pictures. Sorry if you missed them, S.
So I will merely say that on the Monday we got the coach and drove up to Harrogate - noting the gradual reduction in 'signs of life and springtime' as we headed north. Down here on the south coast we'd long since had snowdrops and crocuses and were well into daffodils, even after The Beast From The East Mark 1. By Harrogate they were still into crocuses, had the odd snowdrop still hanging on and the daffs were just beginning to show buds. There was also a lot of melt-water around, plus a few sheltered snow-banks from TBFTE (Mk1) the previous week.
The Tuesday morning we visited Harlow Carr Gardens - an RHS Garden set up originally by Geoffrey Smith, who wanted to show what could actually be grown 'this far north'. There were snowdrops (by the drift), crocuses, those Cornus with coloured twigs which really glow in low-angle light, helebores, woodland plantings and a small 'hide' by a bird feeding station. There, in the space of fifteen minutes, we counted seventeen different varieties of bird (from 4 varieties of titmouse to two varieties of pigeon) and a brown ran intelligently making the most of stuff the birds dropped from the bird feeders.
Tuesday afternoon was free to visit Harrogate. So we did, and found a very nice little Norwegian-inspired cafe, among other things. Hey, the Vikings are still with us, only now they're sharing their take on food!
Wednesday we headed off to the Yorkshire Dales - where the snow still lay on the high tops and in drifts in the shade of drystone walls. Apparently across in Cumbria sheep were still having to be dug out of 15' deep snowdrifts! It was a very pretty drive, ending in Wensleydale at the Hawes Creamery, which makes genuine Yorkshire Wensleydale. ('Cheeeeese, Grommit!' Apparently Nick Park chose Wensleydale as it gave a good 'mouth shape' when Wallace 'said' it. Wallace and Grommit films certainly gave Hawes Creamery a great boost!)
There we had coffee, tasted our way around the cheese shop (before settling on what to buy,) watched a demo on how Wensleydale is made and how the Creamery came into, and remains in, existence. We even had a look in the factory - through rather dirty windows, which really would benefit from cleaning. We could just about see workers turning great lumps of cheese curd as they drained off the remaining whey. They'd been cheese-making since around 6am. Some of the milk had been in the cows until 5am.
Then we had lunch (yes, even after all that cheese tasting,) and Glynis-our-driver took us on a drive around the Scenery. They've lots of Scenery up in t' Yorkshire Dales. We even stopped for a photo-opportunity by the Ribblehead Viaduct, which was greatly enhanced by the arrival and crossing of a daily log-carrying train headed for north Wales. Yes, I know they have trees in north Wales, it's a (kinda) job-creation, as well as wood-products-creation, scheme at both ends. Though we reckoned they'd probably create more jobs in both North Yorkshire and North Wales if they just used trees grown locally processed locally. Anyhew, the sun came out, the looong train crossed the viaduct and all was very Scenic.
It turned out to be just as well we'd visited the Dales Wednesday. Thursday morning we were scheduled to visit York. We'd arranged to meet D (currently based in Yorkshire) outside the Minster. However on opening the curtains . . .
Snow. Coming down like rain comes down when it's really determined! Naturally enough Glynis-the-driver said the trip to York was off. She was paying attention to the 'if you don't have to travel, don't' advice. We told D, who muttered something about 'soft Southerners' and caught the bus, which, being scheduled, did have to travel.
Turned out Sir Derek Jacobi and a film crew had been based in the hotel while filming around Harrogate. The film crew had headed off Wednesday after wrapping. Sir Derek had remained another night and was wondering about being snow-bound. They hotel found him a taxi and he was off. That was mildly interesting (I even spoke with him for a few seconds. No, no selfies, I don't have that kind of phone, and no autograph either! His blue jumper matched his eyes.)
Much better was seeing D again and catching up with her. By the time she arrived the snow was melting fast on the pavements in Harrogate, so we headed off to the Norwegian-style cafe for lunch. D was impressed that they did oat milk as well as the more usual non-dairy alternatives. They also do vegetarian and vegan foods, all very delicious. That was the best part of the tour. No, Dear Reader, not the cafe, seeing D!
Then the Friday we loaded up the coach and headed south, fortunately the snow had (been) cleared on all the roads we travelled on, so it was just a case of 'drive'. We finally hit Winchester around 'coming out of school' time, with the rain. Consequently travel was kinda slow, particularly as we dropped people off along the south coast - through the Friday Rush. By the time we got to Fareham Glynis-the-Driver warned us that she had twenty-five minutes left before she had (by law) to take a 45 min break. Fortunately by then the traffic had cleared, though it was still raining, she made it to Portsmouth with five minutes to spare!
Of course by then it was Friday evening, it was raining, and there was a 30 minute wait for taxies. We put on our waterproofs and headed for the nearby flash, new, bus station, and were home well within that time!
Pardon? Yes, of course I took knitting. Socks in a lacy pattern in a skein of green/pale green/white yarn which, I thought, looked very like the Yorkshire Dales when we saw them. Hence they will be my North Riding Spring socks. They're almost finished now, which is just as well as, after last week's highs, we're back to 'normal temperatures for Late April', and thus suitable for woolly socks.
Right, better go chase some dust and keep an eye on the sky for that forecast rain.
Y'all have a good day now!