Rugby league..... party on

Okay, now don't just turn away because of the title.......

If you follow any team in any sport you will know the highs and heartache of that particular pastime.

In our house we follow Castleford Tigers who had a sensational season last year.  I won't bore you with the details but what I will say is that life was better because they were winning.

They were even on the news when they got to Wembley as half the town went to see them off!

Okay, it's a small town but seriously there were a LOT of people went 'darn t'lane' to see them off.

We went on a bus organised by a pub in town.  Actually I think there were nine buses and at 7:00 am there were lots of people milling about in town waiting for buses and wishing they had visited the loo before they left the house.

We didn't win at Wembley, Leeds Rhinos (arch rivals) won, but you wouldn't have thought it on the bus on the way home.  I think this club is known for singing and having high spirits, even as a crushing defeat looms.  I have seen the fans doing a conga round the stands when the team have been on the wrong end of a drubbing.

So, not for us a gloomy bus journey home.  No we had several renditions of Sweet Caroline (the song played at the end of each game), there was talk about the team, the highs and lows of the game and of course some incredibly witty banter among the fans.  It was a great day out.

This year we're not at Wembley so we have decided to have a Challenge Cup party.  It will not involve half the town, but it will involve plenty of beer, plenty of banter and plenty of friends.  We are an eclectic mix who range in age from 20's to almost 70, this is just some of them.  Let's hope the sun shines.......

Returning

I've been away......

We went on holiday but before that I just didn't seem to have time to sit down, organise thoughts and actually put together a blog.

So..... The holiday........ We holidayed in this country, near Portsmouth in fact.  We have a caravan and we had stopped at a site on the way back from France last year and decided to go back. As the daughter is 16 she gets to take a friend and they stay in a tent.

Before we left we had seen two weeks of glorious sunshine and after a five hour drive we arrived in the rain and it continued to rain all night....... Suddenly a UK holiday seems like a very bad idea.

But actually it was ok most days.  I wore shorts for all but one of the days and it was warm, really warm most of the time.

So what did we do? (Prepare for a photofest.......)

We visited the Sammy Miller Motorbike museum.  Sammy Miller MBE owns and runs the museum with a band of enthusiasts.  He is a famous, nay legendary, motorcycle racer who won the British Trials Championship 11 years in succession, as well as a mass of other trophies.

My daughter and I were looking at all the cups and trophies that were displayed there; as she was completely knocked out by the sheer number of them and the fact that he was so very good over so many years; when he came over to us and said that a younger man had worked very hard to get all those and that each of them represented about 50 miles of riding. At that we were even more impressed. It is a genuine treasure trove for a motorbike enthusiast, run by a legend of a rider who is passionate about restoration and the sport, as well as being just a lovely man.  While we were there he was riding one of the exhibits up and down the lane.  If you are at all into motorbikes you have to, have to visit. Seriously, you do....

Boscastle pier.  It has some installations for making sounds down its length.  Some you can't utilise properly because they've had bits removed (vandalised basically), but you can play "Oh I do like to be beside the seaside" and a selection of other tunes on there.  It's fun and there is a long windbreak so if it's windy on one side you sit at the other.  Clever....

The D Day museum and Overlord Embroidery.  This is the tank outside the museum which is the same as the one used in the film Fury, which we had recently seen.  The Overlord Embroidery is a fantastic piece of art and much bigger than the Bayeux.  Well worth a visit and if you are short like me you can enjoy the tunnels without bumping your head.

Monkey World.  Ok, this is a drive from Portsmouth but we were 'down South' so we decided to go for it. I saw no monkeys at all for the first 15 minutes and was beginning to wonder if we had made a big mistake but soon we got to see some chimps and from there we saw a LOT of monkeys, including these Limas, who were enjoying Cheerios (who knew?).

This is the home of T.E. Lawrence (also known as Lawrence of Arabia) Clouds Hill, It was more of a weekend retreat than a home but it is where he occasionally lived and nearby is where he died.

When we turned up here my daughter and her friend were completely non-plussed, so we bought them ice cream and they sat in the sun while we had a look.  It is owned by the National Trust and is as Lawrence had it, other than the books which they are trying to replace over time.

It is a tiny gem of a house and just worth popping into.  Especially if you are in the area.  It is very close to the Tank Museum and Monkey World.  His garage is almost as large as the house, as that is where his motorbike, the famous Brough Superior on which he met his death was housed.

I haven't read any Lawrence but I enjoyed our brief visit here.  It was indeed a retreat and had a calm and peaceful atmosphere, just what was needed after a day at Monkey World.

Finally for this post a picture of my cream tea after a very competitive round of pitch and put.  We spent a couple of hours on the course near Portsmouth and it was great fun.  This cafe is called the Tenth Hole and so after a game it would be rude not to stop for a bite surely?

All the food looked delicious and I was happy because the scones had fruit.  Result.... on the cakes at least, I lost in pitch and put.....

More to come about the historic dockyard and Fort Nelson.  Bet you can't wait.....

Loving Classic Cars

On Fathers Day we took ourselves off to Harewood House to visit the Classic Car Extravaganza.  That wasn't it's official title, but it could have been.

I like cars, as a child I would spend hours in the driver's seat of my Dad's car pretending to drive.  When I was 14 my Step-Dad had an ex-army long wheel based Landrover that he let me drive around a field up near Leeds Bradford Airport.  And whilst that nearly put me off driving forever it didn't put me off cars.

So when we were browsing the Yorkshire Post on Saturday and saw that there would be classic cars at Harewood it was an obvious choice.

It was absolutely full to the brim with fancy new cars and a massive range of old vehicles, I'm sure not all of which would be called classic.  Mini Metro.... classic....? I think not.

I sat behind the wheel of cars I will never ever be able to afford.  Cars that cost more than a house.

 Some of them I could barely see over the steering wheel and could not get out of without some help.  Yes, fancy electric BMW that was you.

And on one, the Jaguar F type, I adjusted the seat for me and then the battery seemed to go flat so when I got out only children could get in.  It was funny to see big blokes trying to squeeze in and then having to admit defeat. No photo of that fun unfortunately.

The classic cars were in fantastic condition which is a testament to the owners who lavish time and money on them.

There were some lovely little minis.  

This was one of my favourites (I love the Gulf blue).  

I only saw the one Fiat 500 but what a beauty. 

This french number was voted the most beautiful car by car designers at some point in time.  When it came out it must have been so futuristic.  It was in great condition throughout.

Then there was the classic Aston Martin.

The General Lee, for all you Dukes of Hazard fans

An escort RS, taken for my husband who had one when they first came out.  

He is more of a petrol head than me

And a Lotus (Lots Of Trouble Usually Serious) which we liked a lot.  Ignore the dippy red-head...

I actually have an MG midget but it needs restoration and that takes time, money and more importantly needs space.  So one day, probably when I have finally retired from work, I might get to be one of the people sat with their pride and joy in the sunshine while people like me pass by and oooh and aaah at their cars.  I look forward to that day.

The Red Arrows

Last week we were away in Lytham St Annes.  A lovely place if you have never been.  It is close to Blackpool but in reality is a world away.

While we were there we saw that the Red Arrows doing a display at South Shore in Blackpool, so we decided to venture up there.  The weather was grey and cold when we set off but by the time we arrived and found a spot the sun was out, hurrah!

What a show they put on and what talent they have.  I was completely giddy and in awe but managed to take a few photos to share..... enjoy x

 Fantastic, I think you'll agree....?

Take one technical idiot..... mainly in York

Ok, so I have finally figured how to get photos into my blog so I am back.  Believe me there have been some sweary words spoken in this corner of the house over the past weeks.  And it was a really simple solution..... cue more swearing.

Anyhoo......

We went to see the Tour de Yorkshire.  It was good but cold, very cold.  The peleton came so close to the barrier where we were stood that it took your breath away.  They were going fast, how they don't all constantly crash is a mystery to me.

I had a technical blank moment and put my camera on the wrong setting.  I got several arty shots of the road, some of a couple of cars and literally four photos of the cyclists.  This was the best one....

Earlier this year I joined the National Trust.  We have never been members before.  We have always been in English Heritage, less for a small child to destroy in a castle was always my thinking.  But now the child is grown and the thought of a day out with the parents does not fill her with the joys.  Our cue to join the National Trust and check out some houses and tearooms.

The day after we got our cards we visited Nunnington Hall.  We didn't have time to do the house but enjoyed the tea room very much.  We will return to the house in the near future.

This is the beautiful sculpture in the courtyard in front of the entrance.

I had to go up and have a conversation with her
and compliment her on her loveliness.



The next visit was to Goddards in York.  Goddards is the home of the Terry family of Choccy Orange fame.  There were two 'chocolate' families in York, the Rowntree family and the Terry family.  The house was built and owned by Noel Goddard Terry and has only fairly recently been open to the public, having been the offices for the National Trust for a long time.  There was a very nice menu for the tea room but on this occasion we didn't partake as we had just had lunch.  However I was tempted to help myself to a sherry - £2 in the Honesty Box - almost rude not to.

It is a beautiful Arts and Crafts house, own by the one family, with lovely gardens which would be just fantastic on a warm sunny day.  And there were a selection of outdoor toys that you could have a go with as well.  I definitely recommend a visit if you are in this area.   This is the link if you are interested: http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/goddards/

Finally I had a day out shopping with friends in York.  We were on our way back to the station when we passed Betty's.   Should we call in?  Of course we should.......

This is a bit of a rubbish picture but believe me those cakes looked fab.  We went instead for a selection of macaroons.  A fantastic sugary pick-me-up before returning home to find my husband waiting at home in the garden.  He hadn't taken his key, thinking I would be home well before him......  Oh dear, well what do you expect when the cake calls?

Lovely, lovely Reeth

Last weekend I was in Reeth. 

Reeth was on the Tour de France route and is a lovely little village high up in the Yorkshire Dales. 

We travelled through in July, after the Tour had passed, when we spent a glorious day following the route from Skipton.  On that day this was the view on the green in the centre of the village.  It is a popular walking destination.

 

On that day a brass band was playing and we sat on the rug

with an ice cream and enjoyed the sunshine.  Bliss.

I felt completely carefree that day.

 

So when I was deciding what I wanted to do for my birthday I decided a cottage in Reeth was where I wanted to be.  So a cottage was booked, booze and clothes were packed, best friend was invited and the school training day fell perfectly to allow a long weekend.

 

It was a good choice.  The weather was murky for 2 days.  This was the road over Buttertubs in July, in November that entire view was mist and fog, so no good photos. 

 

 

But then on Sunday the sun came out.  We had booked my daughter and her friend in at the Forbidden Corner.  We weren't sure whether to join them but decided that we would do and were soooooo glad that we did.  It is really good fun, if you are ever in the area it is worth a look (you need to book ahead and can't just turn up).  In some places it is properly scary, but in all places it is good fun.

 

http://www.theforbiddencorner.co.uk

 

I came back with aching legs (steps at Forbidden Corner)

Aching tummy muscles (from laughing)

Tight jeans..... (too much good food)

Slight headache (too much fizz)

 

That's got to be a good birthday..... hasn't it??

 

Birthdays....

Yesterday was my birthday.

 

It is the only day that I get all my own way from start to finish.

 

I get hugs from the teenage daughter whenever I want them.

 

I get a happy family who stop arguing the second that I ask.

 

I get cups of tea made for me. 

 

My birthday is always a lovely day.....

 

 

Such a shame they only happen once a year......

 

 

Knitting a Family Tradition

I wanted to write a little bit about my current knitting project as there was a special reason for this project, which is to do with family.

My Dad's family have always lived abroad, they moved to New Zealand before I was born.  His Mum, Dad, two brothers and two Aunts all emigrated.  Obviously my Dad didn't go and I'm speculating that was because he had just got married and had a good job.

So we didn't see much of his family, in fact I never met my Grandad.  But, Grandma would come over from time to time and when she did she would knit things for me and my sister.  I still have a poncho and some of the dolls clothes she knitted for me.

My Great Aunt Lily, Grandma's sister, was the person who taught me to knit and crochet. 

Earlier this year my Grandma reached 100 years old. 

This is Grandma at her party at the retirement village where she lived in Australia.  My Dad and my Step-Mum went over and she had a great time surrounded by her family and friends.  She was even in the local paper.

Unfortunately not long after her birthday her health deteriorated and she died in September.  She had a long and happy life and so I am not sad, only sad that I didn't know her better.

Not long after she died my cousin, who I have never met, gave birth to a baby boy and so I decided that I would like to knit a blanket for the baby.  It seemed like a nice thing to do and I felt it gave me some connection to the family and particularly to my Grandma.

As the blanket is nearly finished I contacted my Aunt and told her what I was doing and asked where to send the blanket to. 

My Aunt was thrilled as she doesn't knit and told me Grandma had got the ladies together where she was living and they used to knit constantly, beanies for the troops in Afghanistan, items for the local children's hospital and baby items galore.  But my favourite of all; she liked to crochet "knee blankets for the elderly".

You've got to love the spirit of a woman at 100 years old making items for the elderly, apparently it was said without irony as she never saw herself as old. 

I'm hoping I have some of her spirit and humour when I get to that age.........