Silver Linings

Last week my car broke.  I was tanking along and a light came on and "Stop Immediately" appeared on the information screen.

Cue sharp breaking and a little bit of swearing.  I looked under the bonnet and it was clear that there was no coolant left so..... long story short.... ex-colleague came to my aid and I managed to get home.

Next day I arranged for the car to go to the garage.  They would look at it as and when they could, which I was prepared to take.

Upshot was I needed a new radiator but..... first silver lining......it would be done under warranty.  Hooorahhh!

So, I needed a hire car.

Head into town to sort out a hire car.  But if I hire it there and then they will charge me for 2 days, so "come back in 2 hours and you'll only have it for a day and the car will be ready and waiting to go".

Second silver lining.....I am a short hop from the Hepworth.  Marvellous.

Time enough for tea, cake and a stroll round the galley.

There was a photography exhibition by Martin Parr.  Lots of ordinary people doing ordinary things and a really good photo of some storage in a factory

I stared at this for far too long

At one end of the gallery there was a massive selection of photos, really technicolour showing real world things all together in extraordinary detail.

Look at the colour overload in that. 

Then I moved into the Barbara Hepworth part.  I love her work more every time I go.

This is a view of the outside of the Hepworth building.  The river was thundering down and this line of barrels would have been above the weir.  I suspect it broke loose over Christmas.  The photos were taken on the ipad so they're not super sharp.  There's loads more to see but I didn't want to be taking too many photos!

Anyway, at the end of the day, I'm driving in the hire car to collect my daughter, a journey I wouldn't otherwise have been making, and.....third silver lining.......a barn owl flew out of a quarry and down the hedgerow towards me.  I could see its face as plain as day.

So when my car broke and my heart sank I could not have anticipated just how much joy I would get out of the process of getting it fixed.  I've always been a glass half full Gal, but sometimes, just sometimes, even I'm gobsmacked how nicely things turn out.

www.hepworthwakefield.org  Definitely worth a look or a visit.  Excellent café, excellent shop.  Just excellent all round really.

A Trip to Wharram Percy

One day we decided that as it was warm and sunny and all the jobs were done, that we would take a drive.

But it was a Saturday and on a warm and sunny day the roads tend to be busy so we took my little fiat and a map and decided to take a drive avoiding the main routes.

We set off towards the coast, thinking Bridlington or Scarborough or Filey.

We drove through villages that we never knew existed, on empty roads, with the windows down and the wind hurtling through our hair.  We turned off the radio as we couldn't hear it..... and took in our beautiful Yorkshire countryside.

We eventually came out on a road towards Brid, just before Fridaythorpe, at a point where you can take the official scenic route to the coast.

On this route you pass Wharram Percy, a medieval village, or rather the remains thereof.  We have driven this way so many times and never stopped but as we were on bit of a pootle we took a detour.

There were a dozen cars in the car park....... unexpected.....

And you absolutely cannot see where the village is from the car park.  You head down a path into a sheltered valley bottom where you cross a stream and walk up into the area of the village.  It was excavated for many years, with a farmhouse on the site being the base for the archaeologists.

http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/wharram-percy-deserted-medieval-village/history/

This link gives you more information.

On a sunny day it is a lovely place to visit.

We studied the graves and put together the story of a family from the names and dates.
We looked at the boards provided to see the layout of the village
We went into the church through one massive door.... I thought people were smaller then.

And finally I dipped my toes in some cold as ice water from the pond, just what was needed on a hot day.

 The church has been both bigger and smaller than these remaining buildings, dependent upon the time, the population in the area and the money available.

 There were no words on this tiny little cross, at least none that I could make out.

This is the massive door.  I'm 5ft 2" so you can see it's big.  My feet are wet on this photo and as I didn't dry them my sandals were damp all day.....

The Historic Dockyard and Spinnaker Tower at Portsmouth

We had a beautiful day to visit the Historic dockyard.

There is a lot to see and it is definitely a whole day out.

This was a new exhibit, a first world war ship..... which wasn't open.  We were gutted as this was what we really wanted to see.  But I felt more sorry for two elderly chaps who had a connection with the ship and who had made a special journey.  When we looked more closely at the literature it did give the opening date but it wasn't at all clear if you just skimmed the leaflet.  Poor show.

However we did the Victory, which is a great ship to go round, especially if you are small as you don't bump your head at all.  The guides on board are very good and knowledgeable, making the story of the ship come to life.

We did the Marie Rose, which I haven't seen before.  All the artefacts in the museum are real, I think there were 19000 recovered.  The tales of the people that worked on the ship and reconstruction of their faces were incredible.  I was in awe of the amount of stuff recovered and the tale that all those items told in such detail.  I didn't take any pictures, but I wished that I had taken one of the building it was housed in as that was impressive.

I loved the patterns of the tracks for configuring the canons on the Warrior.

And as the Americas Cup was about to take place there were the different team vessels (catamarans?) being loaded in and out of the docks.

My daughter and her friend visited the submarine across at Gosport (the guide asked why they weren't laid on a beach somewhere) and we had planned a return for the tour of the Navy Dockyard, but when we went back it was closed because of the Americas Cup.

It is  great day, or couple of days out but it is expensive if you want to wander at will and visit all the attractions.  The ticket we bought lasts for a year but it is unlikely that we will be back within the year.  Thankfully Caravan Club membership got you two for one so it was half of what it would have been!

If you are in the area you must do the Spinnaker Tower.....

I have no idea how high it is but on a clear and bright day it is fantastic.  I like a glass floor (CN Tower, Blackpool Tower, Spinnaker Tower).

The views are amazing.....

Looking towards the Historic Dockyard.
Or just looking out to sea......

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.

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?

Robin Hood got nut'in on me.....

The daughter and I have been doing archery.  We had a two hour session at a centre near York (GTS Adventure).  The sun was shining and we were paired with a couple of girls a similar age to my daughter.  The instructor, Grant, was ex-army and an excellent teacher.

"Ok raise your arm to shoulder height with your palm facing the floor and hold it there"

Hang on..... I've been painting, my shoulder is stiff, "hold it there" are you mad? 
But, it is ok and I manage to master the holding of the bow. 

"Now pull back the string until your finger touches the corner of your mouth,

keeping your elbow high"

Oh....my......God......that's bloody hard.........

"Now let go"

The arrow hits the target with a satisfying "thwunk"

Oh, I got this.

Two hours later we have had to change the rules of a competition as none of us can aim precisely, although we can all manage to hit the target.  We have laughed, picked arrows up from the target and several out of the ground.  No-one has been injured.

Grant has been polite.... "Nice shot"
And not so polite..... "Hmmm, that was a bit s**t" (he was right it was).

We have had a brilliant morning and by the end of it my arm and shoulder have eased out and I am buzzing with the joy of the few that I got right in the centre of the target.

It is only driving home that I realise that the end of my middle finger is completely numb.  I must have twanged it with the string so many times.  Three days later and the feeling is just about returning.  Who cares, it was totally worth it.

When I mention it to my husband he points out that in the years prior to the battle of Agincourt every man and boy had to practice with a bow shooting arrows for a minimum 2 hours a day.  He asks how I would have coped.

I reply by sticking two fingers up at him.

Now for something more uplifting

One night  last week when I got in the car I was a bit cross and the Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars song came on the radio and I LOVE that song.  I like to sing along and jig about to it even when driving.  When it finished I felt better.  I hope this link to the song on You Tube works so you can jig and sing along as well.  It works well if you are feeling just a bit ticked off....

"this hit....that ice cold......Michelle Pfeiffer.... that white gold......"

www.youtube.com/watch?v=OPf0YbXqDm0

Then at the weekend we went to the mill at Saltaire.  This is the chimney you pass on the way from the car park.  Magnificent...

I particularly liked the section at the back of Home where they had display cabinets of china and tableware that I remember from childhood, Hornsea Pottery being something we had a lot of.  Nostalgia and lovely items all in one place, bliss.

We had lunch in the diner.  Salts Diner food is fab.  So is the latte, and the locally brewed Saltaire Blonde ....

If you are ever anywhere near Shipley / Bradford or even Leeds Bradford Airport it is definitely well worth a visit.  And if you like David Hockney it is an absolute must.

Edited to add: new Hockney exhibition has just opened at the mill.  Our timing was a bit off, we will have to make another visit!