A swim, a train ride and a cup of tea in Hawarth

Tuesday 30 May 2017

It was a struggle to wake up this morning but eventually I managed to get up and we all breakfasted. Yesterday, the forecast for today was good, but this morning, the Met Office had changed its mind and we were promised rain, which arrived. Ian stayed at the barn and the rest of us went into Skipton for a swim. The pool was quite nice and fairly warm. The boys had a lovely time, particularly with “sinkies” – small weights with neoprene tails for diving for.

Ali and Arthur went up to a tennis court for Arthur to try out his tennis racquet, while Laura, Fred and I went to the Keelham Farm Shop for bread and cheese, it having been recommended by Andy and Jan. It’s a lovely shop – full of really interesting foods and drink – we might make it back, at some point.  We picked up the others and drove back to the barn for the lunch that Ian had made.

The boys had expended a considerable amount of energy, so this afternoon, we decided that today would be the day for a train ride. Surprisingly to us, Arthur was not interested in going on a train – he’s getting a bit old for it, but we told him that the alternative would be a visit to a museum.

It took a while to get to Oxenhope station because or traffic in Silsden and Keighley, but we arrived in time to catch the planned train and Laura and I drove back to Hawarth, where we parked up and walked into the old Bronte village. It was reminiscent of  Hawkshead – even less of a real place, just full of gift shops and tea shops. We went into the church and then mooched down and up the main street before stopping for a cup of tea.

Down to Hawarth to find the chaps at a playground – they had got off the train early to walk the last station back to Howarth. A shorter drive back, avoiding the traffic and tea at the barn. Boys a bit bonkers after bathtime, but they are probably over-tired.  

The Forbidden Corner on a very wet day

Monday 29 May 2017

Up early and packed the car to go to the Forbidden Corner, near Leyburn and Middleham, with the journey involving driving over past Grassington towards Aysgarth – quite dramatic, but very wet and getting wetter as we got closer. The drive was rather tortuous, particularly near Middleham and we had race horses to negotiate.  

The rain didn’t stop all morning, but it wasn’t as heavy as we had feared and the children enjoyed themselves as much as they would have if it had been fine. The Forbidden Corner is a truly extraordinary place, put together with immense imagination and we all enjoyed exploring. It was decided that we would all becamp to the café for drinks, when Fred started to protest and I wanted a coffee. When we came back out, there were two more intakes of people, so it was therefore much busier and we had to queue to get through several parts. 

Lunch in the car in the drizzle, then on and down to Masham. I had a quick word with Graham, in the bungalow attached to Mum’s while Ian read meters. The garden needs some attention, but it was too wet to send the boys down to the park, and we couldn’t have them in the house, so we went to Jonny Bagdad’s café in the market place, for a drink and set off for Boroughbridge Manor.

I had phone ahead, and, when we got to the manor, Mum was waiting for us in reception, in a wheelchair. We went through to the conservatory and had tea and cake brought for us. Mum was struggling to hear and concentrate and didn’t show any particular interest in photos of Alex’s wedding, nor really in the children. It was quite touching to see how much interest there was among the other residents when we walked the boys through – children must be seen so seldom.

We didn’t stay very long, and took Mum back upstairs for her tea.

It was quite a long way back to the barn for tea and telly.

The Strid in sunshine

Sunday 28^th May

We had a bit of a slow start, although the boys were in our room early. Ian and I got up with the them and gave them breakfast. Eventually, we were all up and fed and decided not to go out this morning.

This afternoon, we drove up to Bolton Abbey, to the Cavendish Pavilion car park so that we could walk up to the Strid. There were many people there but it was fine – not so many a distance from the carpark. The boys were not happy with the walk and I had mistakenly thought that leaving cake in the car was going to work. The scenery was lovely and the views down to the river were beautiful, but the boys were very moany.

Finally, we were back at the car, where we stoked up on cake. Arthur then was desperate to try out his new birthday cricket bat, so the big chaps found some space. Fred didn’t want to join in, so stayed with me, and we were highly amused to find a goosander on the river, with many ducklings. When it left the rock it was standing on, to swim downriver, some of the ducklings hitched a ride on its back.

Back to the house for tea. The table tennis table is proving to be a hit, as is the game of battleships we found in a cupboard.   

A wedding on a moor

Saturday 27 May 2017

The weekend of Hannah and Alex’s wedding

Laura, Ali and the boys arrived at our house last night, quite late so that they could visit the Chill Factor ski and sledge centre at the Trafford Centre. We were all up early to get ready to go, with LAAF leaving just before we did – we had packed almost everything the day before.

Ian and I had a clear journey up to Oxenhope, where the wedding ceremony was to be in the parish church. We stopped for a second breakfast at Sainsbury’s in Colne then had a spectacular drive over Keighley Moor in the sunshine. We found our way to the church where we had to smarten up in the car park. Everyone gathered in the churchyard, then went into the church.

We sat with Martin and Tricia and spent a while trying to remember who people were.

Hannah came in looking stunning in a fitted lace dress, with bridesmaids in teal.

At the end of the service the threatened thunder storm arrived and we left the church in a torrential downpour which lasted almost the full drive to the farm for the reception.

We spent the time before the meal outside in the garden talking to Barbara and Isobel, and Jan’s friend Fiona and her chap, there with her two daughters.

Into the tipis, which were beautifully decorated, for the meal. The space was much bigger than expected, although we were a bit tucked away in the corner. We sat with Jane and Mandy, Barbara and Isobel, with Martin and Tricia on the other side. The meal was excellent – a platter of Yorkshire meats, sausage rolls, pork pie and French bread, roast beef and the usual, then a collection of desserts on a piece of slate.

Unusually, the speeches were after the first course, which was probably a good idea – it meant that the speakers could get on and enjoy their meal and people were not too drunk to listen.

Soon after seven o’clock, Laura and boys arrived and we stayed for a short while longer, then drove the little boys up to the holiday cottage. It’s a barn conversion on a farm near the village of Draughton, a bit east of Skipton. The boys were very excited and took a while to get to bed, and then we followed soon after. We didn’t hear Laura and Ali come in.