The Yorkshire Dales

Hello, 

A long bank holiday weekend in the Yorkshire Dales...

Malham Cove

                               Ribbleshead Viaduct on Settle-Carlisle railway line

                                                            Settle station

Carlisle 

Carlisle Cathedral - 

the later addition to the original Norman structure, 

the arch where the organ pipes are now sited is not centrally positioned. 

Was this a deliberate decision? 

Stunning ceiling.  

  

  

Settle station at sunset.

Grassington

Considering how much we love the countryside I can't believe that we had not yet had a holiday in the Yorkshire Dales. After last weekend I now realise what I have been missing. So much wide open space, stunning vistas, picturesque villages (and each one with it's own wool/craft shop!!) and countless walks.  

It is hard to beat an early morning cycle ride in the Dales, the roads were almost deserted. 

It all made coming back to the Midlands pretty tough. 

Have a great weekend

xXx

Popping by...

...to say "hello" and catch up.

I have been very quiet lately on my blog, only because of that usual issue: life got a bit busy.  

In brief, the boys are back from university, school is out, daughter awaits GCSE results, 

we had a fantastic family holiday and work continues.

(Bonn)

Holiday for us was a train trip across Europe. Starting from our town we got a train to
St Pancras, and then took the Eurostar to Bonn, and travelled onward by train to
Stuttgart, Munich, Prague and Krakow.

(Ludwigsburg)

My husband and I have always enjoyed adventurous holidays and now the children are,
well not really children any more, we have started venturing off again.
And train travel is my favourite way to travel.

(Stuttgart)

Europe had a heatwave while we were away - it was extremely hot some
days, up to 36 degrees C.

And thankfully the young people enjoy this type of holiday as much
as we do. There is no opportunity to get bored!

(Mercedes Benz Museum, Stuttgart)

Here are just a selection of photos from our holiday. 

(Englisher Beer Garten, Munich on a Sunday afternoon, 
listening to a brass band playing in the pavilion)

In between family and work life, I have been trying to make the most of the summer - 

I've spent time with my friend who lives in Malaysia and comes back for the summer. We spent a day in the Peak District and walked along Stanage Edge,
once we had consumed 2 coffees and a cream tea!

(Prague)

I spent a weekend with my friend in Kent. 

We saw "The Elephant Man" at the Theatre Royal Haymarket starring 

Bradley Cooper - it was fantastic.

I couldn't stop yawning all weekend - I was just SOOO relaxed.

(Prague station, waiting for the overnight sleeper train to Krakow) 

I have read your blogs, but I'm sorry that I haven't always had chance to respond. 

(Auschwitz - daughter met an Auschwitz survivor this year as part of her history lessons)

As you can see, our holiday had a bit of World War II theme - this wasn't planned but we have
done much reading and watching of documentaries and films about WWII since our return
 - it was certainly an educational trip!

(Oskar Schindler's factory, Krakow)

This weekend we have a night away planned at Whitby YHA. 

We live a long way from the sea and I am desperately in need of seeing the sea. 

We are planning to head for Staithes and possibly Robin Hood's Bay on Friday.

(Square inside Jewish ghetto, Krakow. The bronze chairs represent 
furniture abandoned by Jews when the ghetto was liquidated)

It is a very long time since the children/young people of the family visited
Staithes and Robin Hood's Bay. 

Saturday we have planned to visit our old favourite Filey. 

Sadly, the weather forecast for the weekend is awful, but hey, we can sit in the car
and drink tea from a thermos!

(Main Square, Krakow)

Until next time...I hope you are enjoying the summer and continue to do so!
Best wishes
xXx

And "thank you" to everyone who left comments on my Tuc post- very thoughtful and kind!

Yarn along: Queen Victoria and "brushed winter cotton"

I work in one of those frustrating offices which is stifling hot in the summer and cold, with chill breezes in the winter. So last year I knitted myself a shawl to keep at work and I LOVE it! It has been so useful, I just throw it over my shoulders when I'm sat at my desk and feeling cool, and throw it off again when I need to leave the office. 

So I then thought I would probably make good use of one at home too - I work at home quite regularly and it's easy to get cold when sat still at a desk working. 

The first shawl I knitted using Sirdar Freya in First Frost 851, a blue colour (as the name suggests!) I do enjoy knitting with this wool  - it is light to knit with, a bit fluffy and very warm. Sirdar describe it thus:

"Freya is Sirdar's beautifully soft, brushed winter cotton. This gorgeous yarn comes in a range of gentle tweedy colours." 

 So when I was in Filey last week and was browsing in a great craft shop there called The Beachcomber, it took me very little time to choose 4 more balls of Sirdar Freya for my next shawl, but this time I chose grey, Gosling 857.

I cast on last night. For my first shawl, I made up a simple pattern and as it resulted in a shawl I was happy with, I am following the same pattern. It is such a quick knit for me too. Perfect!

And as for my book, I am reading "Queen Victoria, her life and times 1819-1861" by 

Cecil Woodham-Smith which I am enjoying very much. 

Joining in once again with Ginny's yarn along. 

xXx

Ahhh......................

That is always the feeling I have when I see the sea..................

Living in the middle of the country means we have to commit to a minimum of a two-hour drive to reach a bit of coast (older son informed me only this week that we lived just 20 miles from the middle of England, although there is some debate about the exact location of the 'true' centre point of England). This is a drawback for someone like me who loves the sea, in all weathers.

This year we hadn't yet made one visit to the sea. We have found that as the children have got older, the holidays where we used to spend a week by the sea perhaps in Cornwall, or Dorset or Northumberland just don't hold quite the same attraction for them anymore but yet a short break to walk along the beach, eat ice creams and spend our coppers on the amusements was acceptable to all. So last week we spent one night at one of our favourite seaside resorts, Filey.

This is how Filey is described: The quaint seaside resort of Filey, positioned on the beautiful Yorkshire Coast, is the perfect place to stay for those looking for a peaceful and relaxing holiday.

Bursting with all the appeal of a traditional Edwardian coastal town, Filey offers a real sense of olde worlde charm. The 5 mile stretch of clean, sandy, award winning beaches are the ideal place to spend your afternoons."

Sounds ideal for us. I posted about a visit daughter and I made to Filey last year here.

On our first day, the weather was better than forecast so we spent several hours on the beach, reading, playing with a bat and ball, drinking tea from a flask,

eating ice creams .............

And I do love to go out for walk in the evening along the sea front,

especially at a time of the evening when normally, if we were at home, we would probably be indoors. 

Even daughter didn't complain about the walk .... ok, I'm kidding, she was on her skateboard, and given a helping-hand uphill by older brother!

Our second day started a bit grey and overcast.

A small purchase at the wool and needlework shop (The Beachcomber) brightened my day. This is such a great shop packed with all sorts of yarny and fabric goodies - and all at a very reasonable price. 

Then, a round of pitch and putt kept us amused for almost 2 hours!

More ice cream followed,

and paddling and sea glass hunting.

 I could spend hours watching the tide coming in.

But eventually, as the late afternoon light hit the cliffs on the north side of the bay, it was time for us to say goodbye to Filey once more.

 

Ahhh................

xXx