Yorkshire 3rd July - 8th July

 We are in a small hamlet called Middleton on the Wolds near Driffield; bottom left side of this stylised map of East Yorkshire. Looking after a Romanian rescue dog and two rescue cats. No training whatsoever  but sweet natured dog, happy to be your accomplice to anything. Cats have their own area in the house and an outside run but mooch about inside otherwise.  Owners advised the dog only has a 20 minute walk a day and spends the rest of the day inside. We of course have changed this to at least twice a day 30-40 minutes, out and about with us. One happy dog. 

Outside the Huggate pub after a woodland stroll. Temperature brassic so newly purchased jerkins required.

Many seabirds are nesting about an hours drive away at the Bempton Cliff. Seabirds included gannets and puffins. Was a very windy, chilly day so perfect for soaring sea birds and our new jerkins and best Scottish parkas. About 6 miles of tracks along the top of the cliffs with several lookout points. Dozens of  keen " twitchers" with their long lens cameras. The seabirds nest from May to August and this was the prime time to see Puffins. Notwithstanding the brisk wind, the smell was something else. Like being in a sardine factory, phew!

Gannets up close and personal. Incredible flyers managing to land on slight ledges on the cliff faces. We watched one flying backwards onto a ledge, amazing. This group had the luxury apartment.

Steerage.

Razorbills, Guillemot and Herring gulls.

There is definitely a hierarchy of elevation.

Twitchers galore.

Taken with Jeff's cell photo, no zoomy long lens.

In the centre of this photo is a puffin, below the two Razorbills. Funny how when you watch a David Attenborough programme you have an expectation of the size of animals. Puffins are not much bigger than a large starling. Twichers all very excited when a puffin was spotted hopping in/out crevice feeding young or changing of the guard on a nest.

Imagine doing this for a job; a climmer, abseiling down the cliff faces to collecting birds eggs, leaving every third egg, 130,000 eggs taken in a season.

It was election day in the UK today. Next morning we woke to the news of the "Labour Party landslide". Being a politics tragic I noted that in fact the Conservatives lost the election due to the way First Past the Past works. The Labour Party got 34.8% of the vote, the same as in 2019 when they were routed by the Conservatives. What happened this time, was given the woeful efforts of the Conservatives in government their supporters held their collective noses and voted for Lib Dem, Reform anyone BUT Labour.

Consequently the Labour Party candidates, who had run second on a seat last time around, found that their Conservative Party nemesis votes disappeared to other parties (splitting the vote) and therefore they were top polling due to the First Past the Post system such is it's idiosyncrasies.

One of the joys of the UK is public walkways and pub lunches. We plotted to hike the Wharram Percy to Thixendale loop. Sadly many pubs now only serve lunch on Saturdays/Sundays and many barely do evening meals such has been the devastation of country pubs due to rapacious brewery landlords, drink driving, pandemic and general downturn. So we packed our lunch and headed off.

Typical rolling countryside. Yorkshire is an arable area so you see few livestock. Just hectares and hectares of crops- oats, wheat, barley, broad beans (dried ground for stock food), potatoes, peas, corn etc. Landscape dotted with copse of woods.

Ancient village remains. Population was "moved on" by the monasteries who wanted the land. They were then dissolved by Henry V111 - what goes round.....

Village of Thixendale. Bet it is cold at the bottom of this valley in winter.

Village house, several similar.

Young pheasant being raised for the shooting season; December to March. Tractor driver told us that they get the young from six weeks of age. The property, owned by Lordy somebody, is 5,000 ha, employs 230 people; woodsman, farm labourers, game keepers, machinery chaps. The tractor driver has worked there 40+ years and has a house in lieu of overtime worked.

Young barley

These Shorthorn cows were huge slab sided beasts. Their calves were about three months old and very muscular. We thought they were Red Devons but said tractor driver set us right.

The spraying tracks in a field of wheat otherwise known as tramlines.

There was a steam rally at Duncombe House and birds of prey nearby so a days outing with the dog. Very quintessential English day on this huge estate with folks from far and wide showing off their passion for all things steam.

The size of some of these machines and weight but at the time their efficiency out gunned horse and plough.

Lovingly restored and polished to within an inch of its life. The name "The Maori" caught our eye so enquired. It was purchased in 1990 from a farm in Rangiora and brought back to the UK.

Even a steam powered carousel for kids.

You would have to love it.

The birds of prey display (sans dog) was very good and interesting patter from the falconers. Whole place built by volunteers. They have rescue birds also eg barn owls found on the side of the road.

A bucolic scene behind this eagle caught on cellphone by Jeff (Snowden) Sewell.

Amazing face of a barn owl. They listen for their prey.

This Lanner falcon was 14yrs old  and caught food thrown in the air at incredible drops. Has been clocked at 160mph.

Sunday was Silverstone F1.  We had considered going but common sense prevailed due to £120 ticket price each, parking with 160,000 others. Channel 4 in the UK shows this race live and free on terrestrial TV so from 2pm we were glued, along with a dog and two cats.We were very pleased that Lewis Hamilton won. He is a real gentleman.

The Tour de France is on so we have been watching the days stage of 45minutes highlights each night. The speeds they get to and the abilities of say Mark Cavendish are amazing.

Before our F1 afternoon session we went to The Star Inn for Sunday Lunch. Was excellent, Jeff in heaven with the Sunday roast special of roast belly pork, black pudding and a Yorkshire pudding. Moi a more delicate fish with green gem.

Jeff's heaven. Black pudding to the front, pork crackling, roast potato, Yorkshire sitting on a mound of pork. There was greens; chard, carrots and parsnips in a separate dish = £20.

Today's adventure was to go to Castle Howard and the Yorkshire Arboretum. About 3,000 ha property still in the Howard family since 1701. Took one hundred years to finally complete. A massive fire in 1940 collapsed the central dome but many treasures were saved by school girls billeted there during the war!! The crippling cost to rebuild was offset by the filming of "Brideshead Revisited", episodes of "Downtown Abbey" and other period dramas. The grounds and a small portion of the house was opened to the public in 1952. One of the staff told us that they take on an extra 150 casuals for Xmas which is the biggest season for the house (all decked out) and the grounds. 

There is a stunning walled garden. One of the gardeners we chatted to said nine of them plus" passionate volunteers " look after the gardens which would be quite a feat. There is a boat/Swan lake, lots of mowing and clipping. Nice cafe in the carriage entrance.

Atlas fountain

Inside the house of many ancestors. Each generation seem to have up to 12 children then all the associated in-laws; Duke this, Earl that 😴💤.

The collapsed dome rebuilt in 1962. Couple of ghastly modern sculptures left and right totally out of context.

Resident of the boar garden.

We have visited many Arboretums throughout the UK. One called Westonbirt set a very high benchmark. The Yorkshire Arboretum was pleasant enough but not outstanding.

They had what was called a "Silver walk" which was lined with hideous grey poplar, the bane of the Marlborough District Council and many others. When I was parks manager with the MDC many years ago we took delight in chopping them down!!

Loved these.

Amazing perfume