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

 

Scotland 27th June to 2nd July

Flight from Toulouse to Edinburgh was straight foward, hire car ready so we were with friends by 5pm. The temperature as 14C. 

Derek and Selina live one mile from Edinburgh castle in a lovely treed area. Derek and Selina work for Goldman Sachs from home. They have two teenage boys who are high achievers academically, football, swimming. Very busy household so as well Derek can be taxi driver, coach, timekeeper, cook as required. Selena does the 4.30am shift to get boys to swimming.zzzzz. They live beside a  lovely walk along the Leith through historic Deans Village into the city.

We took a nostalgic walk along Princes Street, Grassmarket, into John Lewis and up some of the Royal mile. The buildings in our favourite city are unique.

This building has been converted to £1m apartments.

Classic street near the Haymarket

What was Jenners department store, sadly closed with the similar malaise of many highend department stores around the world.

Scots monument looking it's usual moody self.

We met a couple of work colleagues of Jeff's for lunch. The elder, George, started BCF in Edinburgh which invented, manufactured the animal scanning equipment Jeff used. Have kept in touch over years. George lives beside Murrayfield (rugby) and Alan is a keen cyclist so lots of chat.

Alan (on left) was amused by our purchase of new cycle seats on our way into the city and said we should buy leather seats being the best, think we will work our way up to £200!  per leather seat. Alan had undertaken a 90hr cycle in Sweden the previous week. We are considering a two week, 1200km cycle in France next June 2025 hence seats purchase.

The Grassmarket, no longer The Cookshop or Broom shop trading.

We went with Selina and Derek to the Raeburn pub for a great pub meal; haddock, chips with mushy peas. Got to do it at least once.

Saturday we were off to Duns in the Scottish Borders to stay with Hamish Hall and his partner Lesley. Hamish came out to New Zealand working for Jeff scanning in Marlborough living with us for 12 winters. He has a unique sense of humour and made light of many a situation while scanning all over Marlborough and Golden Bay. Was great for all of us. He still scans but only in the Scottish Borders and casually contracts in the grain harvest around about as a driver or bin man.  They live a a small enclave of maybe six houses surrounded by rolling grain fields and woods. A delight.

Usual story, although Hamish and Lesley have lived in Scotland all their lives, have never been to Dawyck Botanical Gardens, 25ha of arboretum and a 13th century castle replaced by a mansion in 1830.  It is near Peebles. Jeff and I have been before but never tire of the plantings and vistas.

Cones on an Abies koreana

Now the home of the Balfours who have planted hundreds of rhododendrons.

Moi, Hamish and Lesley. They both cycle, although Hamish went mad cycling all over Europe a couple of years ago has eased off a bit. They both have many family members living in the Borders and are quite content.

Hamish also decided we should also hike to the Millennium cross on the top of a hill he had driven by since 2000. Was good fun and it gave views towards the the coast and 

Galashiels. 

The classic stone fence synonymous with Scotland. When we scanned there for 20 years ie 20 winters, we often would set up beside these fences to run the sheep. Often in snow or at least zero degrees. Hard to believe now.

The hearty climbers with Hamish as tour leader.

Ended the day with a sundowner in the new "summerhouse" a necessary garden feature in Scotland to keep out any chill breezes, a summer high of 17c today. Very toasty in the wee house.

Next day we caught up with Susan, Hamish's previous partner, who we have kept in touch with. Susan also works from home in Tranent for the Bank of Scotland and keeps an eye on her elderly parents.  Drove down to near York where we are housesitting for a couple who have gone to their holiday house outside Budapest. We will be caring for their three pets, dog and two cats while living on their house. York was pretty busy but we wanted to see the Minister as last time we tried it was covered in scaffolding for many years from the fire of 1984 which collapsed the south transept.

Morpeth is a market town in Northumberland. Flowers always softens the harsh look of these hard towns. Good coffee. After the ghastly affairs served in Spain and France it is a joy to ask for a double shot flat white and get a coffee you recognise.

Took the steps up the tower, a struggle for many.

York Minister is an Anglican Cathedral with beginnings in 627AD but the bulk of what we see today began in 1220 and finished in 1472. It still has the largest piece of medieval stained glass (the last judgement) in the world. 

The other reason visitors go to York is to see "The Shambles" 14th timber framed houses still standing and in use.

Last day in France 26th June

Another beautiful day, you can get used to 32-33C.....nice dry heat. We set out for the Bemberg Foundation housed in the Hotel Assezat. This building was built in the early 1500's by a merchant then laterly owned by an art collector; one Mr Bemberg.

He collected art from to 15th century onwards and how it has survived the centuries, given all the dramas in Europe since, you just have to admire the desire in protecting hundreds of paintings, sculptures and furniture. Church crypts, caves, underground cellars all manner of hiding places were used.

The building was another stunner.

We chatted with the security guard in the first gallery, commenting on the proportions of a painting and the Latin script in another. He was Algerian but in France for the last 30 years. He enjoyed our questioning and comments. Must be a tedious job. He helped us work out the Latin script.

Chap is pointing to latin script ... "life is given to avoid if you live with Apollo's art and call on him to be alive forever with help". Apollo is the Greek God of light, poetry, music, knowledge, beauty.

So intricate woodwork inlaid with gold.

Sculpture carrying a boar. We did comment we carry the boar the other way around in NZ; forelegs over the shoulders.

Wood carving reliefs were so realistic.

La parisienne 1892

A recommended visit in Toulouse.

Afternoon activity was taking the tram out to the Airbus factory. Book online and  hope for a slot before August!! We fluked 4.15pm on our last day. Like lego various pieces come from Spain, UK and other places in France, then assembled into Airbus 350 to 380 models in Toulouse. Complex is like a small town where 2,000 people work. Unbeknown to us this tour was only in French even though website says English, Spanish and French spoken. So barely understood a word and really most activity was stopped for ??? tea, a strike who knew. So not a highlight.

Still very warm when we went to Places Saint George's for dinner. One of those evenings when folks come out at after 9pm for dinner. The square was packed.