Vera's Visit

As I mentioned Vera came for a visit.  She came up this weekend as it was the village gala and she wanted to enjoy it - however, it was also the only day in two years when a train depot opens its doors and believe it or not, Tom thought it would be more fun to go to the train depot than go to the gala - so we were missing a boy for the day.  The gala is all about children - so in the end we didn't go - but we stayed for the parade.

Anyway, Vera arrived on Thursday, we had tea and then we walked over for All Stars cricket.   There she met Alice (an English teacher) and before I knew it the two were absorbed in book talk. For the whole session!  I left them to it.  All Stars was fun - but Tom had a paddy when he got caught out (the first time ever I've seen him get upset at being out - had to take him off the field and give him a talking too - hoping it was cause he was tired rather than because that's his natural reaction?!)

Friday - was a bit of a grey day.  Vera wanted to revisit Wensleydale Creamery so we took her up there, did a circuit of the tasting room, had a cheesy lunch and then went home the very very long way round so we could show her a bit more of the Dales.  We went up buttertubs, into Swaledale past Ravenseat, round to Pendragon Castle, then up and over to Dent Station and back home.  Although it was cloudy the Dales still did us proud and looked good and Vera was lamenting about how beautiful it all was which was good.  The evening was spent at the Bickerstaffs in honour of Janine's birthday - a good night, just that I am full of cold so not particularly sociable.

Gala Queen Caitlin

Saturday the boys headed off to the DRS open day at Carlisle with Rebecca and Katie.  Vera and I had a lovely lazy morning and then waited around for the gala parade to come pass.  It was raining, raining quite hard which was a huge shame as the committee work very very hard on the event.  This year the gala queen was Caitlin Ellershaw - in Tom's class.  The batala which headed the parade were drenched when they arrived at the house, but Caitlin's smile was radiant - no rain was going to dampen her parade!  Vera and I then had lunch and headed to White Scar Caves - at her request.  Haven't been to White Scar for quite a while and had forgotten the number of steps and amount of bending required.  Vera struggled a little bit - but she is a trooper and was determined to get it done and she did.  The boys arrived back at 5 - having had a great day.

Nice shawl

Lots of lovely greens on show

Sunday we took Vera to Ullswater for a ride on the boat there - a very picturesque trip.  It does take quite a while to get over to Glenridding and we only just made the boat.  It was another grey day but it was warm and there was no breeze on the boat at all on the journey to Pooley Bridge.  The scenery was stunning - a thousand shades of green furnishing the hills by the lake.  We had lunch outside - at the very lovely Grannie Dowbekins - much better food than the riverside pub - although pricy!  Vera and I then had an amble amongst the shops and craft fair whilst the boys went up a small hill.  We then got the ferry back and Matt drove us the long way home via more 'epic' as Tom would put it scenery.

Boy and flag on a boat

Monday, I drove Vera back to Oxenholme for her train home.  It was 11 mins late. Normal state of affairs?  Well yes, until it got cancelled at Lancaster.  She then had to get a taxi to Preston and then a train to Manchester to get a train back to London.  Took her the best part of 9 hours!  Poor lady.  Anyway it was fun to have her for the weekend, always good for a laugh.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Bowland Fells below us

Busy river due to night time mega thunderstorms 

So school holidays started properly.  Monday to Thursday we didn't do much, Tom was at football camp whilst we sorted the house - I had Matt's cake to make and all my cake stuff to sort and put to bed.  On Wednesday, Matt and I went for a walk.  We did the first half of the waterfalls walk and then turned left towards the Cheese Press stones up to the top of the hills, along the Turbury Road, down towards Thorton.  We then walked along West Lane - bit of a problem, there were bullocks in the fields here - meant we had to do two major detours as they weren't happy with us being in their territory.   Oh well, more steps.  We ended up at the Marton Arms for a late lunch.  Chips and a side salad for me (full of tomatoes - very disappointing) and posh fish finger sandwich for Matt.  I washed mine down with 2 pints of diet coke - wow it was hot and humid - it got up to 30 degrees here this week - very hot for here!  A good walk though - 7.5 miles and 20,000 steps.  Just what we needed to start off the holidays.  Now, if only we could both shake off our holiday colds, we will be ready to enjoy ourselves properly.