Final day and a gem of a place.

 July 15th

The weather has certainly changed, wet and windy, not a great day to go visiting a reservoir. If only Nidderdale Museum opened in the morning, we could have gone straight there. But opening hours were from 13.30, so a morning had to be filled. The news has been full of drought conditions, how low the reservoirs were, so we thought we would go and see for ourselves, and the one we chose was about 10 miles from Pateley Bridge.  

It took well over 90 minutes to reach Scar House reservoir. We took a wrong turning a few times and had to try to find somewhere to turn, never easy with a motorhome. We arrived in a downpour, hardly ideal walking conditions but with no let up in the weather, we may as well just head out.

It wasn't that far to walk, plenty of strong painkillers taken, and Ian's steadying arm was always welcome. The NE news were not wrong, the levels were low.

 

 

The hose pipe ban has been in place for a while, and more rain is needed to fill the reservoir. Today's rain was just a mere drop in the ocean.

Car parking is always difficult in a motorhome. With my disability at the moment, parking far from an attraction could make me think twice about going. Such was the case at Pateley Bridge. A coach park on the edge of town was where we were advised to park. Pateley Bridge is on a very steep hill and sods law said the museum was right at the top! It was! There was no way I could have managed that length of hill, so Ian decided to find somewhere closer. Very narrow streets and sharp turns did my blood pressure no good. I was all for saying "You go, I'll stay behind" when a short stay car park came into view. It was a good way up the hill, and fingers were crossed a space big enough for the Beast could be found. There was...phew! So armed with stick, waterproofs (it was still raining) and Ian's arm, made it to the museum and was I glad I did. Talk about a hidden gem. There was a large collection of items, illustrating all aspects of Dale’s life in the past. It's packed to the rafters with everything imaginable, and the exhibits are very well done. The museum has been open for 50 years, collecting had been going on in all that time. Do go and look, and for £5 per adult one could easily be there for a couple of hours. 

 

 

The walk back to the car park was very slow going. Going down hill was agony, more pressure on the joints and never so pleased to get back to the Beast, I can tell you. A Caravan and Camping club site field was nearby and decided that £14 for staying the night was worth it. Saved Ian trying to find somewhere to wild camp. Tomorrow we head home, shame really, but at least it gave us a break. Roll on the 2nd August, my knee op and hopefully the start to a new me.

Yorkshire part 3

 July 14th

The heat wave has broken! Rain overnight and I woke feeling chilly. Having slept on top of the bedding for days, I was glad to pull the blanket over me! Today we had to leave this site and our initial plan was to travel to Tan Hill Inn, the highest pub in the UK at 1,732 feet (528m) above sea level. But just down the road at Elvington was a residential home park. For a while now our thoughts have turned toward leaving the water, the ageing process has crept up on us too rapidly and Ian's strength is not what it used to be. Winding paddles and opening gates is becoming hard work. Living in a narrow environment with dodgy joints is also challenging! So we went to have a look at the homes. Wow, they are smart, and the owner showed two which are for sale at the moment. The site is still in the development stage and various plots could be chosen.  To say we were tempted is an understatement. But head ruled heart, and we came away with many a brochure and the invitation to attend an exhibition in York, in September. Needless to say, having spent nearly two hours chatting and viewing the site, Tan Hill was put on hold for now. That will be for another year.

One of the homes on site.

 

There is Nidderdale Museum which looks well worth a visit. In the blurb on the website, it read,

Housed in an imposing Victorian Workhouse and with over 30,000 exhibits arranged over 13 exhibition spaces, it immerses you in the rich heritage of the dales. Feel history come to life as you sit in an old schoolroom or a pub snug, visit a complete Cobbler's shop or a general store, walk through a Victorian parlour set for tea or through a mine tunnel! 

 It's a good alternative to the pub, especially as Tuesday is set to be wet! We decided to drive half way and then stop. We drove through Reeth and I noticed as we sped past a field that motor homes were parked and, what looked like, an honesty box by the gate. Our initial plan was to go towards Bleaberry Gill Ford, located on the road between Low Row and Langthwaite in Swaledale, for an overnight stop. It's the ford James Herriot drove through on the opening sequence of 'All Creatures Great and Small' it's a lovely spot to stay. But as the signpost directing us off the main road came up, it was obvious we wouldn't make it! A very sharp right-hand turn, almost coming back on yourself and with the tarmac raised at one side, I knew what would happen! Ian, though, thought otherwise. As he tried to turn onto it, the high point of the tarmac scraped the bottom of the beast, the wheels started spinning, we were going nowhere! Stuck half onto that lane and half on the main road was a little worrying to say the least! Nothing came along, thank goodness, how embarrassing would that have been! Although he tried several times to drive forward onto the lane, the wheels spun each time, and finally had to admit defeat and reverse back onto the main road, scraping the beast undercarriage on the way back too. 

 

Main road on the right of the photo. Ian had got out here to see what could be done!

So it was back to Reeth we went, found the field with the honesty box and for £3 could stay overnight. Result.

 Onwards tomorrow to a Reservoir at Scar House before heading off to Pateley Bridge and Nidderdale Museum.

Yorkshire part 2

 July 13th

Having had a really lazy day on Saturday, we felt we should do something on Sunday. Weather was perfect with temperatures near the 30s. But what to do?  We had pretty well done everything in the vicinity and beyond, this being our third visit. We looked through the internet, got out the English Heritage and NT books and in the end decided on going back to Beningbrough Hall, a NT property.

Back in June 2021 we visited the Hall, but then the only thing open inside was the art gallery. This time several rooms inside the house were open, and as NT members, it solved our dilemma of where to go. We arrived late, the place had been open for two hours, so parking this beast in their car park was impossible. A designated area was available for motorhomes, but the 4 that were already there had parked in such a way to make it impossible for another to fit in. So we were shown to a grassy area right outside the hall. Great, I thought, less walking to do. Unfortunately the double gates where I thought we could get in were padlocked so it meant a bit of a walk after all.

 LAUNDRY

Beautiful parquetry staircase

 THE GARDENS

 

A late lunch was had, so much yummy hot food on offer and not a lettuce leaf in sight.  Ian went for the 3 sausage, mashed potato and peas option. I was starving, the smell making my mouth water. In the end, I chose Harrasa and white bean hotpot, only 250 calories. It came with bread, that was given to Ian!

 

 Having been on my feet for several hours, I was beginning to struggle. Time to head back to the site. For dinner, I had a slice of toast with a sliver of cheese. I'm starting to become paranoid about eating. The thought of not having lost any weight when we get back to FS is constantly on my mind. Hopefully, that lunch, when I don't usually have any, won't pile on the pounds again!

 

Plenty of ladybirds about at Beningbrough as well as butterflies.

 

 

Yorkshire part 1

 July 11th

A pit stop to Tesco before heading North toward Yorkshire wasn't planned, but Ian had forgotten to top up the motor home diesel tank. Driving up to the pump, crikey, he was that dismayed in seeing just how much diesel had gone up! She's a thirsty beast, our motorhome, and it seemed to take an age to fill, The pounds kept creeping up! Anyway, our first stop was at Brigg, it's a garden center about the halfway point. They do wonderful breakfasts, we have stayed twice before and each time enjoyed them immensely. Because of my lettuce leaf diet, it would be most unfair if Ian had gone without me, so I persuaded told him he had to make do with cereal instead.

We left before 11am and, for lunch, stopped at a viewing area near the Humber bridge. A café was nearby, not too far for me to hobble. I ordered ordinary tea and Ian a green tea, then went to find a table. I was not amused when he arrived back with a slice of chocolate Malteser cake. Seeing my indignation, offered to cut me a small piece as a taster. The look I gave him said it all!

Goose trying his luck

 

On route, a 'road closed ahead' sign stopped our progress as we neared York. A fire had broken out near a farm, we saw the smoke from way off but hadn't realised it would cause us any problems. Well, the Sat Nav kept telling us to make a U-Turn, couldn't find another route through, and so with no diversions in place, Ian had to follow his nose. He's very good at that, his sense of direction is amazing. As for me, forget it. I still get my lefts and rights wrong!

Prospect Farm camp ground is what we call a 'hideaway' site. We have stayed many times and are now on first name terms with the owner. With only two caravans parked toward the back of a massive field, we could choose where we wanted to go. A water tap was nearby, and we chose a spot near to that. It's also fairly near to the elsan point, not so far for Ian to walk to do the deed. An awning went up, creating a lovely shady place to sit and while away the afternoon. 

 

The decision was made to stay until Monday, just chill out for a few days and enjoy the good weather. It's hot, about 27 deg, plenty of insects flying around as well. Ladybirds are plentiful, and we heard on the news today that they have become a bit of a nuisance, even stopping the cricket at Lords for a while. Not seen anything like those numbers, but hover flies are as bad as flies here. Ian fished several out of his beer yesterday.

 And seen at Humber bridge

 

Another short break

 July 10th

We are away again, managed to grab a short break while we could, because since my last post, things have moved at a pace. My appointment with the consultant/surgeon at the private hospital on July 1st was for 9 am, which meant an early start to get there. Sat Nav said 30 minutes, but was that with the rush hour traffic? Anyway, we left nearly 50 minutes before I was due at the hospital and needless to say, Sat Nav was right, so we had a bit of a wait when we arrived.  Walking through the doors, wow, talk about a posh reception area. We were met by one of the receptionists, very pleasant and welcoming and, in our opinion, would not have been a stranger at a model agency. In fact, all the staff, including the nurses, were just as glamorous. 

Dead on 9 am, the consultant came out, shook our hands and showed us to the consulting room. Looking over the physio notes and x-ray agreed my knee was pretty bad. Out came his diary and said would August 2nd for a total knee replacement be okay. Good grief, I never expected it to be so soon. Of course, I agreed, he pencilled it in, then explained all the things that could go wrong with this type of op, including death! "Oh eck" I thought, sounds drastic, but I expect it's what's told to everyone having an anaesthetic. As we left, he took me to one side. "You must try and lose some weight before the op, and I recommend a lettuce leaf and water diet from now on"! "Crikey, that's a bit harsh", thought I. I did ask if it was alright to have a tomato with it. He thought for a moment and said, "Just the one"!

As for Ian, we are still waiting on blood test results, his weight has remained stable, and he feels very well in himself. An appointment has been made to see yet another consultant mid-August, hopefully, if I'm walking okay, I can go with him.

So that is why we decided to take a break before the 'Big Day', and so Yorkshire was the chosen destination. To date, I have lost 7lbs, that's a lb a day. The diet consists of fruit for breakfast, no lunch and a small side plate of salad with either salmon or prawns to help ease the hunger. Also, chair aerobics has become the norm, a 30-minute workout every morning. It certainly gets the heart rate up! I know the diet is drastic, but I'm determined to lose a stone before the op. The way I'm going, that does seem achievable.  Fingers crossed anyway.

A short break

June 25th 

 We did manage to get away, not to Yorkshire, but 'down south' to Dorset. We had good news last week, all clear with Ian's scan. Oh, actually, that's not strictly true because a small nodule was found on his adrenal gland. Now, this nodule was present on a scan way back in 2015, the consultant then was not concerned, so why worry about it now? Anyway, an appointment was made at city hospital for mid-August, I'm sure the NHS are determined not to let him go!

As for my knee situation, I have an appointment at a private hospital on the 1st July. Fingers crossed I won't have to long to wait for the op.

 It was a spur-of-the-moment decision, then, to get away for 4 days. I found a site near to Lyme Regis, looked lovely and quiet and had a fully serviced hard-standing site available. (water and grey water disposal) And yes it was everything the website had described, dog friendly, electric hookup, 2 fishing ponds, good walks, pub nearby but what was not mentioned was the roads leading to the site. Nearly three miles of narrow lanes with the occasional passing place. When the hedges started touching both sides of the motorhome, it was a little worrying! I often wonder how these sites are allowed to open when getting to them is so bad. Plenty of caravans as well, must have been a nightmare for them if they had met another vehicle. We were lucky, only had to reverse twice, so the decision was made to spend a very quiet few days not moving off site, so plenty of card games played, and I walked the best I could with my stick whilst hanging on to Ian's arm. The journey back wasn't quite as stressful, as we found a slightly shorter route back to the main road. Still bad enough though, and we felt lucky not to meet anything, apart, that is, the dustcart and that was going our way!

And once back on FS, a new family of ducklings emerged. More food for the Pike!

Update

 June 12th

And still the wait continues! It's been two weeks since Ian had a scan and still no results! We are feeling positive, though, because 'no news is good news' as the saying goes. He also still feels remarkably well so quite why he lost weight is beyond me!

So what have we been up too? Well, towards the end of May, Pentland (ECP&DA's workboat), went into dry dock for blacking. Somehow I got volunteered to do the job, probably because I blacked her originally. Anyway, I persuaded Ian to give me a hand because the weather was set to turn nasty, and we only had two days in which to do the job. It took a lot longer than I had anticipated, the hull was very pitted, loading the roller with bitumen wasn't enough to cover the rust. An old paint brush had to be used instead, and that took time, but we did manage to complete the task just in time before the rain started.

A small welding job had to be done. Malc and Ernie, both ECP&DA volunteers, held us up slightly

Beginning of June the funeral of Norman took place, gosh it was well attended with 100 plus of family, friends, and acquaintances, including several CRT personals, present. Not all got a seat, and a good 40 had to stand around the side. I think Norman would have been proud of the send-off, especially as the wake was held right here at the Great Northern Pub, his local.  Thank you to Ian and Kath for feeding the multitude.

With our grandsons first communion on the 9th, we took the motorhome to MK. The Polish family had claimed most of the bedrooms in our son's house, leaving only the converted loft for our daughter and son-in-law to sleep. For us to stay, we had to bring the motorhome, a bit awkward as our son's house has an arch leading to the rear of the house which was too narrow for it to fit through. With it being a weekend, we parked in the school car park, but not wanting to leave it there overnight, we managed to get the front end through the arch with the backend sticking out. It meant getting up early to move it back to the car park. 

Our son is 6'3". Oliver is almost as tall! 

 

The weekend was a great success, a BBQ after the service and the drink flowed freely, well it always does when the Polish contingency is present! 

Communion Cake

Now that's what I call a Chimenea

The decision was made on the Monday to head down to Blenheim Palace. It was the birthplace and home of Sir Winston Churchill. I still have a big problem with my right knee and have had to bite the bullet and buy a stick! Blenheim Palace is huge and even though I tried to fight the pain, we only spent a measly 3 hours there. The tickets were expensive at £41 each, so I felt a bit miffed that only a small part had been seen. But not all was lost because the tickets can be used again within a year of purchase, hopefully I can get the knee sorted within that time frame!

 

Sir Winston was a great painter.

Hmmm.....

Talking of knees, I saw the physio again today, and he has finally agreed to put me on the list for a knee replacement. To try and bring waiting lists down, I can now be seen at a private clinic under the NHS. Three weeks to wait before I get a letter saying when the surgeon can see me so we may (if Ian finally gets the all clear) go away for a short while in the motorhome. Abroad is out of the question but as we love the York moors and Dales so much, might take another jaunt up there.