Thursday 4 September - York Minster and the Stinking Bishop

View of the Minster in the morning sun

After the last couple of days we decided to stay around town today. 

After a full English breakfast with Fullers London Pride at the Old White Swan we went to the Minster. We spent some time and did a tour. The Chapter House was very impressive but the whole building is looking well and the tour guide was enthusiastic about the work that is being done.

Ceiling of the east transept

The centre of the ceiling of the Chapter House

This stone carving was above the Dean's seat in the Chapter House. One way the workmen could poke fun at their masters.

The Treasurers House is a National Trust property close by. It was bequeathed to the nation in the 1930s as a going concern. There is an impressive Grand Hall and the house was worth a visit - our Canadian memberships gave us free admission.

There was a short pause at the Hole in the Wall where I sampled a very passable bitter from Mansfield.

 

This beautifully restored and painted stone carving was at Petergate, part of the University of York

We walked through the museum gardens and sat for a while on the river bank.There were a lot of noisy ducks washing in the river then they all came out and hunkered down along the footpath. A couple of fishermen had a number of bites and one landed a fish almost two feet long.

Walking back to the apartment I bought some Stinking Bishop cheese. This is reputed to be the smelliest cheese in Yorkshire. It wasn't very stinky, not compared to an Epoisse or a ripe Roquefort, but it had a good flavour and a very smooth creamy texture under the brown, crusty rind.

Wednesday 3 September - Visiting with Colin Bishop at Skipton

We took the train from York to Leeds and changed for Skipton. There was mass confusion at York because the car letter was not marked. We had reservations in car C but went through car B and on to A before finding the right car. What an unnecessary cock up. After Leeds the country became interesting with dry stone walls, sheep, cattle, canals etc.

We met Colin as planned, he had driven over from his home near Carnforth. We walked a lot and chatted a lot. First order of business was coffee, then the street market. 

Dogs not included

Skipton is a pretty lively place. A market is held in the High Street four times a week and it was packed. We shared a very hot chili pork pie as an appetizer which destroyed my taste buds for at least half an hour.
Lunch was at an excellent Fish and Chip Restaurant. The jumbo haddock was truly jumbo and beautifully battered. I had chips and Mary had an excellent salad. 

 

The canal provided a good way to walk off lunch. The canal is well used and there were flotillas of ducks and a few swans. Duck food was being sold on the towpath and was much appreciated by the waterfowl.

 

There was time for a drink - Timothy Taylors Boltmaker was a strong bitter with a hint of molasses. I enjoyed it but prefer Timothy Taylors Landlord.
Click here to see all pictures taken at Skipton
We then made our way back to the station and caught a train earlier than intended. It allowed us to return from Leeds on the earlier Cross Country train to Dundee. I am sure this was better than waiting for the Northern train which would have been crowded and probably unmarked.

On the train from Skipton the most amazing old man sat opposite me from Bingley. He was short and well dressed with a green tweed three buttoned suit and waist coat. His cream shirt had an elaborate gold pattern with cuff links and a tie which matched his suit. The flat cloth cap also matched his suit and he carried a cane with a gold (or brass) handle. He squinted through thick bottle glass spectacles. A living example of the cat's pajamas. If this wasn't enough, every minute or so he would get out his upper plate with his tongue, wave it around at all and sundry and then re-insert it. A good reason why I find public transport so appealing.

Tuesday 2 September - Beverley and Pocklington

With day rover tickets we set out for Beverley. The bus, which went to Hull, went through Pocklington and Market Weighton which we scouted out as possible places to visit on the way back.

Once again the bus destination board did not agree with the timetable or the electronic board at the bus stop. We have learned to ask the driver before each trip. The Yorkshire Wolds are fairly flat with the occasional hill.  The farming is mixed. The grain is being harvested and some fields are being plowed - the plow is followed by a lot of birds looking for grubs etc.

Beverley is a pleasant village with lots of shopping potential. There is a good pedestrian area but the main square gives the feel of a car park with some interesting buildings spread around the perimeter. The lady in the tourist office was very helpful. She steered me to some good beer and also recommended that we stop off at Pocklington on our return. 

 

Fortified with a Greene King IPA we took a look at the minster which is light as well as large. 

The Hull area, including Beverley, is the only part of the country where phone boxes are painted cream instead of red

 

A quick dark mild at the White Horse revealed a dark pub with a maze of many rooms. It was a nice change to find a mild beer.

As suggested, we decided to go on to Pocklington which had an interesting street market today. On the way wepassed by the Beverley race track, there were cattle grazing on either side of the unfenced main road.  Both Beverly and Pockligton are gliding centres and we saw several in the air at both places. The Burnby Hall Gardens are very close to the centre of Pocklington and we spent a peaceful time there. There is a large lake filled with water lillies. The lawns are well manicured and we were surprised at the number and size of the carp. People buy food for them and they know the drill. The air was rent with the splashing of the frequent feeding frenzies.  There is also a wooded area called the Stumpery. This is similar to a rockery but old tree stumps have been used, some carved with demonic faces. Sitting in a calm area we were disturbed by a gurgling and rustling of the fish under the water lilly leaves. The gardens were well worth a visit. 

 

 

The Stumpery

 

The bus was on time and brought us back close to the Shambles.
Click here to see all pictures taken at Beverley and Pocklington

An Indian (Goan) meal was excellent and I had a Bradfied Brewery (Sheffield) Farmers Bitter which was not to my taste, it was dark, not very bitter and had a touch of molasses.

Monday 1 September - Castle Howard

The best time to see our street is early in the morning or late at night.

Getting there can be half the fun and it was certainly the case with the bus to Castle Howard. The timetable and maps clearly marked a 180 route Stephenson's of Easingwold bus.  A couple of minutes before time a Stephenson's route 183 bus to Malton turned up.  The driver opened the doors and started to chat. After a minute or so he pointed out that this was in fact the 180 but "they had cocked it up" so that the destination board couldn't show 180 to Castle Howard but only 183 which it became at Castle Howard for Malton. So we made the bus by sheer happenstance.

The timetable allowed 1 hour 23 minutes for the journey which was only 15 miles so it was by no means direct and called in at many small villages on the way. There were only a couple of people other than us. At one point we entered a small hamlet and passed an old couple on the other side of the road. The bus went 100 metres further, did a three point turn, picked them up and left the  village. They both smiled at us and said "Good morning" as they took their seats. We passed a sign for pig racing. That sounds interesting. I wonder if they have jockeys or if they are free range pigs?

We finally came to a cross roads where we could see Castle Howard for the first time but the bus turned away and went into another village where a three point turn was required before retracing our route to the crossroads and our destination. 

There is a sizeable discount on entry by showing our bus tickets. In fact it cost less to get in Castle Howard than the bus fare.

We first visited the house which is huge. It contains some interesting items but many areas are badly in need of restoration or renewal. As a museum it is good, as a house it is dark and mostly dingy.

  

Mad Hatters Tea Party

 

The grounds are pleasant and there is much good walking. The clouds were threatening most of the day with the occasional sunny break. There are several lakes and care has been taken to maintain their natural appearance. We had a snack at the Boat House on a deck set out over the water where ducks and swans cruised around looking for handouts.

 

 

Click here to see all pictures taken at Castle Howard
Coming back, the buses from Malton and York arrived together and we made very sure that we were on the right bus. The indicator did show 180 and we followed the same route back - with the same passengers.

This is a difficult picture to take because there are always cars in the way during the day - this is just across from the Minster.

I tried a Skipton beer this evening.  Quite pleasant with a good but not overpowering flavor of hops.

Sunday 31 August - Bettys, pickled onions and more

We came back to the apartment this morning to find the paramedics attending to a young guy who had fallen over. There was blood all over the door step. 

 

Today we had Champagne Afternoon Tea at Bettys using a voucher Mary Burges so kindly gave us. Everything was splendid. The serving staff were all very good and the tea was excellent.

The room is decorated in the same manner as the Queen Mary, the owner travelled on the maiden voyage and was so impressed that he decided to fashion the room similarly.

 

After the champagne Mary had Bettys Afternoon Tea while I had the Darjeeling Afternoon Tea. There was a huge selection of teas. These were served with four different types of sandwich, I preferred the ham and mustard, then scones, clotted cream and strawberry jam. To finish off there were some excellent pastries.

 

 

I then went to the Railway Museum. Mallard is now sandwiched between two good engines, 2500 and 737.

Click here to see all pictures taken at the National Railway Museum
One the way back I spent a little time at the station talking to the Assistant Station Manager. Although she is not wearing safety shoes she may go on to the track in an emergency.

The Blue Bell served up a dark treackly beer called Dave. Not bad. It is brewed at Great Heck from rock treacle from the Great Heck treacle mine.

 

I found a jar of pickled onions and some Stilton at Marks and Spencers.  Nanna Churcher liked these. Trouble was she only had one tooth of her own and didn't like using her false teeth. She would take in a pickled onion and chase it round her gums for several minutes before she succeeded in spearing it.

It turned into a lovely evening and the light was particularly good on the Minster and many other buildings.

Saturday 30 August - Scarborough - cockles, mussels, whelks - and Evensong

The train from York was pretty crowded but we had seat reservations and, in any case, the train emptied out at Malton. There was a cutting wind at York but this had settled down at the coast. The clouds gradually cleared to reveal a sunny hot day. The route to the beach was down a wide pedestrian boulevard with very busy shops.  

The tide was going out and the beach was beginning to get busy with families with dogs etc. There were a couple of donkey rides but they weren't doing very much business. Mary and I were both keen to haveca donkey ride but unfortunately there was a sign "No Adults".

After inspecting the Lifeboat we walked towards the north, past the shellfish stands and the harbour. We sampled a plate of cockles, mussels, whelks, scampi, fake crab etc.  The whelks were not very appetizing.

 

The speedboat and the pirate boat were giving rides and they were advertising rides to see the harbour dolphins although I would think the chances of seeing one  would be remote. There is a small fun fair with a ferris wheel. Walking back into town we were amazed at the number of fish restaurants and bars. We found a genuine fish and chip place that was not pretentious but which had good cod and chips at a pretty reasonable price. 

We then walked south along the prom. One of the attractions was a large tank of water on which two large transparent balls were floating. Children were zipped in and the ball was reinflated. The tide was a long way out and the dogs could race around to their hearts' content. 

There is one section with rocks and weeds which should satisfy curious youngsters.  The funicular railway was a convenient way to climb back into the town and we made our way back to the station.  The train was turned round and had to be cleaned.  Everyone was waiting to get into the train but we had to wait while one man put the seat reservation tags into their respective slots. One area where the bus company scores.
Click here to see all pictures taken at Scarborough

The trip back was through sunny pleasant country.

We went to Evensong in the York Minster this evening.  The choir was from Wolverhampton and sung very well. There were several very small children, maybe six or seven. One of them sang with a very clear voice that carried although another seemed to have difficulty concentrating. The organ was also impressive and we stood for some time listening to it afterwards.

We went to the Blue Bell this evening this time for a Wold top bitter. Pleasant enough with a hint of hops but not as good as either the Rooster or the Timothy Taylors

Spent a little time with two Canadian girls who were shortly to take Eurostar to Paris.