Thursday/Friday/Saturday - continued working in Ashton - it wasn't too bad really - OK, got a bit wet at times but - hey - it comes with the job !! It was a weird and wonderful weekend to say the least. Finished work on Friday and then me and Mrs Smiffy drove up to Newbiggin, near West Burton in the Yorkie Dales for a weekend of camping. Plan was that I'd go up on the Friday, have a meal in the pub next to the campsite with Mrs Smiffy and our mates and then drive home ready for work on Saturday. However ... the pub was very tempting indeed (or should I say the Wensleydale Brewery "Semer Water" !), so Plan B kicked in - a big meal (excellent food by the way - the "Street Head Inn") a few beers and then head down for a few hours before getting up at daft o'clock (about 0330 hrs ) to drive home for work on Saturday. Work over - get changed - then straight back "oop north". A campsite meal of spag bol (and lots more beer this time !) and sleep. Sunday saw us all drive a few miles to Kettlewell to do a 6/7 miler.
Looking down on Kettlewell
The day started well weather-wise - but then it started to drizzle ... so we nipped into "The Falcon" at Arncliffe hoping that the rain would cease - it actually got worse !
"The beginnings of the end" ...
Meanwhile back at the pub - what a place ! The actual village looked completely deserted - apart from rows and rows of cars completely ruining any thoughts of photography - a cracking "wild meadow" but the cars would have just spoiled any picture ... the pub - I can certainly recommend the beer (straight from the cask) but apart from that - really unfriendly landlord, more interested in chatting with the locals than actually serving anyone. "Can you move your rucksacks off the chairs ?" Yeah we'll sort ourselves out when you've bloody served us !! T'other three of our party had cups of tea (wusses !) and it was strange tea to say the least - they reckoned it contained not milk but powdered milk which had been 'rehydrated' - ugghh ! Some would say the room had "character" - if character = filth/dirt then fair enough - it had character !!!
We escaped - quickly - into the worsening weather (pausing only to eat our butties under the lych-gate of the church and put big camera safely in rucksack) - and finally got back to Kettlewell looking like drowned rats.
Eerie gravestones in Arncliffe church yard - taken in the pouring rain
Quick trouser change in Kettlewell public loos before driving home for 1800 hrs - rustled up a quick posh tea (pork steaks cooked in a cider and mustard sauce - the cider used was some "leftovers" from small boy's "weekend" i.e. Frosty Jack - recommended by hobos and skint teenagers everywhere !!), and then started to sort out wet/sodden stuff. At least we got the tent down in the dry !!
Today - back out in the country i.e. Diggle - it stayed dry !
What's in the box ?? Yep an old friend - well not THAT old but ...
Got home to find a card from FedEx ("Parcel left with neighbour"). Yes it's a warm "Welcome Back" to the Canon 85mm f1.8 lens - fixed under warranty !! A quick test showed all was well, so it's a big "Thank You" to Warehouse Express and Canon UK ...
Also received four letters - and somehow you get the feeling that people know rather a lot about you ... when ALL FOUR were on the same subject - car insurance renewal !!
"Can I interest you in ... ?" No - sod off !!
Tonight was a variant of corned beef hash - minced beef hash (very nice too - contained green chilli, cumin and oregano), before looking at the paucity of weekend photos - and now this ...
Bishops Stortford in the Blue Square NORTH ? How ludicrous can they get ??
Catch-up over ...
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1 comment:
Bishops Stortford in the BSN?
My sister and brother in law live there,support the team home and away and they are not happy!
They reckon that their chairman will not stand for it on grounds of cost.
There is an on-line petition apparently against this ridiculous move.
I've been sent a link but it doesn't work!
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