Harrogate with the Girls

Annual girls weekend away last weekend, and this time we went to Harrogate. Lovely town house by the station, so after a quick, uneventful journey there, we were able to leave our bags and head for the Station Tap to get the weekend off to a good start.

Then we had a walk round town, where there was still a lot of evidence of the start of the Tour de France

Lunch was in a lovely pub, and then back to the house to unpack and wait for the Tesco's order which was mainly heavy stuff, ie booze. Off to the shops for food, and then a lovely relax on a sofa which was very comfy but difficult to get on and off. Lots of knitting was in evidence later, but not when this was taken!

A good home cooked meal, some alcohol was taken, and a quick trip to the tap again before bedtime

Saturday up bright and early for a bus to Harlow Carr Garden. First thing we had to do was have a cup of tea and a cake in Betty's tea room, and what a good cake it was too. I think this counted as one of my five a day!

The garden was lovely, and there was a set of new willow sculptures. This tickled me as it was called The Hare-y Bikers...

So much colour, whoever had planted it had really thought about what it would look like at all times of the year.

We walked back though the pine woods

And then through Valley Park. After lunch in Harrogates oldest pub which is still lit by gaslight

We had a look in the Pump Room Museum, and round some of the lovely shops.

Back to the house for our famous Christmas dinner - chicken, pheasant all the trimmings, with of course a hedgerom cocktail to start. elderflower cordial, Prosecco and sloe gin floated on top. 

Sunday was  a leisurely day.   We did the town trail from a map, and walked tound all of the Harrogate sights, with Beka as tour leader

Taking ina nice coffee shop, and a pub lunch of course on the way. We even visited Weatherspoons, whch is rather spectacular in the old Winter Gardens.

 A lovely meal in Jamies Italian to finish the day off. Monday we had to be out earlier, and had to put our bags somewhere, so we utilised a cycle shed to much amusement form us. Spent the morning having coffee, looking round the shops and a lesurely lunch before coming home. Another fab weekend with the girls!

Girls weekend away

For the last 16 years or so we've had a "girls weekend away". Began life as an "allmenarebastards" weekend, but we've progressed. Normally we go in November, but because of various prior commitments, this year we were much earlier. some pros - lots more light at the end of the day, and cons - didn't feel quite as close to Christmas for our festive meal.  But, a great time was had by all!

Met at the station for a coffee, and then set off to Alnmouth on the train - First Class obviously- and had a great communal picnic.  G and T, wine, sandwiches, indian snacks, prawns, chicken - you name it, we ate it on the train.

Taxi to meet us at the other end, and off to our lovely house - huge, lots of rooms, including a games room and conservatory. We'd thought ahead and Sainsbury's delivered the shopping. After unpacking we went for a walk along the river and to the beach. The tide was in and it was misty - very atmospheric. Found a little ferry hut, and lots of boats.

Walked along the beach and then cut up through the town and back along the river where we saw a heron.

Then it was back to house, knitting, snacks, the odd drink followed by dinner of sausage and mash.  After dinner a couple of us ventured out to the local pub which was supposedly haunted.

Saturday was a good big cooked breakfast and off on the bus to Alnwick.  Spent several hours in the Alnwick garden which was very impressive. Water features, formal gardens

and a poison garden which you had to be accompanied into.

 Can't think why...

also saw an amazing shaggy inkcap in the grass

and some real doves in the Dovecote

Then a couple of us went to the castle  - where the first two episodes of Harry Potter were filmed.

Lovely place, but the funniest part was a dark walk through called Dragon Quest which scared both of us to bits and made us scream.

Lovely lunch in a pub, a walk round the shops and back on the bus.

After watching as much of Strictly Come Dancing as we could get away with we walked up the village to an Italian restauarant were we had a lovely meal.

Sunday was another cooked breakfast, and a walk along the beach. The sun was shining, the tide was out, there was sand, rock pools, crabs, and unfortunately and very big dead seal.

Cut inland and walked along the river

to Lesbury for lunch in the Coach Inn,

and then back to Alnmouth by the river where we saw the heron again.

Spent the afternoon cosied up as a group knitting, drinking whisky mac and watching videos we found in the cottage - Peter Kay live and Love Actually!

Sunday night was Christmas dinner  - told you it was early :-)   Chicken and all the trimmings, including Christmas pudding set alight with brandy. And of course we made our traditional soup with all of the left overs. And I mean all.

Monday morning was a light breakfast and a walk to the river estuary, back along the beach

and a coffee.

Some shopping in the village, and lunch of soup before the taxi back to the station for a 2 o'clock train.  we managed to decant all the drink we had left over into plastic bottles, so the journey back was quite fun.

Fab weekend as always - great place, and great company with great girfriends!!

Girls weekend

Just got back from our traditional girls weekend away - think we've been doing it for 15 years now. A weekend in a cosy cottage, somewhere nice, usually close to a pub. Plenty of eating, drinking and walking. Slightly less of the latter now.

This year we went to Giggleswick, in a cottage we've stayed in 3 times before. Lovely jasmine and something red round the door (Cotoneaster?).

Went on the train, got there lunchtime, lunch in the Black Horse which is all of 20 yards from the cottage, and the landlord always recognises us.  Then a short walk into Settle, a look round the shops, and some supermarket shopping for our provisions for the weekend.

Back to the cottage, light the real fire (my job!), and sausage and mash for tea. Later we walked to the other pub, which is a bit further, about 50 yards. Quite exciing - we saw a fight. Tables turned over and everything. Soon calmed down by the landlady though.

Next morning a short walk, and got a bit lost at one point - could see the path below us, but no way down, so we climbed.

Usual coffee stop, my flask has been photographed in many locations.

A dash of artificial sweetner from the hip flask sets the coffee off nicely. Lovely view of Giggleswick School as we came over the top.

Then lunch in Settle, a quick drink, a walk round half of the town trail, and off to the station to meet one of our friends who was arriving. back to the cottage, more fire, more drink, and Christmas lunch. Chicken pheasant and all the trimmings. Even the pudding had a sparkler on it.

Then to the pub again where we played dominos. Not sure why. Seemed like a good idea at the time. And we got thrown out at the end of the night by the landlord who asked us politely if we had a home to go to.

Next day another walk, where we saw this amusing weather station.

Walked by the canal for a while which was lovely.

Ended at the craft centre where we managed to get some retail therapy and Christmas shopping in. Lunch in Settle again, and the rest of the town trail. In the evening we ate out at the Black Horse again, but didn't get thrown out this time.

Up and away fairly early on Sunday as there were no trains running due to engineering works and we had to get a bus to Keigthly which wasn't too pleasant with a slight hangover. Then a train to Leeds where we had lunch, and then home. Great weekend as always.

Girls in Helmsley, part 2

Next day, Sunday, we woke up to think fog, so we had a hearty cooked breakfast, read the papers, and eventually ventured out.  There were very heavily dewed spiders webs everywhere, but it was still very pleasant.

We had a potter round the town, went to the castle, which we could barely see,

and bought loads of things for Christmas from the little shops.  We paid a visit to one of my favourite shops – a dolls house heaven, where an elderly couple have a treasure trove of everything in minature for a dolls house.

Evening meal in The Feathers was very pleasant, and the next morning we had a walk to see the Highland cows, as one of them had a two day old calf.  Ahhh, cute.

Then the bus back to York, and an enormous couple of platters in The Stonegate Yard – a bar recommended to us by twitter.

A great weekend as usual.

Girls weekend in Helmsley

Can’t believe it’s year since the last girls weekend away, and another has come around. This time we off to Helmsley, one of my favourite little towns in North Yorkshire. Set off on Friday, and this time our public transport was a bit of an adventure. Train from Sheffield to York, and then a walk into town and a coffee in view of the Minster.   Then it was time to catch the bus, for an hours drive, passing Byland Abbey (a ruin),  and Ampleforth Abbey (not a ruin).


The bus dropped us off outside The Feathers, so in for lunch it was, then a quick trip round the market buying fresh veg and meat.  Then to the cottage which was beautiful – fantastically equipped, and very comfy. Another wander round the town, and back to light the log fire, and a warming whisky mac.  Dinner was sausage and mash, a mixture of locally made ones, lovely.  Then out for a quick pub crawl round the market square.

Up to a lovely sunny Saturday morning, and we set off to walk to Harome.  On the way we passed some Highland cows being fed, and the farmer introduced them to us by name. The one looking at the camera is Harriet.

After some ace map reading by Beka, we reached the Star Inn at lunchtime.

A great lunch followed, and a visit to the corner shop to buy some locally made chutneys for Christmas.

  Back to Helmsley, after a decent 6 mile walk.

Then it was back to the cottage where we discovered a new cocktail -  sloe gin, elderflower cordial and sparkling wine. Apparently its called a hedgerow.

Then it was our famous Christmas dinner (after Strictly Come Dancing had finished obviously). Roast chicken and pheasant and all the trimmings followed by Christmas pudding flamed in brandy. We even had crackers and candles.

After the food had gone down and the dishwasher was loaded, some of it went out again – to discover a fun fair had been set up in the market square. Well, we just had to go on the dodgems didn’t we? All driving a separate one, and one of us hadn’t been in a  dodgem car for 50 years…..….It was great fun – bordering on the hysterical.