Dragged out of Retirement

I'm just back from a(nother) planned visit "Up North" to see my mother, she was in good form, and we got out and about albeit to very familiar places in genera,l but she was very happy and got some important Christmas shopping done... everything seemed to fall into place.  As for me, the train journey both ways were a bit of a palaver due to broken down trains and broken tracks apparently. So it was delays (could have been worse) and overcrowded trains ( I got a seat at least) as Friday it was three trains worth of people on the one, and Monday four times ! So, last night after hugs and kisses from the lovely london1967 he poured me the first of two large G&Ts which, I must say, hit the spot immediately and celebrated being back home.

Out and about in the countryside we were surrounded by some glorious autumn colours, no photos could do justice, and the most spectacular were in the most difficult places to stop the car and snap..... though this gives an idea




As it has been so wet this year I think the leaves have stayed on the trees longer and had chance to "colour".

We did go in a slightly different direction on Saturday afternoon and followed some signs to East Riddleston Hall in the hope of a cup of tea, but sadly the house and cafe were closed (a new kitchen is being installed) but the grounds were open........... It does boast a number of ghosts, and has "that look" I think !  And I've never seen so many ducks together !




just a few of them  





Murgatroyd is a very Yorkshire sounding surname, and as if it were a bit of a theme, Friday afternoon we went to Murgatroyds Fish and Chip restaurant (as usual)... my first time "officially" having a "pensioner's special" along with my mother, and then as I look up East Riddleston Hall I see it was built for a Murgatroyd !!

Henry always gives me a (not-too-pleased) look when I have my camera out......



and my mother was rather intrigued by the ornamental cabbages in the bunch of flowers I got her, I actually got them as there were some of her favourite coloured chrysanthemums in the bunch too.....

This weekend was one of my regular scheduled trips up the Yorkshire to mainly see my mother. We saw a fair amount of the sun though it was very chilly, and we had some snow !

Usually on my February visit we have a drive somewhere in the countryside to spot the snowdrops, often the grounds surrounding Fountains Abbey as it has a great show of them.  However, with snow forecast for Saturday afternoon we decided on a drive around somewhere with no big hills to drive over, just in case !  After doing a number of errands for my mum in the morning, which required the car, we set off for Beningborugh Hall as I remembered spoting the little white flowers there on a previous (and probably documented on LJ) springtime visit. We know the route pretty well and though it had clouded over there was no sign of snow, the roads were very quite, and I actually got chance to stop and take a photograph of a very narrow (one track) road bridge very close to the village of Cattal, we often cross when out for a run in the car in that direction.... it's recently been repaired and restored and I'd never actually seen it from the bank of the River Nidd which it crosses.  Cattal is a small but very old village that is mentioned in the Domesday Book, and even has a Roman road running through it.



Just as we reached Beningborough we saw the first flurries of "the white stuff", and over the short time it took to have lunch the ground was pretty much covered by the big flakes that were falling.  Our drive back was a littl extended as we missed a turn-off on the road - funny how everywhere looks different in the snow - so had quite a drive through the picturesque landscape.  I managed the scrape the paintwork on the hire car slightly when reversing into a parking space by mother's flat..... dancing on ice !  It continued to snow until well into the evening.




Sunday was sunny and the snow thawed a little , so we made it out for lunch at a local garden centre and we were joined later in the afternoon by my sister and her two boys, and their dog at my mum's for tea and cake.




A colourful bunch of spring flowers I gave my mum, and one of the "paper-whites" she grew from bulbs given to her by "the boys next-door" for Christmas!