Dragged out of Retirement

Well, my weekend in Yorkshire, visiting my mother in Leeds, went very well, though I am thrilled to be back home in the arms of my lovely Franco (london1967 ) now.

On Friday the train journey went very well and we arrived a few minutes early in Leeds, giving me time to nip into M&S and buy some flowers (gladioli) before meeting up with the car-hire guy who was coming to collect me (the office is a little out of the city centre, so they have a great service of collecting/dropping-off by prior arrangement). It's become a bit of a tradition for my mum and I to then drive over to Murgatroyds fish & chip restaurant on the outsirst of Leeds, and we always have the "pensioners special" (3 course meal) - it's very good, though as no-one has ever questioned my age, I should be a little perturbed! LOL

On Saturday we drove through the countryside to the Burnby Hall Gardens near York, they are home to the national collection of hardy waterlilies, as well as very pretty gardens.  It's probably well over 10 years since we last visited, and in that time they have built a car-park, visitors centre, museum, and cafe, as well as opening up some more areas of garden. The weather was lovely too, and with the aid of one of their wheelchairs mother was able to see everything.

  


   

And the waterlilies are at their best jus now, looking lovely and the leaves acting as playgrounds for various young water-birds.....

  

  

Luckily, I've not seen the new Piranha "disaster/horror" film, otherwise I might not have stood so near the edge of the lake !!

  

  


Mother, with one foot down acting as an emergency brake in case I go too near the water with her !! (evil laugh in the background!!)

  


  

There is also a small aviary, and a newly constructed "secret" garden........

   

And in the woodland area...................

  

We completed the day with a leisurely drive through the East Riding of Yorkshire...............