Weekend in York - the pics spam.

[curiouswombat]

I travelled over to England on Saturday. The crossing was pleasant, the drive to York was likewise, and D-d and I had a very nice meal together that evening.

We had planned to make the most of the York Food Festival on Sunday, and so pottered around the large tented area and ate so many samples that we didn't need lunch... We were leaving plenty of room for later in our tummies as we had tickets to attend a champagne afternoon tea in the official mayoral residence, the Mansion House.

We expected, as this was part of the food festival, that it would be a very, very good afternoon tea. It wasn't.

It was interesting to see inside the mansion house, and we found out that we got to have tea in the presence of the mayor and the sheriff (no, nothing like the US law officer of the same title!), but the food was disappointing. Whilst the sandwiches were perfectly nice, the cream for the scones was insufficient and over-whipped, the plain cakes were very basic supermarket bought, and the fancy cakes were identical, supermarket basic grade, cup-cakes. No variety, and not even up to the standards of Tesco's middle of the range cakes. Such a shame.

The champagne was OK though.

Anyway, under the cut are a couple of pictures taken then, and a few others. We spent the evening at the Kate Rusby concert and it more than made up for the afternoon tea - a lovely concert, she has a wonderful voice, and is such a delight to watch.

On Monday I booked out of my hotel, and then met up with MiL and SiL whose round-Britain travels had brought them to see York and D-d. We made our way to D-d's favourite local pub and waited for her to finish her morning lectures and meet us for lunch - which was very, very, good. There is a picture of her and her aunt in the set too - you can see why S2C says D-d looks like his sister.

Then I left the three of them to drive the 65+ miles up to Hawes in the North Yorkshire Dales where I am now sharing a cottage with my friend D from Sky aka dougalsservant. The last two pics were taken on the journey up.

Photos from the area will get posted later!

So -

The interior of York mansion house - impressive surroundings for a less than impressive afternoon tea -



We did get to see the sword used in ceremonies by the mayor, dating from 1416 and originally a proper, battle, bastard sword -



Beside it is its scabbard, the scabbard containing the sheriff's sword, and the ceremonial mace - which weight an awful lot!

Here is a close-up of the engraving on the sword -



Now - D-d and her aunt -



And a couple of pictures taken near Masham, to give you a taste of the lower dales -





There will be some pictures of where we are, higher in the dales, in the next post. Along with some of visiting wildlife.

But that's it for now.

Comments

[shirebound]

Very Shire-like! :)

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

The lower dales are, very much so. The upper dales less so, as you'll see when I post some pictures of them later this week.

[gillo]

Very nice pictures. You'd have thought they could have got Bettys to cater a posh tea.

Enjoy Wensleydale. The drive over the top from Hawes to upper Swaledale is gorgeous. So is the ice cream they make at Jervaulx.

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

I saw the ice-cream place on the way up - I rather hope to get back that way in the next few days...

We thought they should have got Betty's to cater too - especially as it is only about 25yds away!

[gillo]

Are you in Hawes proper? The dairy is worth a visit, and has a nice tea shop. Lots of Wallace and Gromit memorabilia too IIRC.

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

Simonstone - about a mile further up towards Buttertubs - too small to show on most maps. We were in Hawes today - we didn't get to the dairy this time, but might well, in passing, over then ext few days.

[gillo]

Buttertubs is well worth the drive. Many years ago now we stayed in Muker with the girls and our friends katexxxxxx and muttley_mutter. Beautiful area.

And you can't go to Wensleydale without eating cheese, Gromit!

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

After we shopped in Hawes and went to the market we went up over Buttertubs to Muker yesterday - today we are thinking Black Sheep Brewery...

[petzipellepingo.livejournal.com]

I remember Yorkshire looking like that, reminded me of the old All Creatures series.

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

Yes - very much the same area.

[gillo]

Yes, they filmed it in that area, though the writer who wrote as James Herriot actually practised nearer the North York Moor than the Dales.

[zanthinegirl.livejournal.com]

beautiful country! green rolling hills, and it looks like it's still summer. we're very much into fall already in my part of the world.

Sorry to hear the tea wasn't too great, but what a setting for icky cupcakes!

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

It's getting a bit autumnal from the point of view of temperatures, but most of the trees and bushes are still green, yet.

It was a spectacular setting - it was just a disappointment that the tea didn't live up to it!

[jerusha]

Very nice photos! I'm sorry the tea wasn't as good as expected, but at least the concert made up for it.

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

The concert was so good. I am very fortunate that my daughter has very eclectic tastes and so enjoyed it as much as I did.

We had rather expected an afternoon tea to match the surroundings. But D-d took her grandmother for a much better one on Tuesday, she tells me.

[nutmeg3.livejournal.com]

That mace looks lethal! And are those tiny dots in the next to last shot actually sheepies?

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

It would still do its job as a weapon to defend the mayor if needs be, that's for sure.

Yes - sheep. The dales are full of them.

[ayinhara.livejournal.com]

Too bad about the lunch, but it sounds like you are having a great time anyway.

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

We kind of expected a tea organised as part of the food festival to be really good... but the concert made up for it.

[vilajunkie.livejournal.com]

Sometimes it get confusing when you (general you, meaning any British person) mentions having/eating tea, because here having tea just means drinking the actual tea and that's it. Maybe a cookie/biscuit or a piece of coffee cake on the side, but not a whole meal for it.

Also, bastard swords are really appropriately named, aren't they? :)

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

We have afternoon tea or high tea as distinct meals - although not as well as dinner!

The bastard sword was, of course, so named because it wasn't exactly one thing or the other.

[thismaz.livejournal.com]

You do take a nice picture.
That sword is very impressive and the dales look lovely. I'm struck by how young D-d looks, but yes, the likeness is certainly there.

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

Oh - thank you.

D-d is 22 - but then my SiL is 52, so good genes!

[lindahoyland.livejournal.com]

What lovely photos.I love the dales,though it is years since I've been there. I'm sorry the tea wasn't good.

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

It is such a lovely area - well worth a visit. The tea was a disappointment particularly as it was part of the food festival.

[melegyrn.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the pics-loved them all!

For some reason, your pictures of the Dales left me homesick and a bit weepy feeling. Well, it was not a good day at work. Anyway, it's strange as I only visited York and Riveaulx Abby, but fell in love with both. I've love the Dales, of course, Ever since All Creatures Great and Small, which I watched religiously.

My memory tells me that the couple who operated the B&B I stayed at in the Lake District (many years ago) moved to Hawes where they had bought another B&B...

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

We have seen Jervaux Abbey a couple of times on this trip - Riveaulx is a bit further east than we are tending to travel - the whole area is gorgeous though.

Hawes is a nice wee country village - with quite a few B&Bs, but if you are ever in England again I'm sure you'd be able to find them if they are still doing it. And you would love the area - especially the number of birds we have seen.

[melegyrn.livejournal.com]

I'll have to start saving my pennies! I'd love to come back someday.

I was too timid when I visited before to attempt driving. This time I'd love to rent a car and explore the Dales to my heart's content.

[bojojoti.livejournal.com]

The sword is beautiful. I've never really understood the purpose of a ceremonial mace. Our university has one that is paraded about at functions. I should Google it.

I'm sorry your tea was simply passable. I remember our surprise when a cruise fed us crackers and soft drink for a meal. And to think your sub par tea was at a food festival!

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

I think the ceremonial mace developed from a protective weapon; a weapon that drew blood could not be used on consecrated ground but a mace could, as it had no sharp edge.

Oh - I'd have been rather stunned if I'd got crackers and a soft drink as a meal on a cruise, too! It was the fact that the afternoon tea was organised as part of the food festival that made it a real disappointment - had it been in a small cafe or something we would have been disappointed anyway, but put it down to experience - we just thought, as part of the food festival, that it would be a really good event.

[talesofsnape.livejournal.com]

Lol! Yep, S2C definitely has a point.

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

They really do look very similar - not bad genes to get, I think.

[desdemonaspace]

Lovely pics, CW! D-d is a looker, and that house is impressive! York is one place in UK I did not get to visit.

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

York, and Yorkshire generally, is well worth visiting, if you ever get the chance.

Not only is D-d pretty - but you can see where she gets her looks from now!

[wildecate.livejournal.com]

Glenn and I went on our hols and stayed in a cottage very near Hawes as well - it's SO gorgeous up there. We went to Fountains Abbey which, if you haven't been, you must find the time. It's beautiful......

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

It is a lovely area. We are about a mile north of Hawes on the road that goes up over Buttertubs.

It is a while since I was at Fountains - I am not sure if we'll get there this time, but we saw Bolton Castle today - and did a tour of the Black Sheep brewery.

[cairistiona7.livejournal.com]

What a shame they skimped on the tea! But the photos are lovely, and your daughter really does favor her aunt, doesn't she.

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

The saddest thing about the tea was that we had expected it to be tip-top, but we got a much better one in the small village tea-shop in my Mum's village -

(http://www.flickr.com/photos/voirreys_pics/3937530895/)

D-d certainly is like her aunt, my husband is quite right, but not bad genes to have inherited!

[cairistiona7.livejournal.com]

Okay, I've just had my lunch but now I'm hungry again!!

*bangs hand against screen reaching for goodies*

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

You can see why the institution of 'afternoon tea' is so beloved - and needs to be right!

[inzilbeth-liz.livejournal.com]

You would certainly expect a better tea in those surrounding, wouldn't you! Fabulous sword too but my favourites are the Dales. How heavenly!

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

I do love the dales - I am really enjoying this wee break so much. I think Shirebound is right about the lower dales looking like the Shire!

[ningloreth.livejournal.com]

SiL and D-d look like mother and daughter! Sounds like you had a great couple of days -- busy, but fun.

I love the last picture -- it looks like the before shot on Grand Designs!

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

it looks like the before shot on Grand Designs!

Hee! It does - you're right!