Y11 at the Grand Opera House in Leeds

Sue and I went to catch the train at Thirsk. Travel intercity like the men do to Y11, then shop the rest of day like women do. We met up at the station with Jessica Barker of Thief Hole Cottages who has some very swish 5 star self catering just down the road Small world that it is- her grandfather-in-law - father of David Barker- of show jumping fame lent me a pony when I was 18 months old. So as you can imagine the train journey went very quickly. It was a brilliant Spring day when we set off arriving in Leeds it was rather cool and no sunshine . Never mind we were off to Y11. The Grand Opera House was packed as Gary Verity unveiled what had happened and what was about to happen in Yorkshire. David Shields with his new Yorkshire.com cap on and Ian Ashton would works tirelessly to help us in the Herriot attractions group.were there. The star of the show was little Violet,pictured her with her mum, Amanda Owens. Blissfully unaware of her claim to fame in the new Dales programme. I love to see these children, what brilliant parents they have bringing them up just as I was as a small child.

Look who's has come to tea- Deer-

Deer, yes little roe deer. About 8.20pm just as the light was fading I looked out of the window and saw the deer down near the garden gate.Armed with my camera I managed to take a photo of them.There are just above the gate in the field and between the hedge and the bush. I did film quite a bit more but it was coming in darker all the time it doesn't warrant you seeing them properly. The cat decided to come stalking with me and I thought she was going to give the game away. They grazing quite contentedly unaware I was so near. I guess the wind was in my favour.They frolicked about. They looked like to half grown does to me. I do hope you will get to see them if you come to stay with us. Anyone who has already been will know how near they are to the house from the photo . I just hope they don't want to dine on the magnolia bush as they did a previous year. It was a feast for them as they cleared the whole tree off in one evening and a big disappointment to me

Llama with attitude

We have had llamas for 4-5 years now. It is quite normally to see them wandering about in the farmyard. I think they are the most snobbish animal on this planet. They are so aloof.Here you see she has gone for a walk in the daffodils I just hope she choose the grass rather than the flowers.

Jack brought me Daffodils

For one who is well known for saying "I never buy flowers" Jack occasionally brings me flowers into the house. I suppose if I got them every week it wouldn't be special . Today I found a bunch of daffodils plonked in a jam jar on the table for me. There are the most amazing daffodils so I took this photo to show you . They are like double ones but with tissue paper like middles rather than trumpets. A bit like a carnation in the middle. I never knew Daffodils smelt but these do. Wanting to know their meaning in flower language I looked it up.I was glad to know that there was a bunch rather than one. One means misfortune but a bunch mean joy and happiness.Thanks Jack.
The Daffodils are out in Farndale too. My visitors had been there yesterday and had a nice walk on the daffodil walk. With the brilliant weather we are having I guess they wont be around for much longer

Now we have joined the ranks of 4 star accommodation

We had the VisitEngland inspector to stay last night. This morning she happily awarded me 4 stars and I retained my breakfast award. Every year we always try to better the year before.The good news is the prices are still from £35pppn as we have maintained last years prices. Here are a few photos that managed to get me into the 4 star league.The inspector said that my unique selling point was offering an experience of country life that some people can only dream of. And the warmth of my hospitality shows through all what we offer.To everyone who knows me I am just me.No posh me -just a farmers daughter who loves to eat too much and feed other people too.My paternal Grandmother,Mary Louisa Lupton. She was May to most and Lady Wass to others did bed and breakfast in the 1920. She would take in cyclists,artists,city business people, people wanting to take in the country air.Much the same range of people come today. She could talk to anyone whatever walk of life they came from. My Grandmother was always invited to the "Big House" when it was the tenants dinner and placed near the speaker.It never daunted her as everyone was treated alike and conversation never came to a standstill.So I suppose I am a chip of the old block.

Burning the Candle at both end...

Gone are the days when I used to party all day and all night. Then come home to cook breakfast. I think it was even harder this morning to cook the breakfast. Peg one of our little cocker spaniels part of the Cuckavalda Gundogs Team. decided to start having her pups just as we were thinking of going to bed. She produced 8 healthy not so little pups black,chocolate and lemon and white and one that looks white all over at the moment.But it was 7.20am before I came back into the house. I crawled upstairs for an hour in bed before I had to get up to cook the breakfast for 2 Canadian guests I had staying. At about 3am I decided to have something to eat to while away the time.I nipped back to the house and quickly laid my hands on some cheese and mixture of olives,dried tomatoes and feta cheese. I got sat down and Peg looked up as if to say I would like some of those. I really didn't think she would eat the feta cheese as it was in a herb and garlic oil but she ate every piece.A large piece of Wensleydale cheese and 5-6 olives .She would probably have eaten more but I didnt want her making herself ill. This photo shows her with her babies. I didn't move them about they just did it themselves and look as it they are piano keys. There are 6 boys and 2 girls. Mother and babies are doing fine. Midwife needs a holiday ..

My Mum and her cake ...

Well what could I do but bake a cake for my Mum,Ruby Lupton, for Mothers Day.She didn't want a card as she had kept the one I got her last year with cats on as she liked it so much At 86 she works really hard and is always cooking dinners for all the men folk on the farm.Proper rice puddings -none of this stuff out of tins. She will not have a dishwasher but she have an automatic washing machine.Long gone is the Peggy tub.She is always on the go and never seems to sit down. She gets togged up in the afternoons not in her best going out clothes but in her top coat and wellies to feed the cats and dogs and take the dogs for a walk.Doesn't matter what the weather is like she is out there.Here you see her cutting the cake I made at lunch time after we had had our Sunday lunch -roast beef and Yorkshire puddings of course. Below she is togged up in her warm outdoor clothes.When she was young she used to help her father who was a stone mason.She will tell you of all the old houses in the main street of Ampleforth she has been on the roofs of most of them. She will have carried things up a ladder on a hood on to the roofs when her father was repairing them. When she went to bed tonight I think there would be more in her bed than she bargained for. I sneaked up earlier and put 6 red pears,some comb honey ,a new flannel.some mint imperials and some liquorice sweets. So now she may be sat up in bed and having a midnight feast I doubt it but I know she will be on the phone first thing in the morning -"OH Anna..." and if she sat on the pears and they squashed I might get more than a thank you.