Our 5th wedding anniversary

Cards are getting so expensive and you can't eat them. It is 5 years as today that we got married in St Lucia and couldn't let the day go by without doing nothing. I had hoped we were going to eat out at the Hare at Scawton. The Hare recently changed hands and is getting rave reviews. It was always a favourite place of ours and that of guests to go. It is closed on Mondays and tomorrow is another day .So when I was in Filey I went to Sterchi's a wonderful wonderful chocolate shop// Easter eggs are in already -it looked more like a hatchery as the lady explained that St Catherine's Hospice get a lot to raise money thought raffling them locally. As it is St Valentines Day next week there was a good selection of romanticy things on offer.Always beautifully wrapped.

I just got this little heart. Jack ate the chocolates inside and I ate the shell.So it was nice to share it . That's what life is about.

Pleasure after work

I took Shirley over to our beach chalet at Filey this afternoon .We had been studying and listening hard-see previous blog- and Filey wasn't that far away. We got some fish and chips in town and took them down to the chalet to eat them .It was a lovely day to say it was only February. The tide was just going out and it was surprising how many people there were about going for a stroll. Kettle on the coffee was soon made and the table set for lunch.It is surprising how warm it was as we settled down in the chalet chairs out of the wind although we did keep our coats on. All to soon we had to head home. The sun lit up the waves. The tide rippled the sand. Each time revelling a longer stretch of sand around the bay.If you would like to have this unique experience you are welcome to use our beach house for free when you stay 2 or more nights with us.It is there on a first come first taken basis so don't

miss out

the Moors and More

Susan Briggs and Katrina McLees have been busy working behind the scenes on the new Moors and More project. Today was the first cluster meeting throughout the North York Moors National Park. So off I trotted to the Downe Arms at Wykeham near Scarborough. It was lovely to meet, at long last, Tricia from RealStaithes.com. They have a great article in the Coast magazine March 2013.... But I saw it first.... As you know I love the sea and have always wanted to go on one of their day courses but they seem to be held when I have lots of breakfasts to cook so have never got yet.Tricia and I are hoping to work together to offer guests staying here the opportunity to stay here and also to sample the delights of the sea. Coast and Country. Robin Hood Caravan Park and Treasure Trails are busy hatching a plan too. Jack is set to do doggy days with both his gundogs and another kind of dog too.This will be of interest to old and young alike. Holidays are about relaxing but often people like to learn a bit too and this is what this is all about.Here you see Susan and Katrina getting my undivided attention. I didn't want to miss anything so it was eyes forward....

Katrina called it Landladies Lunch

After having all the winter blues it was nice to receive an email headed Landladies Lunch and bring the husband. Kind Invitation from Katrina and Derek Gary of The Wold Cottage at Wold Newton. We started off at their beach chalet which is next to ours at Filey. The weather was good for the time of year.There we were to have coffee before going back to the Wold Cottage for lunch . The coffee turned out to be port. Jack who rarely misses going out on a Sunday lunchtime to the pub was well impressed at such a start.We bid Filey Au Revoir - we must keep practising our French as Le Tour de France will be here in 2014. We headed across Hockney countryside to get to the house. Not quite as colourful as Hockney's painting are but then it is winter. Lunch was a feast as you can well imagine .The Younger Grays live in Dubai and I guess this set the idea of the menu. Delightful Oriental chicken that was so tender it just broke with a fork ,a medley of baby vegetables in a sauce which was more Dubai than Yorkshire and salmon with an interesting crust again with a touch or the orient to it -very tasty -cooked to perfection.Puddings, desserts,sweets whatever you like to call them it didn't matter .There was a big big selection.No diets today girls. Then Katrina took me for a tour of the house. Very impressive bedrooms and touches that Katrina Gray could only do -stamping her personality into each .She is currently updating and revamping as we all try to do at this time of year.One of the bathroom is amazing .So amazing that I pulled Jack from his comfy throne in the lounge to give him a tour. We had a lovely lovely few hours at the coast and in the Wolds.We thank the Grays so much for our invite and hope to see them again at our beach chalets soon. I chauffeured and my passenger said as we were getting closer to home "Aye it was a grand day but I am glad to be back into the hills". And then off he was off to let his dogs out.You would have thought he hadn't seen them for a week.Here you see Katrina busy in her kitchen.The temptation of the

sweets .Katrina with Jack in the hall just before we left. P.S. Katrina I forgot to sya wow I love your top.Lady of many talents, did you knit it?

When winter turns to Spring

Well January is more or less over and the snow is disappearing as quickly as it came. We have been feeding the little birds constantly as the autumn didn't bring the usual winter feed of hips and haws and other berries. And now we have it Spring must be on the way the bulbs are starting to peep out.,although they have a long way to go.Here you see the sheep getting a supplement to their feed when there is only snow and winter grass

to eat We haven't started lambing yet but that will come shortly and with 2 little shepherdesses now living on the farm Rubi-Sue 3 and Martha 1 will be excited to see the lambs arrive. I have been told I was under five when I used to go to check on the sheep by myself. When the men folk where busy milking I run back shouting "Fireman Fred ,come quick". That was to my uncle as another sheep was pushing her babies into the world.It was no big deal and at least living on a farm there is not much explaining to do about the birds and the bees.We have a family coming from California in march when we will be right in the middle of lambing .Although their children a lot older I guess it will be an experience they never forget.

David 'the AGA man' Simpson's Point-to-Point Racing Diary: Yorkshire cracker as Sheriff Hutton hosts the retu...

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Disappointment and excitement all in a day

I was very honoured to get an invitation to the Black Tie Dinner in Leeds to welcome the Tour de France to Leeds.It is to celebrate LeTourYorkshire will be coming to Yorkshire in July 2014. To dine with 349 of what was said on TV as the goods and greats of Yorkshire would have been wonderful. 60 Tour de France officials will be flown in from Paris to attend. Unfortunately I have had to decline the invitation as I have not been well and don't want to upstage the show by keeling over. Gary Verity and the team at Welcome to Yorkshire have worked very hard to bring this great sporting event to Yorkshire,It is hard to believe, YES it is coming. To celebrate the occasion I have bought 2 Dawes Diploma cycles complete with baskets from Ralph Yates of Malton . I choose Dawes because they are English and Yates as they are a very old established firm in Malton.They will service these bikes and for years have given reliable service. That is what its is all about. The bikes will be here for guests to use for free. Hopefully I am sorting a deal out with delis in the area for you to enjoy. The excitement is that LeTourYorkshire will be coming. Here is your opportunity should you wish to try out the roads that le Tour de France bosses saw which lead to Yorkshire clinching the event. All you have to do is come and stay and a couple of nights and book to use our bikes for free.