Thursday, 9 June 2016

Ampleforth has a Coffee House

It is always nice to see a new business start up in Ampleforth and especially as it is run by a young couple Chris and Lizzie Kirk.

It is a coffee house in the middle of the village. I know I will call it coffee shop and get my wrists slapped for it, so today I will give it it's proper name of Kirk's Coffee House.

Tommy Banks was there yesterday to lend a hand on their first day of opening. Tommy is the young person to hold a Michelin star at the nearby Black Swan in Oldstead.. As a friend and I think former employer of Chris [give me no sugar in my coffee if I am wrong] he and I had run a  banter on Twitter to see who would be there first over the doorstep at 8am on the 8th June. Not liking to be beaten, it was a close run thing as a queue of traffic built up as the recycling cart made its way through the village, but I was the first over the doorstep.

 Lizzie is delightful and front of house while Chris will be in the kitchen. I couldn't stop long as I had a meeting to go to near the coast and had Rollo one of our Labrador to drop off at the vets on the way.

I have taken a few photos to give you a taste of what will be on offer. And sooner rather than later will give you an update. I think it is great for my guests who are not looking to have a full blown meal that we have somewhere like this just down the road. As soon  I saw the bread I was hooked




 Their coffee is roasted in Malton by Roost. Again Roost is another young couple I have met before when I went to see their coffee house and roaster in Malton .

Wednesday, 8 June 2016

Curlews on the North York Moors



This morning I was on my way over the North York Moors National Park on a very foggy June morning, I had left home in bright sunshine . I was rewarded by seeing this pair of curlews and even though we often see them in our fields around home I had my camera with me to video them this morning. They are a strange looking bird with a long hooked beak and look if they come from prehistoric times and are quite mysterious .But to see them shrouded in fog was something I will never forget.

Sunday, 5 June 2016

Rainbow at Mallyan Spout waterfall, Goathland- to cool you down after this very warm day



Just what you need to cool you down on a day like we have had here today, 27 degrees and predicted for the whole week here inland in North Yorkshire .

We are 31 miles over the North York Moors to Goathland .  Goathland is where the "Heartbeat Village" is set. The author of the book lives in our village and he lived in the next village to us when he was a policeman, and we were part of his patch.