Now there are big tractors....

and machinery to make hay and silage.Jack made some lovely hay last week, as soon as you stepped out of the door you could smell it.It smelt just like the good old days. Unfortunately we had a thunderstorm last night and so we are rushing to get it all baled up and got Rod Teal to come.
When I was a child, the hay was led on carts pulled by horses and as children we would stand on the top probably ten foot or more high and jump on it to squash it down.There was no health and safety regulations then.When the cart started back to the farm we had to sit in the middle at the top of the load in case we fell off. We have a field called the Stripe which runs at the side of Craykeland and it was full of butterflies. We had picnics and the men wore shirts without collars and threw the hay up with pitchforks on to the load. We had shire horses and at night after they had finished work ,their harness would be taken off and they would stretch their neck out to drink out of the fold trough.They seemed to drink for every more. Then with a halter they were led to pasture for the night. I would be only 3 years old but my uncle would lay an old hessian bag on the quietest horse,throw me up on its back and I would ride back to the field holding on to its mane.When it was time to get off although he would have been there to catch me I would flip myself over holding on to its long mane and then slide down its leg. In those days there wasn't play areas for kids-swings and slide- we had our own portable ones those beautiful Shires horses -Patch,Prince,Dapper Bonny,Blossom .... How I wish our grandchildren could experience such times.If you would like to see the utube I took -go to Rod Teal baling at Carr House Farm ,Ampleforth,

Kelloggs Breakfast Award

A nice surprise in the post today, I have been awarded the Kellogg's Breakfast award along with my report which I am happy with made by Quality Assurance who do the checks for what was the tourist board inspection. Name changed, more boxes to tick. I discussed with the inspector that I would rather be in the 3 star bracket as 4 even though I could qualify with the extras we have been doing to upgrade over the last year. So if I forget,for example, to put butter on the table people cannot frown on me too much. Shane,my website genius, is going to put a link to the whole report so soon you will be able to view it on my website.

The Hare at Scawton ....

is where we went for supper as my treat to not cooking at home on my birthday . I just love everything about the place.The quaintness of the building, the ambiance,the friendliness of the staff and the food......... The countryside at its greenest looking its best . A hare soaking up the power of the sun as we went up lounging about in a meadow with out a care in the world. Some young curlew foraging for food with their strange long beaks and a couple of deer grazing within a few foot of the main road.
Back to the food -spoilt for choice- decisions,decisions- . I started with king scallops with a prawn risotto . Geoff makes the best risotto I have ever tasted I will have raved about them on previous blogs. Jack went for smoked salmon and prawns which he thoroughly enjoyed even though I told him there was some smoked salmon open in the fridge at home as someone had chosen it for breakfast that day and there was half a packet left. We shared the Chateaubriand which was excellent. It was the first time we had eaten this and it certainly wont be the last. There was even a piece spare that I brought home for my Dad as he cant have things with fat in so I didnt bother making a birthday cake,the meat was a far better option. Thank you everyone for making my birthday a really lovely day and My Dad for the sweetpeas.

The countryside around Carr House Farm and ....

A Tribute to Gerald Kilvington who choose to have his ashes scattered near the big stone on our land above Wass Corner so he could look out over his old stomping ground.-Not on the stone as this is where the foxes pee but just near it he told his sons Keith and Paul,but if the sun is shining you can bet it will be shining on the stone and his plaque. A true Yorkshire man through and through. An excellent gamekeeper and first class poacher. A dear friend and sadly missed. I thought he would not have like to been buried in the churchyard but he was too poorly to broach the subject.When we were in church waiting for his funeral to begin I heard him say as clear as day to me "Don't worry lass,I'm alright,I can breathe ,I am free" and that place I saw him was only a few hundred feet from the stone. Believe me or believe me not -I don't care as I know what I experienced. He is around us all the time.On the night of his wake in the White Swan glasses were smashed and a light bulb broke for no reason at all and lots witnessed this. When I went up with Jack to take the last photos, it was coming dusk -a cock pheasant was shouting and in the bottom ground there was a rabbit running around. If Gerald had been alive he would have got that with his rifle and it would have been ready for the pot by now. And never a journey goes by that stone without me looking up to remember this larger than life person with so many tales to tell.It is just a shame that there are not more people like Gerald around.

A Tribute to Gerald Kilvington

 

The 23rd June is my birthday and there are somethings money cant buy,but there again nobody can steal them from you -They are your memories. All those who knew Gerald will never forget him ,however short a time they spent with him. I was one of the lucky ones who had known him all my life. He was a countryman through and through. Had an incredible knowledge of wildlife. These photos show some of his old stomping ground. There is nothing I really want for my birthday materially that is. It would be good if my Dad gets better as he has had a rough time lately with his gall bladder playing up. I remember when I was 40 Jack took me up to the Observatory as I had not been up for years- he nearly turned the Landrover over doing it- that was the best present that year. Tonight he took me up in the pick-up to the top of the hill as I thought I may be the one to turn the vehicle over. After this morning early morning drama of two of our bulls getting in a field together and fighting and trying for over an hour to part them I wanted to end the day on a quieter note.Where Geralds' plaque is, I wanted to take the final photos for this as I wanted to get finished and never seem to get the time. Thanks Jack -best birthday present you could have given me.

My Beloved Whitby..

... I will always remember those words of Peter Gascoigne-Mullet who used to be the licensee at the Star at Harome and organist at Castle Howard many moons ago. A character in himself and a dear friend to many "the Mullet" as he was affectionately known. Many hours did we drink after time in the thatched pub in Harome which has always been known for its culinary skills after Dick and Jennie Dresser won the pub of the year award back in the early 70s. We drank Pimms out of pint pots which Ernest Pearson made, far better than any top bar man. He was a shepherd by day for Wilson Barker up at Lund Court and when the pub got busy in the evening he would go behind the bar and make the best Pimms that has ever been created -that was when they put a shot of spirit in too. His nickname was Polly -again- I think Ian Otterburn was the culprit for this nickname. Us young ones used to buy him a whiskey or two Or three. Ernest enjoyed his whiskey and in return he would yodel for us.Beattie, his wife .was a waitress at the Star in those days that was when they had red crocheted place mats was not amused.

A very social few days....

They are like buses, my social events - none or they all come at once. So now I am catching my breathe. Saturday night Jack took me to the White Swan in Ampleforth for supper where we met up with Sue and Dave. The men tucked in to the hugest of fish meal with mushy peas. The latter are a treat for Jack as I refuse to have them in the house. Its a long story but goes back to watching Coronation Street as a child and I thought anyone who ate mushy peas would turn out to look like Stan Ogden. On Sunday it was the Open gardens and Scarecrow display in Wass and in the evening the locals had a cold meat salad supper which was very nice. On Monday I went to Scarborough to the Theatre as you would read below and my friend ,another Susan ,and I went for another early supper at Florios on Aberdeen Walk. Tuesday I stuck to a bowl of porridge and 2 jacket potatoes. Today we hurtled up to Durham to catch Stuart Ellis who had an eye clinic -see Jacks' blog on www.cuckavalda-gundogs.co.uk for this and then back home. Out tonight to Sinnington to the Fox and Hounds as Gordon Robinson's guests to his mid year shoot dinner.Thank you Gordon. The food was delicious and I brought some of mine home for my Dad who was not well enough to make it. We had to rush back as a [girl]dog was coming to see a [boy] dog! Tomorrow it is back to the grindstone or the Aga . I could get quite used to this eating out job, it comes very easy.

"A Midsummer Nights Dream"

Many thanks to Ruth Puckering and the Stephen Joseph Theatre for their kindness in offering us some free tickets as a hospitality provider to see the performance of A Midsummer Nights Dream by William Shakespeare, directed by Chris Monks. It was only the 3rd nights performance which runs from the 4th June to the 31st July. The cast were very entertaining. My favourite was Puck played by the amazing Clare Corbett she just had heart and soul in her performance- her movements totally equalled her voice.
I don't think I have been into the theatre -dare I say-since the early 1970 when I was at college there and went to see the controversial Clockwork Orange when it was a picture house. Scarborough has come a long way up the social scale with its entertainment values since then.

Carr House Farm Bed and Breakfast-Our Garden where flowers and weeds gro...

Has anyone made your day ...

today. It is surprising how the little things in life make such a difference. Was it an one carat diamond ring I found when I was sweeping up or checking the lottery to see if all my numbers where up . No, it was with a conversation I had with a lady at lunchtime when we were speaking on the phone talking about booking a holiday. Her husband had been ringing round to find out prices and availability. "Which bed and breakfast was I,?"- When I told her she said oh you are the lady who write the lovely blogs.......... That made my day ..... Thank you .

Carr House Farm Bed and Breakfast-Blossom in June

Wass scarecrows 2010