Bank Holiday Monday at Newburgh Priory

I dropped my camera in some water the other day. Unfortunately it did not survive.So I had a quick shopping trip to Jessops in York. I am now back in business with my blogging and photos. I don't know what you are doing on this coming Bank Holiday Monday.I will be busy working as with a full house of guests over the weekend who are going out on Monday and then new people coming in. For those of you who are looking for something to do Newburgh Priory Estate near Coxwold may hold the answer. They are holding one of the popular flowerpower fairs.It is an amazing plant fair which sells wonderful specimens. I always think buying a plant holds a memory. My Dad has always bought me trees for birthday ,Christmas and other occasions. The fig tree was for one of these times. A red cedar for another. We have a marvellous David Austin red rose which Val Anderson bought us for a wedding present.

and now introducing Martha Mai

Rubi-Sue has got a little sister .She arrived on Sunday afternoon.7th August, at 12 minutes to 3. Checking in at 8lbs 6ozs. Her name is Martha Mai and she is so far as good as gold. We saw her for the first time today.My mum -as great-granny was quick to get hold of her and nurse her.Then it was great grandads turn and finally proud dad Nicholas took over. I had pet lamb called Martha when I was young.When this Martha gets to an age when she can read I have my Little Martha book from Blackberry Farm which will have been read to me hundreds of time to give her. Also we have photos of me feeding her when the bottle was nearly as big as myself I would only be about 3. What a wonderful life when a child is brought up on a farm. As Jack was born on a farm too he has the same sort of memories. Better than any plastic toy or game.I suppose our main toys would be a farmyard with little lead animals which I had handed down from my dad and uncles. Nicholas used to play with them and they are now waiting for the next generation to play with.

Broccoli soup

As you will know by now my Dad is a keen gardener. My mother despairs that he grows so much and they cant eat it all .So they end up giving a lot of it away. Talk about 5 vegetables a day,I think at Wass Grange it's nearer 10.My mum cant cope with waste and my dad doesn't like to run out. They have survived nearly 57 of married bliss so they must agree on most things. He is happy to feed the residue of his garden to the pheasants.My mother thinks all is for human consumption. So tonight when I went over to get some rhubarb for guests breakfast I brought 4 huge broccoli back. Jamie Oliver ,James Martin -how I like their straight forward no messing recipes. I browsed a few here and there and they are basically all the same .So out with the pans.Broccoli in my jam pan,onion, garlic and seasons sweating in another and a pan of potatoes to thicken the soup in another. Milk and grated cheese and a pot of cream at the ready.We don't do creme fraiche here. Pour,knowing me it will be skell- a better Yorkshire word for my actions, into the liquidiser.Tomorrow we will all be having soup for lunch.No need to guess what sort. You will see I have also made one of my huge sponge cakes which is sat on the top of the Aga as I had just taken it out of the oven. This is for a special little girl -all will be revealed tomorrow.

Cricket week at Ampleforth College

What a glorious setting for cricket matches.The Abbey church in the background. The children who go to Ampleforth College have gone home for their summer holidays.Now the grounds and facilities are lent to the "up and coming" Ian Bothams of the cricket world. I had parents staying from Nottingham,London and Bedfordshire. Also playing were Durham and Yorkshire.They come to watch their children play on these superb pitches. Fortunately the weather only stopped play for a short time on the 3rd day. All I will say is the boys all looked very smart in their cricket whites.I don't know all the right terms for the sport I will stop there. I just nipped down for a few minutes to take a couple of photos for my blog and blow me the battery went dead.The groundsmen work really hard to get these pitches in first class condition. John Wilkie who lives in the village is the head groundsman. I spied Geoff Thrower too- he is more famous if people had taken notice of him .They would have realised that JK Rowling had got her inspiration to create the character Hagrid,who was featured in the Harry Potter books from Geoff. I have just got an email from a mum thanking me for having them stay and saying Notts had won. -Yorkshire was probably just having a bad day !