Our 2012

Well we all had the Queen's Jubilee,followed the Olympic Torch around the country and then watched with pride the Olympics. But for us here 2012 held other memories too. There were highs and lows. Our biggest low was losing Quozzi our beautiful cocker spaniel. In May, Jack celebrated his 60th birthday. He was a youngster compared to my Dad who was 90th birthday in September. In June we went to Canada -the first summer holiday in 34 years of doing bed and breakfast. We travelled from Vancouver to Calgary. We had 3 days on a ranch rounding up cattle in Alberta on horseback. As neither of us had ridden for 15 years it was a bit of a shock to our bodies. In Jan it was announced by BBC Countryfile that we were in the top 10 places to stay in the UK for a rural experience. We had a great breakfast party at the end of Jan and raised over £8.7000 for the Yorkshire Air Ambulance. The year was topped off by being in a Finalist in the Deliciouslyorkshire Awards for Best Use of Local Produce on a plate. I couldn't have done this without the great support of my wonderful friends and family. My main prop in all of this show is Jack as without him it just wouldn't have been possible. So here I am summing up the year,Jack is is bed as morning will soon be here. We wish you all ...

.. A Very Best for 2013.We wish you Good Health and Happiness as money can't buy these.But also little wealth too as it makes the world go round and also buys a few bars of chocolate too .

Tour de Yorkshire

Well #BackLeBid has paid off. Last Friday it was announced that Yorkshire is going to host Tour de France on the 5th and 6th July 2014.It is thanks to Gary Verity and his dedicated team at Welcome to Yorkshire that the deal was clinched. Although the routes have not been disclosed yet I would be very surprised if Sutton Bank is ridden up which would mean Tour de Yorkshire will be on our doorstep. To celebrate this from Spring 2013,

we are buying 2 brand new cycles for guests who will be staying with us for 2 or more nights will be able to borrow these free of charge. Here you see the type of bike I have my eye on. Dawes is a well known British made bike. Hopefully this is what I will be getting. I can buy them locally and they can also service them for me.Above all I want ones which will have baskets on the front.We hope to carry a stock of Yorkshire produce which you will be able to take to picnic on your ride and take in the scenery that you see going at a leisurely pace. Safety hats.waistcoats and routes will be there for you too.

Freezing weather...

When did -2 degrees every stop you from doing what you like to do?. Here is my Dad with Alan another die hard fisherman on Wednesday.Togged up to keep the cold out it was carry on regardless. The fog wasn't nice and it was bitterly cold but it didn't deter us from having a few hours over at Filey on Wednesday. It is good to have the Beach hut to go into to get a hot drink and shelter from that bitter wind. With fish and chips and Sterchi's chocolate inside us for subsistence we brave the bad weather.High tide was around 3pm but the tides were high and there was plenty of swell in the water. A few people walked their dogs but there was only Dave and Alan with us fishing. They were luckier than me and caught a flattie apiece

. They kindly gave them to us . My mum and dad share one for the tea and Jack has the other as a starter. All said it was very tasty . I had the pleasure of gutting them and cooking them .

Nunnington Hall

Welcome to Yorkshire held its Christmas event at Nunnington Hall this evening. I used to pass the Hall every day when I was going to Malton Grammar School 45 years ago. The Clive family lived there along with their St Bernard and it was very much a family home.Now run by the national Trust.it is home to the Carlyle Collection of rooms in miniature. There was reindeer, outside to welcome us, and a green sleigh but no sight of Santa Claus. Indoors a huge fire and decorated Christmas tree. I had a chat with "the butler" about days gone by. In the dining room, he served us sherry in his tailed jacket. The table was set for dinner. Upstairs they had reconstructed what rooms would be like in the 1920s. A

bedroom with metal bedsteads and very sparse dressings. There was also a collection of wild life photographs on display I saw the Canon camera had been used by many entries. There was a raffle in aid of the Yorkshire regiment. I was lucky and won a voucher to be spent at ebony Interiors in Pickering. The staff as always from W2Y where working hard. Jo Kendall in the forefront wearing her never ending smile -such a happy soul. Behind her Sarah Barrowby was doing a sterling job selling raffle tickets. Janet Deacon gave the welcome.It was nice to see Jo Francisco back to work after having her little boy.Hopefully Santa was back at his workshop overseeing the elves making something for Jo's little boys first Christmas.

Country Living Fair with Halinka's Fairies

A drive over to Harrogate to take a look at the exhibitors at the Country Living Fair. Stalls displaying the most amazing gifts to buy for Christmas.Amazing Christmassy smells filled the air .The first exhibitors were selling their wares of garlands -cones trimmed with oranges and cinnamon sticks. Pine cones and ribbons. All those things that stir your senses reminding you of Christmas past. Sophie was there with Sophie loves paper decorations like what we had when I was young -very much the vogue at the moment. My favourite stall was Halinka's Fairies which I visited twice. Such a talented lady who makes these delightful little figures that look that at any second they are going to fly through the air. Halinka started making these fairies to help fund her daughters dream to study ballet in Russia. Halinka is so proud of her very talented daughter and even though she was very busy she had time to show me her daughter's graceful poses on her phone. Halinka herself has travelled the world and is very talented -it shows in her work. I bought the rabbit with a balloon to go on a Easter /birthday cake.I couldn't resist buying a pair of ice skaters too -Christmas present to myself.There is a fairy for the top of the most well dressed tree.

They are just so delightful. You must visit her site.

Autumn or winter

It has been a funny old year so far. I think this photo sums it up very well. I took it as I was going to York shopping. The straw was still laid baled up in the field. Too wet for the tractor to be able to get it gathered in. More than a heavy frost on the ground. It was a slight covering of snow. We have roses still blooming. Bulbs are starting to sprout through. Beautiful sunny day followed by the greyist of grey days.It must be a very hard job being a weather forecast. So do we rely on the like of Mr Fish that gave that famous no hurricane

forecast or the signs of nature ...

Christmas shopping with the tinies

Friday morning was very frosty and the roads were like glass

. It didn't not deter us 4 girls going to do our early Christmas shopping. Rubi-Sue is now 3 and Martha is 1. So here you see them with their mum Claire. Talk about double decker buses-this is a double decker pushchair. I did a bit of steering but actually it is easier to drive a tractor with a 4 furrow reversible plough. Negotiating around people and display rails ...We stopped for lunch but Rubi-Sue was wanting to get back to the farm as new little piggies were arriving. Mention piggies to Martha and she cracks a smile too. Laura Ashley's turned up trumps to having the best deals and nicest clothes for the girls.We will wait until Monsoon starts their sale...Now they have been packed off for Santa Claus to deliver on Christmas Eve.