Welcome to Yorkshire Literature Exchange

Held at Thirsk Auction Mart for businesses to go to pick up 2014 brochures. I have learnt to go early and was met by the ever friendly face of David Shields. There was a lot of Welcome to Yorkshire staff there and one celebrity in the form of Lorraine Chase who I passed but didn't recognise as she worn a large hat. Nor was she talking as I would have remembered Luton Airport. Craig Nattress was there -he is our local Ryedale link and Susie Brindley is back in the fold. Lots of lovely 2014 brochures -spoilt for choice. This year I have tried to keep my choice more local. There were lots of faces I knew and I spied some of the friendliest faces from Thief Hole Cottages, Jessica Barker and her husband Phillip who was doing a sterling job helping carry brochures. I need to ask Jessica how did she get him trained so well. I saw my sister in law in the distance she was collecting her brochures and put them in a suitcase with wheels. You can tell her husband and mine are tarred with the same brush-nowhere in sight.

Yummy Cherry and Almond cake

We had a Herriots Yorkshire meeting last night at the Arts Centre in Thirsk. Organised by Ian Ashton, it was well attended with David Shields from Welcome to Yorkshire ,Sam who does a sterling job with our website and David Crocker "Mr Train" who helps us enormously with our running costs in printing etc, who is the marketing manager for Grand Central Rail.It was good to catch up with old friends and new faces. Jessica Barker has just won a gold award with her 5 star Thief Hole cottages there- I have sat round the Barkers "uncles" table from being a child.Admired this family-of show jumping fame- who lent me my first pony. I think she is a whirlwind how she works so hard with her cottages and has 2 small children and still looks a million dollars.Lady Mary Furness from Stanhow Farmhouse who I have known for 20 years plus and runs self catering was to my left. A remarkable horsewoman who often had to choose between going to a meeting and riding with the hounds.To my right was Annette of 4 in a bed TV fame a relative newcomer to the bed and breakfast business. What she lacks in years she puts forward in enthusiasm. Dear friend Alison, behind me who has the watermill at Crakehall and her "miller" was in tow. What a friendly do it was. To top it off we had the most delicious cakes as ever.

Y11 at the Grand Opera House in Leeds

Sue and I went to catch the train at Thirsk. Travel intercity like the men do to Y11, then shop the rest of day like women do. We met up at the station with Jessica Barker of Thief Hole Cottages who has some very swish 5 star self catering just down the road Small world that it is- her grandfather-in-law - father of David Barker- of show jumping fame lent me a pony when I was 18 months old. So as you can imagine the train journey went very quickly. It was a brilliant Spring day when we set off arriving in Leeds it was rather cool and no sunshine . Never mind we were off to Y11. The Grand Opera House was packed as Gary Verity unveiled what had happened and what was about to happen in Yorkshire. David Shields with his new Yorkshire.com cap on and Ian Ashton would works tirelessly to help us in the Herriot attractions group.were there. The star of the show was little Violet,pictured her with her mum, Amanda Owens. Blissfully unaware of her claim to fame in the new Dales programme. I love to see these children, what brilliant parents they have bringing them up just as I was as a small child.