Back Home and a Giveaway

Back home after a fun holiday in Yorkshire. Visited castles, country houses, gardens, rock formations, a gorge, caves, villages, abbeys, churches, cathedrals, moors and dales, museums, tearooms and the beautiful town of Harrogate where we based ourselves. Must not leave out the world famous Betty’s Tearooms in Harrogate and our last night at the beautiful home of friends who recently moved to the area. Wonder why I felt exhausted. I did not even turn my computer on for 24 hours – that says something!

I have just loaded 436 photographs, many of which I plan to post as I am able.

It rained for 8 days out of 9 but we did not let this spoil our holiday, nor the disappointing accommodation. Thinking we were going to be staying in a mews cottage we found we were staying in an apartment. Somehow booking through a ‘holiday cottage’ agency the word apartment somehow slipped past my brain.

Why was the accommodation disappointing?

NEGATIVES
1. We scraped the side of our car as soon as we arrived trying to park in a garage (compulsory as there was nowhere else) through a door that left only 2 inches either side of our car and 4 inches at the back when the up and over door was closed. Neighbours parked at an angle on the hard stranding either side of our entry position.
2. The advertised ‘courtyard’ was only a small back yard.
3. We had a ground floor apartment (4 floors in all) in a large old town house above a guy who played drums to accompanying music at 7.0 am and 11 pm sometimes.
4. There was a pub opposite, an RAF club 2 doors down and an ex-servicemen’s club next to that. With the ban on indoor smoking the smokers drink outside even in the rain.
5. The house was situated on a large roundabout that connected 4 main roads.
6. The drains overflowed and smelled bad when there was torrential rain.
7. Kitchen cupboards dusty and full of ‘stuff’, jam making things and much that one would never use on holiday but lacked some of the basic things I needed.
8. The advertised ‘dining room’ was a small space set as a walk through between the kitchen and bathroom, the bathroom door opening almost on to the table.

POSITIVES
1. Large comfortable sitting room and bedroom with comfortable four poster bed and 11 foot ceilings.
2. Tall, double sided American style fridge-freezer.
3. A separate study area that I found useful for dumping my photography stuff and papers, maps etc.
4. Could walk into the centre of the beautiful town of Harrogate.
5. A large supermarket less than 5 minutes walk away.

We found out from neighbours that the owner had originally owned the whole house and then converted it into separate apartments, living on the ground floor herself until last Christmas when her husband died when she moved. I was not surprised to hear that as it felt more like it had been someone’s home than a holiday let. There were many oil paintings and watercolours on the walls and the impression was that it had once been an elegant place

So I will be posting on many aspects of Yorkshire as and when I can but for now I am coming up to my 300th post so am offering another GIVEAWAY. Leave a comment and let me know if you want to be entered for the draw. I will draw the winner on the 31st August. If you win you will need to let me have your E-mail address and home address: See details below:

Cath Kidston is a very popular and modern London designer

I bought this little bag which is a Cath Kids

from her junior collection

I thought it would make a nice little hanging bag for make-up

but of course you may have much better ideas yourself

There will be an extra surprise inside

that I bought especially for the winner while in Yorkshire

This is the tearooms in the Cath Kidston shop in Harpenden

It is fitted out with Cath Kidston cushions and table coverings

Harpenden is a very upmarket area and when we were there the place was full of

Mum's and children straight from school

We visited when at Janie's as it is a 10 minute car ride from her home

A Pub

Houses on the Green

My Best Wishes to all who enter - I wish you could all win