I had breakfast in Scotland, lunch over the Atlantic, and evening meal in Pennsylvania. Cannot beat that!
I think the attraction of long flights is beginning to wain. The flights were fine, the landing in Washington was text book. Not even a bump!
I had lots of leg room, but it was tedious. I even slept.
The wait at US customs was horrendous...to many arriving passengers, not enough staff. Then the traffic on the drive north was nose to tail for too long. It was midnight UK time when I got here.
And guess what....the weather knew I was coming. Last October it was 10 inches of snow. This year??? Sunday night the Hurricane from the Bahamas will meet a storm from the west and an icy blast from Canada. The power companies are gearing up for big trouble. I suppose I had better do something too.....
Friday, 26 October 2012
Thursday, 18 October 2012
Rievaulx Abbey and Helmsley Castle
Today being the last full day of our break, we headed first to nearby Helmsley.
This is a busy little village with a number of shops and tea rooms, and of course, Helmsley Castle.
The castle has a history going back to 1120, and has a succession of owners, including Richard, Duke of Gloucester who later became King Richard III.
During the Civil War the castle was besieged and eventually captured by Sir Thomas Fairfax. The castle was ordered to be slighted so it could not be used again.
Eventually Charles Duncombe bought the castle in 1687. His sister's husband inherited it when Charles died. He left it to fall into ruin while he had Duncombe Park, a large counrty house built for him.
Nearby are the substantial ruins of Rievaulx Abbey, a Cistercian Monastery founded in 1132 by 12 monks from Clairvaux, as a mission for work in England and Scotland.
It became one of the great abbeys of Yorkshire,second only to Fountains Abbey.
The abbey became wealthy through the hard work of the monks in water engineering, lead and iron mining, and sheep, selling wool all over Europe.
Daughter houses were established elsewhere in England and Scotland. But this expansion meant that debts built up. Sheep scab affected the flocks of sheep, and raiding parties from Scotland further damaged the monastery. At its height, there were about 140 monks, but after the Black Death, and the other misfortunes, the number of monks fell to 14.
Eventually King Henry VIII seized the abbey, took its valuables, ordered the building to be made uninhabitable. It was then bought by the Duncombe family.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helmsley_Castle
http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/daysout/properties/helmsley-castle/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rievaulx_Abbey
http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/daysout/properties/rievaulx-abbey/
This is a busy little village with a number of shops and tea rooms, and of course, Helmsley Castle.
The castle has a history going back to 1120, and has a succession of owners, including Richard, Duke of Gloucester who later became King Richard III.
During the Civil War the castle was besieged and eventually captured by Sir Thomas Fairfax. The castle was ordered to be slighted so it could not be used again.
Eventually Charles Duncombe bought the castle in 1687. His sister's husband inherited it when Charles died. He left it to fall into ruin while he had Duncombe Park, a large counrty house built for him.
Nearby are the substantial ruins of Rievaulx Abbey, a Cistercian Monastery founded in 1132 by 12 monks from Clairvaux, as a mission for work in England and Scotland.
It became one of the great abbeys of Yorkshire,second only to Fountains Abbey.
The abbey became wealthy through the hard work of the monks in water engineering, lead and iron mining, and sheep, selling wool all over Europe.
Daughter houses were established elsewhere in England and Scotland. But this expansion meant that debts built up. Sheep scab affected the flocks of sheep, and raiding parties from Scotland further damaged the monastery. At its height, there were about 140 monks, but after the Black Death, and the other misfortunes, the number of monks fell to 14.
Eventually King Henry VIII seized the abbey, took its valuables, ordered the building to be made uninhabitable. It was then bought by the Duncombe family.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helmsley_Castle
http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/daysout/properties/helmsley-castle/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rievaulx_Abbey
http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/daysout/properties/rievaulx-abbey/
Monday, 15 October 2012
Whitby
Today we drove to Whitby across the moor road. Some of the views are amazing, are as some of the steep hills.
Whitby is a pretty fishing village towered over by the ruins of Whitby Abbey. This was the inspiration for Mary Shelley's Dracula.
The town is busy, the streets narrow with some really old buildings. It is a popular tourist place.
We spent a pleasant few hours wandering around and had some lunch too.
http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/daysout/properties/whitby-abbey/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whitby
Whitby is a pretty fishing village towered over by the ruins of Whitby Abbey. This was the inspiration for Mary Shelley's Dracula.
The town is busy, the streets narrow with some really old buildings. It is a popular tourist place.
We spent a pleasant few hours wandering around and had some lunch too.
http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/daysout/properties/whitby-abbey/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whitby
Sunday, 14 October 2012
Kirkbyside Moor
We are on holiday for a week in Yorkshire, near Whitby. I finished up teaching on Friday. No more 6am starts for me No long motorway drive to work. For a while. We will enjoy this week. Next Thursday I will be crossing the Atlantic to America.
Today we started off with Mass at St Chad's. The parish is served by the monks from Ampleforth. After Mass we went to the parish house for coffee and a chat. There was a couple from France there and we had a chat.
Then we drove to Castle Howard, home of the Howard Family. The house featured in both the TV drama and the film of Brideshead Revisited by Waugh.
The house is very impressive. The weather was sunny, but definitely cold. I have a most irritating cough I cannot get rid of. I will see the doctor before flying to America.
We are staying in a roomy flat above the Post Office in Kirkbyside Moor. Nice place. Children are at home taking care of things.
There was a World War II weekend at Pickering. It would have been nice to see that. We did try, but there was just no parking. I did get some photos of "Dad's Army" leaving from outside the Post Office though!
http://www.castlehoward.co.uk/
Today we started off with Mass at St Chad's. The parish is served by the monks from Ampleforth. After Mass we went to the parish house for coffee and a chat. There was a couple from France there and we had a chat.
Then we drove to Castle Howard, home of the Howard Family. The house featured in both the TV drama and the film of Brideshead Revisited by Waugh.
The house is very impressive. The weather was sunny, but definitely cold. I have a most irritating cough I cannot get rid of. I will see the doctor before flying to America.
We are staying in a roomy flat above the Post Office in Kirkbyside Moor. Nice place. Children are at home taking care of things.
There was a World War II weekend at Pickering. It would have been nice to see that. We did try, but there was just no parking. I did get some photos of "Dad's Army" leaving from outside the Post Office though!
http://www.castlehoward.co.uk/
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