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

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/

Premature Heating

Oooops.....there was no heating. The fan was now working! But sadly, it was blowing cold air. Fortunately on Friday, the sun was out and shining through my unblinded windows, the room soon heated.
Monday will be the test. I will be in around 7.30am. The last few mornings have been frosty. I have left the blower on the ON position, so that when the school heating trips in around 5am, if there is heat, I will find it when I arrive. Here's praying!

This will be my final week. I will miss my new colleagues and my class and many of the children in the school. But I will not miss the stress of trying to teach with minimal resources.

My thoughts are now turning to my USA trip. I am starting to print off my air tickets, hotel confirmations and my car hire voucher. Then I will note the zip codes to enter into my SatNav.
Currency is next. Find the passport, check all cameras in working order, then do some tourist research.

My daughter is still job hunting. Not easy for graduates even with an Honours BSC. She had a good interview at a lab last Thursday. Hopefully she gets a call tomorrow for a second interview. Prayers please!

Beautiful sunny day today, the trees yellow and golden. I hope I still find autumn in America!

These photos were taken a couple of years ago at BlackCreek Heritage village near Toronto, in autumn. Well worth a visit.