Cyril Connolly

We had breakfast and then checked out of The Yorkshire Hotel. Luggage loaded into the car; we drove to Wakefield to visit the Cathedral. The Church is large in size and has a lovely interior. We enjoyed our visit and I got my Cathedral passport stamped. The lady who put the sticker in my passport (upside down) was interested to know which other Cathedrals I had visited. I opened the passport at the front page and showed her.

We still had time to spare so we visited the nearby Sandal Castle where Mr C was able to tick off another Wars of the Roses site and learn information related to one of his current interests. The castle’s hill top location gave spectacular views of the surrounding area.

Next to the castle was a café so we decided to have an early lunch before continuing on our journey home. The café was warm, welcoming and cosy. My glasses steamed up after stepping in from the relative cold outside. When they cleared, I was able to see the menu and food counter. I chose apple and blackberry crumble. The lady who served us was full of laughter and tried to persuade me to have it with custard or cream. I chose to have it warmed up but declined any additions, leading her to jokingly comment that it was just wrong. Mr C chose a fish finger butty, something I had also considered. It arrived with a large portion of chips so I was glad I had opted for the crumble instead.

We stopped off on our way home to pick up ingredients for Catalan Fish Stew so that we could enjoy ‘fine dining’ at home to complete our few days away.

Mr C’s new car has got the job. It was a joy to travel in and the boot swallowed up our luggage easily without having to squeeze it in. I think Mr C enjoyed driving it but time will tell…

For breakfast, my taste buds were looking forward to pancakes and fruit compote, but sadly pancakes weren’t on offer this morning leading me to plan B choices. After a bowl of fresh fruit, I selected some of the more visually appealing items that were on offer from the cooked breakfast area. The eggs looked unappetising and the bacon was a little dried out and hard.

After breakfast we visited Skipton Castle, which is a lot smaller than I remembered it. Perhaps it feels smaller because now there is a one-way system in place to make sure you see everything. The one-way system means that in some places you can’t explore the castle optimally. I still love the twisted yew tree in the central courtyard.

Whilst exploring the castle I had a humorous moment. Mr C had climbed a spiral staircase and said he would call down and let me know if it was worth the effort for me to climb them. He was gone for some time and he still hadn’t called down. Then, just as a man whose family we had been we had been following round the castle popped his head through the doorway to the stairs, a disembodied voice called down ‘you won’t be missing much’. I had to explain the voice was talking to me, much to the amusement of both of us and he said to me that he was also wondering if it was worth the climb.

We had lunch in the café before exiting the castle grounds to visit the nearby church. The church is small but lovely with interesting historical features. I wasn’t able to purchase the guide book to find out more in-depth information; the shop, although supposed to be open, was closed.

Then we returned to the Edinburgh Woollen Mill which we had visited briefly earlier when we explored the main street before visiting the castle. I purchased a couple of pairs of corduroy trousers to replace some of mine that have worn a little thin. I need them for the cold winter months when I am volunteering at Attingham Park. I also purchased the fun Christmas top that Mr C pointed out to me earlier in the day. I had noticed the top but not the tag line but, once he had pointed it out, I just had to buy. That will have to remain a secret until nearer Christmas when all will be revealed.

On our way back to Harrogate we thought we might visit Bolton Abbey, but the parking charge was  £15 based on people visiting for the day. This did not appeal to us when we would only be there for an hour… We gave it a miss, opting instead for tea and cake in Bettys, Harrogate where we were lucky to have a window seat. We then got a bit carried away with purchases in the shop; we had only gone in for teabags and a small Christmas cake…

Back in the hotel, browsing the internet I noticed that a dress I had missed out on a few days before (whilst I was checking out what size I should order) had been restocked with limited availability. I had been really disappointed to have missed out on what would be a fun dress for the Christmas season so I got Mr C to order it on his phone; I am useless at that sort of thing.

Later we dined in Sukhothai Thai. The restaurant is beautiful with impeccable service, delicious food and vibrant atmosphere. They make a lot of noise, involving xylophones and cymbals when delivering “happy birthday” cake to customers.

We had a nightcap in The Alexandra pub which Mr C had noticed earlier in the day. At last, he was able to enjoy a ‘proper’ beer, we tucked ourselves away in a cosy corner to avoid the televisions screening the football match. After the match the pub emptied and, although the pub was still very much open, we were the last people to leave.

Today was my birthday so I enjoyed a cup of tea in bed whilst opening prezzies. Breakfast was much as I remembered it although now it is completely self service whereas on our previous visit some of the breakfast items such as eggs were cooked fresh to order.

After breakfast we walked through misty Harrogate to Valley Gardens then through the Pinewoods to the RHS Harlow Carr.

By the entrance to the pinewoods, I stopped to take a photo of the beautiful autumn trees. A gentleman saw me and asked if Mr C and I would like him to take a photo of us together; he had also seen the photographic scene. After he had kindly taken the photo, we got chatting to him and his wife. They told us of a potential walk near Knaresborough where the trees are spectacular at this time of year.

It was mizzley and misty as we walked but by the time we had arrived at the garden the mist lifted to reveal brilliant sunshine. We enjoyed our early lunch of poached salmon and prawn sandwiches in a window seat in Betty’s where we enjoyed looking at the garden lit up by the sun.

Rather than follow our sandwich with a cake, we decided to take advantage of the sunny weather to enjoy the gardens at their best. The autumnal colours were spectacular. The sun graced us with its presence until we left the gardens through the shop and made a return visit to Betty’s for the cake we had promised ourselves.

The weather had become overcast as we walked back to town, with a lite sprinkling of rain. I had also been rather forgetful after my recent visit to Cardiff and had not recharged my second camera battery! So, part way through the return walk, I had to resort to plan B, my mobile phone camera.

Back in town Mr C took me to the board game shop, Gamers Crusade and bought me an extra birthday present, Kelp, the game that caught my eye the previous day.  Back in the hotel room we weren’t able to crack it open and play it. Although the room was large there was no table to play it on.

Later we dined in the hotel restaurant, The Pickled Sprout. Before dining we had an aperitif in the bar, once again perched on high stools which I found difficult to navigate in a skirt. When it was time to dine, we relocated to more comfortable seating in the restaurant. The lighting was rather dim making it difficult to read the menu (the couple next to us resorted to their mobile phone torches). I chose fish and chips; the fish melted in my mouth but the meal portion was enormous! Mr C chose salmon which was slightly overcooked accompanied by undercooked stringy beans. Perhaps not quite the gourmet experience for a ‘special’ birthday meal.

Before returning to our room we rounded off the evening with a nightcap in the bar where, thankfully, there was room to sit on the more comfortable lower-level seats.

We set off almost as planned after a slight delay. Our neighbours were leaving the house as Mr C was loading the car. They were concerned about his health issues and stopped for a chat.

We drove through the morning’s hazy fog and stunning autumnal tree colours enjoying Mr C’s new car which is really comfortable to sit in and the drive is smooth.

We stopped for lunch at Norton Canes services for a cup of tea and were reminded of how lovely it is to be able to take a leisurely drive without any worries.

Later, after continuing on our journey, we stopped at Bolsover for lunch at ‘The Pump House’, another teashop recommended in ‘The Extra Mile’ guidebook. The venue was lovely, welcoming and cosy. The menu is extensive and then there was the specials board from which I chose sweet chilli chicken panini. Mr C chose a roast beef cob with gravy and roast potatoes.

As we approached Harrogate, we were treated to the sight of red kites flying on the thermals before another brief stop for a leg stretch. We arrived in Harrogate and checked into our hotel, The Yorkshire. We took our luggage to our room and headed into town where I purchased a few makeup items from Boots because I had forgotten to pack my makeup bag. This wasn’t a major problem as some makeup items were packed separately in my washbag (which I had packed). I just needed eyebrow powder and brush plus some lippy. A lovely shop assistant helped me with the eyebrow brush.

We found the Italian restaurant we were hoping to dine in that evening and were able to book in. We then enjoyed a mooch around the boardgame shop, Games Crusade. Mr C spotted a couple of games that he thought might be mildly diverting and I spotted a rather intriguing two player game that uses asymmetric gameplay.

We returned to the hotel to relax and chill out with a cup of tea before dining in Vivido. The food was delicious; I chose pasta parcels whilst Mr C chose chicken with sautéed potatoes.

After dining we retired to the hotel for a nightcap. The hotel was buzzing due to a ‘Beer Club Night’ which involved a set meal accompanied with beers to complement each course meal.

Much to Mr C’s dismay, the hotel no longer sells draught beers leaving him with unsatisfactory choices. On the plus side for me, the hotel still serves nice wines including my favourite, dry rose.

Normal seats were not available which meant we had to perch (uncomfortably) on high level seats with people crowding around us. We retired to our room where I could enjoy my wine in peace. Just in case you are wondering… I am not antisocial, I just don’t enjoy crowds.