Cherie's Place

Filed under Gardens, Harrogate 2021, Holidays

Valley Gardens, Harrogate

Valley Gardens, a grade II listed garden and the adjacent Pinewoods in the highly attractive North Yorkshire spa town of Harrogate. Valley Gardens comprise about 17 acres of park, woodland, and beautiful floral displays.

It is believed that a greater number of mineral springs come to the surface in Valley Gardens than in any other known location on earth. Thirty-six of Harrogate’s eighty-eight mineral wells are found within the area of the gardens.

The gardens were developed as an attractive walk for visitors to the Spa town, part of their health regime between taking the waters, and as a means of access to the mineral springs of Bogs Field.

Valley Gardens include attractive historic buildings, such as the handsome sun pavilion with its Art Deco glass dome and the colonnades. The floral displays at Valley Gardens are truly spectacular and include a magnificent dahlia garden and colourful seasonal bedding displays that are regularly re-planted throughout the year. The Cherub Fountain was created by a young Australian called John Robinson and was installed in the centre of the gardens on the 23 May 1972.

Tags: #walk1000miles, #Walk1000miles2021, Harrogate, Vacation, Valley Gardens, Yorkshire

10 Comments CherryPie on Nov 17th 2021

Filed under Anecdotes, Out & About, Science & Nature

The Ercall in November

A Sunday afternoon stroll on the Ercall. I was treated to spectacular views and a mountain goat experience!

Tags: #walk1000miles, #Walk1000miles2021, Autumn, Shropshire, The Ercall, There's Always One

2 Comments CherryPie on Nov 17th 2021

Filed under Anecdotes, Out & About

Walking Route Test…

…avoiding winter puddles

Tags: #walk1000miles, #Walk1000miles2021, College Fields, Leegomery Pools, Shropshire, Walk n Talk Ladies

4 Comments CherryPie on Nov 17th 2021

Filed under Anecdotes, Harrogate 2021, Holidays

We missed out on a window view for our final breakfast in the hotel. Unexpectedly, breakfast was fully self service rather than waiter service as on previous days. Once again, we lingered a while before loading the car with our luggage and checking out.

On our journey home we stopped off at Bradford to visit the Museum of Science & Media. I was particularly taken with the Belle Vue Studio Exhibition. It shows the social history of the people of Bradford through photo images. The images almost lost, were restored from photographic plates that were found when the former photographic studio was sold. It was the buyer of the building that recognised the significance of the glass plates (that were being disposed of) and asked the seller to stop throwing them out.

The museum has some interactive science galleries. One was about synthesizers and included pieces (with headphones) for how they were used in pop music and for sound effects in Film and TV. Another had an infrared camera and a special effects camera as well as a demonstration of how sound frequency works. At the centre of the interactive science hall was a globe onto which images of the sun and planets were projected and rotated . Other galleries in the museum show the history of cinematography and animation, with video clips from early days to current times. I was also drawn in by the history and nostalgia of film to digital cameras, and as we were about to leave I found a gallery displaying the history of computers and the internet. This had to be explored before we continued on our homeward journey later than we had intended.

On the way home we had a bit of a struggle to pick up ingredients for a semi-fine dining experience at chez nous. We ended up with a Chinese meal deal that included a bottle of wine. When we arrived home I found another birthday card had been delivered and also my book ‘30 days of creativity’ by Johanna Basford that I had hoped would be delivered before we set off on our travels.

Tags: Bradford, National Museum of Science & Media, Vacation, Yorkshire

2 Comments CherryPie on Nov 15th 2021

Filed under Anecdotes, Harrogate 2021, Holidays

Harrogate – Day Three

We had the perfect window seat for breakfast so once again we sat and lingered enjoying the atmosphere and view.

The forecasted weather wasn’t favourable but we decided to stick with our plan to visit Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal. The weather was cloudy with the occasional burst of sunshine leading to an ever changing palate of autumn colours. We enjoyed our walk around the grounds, remembering some views from our previous visit which I estimate was over 20 years ago! Where does all the time go?

We had lunch in the National Trust Café, I chose Yorkshire Parkin, which was delicious and filling. Unfortunately the food and drink was served on disposable plates, cups and cutlery.

By the time we left the café it had started to rain so we headed to Ripon thinking that we might visit the Cathedral. After a walk around the town we noticed people in elegant clothing arriving at the Cathedral and realised that a church event must be taking place and it was inappropriate to go in. Reluctantly, we left Ripon and drove back to Harrogate, taking the scenic route.

Back in Harrogate, we headed into town and visited a board game shop that we had spotted previously. We were checking an idea for a Christmas gift and also the possibility of board game to play on a rainy afternoon in Harrogate. The shop was busy, making it hard to see the games let alone focus on what might be a suitable game for the circumstances. We left empty handed, chose not to join the long queue at Betty’s and returned to the hotel for a cup of tea.

Not to be thwarted in my Board Game quest I checked the top 100 on the Board Game Geek website for the game that had caught my eye; 7 Wonders Duel. It was near to the top of the list. I left my cup of tea brewing and headed out into the wind and rain, purchased the game and was back at the hotel within 15 minutes.

My cup of tea was warm and waiting for me when I got back. We thoroughly enjoyed playing the new game although, as usual for a first play, we got some of the rules wrong.

We dined in the hotel, I chose sea bass followed by lemon tart for dessert. Mr C chose steak which, when it arrived, was unfortunately cold putting a bit of a damper on the evening. The bill was discounted to compensate for the problem. We had a nightcap in the bar and one last chat with the bar tender that had looked after us during our stay.

Tags: 7 Wonders Duel, Board Game Shop, Boardgame, Fountains Abbey, Harrogate, Ripon, Studley Royal, Vacation, Yorkshire

10 Comments CherryPie on Nov 13th 2021

Filed under Anecdotes, Harrogate 2021, Holidays

Harrogate – Day Two

I awoke after a cosy and comfortable nights sleep and had to remind Mr C that it was my birthday, he had taken control of my cards and presents and they were tardy in being given.

We descended to the dining room for breakfast. It seemed rather quiet and we found out that breakfast was in the Sky Lounge on the 5th floor, something they forgot to mention when we booked in. We eventually arrived in the breakfast room to find the room and breakfast choices were perfect, partly self service but with the cooked food being waiter served from the counter. We even had a window seat looking out over Harrogate, causing us to linger over breakfast.

Comfortably replete, we walked to Valley Gardens. Mr C needed to dial in to an office conference so he chose a suitable bench whilst I explored the gardens. I ventured further afield than on our previous visit and noticed a sign for the Pinewoods. I couldn’t resist the temptation to walk along the pathway. The walk was delightful in the autumn sunshine until, with reluctance, I turned back and retraced my steps to return to the gardens to coincide with the time I thought Mr C’s phone call might end. As I walked along the garden pathway Mr C was coming towards me and we finished my circuit of the garden together. In one of the trees next to the path I was treated to a display of birds playing in the lower branches, including a nuthatch that ventured quite close to me.

We headed into Harrogate town centre for a wander before lunch in Betty’s where I chose a Salmon sandwich and a cake with almonds. Something went wrong and our sandwich was delayed. We were given an apology and offered complimentary drinks for our patience (we hadn’t even complained).

We enjoyed the afternoon in Knaresborough, enjoying a town and river walk in glorious sunshine. The Remembrance Day display around the castle was spectacular and moving. After our walk we returned to the hotel to relax before dining in the Fat Badger at the White Hart Hotel.

I was considering the possibility of a bubbly aperitif whilst we perused the menu when out of the blue a couple of complimentary glasses of Prosecco arrived because it was my birthday. The restaurant was loud and bustly, the food and service excellent, I chose fishcake with an egg on top and was too full for a dessert.

After dining we returned back to the relative calm, but still vibrant, atmosphere of our hotel bar where we had a lovely phone call with my brother and his wife. They had tried to call whilst we were dining but we’d missed it due to the noise level.

Tags: Bettys, Harrogate, Knaresborough, Knaresborough Viaduct, The Pinewoods, Vacation, Valley Gardens

10 Comments CherryPie on Nov 12th 2021

Filed under Anecdotes, Harrogate 2021, Holidays

Harrogate – Day One

The sunshine was glorious as we set off on our journey to Harrogate. On the way we stopped off at Woodhall services to purchase sandwiches for an in car picnic. Afterwards we passed through some lovely autumnal areas and saw a red kite riding the thermals. We arrived in Harrogate in the early afternoon and checked into the the Yorkshire hotel which was a quirky experience. We had to move the car to a space that wasn’t already allocated.

After unloading the car we walked into town. It was rather chilly compared to home and we soon headed back to the hotel to enjoy the champagne and chocolates that Mr C had secretly arranged.

Whilst sipping the bubbly, I took the opportunity to do some colouring in my ‘World of Flowers’ book. I am taking part in Johanna Basford’s ‘30 Days of Creativity’ to coincide with the publication of her new book. Unfortunately my copy of the book didn’t arrive in time for day one so I had to improvise.

In the bar before dinner, we were told that our card should have been registered on arrival at the hotel. Mr C headed to reception to sort it out and came back with a birthday card from the hotel. The receptionist that showed us to our car parking space had asked how long we were staying for and was it a special occasion.

For dinner I chose ‘ultimate chicken Kiev’ with German potato salad and dressed leaves. The food was excellent and the staff friendly and attentive. The bar area had a comfortable atmosphere and I enjoyed watching the bar staff mixing cocktails as people came and went.

Tags: Champagne, Chocolates, Harrogate, Picnic, The Pickled Sprout, The Yorkshire Hotel

6 Comments CherryPie on Nov 9th 2021

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