9th December
We spent yesterday in York. It was extremely crowded but we enjoyed the many ice sculptures scattered around the city.

 



Saturday 25th November
Harlow Carr gardens are lit up for weekends for the first time. We enjoyed walking around on a clear, cold evening.

 



Sunday 5th. November
We visited the Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts at the University of East Anglia in Norwich especially to see the Exhibition of Faberge jewellery. Unfortunately you are not allowed to photograph any of the exhibits.
https://scva.ac.uk/

After lunch we visited the permanent collection of art assembled by Robert and Lisa Sainsbury.



Sunday 29th October
Salts Mill has recently been reroofed and is looking well maintained. Inside it was busy with the extensive collection of artworks by David Hockney to see, other exhibitions of art, classic homewares and furniture as well as modern designs to buy and good food on offer. We enjoyed today's visit as well as the journey there over the moors above Ilkley and the return along the Aire Valley.



Saturday 14th October
In unbelievable temperatures of 20 degrees we visited Golden Acre Park and Nature Reserve.



Sunday 8th October
The Pocklington canal was completed in 1818 but we discovered it for the first time today. It was last used commercially in 1930 and the canal itself fell into disrepair but the towpath remains along the whole length of 9.5 miles. In 1969 The Pocklington Canal Amenity Society was formed and half of the canal is now navigable.
www.pocklingtoncanalsociety.org

On our return walk we met these two beautiful swans preening, diving in the water and flapping their wings to dry.



Saturday 7th. October
This evening we enjoyed "Fountains by Floodlight" when Fountains Abbey ruins are illuminated. The Ilkley Moornotes choir gave a superb performance in the cellarium. Afterwards we walked back up the hill under a clear sky with a harvest moon rising over the abbey.

 

 



Tuesday 19th September
We spent today at Filey. We enjoyed a walk along the Brig and then a walk back along the bottom to the beach.

 



Thursday 7th September
Today we went to see the Crofton Beam Engines which are the oldest working steam engines in the world. They pumped water into the summit pond of the Kennet & Avon Canal so that the water level was always stable.
http://www.croftonbeamengines.org/

The canal is a short walk down from the pumping station and we were fortunate to see a boat pass through the lock gate shortly after we started to follow the towpath.

This farm building is typical of many barns in the area.



Wednesday 6th September
We finally got to visit the North Downs with a few days away before celebrating Florence's birthday.
Our first trip was to see the Uffington Horse, the oldest chalk figure in England, dating back 3,000 years.

The far reaching views from the top are of the Vale of the White Horse and on a clear day you can see for 35 miles to the Chilterns.

Uffington Castle at the top of the hill is the remains of a 2,500 year old fort.

We walked along the Ridgeway, an excellent chalk track, for several miles as we explored this fascinating area.

Our destination was Wayland's Smithy, a long barrow used for burials 5,500 years ago.