It’s been a very, very wet Christmas season here in Yorkshire and elsewhere in the north of England. But while the local A65 road into Leeds was flooded on Sunday I took off to local reservoirs where it seemed like the world and his wife was exercising its dog. Swinsty and Fewston Reservoirs lie just south of Thruscross Reservoir where I was walking recently. Continue reading
Author Archives: miladysboudoir
River Esk Walk : The Netherby Estate
What better way to pass a day at a Landmark than to take a walk around the local area? Continue reading
Coop House in Cumbria before Christmas
The tree is decorated, the presents have been bought and the cards have been written and posted. But there’s still shopping and cooking to be done and there are gifts to be wrapped so what better time could there be to take off for a 2 night pre-Christmas break, literally away-from-it-all, at a Landmark at Netherby in Cumbria – Coop House? Continue reading
Monastery Music in Manchester
Earlier this year my friend Betty told me about her trip to The Monastery in Manchester. I had never heard of it but as soon as I read on the website :
“Manchester’s magnificent Monastery is Pugin’s architectural masterpiece. It sits alongside the Taj Mahal and the ancient ruins of Pompeii as having been listed in the 100 most endangered sites in the world, with a rich heritage that should never be lost.” Continue reading
Thruscross Reservoir Christmas Walk
Last Thursday was the final Weekday Wanderers’ Walk of the year. It was not too long as we were booked for lunch at 2pm at a nearby smokehouse. Rain battered us on our drive northward to Thruscross Reservoir car park but by the time we arrived it had stopped and we enjoyed a walk that was only wet underfoot. Continue reading
Tea and Tattle Christmas Fun
“Hello and welcome to the Tea and Tattle tearoom and Arthur Probsthain bookseller! Our story starts over 100 years ago when our bookshop was founded. Since then four generations of our family have been helping our customers to find an amazing selection of books, and more recently art and music. In June 2010, we decided that we wanted to offer our lovely customers something more and so, the Tea and Tattle tea room opened its doors.” (T&T website)
A Book Launch at Middlethorpe Hall, York
A couple of months ago I contacted Sally Tierney (The Yorkshire Garden Designer) as I’m hoping to improve an overgrown area of the garden and make it into a little haven of tranquility with raised beds of herbs and flowers and a special garden seat but with minimal upkeep as I am away such a lot. I liked her premise that your garden should fit into your lifestyle and not the other way round. When she first arrived in October and we talked about my ideas she christened it ‘The Reading Garden’. Sally then told me about her forthcoming publication and invited me to the book launch. Continue reading
A Walk and a Church in the Surrey Hills
Earlier this month our son moved to his new house in Surrey and I made my first visit to this part of the world last weekend. Apart from visits to Hampton Court (which is almost London, really) I’ve never been to Surrey before so lots to explore on future trips. Sadly, though, no more walkin’ the dog round Belsize Park! Continue reading
Staying and Walking in the Manifold Valley
Our weekend accommodation in Staffordshire, deep in the Manifold Valley, was a National Trust cottage called Darfar. The National Trust hamlet of Wetton Mill consists of two holiday cottages, a farmhouse and a privately owned tea room. Continue reading
Pugin’s Staffordshire Gems
Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin (1812 – 1852) was a prolific architect of the Victorian age. In fact he burned himself out through over work and died at the age of 41 having designed not only the exteriors but also the furnishings and fittings of countless churches not only in England, but also in Ireland and Australia. He converted to Catholicism and most of his ornate designs are for Roman Catholic churches and cathedrals. There is a long list of his architectural achievements at the end of his Wikipedia entry here. He is most notably connected with the building of the present Palace of Westminster. Continue reading
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