Thursday 1 August 2013

Holidays

We live in a holiday area.   The Yorkshire Dales is popular with walkers, cyclists, dog owners, folk with small children who don't fancy the seaside, folk who have been coming here for years and see no need to change (and will probably retire up here).   Almost all of them spend their holiday in a holiday cottage - of which there are hundreds.

As August begins, so the holidaymakers swell.   On wet days like yesterday they tend to gravitate towards the little market towns.   Not that our little town has a lot to commend it to the holidaymaker.   There are the usual shops, various tea shops, a garden centre - the whole would take up about half an hour to explore I would have thought.   Then there is the Wensleydale Railway - from here they can go through the Dales countryside and enjoy the ride.   And many of them do.

Once the weather improves then very few come into the towns at all.   Those who do (recognisable by their footwear, shorts, rucksacks etc) are usually stocking up on supplies for the day's picnic.

I am always pleased when the weather is good for them.   These cottages are by no means cheap, children tend to get fractious if they are shut up day after day - they need to be out in our beautiful countryside -running free.

Today is a perfect day for them, with puffy white clouds, blue sky and a cooling wind blowing.   I have just been into town and there were plenty of holiday-makers around.   What I like about them is the selection of dogs they bring to the area.   I find it is a good way of starting a conversation - "Can I stroke your dog?   What breed is it?" is as good a way into meeting people as any.

And then, of course, you get the added satisfaction of driving home luxuriating in the fact that you don't have to come up here on holiday - you actually live here.

10 comments:

MorningAJ said...

We do holiday cottages too. We use to do 'olde worlde' places until one year I read the description of the '18th century farm worker's cottage, nestling next to the village church' and realised that it described our home exactly!

Now we go for more modern places. And of course I insist on a sea view - something we don't have at home!

Heather said...

I love the countryside and have been lucky enough to live in or near it all my life, so the seaside is a treat for me. I have often felt sorry for locals when, as a holiday maker, I have added to the queue in their shops and cluttered up their pavements. However, invariably the attitude has been one of welcome and pleasure that we have chosen to spend time and money in their part of the world. We have had some lovely holiday cottages and the standard keeps rising.

Em Parkinson said...

I feel the same way Pat!

Helsie said...

How right you are Pat! We did just as you have said- rented a holiday cottage onthe High Street in Askrigg and pretended that we lived in this wonderful place for a week. Met a lovely lady called Mary who lived with her invalid husband across the road, ate out at the wonderful pub just across the road too where they played quoits out the back and walked through fields of buttercups from Keld to Muker.
We'll never forget it and hope one day we can return. So different from our hot and sunny home in Queensland.

Cloudia said...

Yes, you well describe the concern we 'townies" feel for our guests in these lovely resort areas we are lucky enough to live in. And you do credit to your wonderful country.



ALOHA from Honolulu
Comfort Spiral
~ > < } } ( ° > <3


A Heron's View said...

If any visitors go along our road it generally means that they are lost!

angryparsnip said...

I would be one of the holiday visitors, if I lived near ! You do live in a wonderful place.

cheers, parsnip

Elizabeth said...

I always think renting a cottage somewhere is an excellent way to go on holiday.
Yes, you can pretend you live in a lovely place even if just for a little while.

Crafty Green Poet said...

I haven't been to the Yorkshire Dales for years, though we visited frequently when i was a child.

I think dogs are great ice breakers, I've made friends with lots of dogs and their owners through my voluntary work along the Water of leith!

The Weaver of Grass said...

I really think you are either a country type or a townie - thankfully I am a country typeand always have been. Thanks for calling by.