Thursday 2 April 2009

A Jolly Drama!



























Today my friend and I went on a "jolly" across the top of the country into the Lake District - and all for a pair of flight socks!




Well - that's a bit of an exaggeration - we fancied a day out, I wanted two pairs of flight socks before our holiday and I knew of a little shop over there that sold them. So off we set, my friend, me and three dogs - Jem, Millie and Lucy. It was a perfect April day - just the sort of day Robert Browning was thinking of when he wrote Home Thoughts from Abroad. Blue sky, sunshine wall to wall, the first of the wheatears on the tops, a skylark just rising off the ground, two oyster catchers peeping loudly overhead, cherry in blossom, daffodils everywhere - what a day.

We started off in Wensleydale and then turned over the tops into Swaledale, on into the wild country. Once we were near to Nine Standards Rig on the top of the Pennines, we stopped to give the dogs a drink at a lovely little beck with a strange bridge - I have put the photograph on for you to see. Why on earth would anyone build a bridge like that?

Once at Kirky Stephen, a pleasant little town, we ventured out onto the A66 Trans-Pennine route - a very dangerous road full of heavy traffic and best avoided. But we were only on it for a few miles before we turned off to the village of Morland and the Travelling2 shop. What a lovely little village.

Peaceful and quiet on a Thursday afternoon we headed first for the Mill Cafe and a bowl of carrot and orange soup with home made bread - and a bottle each of elderflower cordial - delicious on all counts.

Then to the shop, which is really a mail order shop but which was good to look round and produced some fine flight socks (and a pair of trainers). Then it was a quick tootle round the gardens (lovely with daffodil, celandine and grape hyacinths), a nip back to the cafe for a cup of tea and a slice of cake each - then we set off for home.

What a lovely day we have had we said smugly as we coasted along the A66 amid countless long-distance lorries. Just as we were going up a rise on a bit of dual carriageway (the road is not all dual carriageway, which is why it is so dangerous) my friend's car lost all power and coasted to a halt. Luckily she managed to pull on to the grass verge but in a very dangerous position. There we rang the AA.

"Get out of the car - take the dogs - get to a safe place and we will send a breakdown lorry!"

So we got out and climbed up the bank and sat there. And waited.

Lorries passed and tooted their horns. We knew they were thinking - look at those silly women parking in such a stupid place and sitting sunning themselves on the grass! (sorry any male readers - but their expressions and hand signals said it all. ) We were tempted to return their waves with hand=signals of our own, but resisted the temptation.

The break down lorry came, with a charming young man and we were taken back into Bowes, the nearest village - where after a thorough going over the young man could find nothing wrong.

And so we came home - warily, in case it happened again - but we got home safely = so a lovely day out which ended in a bit of drama. But, as they say, all's well that ends well.

So thank you Glennis if you read this, for a lovely day out.


This is my three hundredth post, so here's to the next three hundred!

23 comments:

Rowan said...

I know those roads, not funny breaking down there - at least it was on the way home though so you did get your nice day out:)

Heather said...

So glad you and your friend got home safely - at least you had your lovely day out. Excellent photos as usual to make us feel as if we were there with you both.

Jeannette StG said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Jeannette StG said...

sorry, too many tupos
Sounds you had fun - what are flight socks exactly? Glad the drama ended well. Later you'll remember this outing because of the drama. Dramatic men, that is! (sorry, I couldn't let that one go)

EB said...

I can so, so well imagine all the fuss from the other drivers! Ha ha ha. I can't see the bridge though, I must be being thick.

Jane Moxey said...

What wonderful photographs of an "interesting" day! I particularly loved the bright red doors of the building -- was that the shop where you got the flight socks I wonder. Isn't it amazing what a difference a sunny day can make to an adventure gone temporarily awry? And "yah boo sucks" to the driver gents who exhibited what sounds like a splendidly awful display of unnecessary machismo at your misfortune.

Michala Gyetvai (Kayla coo) said...

Glad you got home safely,always a worry to break down on a busy road.
Congratulations on 300th posts!

MarmaladeRose said...

Congratulations on 300 posts, quite remarkable.

Glad you all got home safely. Lovely blue skies.

I'm a townie and have only been here 18 months but I know the difference between a Swaledale, Blue Faced Leicester and a Wensleydale (sheep) and as you can tell I'm rather pleased about it. Lol!

The lady at Millie Moo called me today, I've been making her some crochet flowers for her fairy lights inside the shop. I keep an eye out for you when we drive through your village, so if a strange woman shouts 'Hi Weaver', you'll know its me!

Raph G. Neckmann said...

Congratulations on 300 posts, Weaver! Looking forward to the next 300.

Flight socks - I have a mental image of socks with little wings on the back like Mercury has.

Glad you had your lovely day out before breaking down, and that you got back safely.

BT said...

What a lovely day you had and you're right, what an odd little bridge. You could step over the beck!! The food and drink sounded delicious, that's my kind of day, and I'm glad you managed to purchase the flight socks and some trainers too, a bonus!

Not so good the breaking down part but you did manage to get back safely, which is the main thing. I love those red doors too and huge congratulations on your 300th post. xx

Woman in a Window said...

AND the soup and bread were good, right? ohmygod, that sounds so delicious. And you, getting all wild with the hand gestures! See what happens when you're out for an afternoon!

Cloudia said...

Thanks so much for taking us along!
Aloha-

The Weaver of Grass said...

Thanks for the comment Rowan - shall call and see you.

The Weaver of Grass said...

FLIGHT SOCKS
I love Raph's idea that they are winged "Mercury" socks - no such luck - they are specially designed sock which grip various parts of the leg in an effort to reduce the threat of DVT on long-distance flight - they are certainly very comfortable to wear and as we are shortly going to the States we thought we would give them a try.

The Weaver of Grass said...

BRIDGE
Sorry about that - the reason you could not see the bridge was that I had forgotten to put the the photo on! It is on now and you will see that it has three places for water to come through - now why would that be do you think>?

The Weaver of Grass said...

TRAVELLING2
Yes the red doors are the entrance to the shop - it is an excellent place to buy travel wear and they have a good mail order service. If you are interested, the web site is www.travelling2.co.uk and if you live in the North of England then the shop in Morland, near Penrith is in very pretty countryside and makes a nice day out.

The Weaver of Grass said...

Marmalade Rose - we don't actually live in the village but on an outlying farm so you wouldn't actually pass us on your way to Richmond - but we might meet without realising it on Leyburn market on a Friday! (or Hawes on a Tuesday for that matter).

Leilani Schuck Weatherington said...

I have a hilarious (sort of) story about carrot soup. I made some Szchewan carrot soup (creamy, spicy, a bit of peanut butter, very good) and took it to a winter "soup and stew" pot luck at church. One of the teenagers thought it was melted cheese sauce and poured it on his tortilla chips.

Unknown said...

Hello Weaver,

Sounds like a great adventure! And 300 posts - I can hardly imagine it!!

About your bridge. I was wondering if it is because the gap is so narrow that a hump-backed bridge wouldn't be possible but the flat one wouldn't be strong enough without the extra supports?

I like Raph's version of the socks too - if they had the magic power to go with them!

The Weaver of Grass said...

Derrick - thanks for that comment on the bridge - I think you may well have solved the question as to why it was built like that.

Grizz………… said...

Congratulations on 300 posts…and I'll certainly be looking to the next 300 or more! (And I was just feeling good about soon reaching 100!)

I'll also keep my fingers crossed that you get to see lots of cardinals (the birds, not the RC dignitaries) here in the States.

Gwen Buchanan said...

My Weaver, you are prolific... 300 .. .. oh yes more please!!!

I had a good chuckle when reading your story.. thanks for that... Your dogs are precious..

I can just imagine how you felt!!! looks like you took the glass 1/2 full approach..
hope your trip is all you wish... take care!!

Janice Thomson said...

Cherry blossoms in bloom? Oh! Can't wait for ours to bloom. Sounds like a lovely trip all in all. Congrats on 300 posts - look forward to the next 300!