Monday 13 February 2012

An Outing






Yesterday, with no Aga to cook the Sunday lunch, we had a trip up to Hawes and went to The Pantry for our Sunday lunch. We had local Hereford beef which had been hung for a month and the farmer who reared it sat at the next table. That is real local farming life up here. It was the best beef I have ever tasted. And the man who carved the beef was the man who keeps his sheep in our fields in the Winter. All very local. It was an enjoyable lunch, where everyone knew everyone and there was a lot of friendly chat.

Afterwards we visited Fiona (Marmalade Rose on my side bar) and spent an hour chatting to them too. That was also a nice event - and then to drive home in the sunshine, which we have not seen for a week, was the icing on the cake.

The Dale looked particularly pretty in the weak sunshine, so I took a few photographs for you to enjoy. Baimnbridge lies half way between home and Hawes and it is here that the river Bain (the shortest river in England) flows into the River Ure. The farmer stopped on the bridge over the Bain for me to take a photograph of the falls. Also in the picture is a recently built hydro station to provide power for the village. It didn't appear to be working yesterday.

I have posted photographs of Lady Hill before but couldn't resist taking it again for the tiny bit of blue sky lighting up the horizon. It must be the most photographed scene in Wensleydale but it never loses its attraction for me. The other photographs are of the River Ure at Aysgarth Falls - another much photographed scene. The mill is now a gift shop and a tea shop, but the mill building is still there and you can see the mill race coming back into the main river at the side of the mill.

It was so good to go out on roads and pavements which are not slippery. All the snow has gone this morning and - hopefully - the farmer and I are going into Northallerton this afternoon to look for shoes. I will keep you posted. Why is it that men find it so easy to buy shoes, whereas women find it so difficult? Answers on a postcard please.

## I was quite right. The farmer bought shoes, shirt and tie all from the same department store in Northallerton and the whole lot took him about twenty minutes. My shoes took an hour and a half and two different shops! I think Juliet (Crafty Green Poet) has a point when she says that on the whole mens' styles stay more or less the same while womens' styles change from year to year. Also Heather's point that her inherited feet take some fitting certainly hit home with me too.

11 comments:

MorningAJ said...

We had a piece of beef at home yesterday that we bought from our 'local' farm shop. It's actually 30 miles away so my bit of Irish moiled topside travelled further to come home with me than it had before. From farm to shop is about a mile and a half!

I can honestly say it was one of the best bits of beef I've ever tasted. (With the exception of a bit of Chillingham I was lucky enough to obtain some years ago.) I don't think I've had Irish moiled before.

H said...

Being able to walk around without all of the slipping and sliding is wonderful! How lovely to get out for the day in such beautiful countryside and enjoy a truly local lunch :)

Heather said...

Your lunch sounds wonderful - my husband is a true beef eater!
Everywhere looks beautiful in your photos - I love Aysgarth Falls.
I'd need more than a postcard to answer your last question! 'Inherited feet' are my main problem.

Crafty Green Poet said...

What a pretty place!

Shoes - my theory is that women's shoes are redesigned every year to follow the dictates of fashion while men's aren't. Or even if they are the basic styles are always available, unlike for women where even the basics are redesigned every year.

maryelizabethroche said...

I love your new picture!
You live in beautiful surroundings!!

Reader Wil said...

Thanks for the lovely trip you described so well!
Thanks for visiting. Yes, it's a pity that the Eleven Cities Tour is not on. The snow and ice are almost gone now. All in one day.
Still we hope the winter will return if only for the pleasure of the skaters.

Pondside said...

What a gorgeous afternoon.
Shopping? I shop for The Great Dane and for myself and it takes me longer to choose for him than for myself!

Marianne said...

Men's shoes are foot-shaped. Women's feet are only occasionally shoe-shaped.

Dave King said...

You were right to show the image of Lady Hill. It is very atmospheric. It can be fascinating to see the same place again under different conditions.

Unknown said...

A pal of mine just bought some Hereford cross short-horn beef and found it a bit gamey. It's obviously not from the breed then if you're saying it's delicious..

The Weaver of Grass said...

Cooking without the aga prompted the farmer to remark that yesterday's dinner was not a patch on the sunday beef!

Thank you for the comments.