Saturday 27 September 2014

I am back.

After a couple of very enjoyable days with our very dear Dutch friends, they returned home to the Netherlands this morning and here at the farm we are 'back to normal'.   A carrier full of bulbs to plant from our friends means that we have spent the afternoon planting some of them.  The tubs outside the farmhouse door have been planted with dwarf narcissi and the old pigtrough with a mixture of crocus and snowdrops.   The job has taken me most of the afternoon and now this is a bit of delay tactics to prevent me having to iron the bed linen ready to air it and return it to the spare beds in the guest room, ready for our next guests.  I love planting new bulbs - it looks forward to Spring as though we haven#t got to get through Winter first.

Yesterday we drove the fairly short journey to the Tan Hill Pub - the highest pub in England at 1732 feet above sea level.   It was a gloriously sunny day with good clear views, so that we could see across the moors to Teesdale and on to Weardale.   The Tan Hill stands fair and square on The Pennine Way, so it is in no way a posh pub - it caters for walkers.   The floors are stone flags, there is a huge log fire burning in the grate, various dogs lie around enjoying the rest, there is a smell of good, wholesome food cooking, and there is a constant stream of folk coming and going.
After a drink we returned another way, coming through Swaledale and back home.   In the evening we went to a pub near to the farm for a celebratory meal for our friends' Golden Wedding.

I though you might like these photographs of the pub - and the little flock of bantams, great opportunists who dashed from one group of folk to the next, always on the look-out for crumbs.   They are not daft these hens (as John is always trying to point out.)


Hope you like the bottom one, showing the farmer in pensive mood.


16 comments:

Gwil W said...

Tan Hill pub, eh. That'll feel like going up Mt Everest for your Dutch friends ;) hope they enjoyed their ale and the wide views.

donna baker said...

I love reading the British blogs. So different from here in the USA. The words and terms, the locations - all just beautiful. Can't imagine living in such beautiful old places, in villages... I need to come stay at your place. I would love to sleep in ironed bedding. I haven't seen any bulbs out yet this year, but will plant daffodils and grape hyacinths. The deer eat the tulips.

Rachel Phillips said...

Nice to see the farmer (and you back blogging). Always good to have some guests to spur on changes in routine. Leave the ironing and have a rest until at least tomorrow.

Joanne Noragon said...

I needed one last burst of bulbs for my garden and ordered them from Holland, the only source of bulbs, in my opinion. I'm eagerly waiting.

Denise said...

Oh to be a Wife of a farmer and best of all to be in Your lovely dreamy Country.What a delight it must be....or at least in My day dreams and in the novels I love to read-Denise

Barbara said...

So glad to see you're back to blogging.
Your planting project sounds like it will be beautiful come spring...and now you have something to look forward to!

angryparsnip said...

I would love to have some food and drink in that pub. Sounds lovely.
Love the chickens and how are your doing ? Are they starting to shut down for winter ?
Nice to see the Farmer, we usually see him in the distance or with head turned !

Nice to have you back and I am happy you have a lovely time with friends and weather !

cheers, parsnip

John Going Gently said...

I so wish that pub was in our village

ChrisJ said...

I remember The Cat and the Fiddle being pretty high up there in the Pennines (can't remember, one n or two? My spellings gone for the birds these days.)- but it was usually shrouded in fog.

Helsie said...

Lovely old pub, we must return to visit Yorkshire. It is so lovely.

Cro Magnon said...

Tan Hill must be one of the most famous pubs in the UK.

The Weaver of Grass said...

Thanks for calling in as soon as I am back in circulation - I missed you all. I love Gwil's comment - and incidentally, we all had orange juice, we were going out in the evening and the wine would flow then.

Heather said...

I have been planting bulbs too, as if to ignore winter and bring spring a little nearer. I love those 'proper' country pubs - always better than the poshed up ones. The Farmer is quite unaware of your camera. Does he know he has gone world wide?!

MorningAJ said...

It's years since I went to the Tan Hill. Looks like it hasn't changed much! Must now think about some bulbs for next spring.

Elizabeth said...

How thrilling to plant bulbs -a hint of pleasures to come after the winter.
Still very warm here - I fear the bulbs would sprout too early!

Mac n' Janet said...

Definitely looks like my kind of pub!