Holiday - High Jinx In Middleham.

 After leaving Leyburn we drove just a few miles down the road to a place called Middleham. This is just a village, although it does have a castle. I've found a little tour of the place for those who would like to take a walk round. (See below)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C1DkIXp1Mg4&list=WL&index=1

The reason for the visit here is that this is where mum was living and working when dad met her. The pub job was just side work, her real job was working at a horse racing stables nearby. We couldn't actually go to the stables but we had a walk around the village and I enjoyed listening to mum talking about things her and some of the other stable girls go up to in and around the village. She was around my age and a little bit older when she lived in Middleham and was living away from home with some of the other girls so it sounds like there was a lot of high jinx going on. Nowhere near as well behaved as me - well, since I've been with them anyway.

After Middleham we drove to another market town called Richmond which is where we stayed for the night. We were just out of town but close enough to walk in and get a meal, I had fish and chips again! Mum said I needed to have something else but dad stuck up for me saying that I was on holiday and to let me have what I wanted. I like fish and chips so much that there is never anything better on the menu. I guess if we go out tonight though I will have to try and have something different.

Holiday - Leyburn, The Reason Why.

 After leaving Skipton yesterday we went to a place called Leyburn which is a very nice place, everywhere around here seems to be a nice place to be honest. 

Dad said to me yesterday, with mum present, that seen as it appeared that I was planning on being around for the duration that it was important for me to be shown my roots and so that's really what this holiday is about.

"Now that we've all decided to make our lives one and the same, we think it's important for you to see and understand where your roots lie. This is of course not to take away anything from who you are as a person you understand." Is what he said.

So with that in mind I will tell you the reason for a visit to Skipton yesterday. As I said, Skipton is an old market town, which even today has a cattle market as well as street stalls. Back in the day when dad was a youth not much older than me there no such things as supermarket contracts and such like, all your livestock was taken to a market, such as Skipton to be sold.

So one late afternoon, after a trip to Skipton Market, my dad and his dad were returning home when the cattle truck developed a problem. At the time dad didn't have a mobile phone, I don't think they were even invented. So they couldn't call someone out to fix it, they had to try and get somewhere that had a local mechanic, which usually meant a village or town. In this case the next town was Leyburn. They pulled up outside one of the pubs and went inside to enquiry about a local mechanic. Whilst there dad saw this really nice young girl, very much like me he reckon's. I think he was just trying to flatter me! Anyway, there was no one able to do anything to get them going before the morning, so the two dad's ended up staying the night where they were.

Dad didn't waste his time drinking and talking to the locals, many of which were farmers who they knew. Instead dad focused his attention on this hot young girl behind the bar. They got on so well that before they parted company for the night they agreed to see each other again as soon as possible. As things turned out this sweet young bar girl eventualy became dads wife and my mum.

So we stayed the night near to Leyburn. Because it's a pain moving the camper once you have it on site dad decided to book a taxi to take us in to town but then the owner of the campsite where we stayed said they were going in to Leyburn themselves so kindly took us in to town where we went and had an evening meal at the very pub that mum and dad met in. They say that it's obviously changed a bit but even so I really appreciated seeing it. I don't know why but it made me feel sort of special in some way.

We stayed there all night before getting the taxi back to the campsite.

Holiday - Skipton.

 

My driving lesson passed without any drama this morning. We basically went for a drive round. I did some town driving, dual carriageways, round a bouts and what have you. On arriving home I got changed and had some lunch before setting off in the camper van for a few days away. It’s not been decided yet as to how long we will be away. I woke quite excited this morning, more than I expected I would. I was thinking that maybe we were going to be paying Irene a visit as they wouldn’t tell me where were going. Anyway it seems they are taking me on a little tour of North Yorkshire. Which is the country I live in so not too far from home. But that’s okay, it’s nice to be away with just mum and dad enjoying fun times. Tonight we are near to a place called Skipton. We haven’t been in to town just yet but are saving that until tomorrow. After we got set up on the camp site we took a walk down in to the village and had a meal at a pub, I had fish and chips which were very good.

Not The Same Anymore.

 Today at the stables I was in the training ring with Lyn, it seems this is my place now as I never get out on any of the treks, I think this is mostly because I don't ride, but also I am a perhaps a little more suited to humping the poles and what have you about.

Charlotte was out on a trek with a family when I had my lunch so I thought I would pop over and see Rob. When I got there though he was nowhere to be seen so I sat on my own in his garden and had my lunch there. I was a little concerned that he was nowhere to be seen as this is unusual.

After I got finished around four I decided to pop back and see is Rob was back and thankfully found him in the house. He had been down the road at Norman's farm sale all day. I forgot the sale was today or I might have guessed where he was.

I think he was a bit down in the dumps because he was saying how things are not the same anymore and that Norman going was another nail in the coffin, and how one by one everyone was gone and soon he would be the only one left. He was talking about the people he'd known all his life. He isn't happy about how new people move in but don't mix with the people who are from there. I pointed out that I try to mix with the local people.

"Ay well, you're one of us anyway lass, I knew that after the first time I spoke to you."

That sort of gave me a warm feeling. I suppose with mum and dad being from around here helps anyway as far as I'm concerned. I never thought about it until he said, but it's true that all the people I really know around here are the old timers that have lived here for a long time, even though, I think I'm the newest member of the community as far as I know.

I would like to pop in and see him again in a couple of days but with us going away next week I doubt I'm going to get chance.

Mystery Tour.

 This morning dad got the camper van out of the shed and parked it up in the yard so that me and mum could give it a clean. Eric came at one point and started causing trouble by making out I'd missed a bit. He had this black grease on his finger end and he kept on touching the side of the van with his dirty finger, and saying that I'd missed a bit. Of course this then left a black mark where he touched it. He soon clear off though when I threw a wet sponge at him. Mum did all the inside while I washed down the outside.

I think we are going on Monday, they won't tell me where, saying that it's a mystery tour. I'm wondering if we are going to see Irene, but I don't know. They've perhaps secretly got fed up with me and taking me back for a refund! Can I have a different one as this one doesn't work properly, in fact it doesn't work at all half the time. Just swans around taking afternoon tea and eating Victoria sponge cake!

For some strange reason I decided when alone at one point to reenact a moment, the moment I flaked out on the steps of the van. I think dad must have pulled me inside on the night as I don't see how I could get where I did from just collapsing. I lay on the floor a couple of minutes looking up t the light and just remembering, All a bit silly and pointless really but I just felt the need to do it for some reason.

The Scary Cooker.

 Today mum and I have been to York.

Mum had an appointment this morning about her back. She had a scan and a talk with someone and it seems that everything is going alright with it but she still has to be careful not to go and do to much lifting and bending or riding.

Because the kettle stopped working last night, and we were in York, we decided to make a day of it and do a bit of shopping and looking round and of course afternoon tea.

Dad was saying this morning about going off somewhere in the camper van next week, before he gets busy harvesting and what have you. In one way I hope he does because it will be fun and mum would like to go somewhere just to get away. The only time I've been in the camper were very emotional times. They are the only memories I have of it. I'm sure there will soon be fun memories to take away the bad ones. Anyway I will keep you posted on that one.

Poor dad was frothing at the mouth when we got home as he hadn't been able to have a proper cup of tea all day. It was his own fault mind you, as he could have boiled some water on the cooker which mum did this morning for breakfast. I think he saw it as to much like cooking to which he has an allergy it would seem! So the first thing when we got back was to get out the new kettle and get a brew on. 

"Katie, just watch your dad with that tea, he's not had any for a few hours, he needs easing back in to it!" Mum said pulling his leg.

I smile to myself when I see him in my mind, standing there sipping his glass of cold water while trying to get up courage to touch the scary cooker!!

You Mean The Most.

 There have been a couple of things that for me are worth a mention today. One occurred when I posted an entry to my diary. As well as posting my entry I always check and reply to messages and have a little look to make sure my post has gone up okay, and at the same time take note as to how my previous posts have been viewed. It's not really about popularity but I would be lying if I said that it didn't matter how many people read what I write. I still get a thrill knowing just one person is interested in my writings. So when I tuned in yesterday and discovered that not only had all my entries had been viewed at least once in the past twenty four hours but a great many had been viewed several times. I couldn't believe it, I was so thrilled. I'm not really sure why this is but I want to thank everyone, old and new for reading what I post. You really do mean the most to me.

The other thing worth noting was when having our four o'clock tea and biscuits. Mum suddenly, without any prompting from me!

"I thought that offer to take Mary to church on a Sunday was very sweet of you Katie." 

I know it's good when she calls me Katie.

She then went on to say, "What about if we offer to take her out with us somewhere from time to time? It would be less binding for us but I'm sure just as much appreciated by her."

I said it was fine by me, although I do like my time alone with mum, but I guess every now and then would be alright. I wouldn't want to put mum off her nice idea anyway, especially after all my bight idea's she's had to endure.

The rest of the day has been pretty standard, no tractor work, just bits and bob's around the house and garden. Mum had an old friend and her mother round for lunch so we went in the garden and left dad and Eric to have their lunch in peace. They didn't leave until around two thirty so by the time we had cleared up there was just time for a little snooze before tea and biscuits. I lead such a hard life. I sort of feel like a princess or something just spending my life swanning around the place half the time!