7th August, 2013...out and about in Barrow!

We thought we'd get up early and have a trip around Barrow, looking at some of the nice places to walk....we obviously started at the Abbey, which was pretty busy, considering it was 10am!

 

Frankie has to buy his customary lemonade from Abbey Mill Café, which was open for business bang on ten!

 

 

He's such a fun guy!!

 

We can't decide which crop is growing at the top of Abbey Approach?Any ideas?

 

We also headed to the Dock Museum to look at Ros White's Seascape exhibition, which is excellent. The whole area was buzzing by eleven o'clock, which is great to see, and it looks as though there has been a bit of tidying up done too! We had a nice lunch in their café!!

 

Beautiful, with the sun shining! And Vickerstown School has become a housing estate... when did that happen?!

 

Another great place for a walk is How Tun Wood, created at the top of Ormsgill Quarry. I can remember walking my dog on this area when it was just open fields, and belonged to Thorncliffe School. I think the wood is between 15 and 20 years old now??

 

 

 

 

The blackberries are out here already...does anyone even go 'blackberrying' any more??

 

 

How Tun Wood is definitely worth a look... especially in the evenings running up to Autumn, as the sun sets straight in front of you!

 

 

Can't beat the Abbey though, can you...!

(..and you don't need to use the A590 if you already live this side of Greenodd!).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1st August, 2013.....Golden Bobbin!

Phew! It's been a hot few days, but perfect for  walks at the Abbey...lots of local people obviously agree!

 

It has been almost a year since we started keeping the blog, and already there are some early signs of autumn!!

 

 

 

Gigantic 'giant hogweed'...must be all the rain we had! Frank treated himself to a sausage bun, as it is the holidays...Dowdales in September!

 

Remember to support the Medieval Fair that happens at the end of the month...only true historic stalls and side shows allowed....no market stalls selling inflatable hammers and silly hats!!

 

There is some interesting stuff happening inside the Abbey ruins at the moment... we had a look at the 'herb trail' and also at how the excavations and underpinning was going.. it's a mammoth task!

 

 

 

 

 

There is also English Heritage's Golden Bobbin Competition!! Don't tell anyone we told you!!

 

 

 

Rather hot for COWS!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

24th July,2013....Scarborough and Abbeywatch!

What a difference in weather directly opposite Barrow on the east coast. We were in Scarborough earlier in the week, complete with sea mist so thick we couldn't see the sea from our hotel window and it was only 50 yards away!!

The iconic Grand Hotel... we didn't stay there though.. not grand enough for us!! We stayed in the Crown Spa Hotel, which was really lovely!

Sea mist covers the castle and it was only 11am!

 

 

 

 

A local lady we were talking to said that their weather rolled in with the tide, and was unique to that piece of headland...very strange! As we got to Harrogate and the Dales on the way back, the mist was gone and the light was more like we were used to! Very hot at the Abbey today though!

 

 

You can't beat Barrow as a holiday destination, or a place to live...Scarborough was packed and covered in seagull muck...which is a moot point at the moment in our town too...I'm a bit torn on the subject. The gulls are only doing what nature intended, but we don't want the town to end up like Scarborough....as it is set into cliffs, the different types of gulls nest on any ledges anywhere...windowsills, bridges, shop signs...they were everywhere!

 

 

 

Lovely and clean and natural down here today though...give me Barrow anytime!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

7th July, 2013...23 degrees celsius in the shade!

Phew.... no Hillman weddings this weekend, but a whole gang of them during the next week, so we joined in with the picnic atmosphere at the Abbey!

 

( Not a Steve Hillman wedding....how rude!!)

 

The swifts finally sat still for long enough to have their photo taken.. it's weird how they dive bomb you when you are nowhere near their nests??

 

 

Frankie met up with some friends from his class, who were also trying to complete the Neil Doherty Bronze Challenge... they only have a few activities to go now!

 

 

It was ironic to see Buddhist Monks inside the Abbey instead of Cistercian Monks...how life changes!!

 

 

I do love a touch of irony... read Sam Byers' Idiopathy if you do too!

 

 

Such hot weather requires some gentle sea breezes, so we also visited the Dock Museum today. I know the carpark has been reset for visitors to free up the other land for building, which is bad enough, but the whole outside space is looking just a little bit scruffy, and a tad smelly too. The Museum itself is excellent, as always, but tourists see the outside first-the paths need weeding and the litter need sorting??Why has it been left??

 

So hot, even Buddhist Monks need to lie down!!!

CONGRATS TO GRACE AND MIKE WHO GET MARRIED TOMORROW!