Step 2 in UK

 All in all a great day out. Thanks Ken and Angie.

Finally it’s time to move on.

Seems like ages since we got here but it’s only 2 weeks! We have been avoiding thinking about heading out. I suppose we are in denial, wanting to go but not wanting to think about where we should go.

My Aunt recently passed away aged 97, and we have been hovering in the wings as my sisters have organized the funeral, started the probate process and moved her belongings out of the care facility she was in. Now we face the funeral which is going to be in couple of weeks. We will have to plan on being back for that and we have made reservations at Arrowe Brook Farm again.

Which means our plans for Cornwall in the far South West of England have had to move back. It’s not a problem as we don’t make plans or reservations except on Holiday weekends.

We came up with a short trip to York, a city in Yorkshire. About 150 miles east (well the way we went it was) it got us into the travel mode again.

Ken had mentioned a campground on the River Ouse south of York that had a water taxi that took you into the city.

We found Poplar Farm Caravan Park about 3 miles south of the city that had a bus stop outside the gate with a bus direct to the center of the city and also a pier from which the boat went also to the city center.

Camped right next to the river.

What could be better? How about it being right on the banks of the river with a nice pub next door? Sounded like heaven to us, and they had vacancies for the weekend!

The Ship Inn next door!

After a couple of hours drive we were checked in and all set up. The bad thing was that the house (Leisure) battery appeared to be dead and that ruled out a “Pub Stop” we had been looking forward to. Without a house battery we couldn’t get lights and some controls to work. A commercial campground like Poplar Farms has electric power hookups and we could happily run on that.

York is an ancient and very picturesque city with Roman ruins, a Minster (Cathedral) dating back to the Norman Conquest of England in 1066, lots of Viking history, English Civil War battles. Lots to keep Barbara and I busy.

York Minister

We decided to search for a city pass similar to those we bought in London and Dublin last year we found one.

This would get us into all the major tourist sites, onto the Hop on Hop off buses and even on the boats that went right from the campground. As Senior Citizens we could get a discount so we bought a 2 day pass. It easily paid for itself just on the boat fares and Hop On Hop Off buses for the 2 days. The entrance fees for the York Minster, Yorvik Viking Museum, Clifford Castle and York Castle Museum were a bonus. We heartily recommend getting a city pass if you are exploring York.

The old part of York named "The Shambles"

We walked and walked! Luckily the center of the city is fairly small but our legs were tired for the next 3 days.

Cruising the Ouse past the Campground.

We extended our stay by a day for a couple of reasons. Barbara’s cousin Malcolm lives about 50 miles away and when we contacted him he arranged a meet up of the rest of the local cousins who we haven’t seen in several years.

The city walls of York

I wanted to see the National Railway Museum too and we took the opportunity to walk along the top of the city walls to get there.

The world's first passenger train (Went from Liverpool!)

And also the Bullet Train at the National Railway Museum

After a long walk around the walls and museum we were too tired to walk back, so a taxi did the work and we were soon out in the gorgeous Yorkshire countryside visiting all Barbara’s cousins who had gathered at Malcolm’s cottage.

It was scary to find how long it had been since we saw Brian and Dianne but thankfully we had met Janice and Malcolm fairly recently. Malcolm’s neighbour John came by and we all sat out in perfect weather enjoying each others company and eating Malcolm’s delicious food. We had so much fun we clean forgot to take pictures!

Our next destination was Thirsk which is only about 45 miles to the north of York. We had a reason for the short trip, a destination we both were looking forward to.

Huge campground and so clean.

We found a campground on the North side of the town called Otterington Park, a really spic and span place with huge gravel spaces, a shop/office and huge bathroom buildings. All surrounded by farmland and withing a 10 minute walk of a nice pub called the “Shorthorn” named after the Shorthorn cattle.

The reason for the trip was connected to one of our favourite TV shows on PBS and some of our favourite books from the 70’s and 80’s. I think most people have heard of the series “All creatures great and small”?

World of James Herriot Thirsk

It’s about a veterinary surgeon in a town named Darrowby in Yorkshire and it’s set just before World War 2 in the 1930’s.

In the series the vet’s name is James Herriott and his books became world famous. They describe the country vet’s life in the Yorkshire hills and the hilarious local characters he is involved with.

His real name revealed

Sorry to break the spell but James Herriot was not his real name and Darrowby wasn’t where he lived and worked. The hills, farms and character’s however are all real.

His real name was James Wight and the real town was Thirsk. His real house wasn’t called Skeldale House, in fact I don’t think it has a name, but it’s here in the delightful market town of Thirsk and is now called “The World of James Herriot”.

The real entrance hallway

The real dining room

Seeing the real house seems strange as it’s not very like the TV sets that we are used to. Finding that he had a partner and mentor but who wasn’t named Seigfried and who in turn really did have a brother but not named Tristian made the whole lot come to life.

The TV set hallway

The TV set dining room

Stories from the books and TV shows came tumbling back as we walked around the extremely well presented house where exhibits showed their actual lives and the parallel TV show including the sets in which it was filmed.

Just to complete the experience we went to the pub for lunch and true to form it wasn’t called the Drover’s Arms! We went to the Mowbray Arms in the old Market Square and had a very tasty meal (And a couple of excellent pints of Theakston’s Best Bitter).

Mowbray Arms

Pub interior

I don’t think we’ve enjoyed a day out as much in a long time.

I got a few of my favorite things fitted in also. We stopped at the Yorkshire Air Museum in Elvington where there were lots of airoplanes to see. The one I particularly wanted to see was a Halifax bomber from WW2. Most enthusiasts know about the famous Lancaster bomber but the Halifax was the other heavy bomber that shared to load. The one here is assembled form a collection of parts, it’s the only complete one in the world and is painted to represent an aircraft named “Friday the 13^th”. All the symbols represent bad luck but the aircraft actually survived 128 missions only to be scrapped at the end of the war.

Halifax Bomber Friday the 13th

We also stopped at a place called Sutton Bank and for an early birthday present I got to fly a two seat glider.

Putting on the parachute

Instructor running thru the emergency proceedures.

The instructor did the take off behind the tow plane and the landing but I flew the rest of the 1/2hr flight and really enjoyed doing so. Thanks Barbara!

Finally we drove back to our old favourite Arrowe Brook Farm.