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| In Scotts Arms, Sicklinghall |
We drove to Harrogate today so that Shirley could buy a hat for the beloved daughter's wedding. "Hats On Top" had an excellent and varied collection of hats for women and even a reasonable collection for men. By the way, Harrogate is sixty miles from Sheffield.
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| Laneside botany in Spofforth Park |
Frances and Stew were here for the weekend. Frances is usually a calm, level-headed human being but once in a while she will have an emotional wobble. And that's what happened on Friday night. She decided that she doesn't like her wedding dress. I was gobsmacked at first.
As you can imagine, it has cost a pile of money and of course she chose it months ago. It has been fitted and altered and everything. But no - all of a sudden, she doesn't like it. Consequently, she went out on Saturday to buy a second wedding dress and her smile returned.
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| Black bull near Wardlow Mires |
Meanwhile Stew and I were having a Peak District walk near the wedding venue - considering a route for a big group walk pencilled in for the Sunday after the wedding. We met a black bull and had pints in both "The Bull's Head" in Foolow and "The Queen Anne" in Great Hucklow. And I almost got stuck in a squeeze stile. I told Stew to phone for the fire brigade but a bit of laughter and some jiggling about got me through.
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| A bus shelter in Spofforth |
As part of the deal for driving up to Harrogate, Shirley agreed to join me on a four mile walk out of the nearby village of Spofforth. Our circle included a lovely village called Sicklinghall where we rested for ten minutes in "Scotts Arms" with cold drinks before carrying on along country lanes and paths back to Spofforth.
And then it was home to Sheffield via Wetherby and the A1 and M1 with the new hat safe on the back seat. I felt tired and had to fight to maintain the alertness you need when driving on fast roads. I am afraid that Clint is is till incapable of self-driving but we live in hope.
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| Stew completed a charity abseil in Tideswell Church on Sunday morning |
Stew is quite handsome.
ReplyDeleteTWO wedding dresses? Oh my. Well, it's the bride's day and the bride must be happy! I can't wait to see the pictures.
This is truly a charming post. I love all the pictures. I wish we had a picture of The Hat. Are you going to wear a hat? And what? There's to be a group walk after the wedding? This would NEVER happen in America. Another thing you'd never seen in the good ol' USA is a charming bus stop. At first when I looked at it, it reminded me of a roadside altar like they'd have in Mexico.
I will not be wearing a hat at the wedding but when it is very sunny and I am out walking in the countryside I sometimes wear a hat for protection. Many of the wedding guests have never been to northern England so we thought the walk would give them a nice taste of our lovely countryside.
DeleteOne day Frances will look back on the two dresses and either be greatly relieved that she went and got a second.....or she'll wonder what the drama was. We're funny creatures, aren't we?
ReplyDeleteDo you mean women Kylie? I'll agree with that!
DeleteYour weekend was quite a busy one by the sounds of it. Mine wasn't...by choice.
ReplyDeleteThat's a quite lot of bull...a handsome one he is, too!
The bull seemed friendly but I wouldn't have wished to tangle with him. He would have trouble buying a dress shirt given the size of his neck.
DeleteI think brides often go through a few emotional spots in all the wedding preparations. Maybe she can sell the first wedding dress. It sounds like you and Stew chose a good time for a walk and a few pints!
ReplyDeleteThat bus stop is really nice and the flowers are beautiful! No, you would not see that in the US unfortunately.
I hope I do not have an emotional wobble about my new suit! Hell, it cost me three hundred bucks!
DeleteThe Micro Manager had something to do with Harrogate a very long time ago. I'll have to ask her what it was. they lived near Harrogate I think!
ReplyDeletePerhaps she robbed a bank in Harrogate and that is why she had to flee to Canada.
DeleteYou know I know Harrogate well, what with it being so close to Ripon. But I must admit I have never bought a hat there, just a winter coat and several dresses over the years.
ReplyDeleteAbseiling in church? That's new to me!
Like you, I prefer my walks to be solitary or with just O.K. for company, but a group walk the day after the wedding sounds nice - I wonder how many will attend and how many will excuse themselves when the time comes to get going!
PS: Needless to say, I love the fox!
DeleteWhen I spotted that fox on the bar, I naturally thought of Fred - God rest his soul! He's in fox heaven now. I am sure that you know Harrogate better than I do.
DeleteThough we live closer than you to Harrogate, we have never been. I am glad Mrs.Y/P got a hat always fancied wearing a fascinator. Wedding nerves are power for the course.
ReplyDeleteI have never visited Wetherby but as we drove through it I thought - What a nice little town!
DeletePoor Frances, pre-wedding nerves are something most brides suffer from. I just hope that on the big day she doesn't spend time trying on both wedding dresses and then deciding she doesn't really like either of them very much !
ReplyDeleteLets hope Shirley doesn't feel the same about her hat on the big day, too !
You have such beautiful countryside on your doorstep YP. I'm so glad that you take full advantage of the fact, and share it with us too.
Thanks for calling by again CG. Update on the wedding dresses... Apparently she will wear the first one for the service itself and later will change into the second one. The logic of this defeats me but I have learnt that at times it is best to say nothing. She just wants her wedding day to be perfect.
DeleteApparently it is becoming fashionable to have two wedding dresses (as you describe in your reply above) so your daughter is simply au courant :)
ReplyDeleteThe hat is not a thing here - yet - at least among us commoners. I'm sad and happy about that; sad because they can look very elegant for a special occasion and happy because it's one less expense and also because I have no idea how one goes about anchoring one in straight, slippy hair like mine. I'd have to glue it on!
You could have a thick pink ribbon and tie your hat under your chin. Shirley has gone for a big, flamboyant hat saying, "It is the only time I will ever play the role of mother of the bride at a wedding".
DeleteTwo dresses! That must be getting awfully expensive! It sounds like pre wedding nerves to me. I hope her day will be perfect and everything she's hoping for.
ReplyDeleteThe trouble is that there's no such thing as "perfect"...is there?
DeleteI'm very disappointed that there is no photo of you stuck in the stile.
ReplyDeleteThe upright stones of the squeeze stile were about five feet tall. For that reason I couldn't push myself up and just get my legs through.
DeletePoor Frances! I bet everyone will be glad when this wedding is over, as happy as the occasion undoubtedly will be. Organizing such an event can be a lot of pressure.
ReplyDeleteYeah, where's that turnstile photo?!