North Yorkshire Moors

Tuesday 3rd October

Merilyn up, still coughing but feeling much better. Headed south to visit Robin Hood Bay where Elissa and Toph had finished their walk across England many years ago (pre children). A very lovely beach and village but cold wind, so we did not get out of the car. Winding across country  we travelled  to Goathland on the Yorkshire Moors which has become well known because it was where the TV Series Heartbeat was filmed. Felt a bit ripped off because it cost £3 to park and we were only going to be there for about half an hour. We have been caught out a few times with parking fees, just about everywhere charges £3 - £5 - National Parks, the beach, shopping centres, tourist spots etc it doesn't take long to spend £10, which is not something I had budgeted on. Goathland was OK, it was good because a steam train was travelling through when we arrived and I liked the Ford Anglia police car, but it was a bit of a tourist trap - busloads of oldies were arriving on daytrips from all over the place. By lunch we were at the North Yorkshire Moors National Park Centre, another £3 car park, having travelled through some wonderful country. Undulating, high, broom covered country (what you imagine moors to be like) then dropping down very steeply through impossibly green, rock walled fields, to densely treed gullies - the road going through 'tree tunnels'. Many cute villages on the way - from a hill top you could usually see two or three. Heading for York, Tammy (the Tom Tom) took us through some stunning moors country, if anything even more dramatic than the morning because of its remoteness - a French lass we met at the Youth Hostel and who had taken several days to hike through the Moors by herself, described it as intimidating, and we understood what she meant. Tammy got us safely through the York traffic to the Youth Hostel where Merilyn went to bed, on the bottom bunk, and I walked into town to get some supplies - we do our own cooking in the hostels.

 

Wednesday 4th October

 

Merilyn had an uncomfortable night on the bottom bunk with lots of coughing, I had an uncomfortable night on the top bunk because of road noise, too hot, and a fairly noisy boiler next door. The Hostel is good although the kitchen/dining room is quite small and to reach our room from the lounge and dining room we go up 25 stairs to the first floor, through 2 heavy doors, 25 steps across an enclosed bridge to another building, then 25 stairs down and through 3 more doors to our room which is bright and clean but close to a main road.   It had been good fun getting our cases across to our room! I fully expected Merilyn to need another quiet day, but no, she felt she was feeling better and so off we went, well rugged up because rain was threatening, for the 20 min walk to town. Started with morning tea in the very cute and fashionable 'Bettys' Tea Room. The waiters were very polite and helpful and I just had to have the meringue with fresh berries, and yes I would like freshly whipped cream. "Really", says Merilyn, "for morning tea?". "Yes" replies Bruce, "anytime is a good time". When we left the tearooms there was a waiting queue all the way down the stairs. We spent the next 4 hours, with a break for soup of the day in another nice café, in the York Minster . Absolutely stunned by its size, history, significance  and the mammoth task of repairing and restoring the glass windows - a 10 year task.

 

With an hour to spare we were able to walk through the part of the city known as the Shambles before returning to the Minister for the Evensong Service. It was quite lovely and was made even more memorable because they were celebrating the 100th birthday of an organist who, as well as playing or 32 years, had been a teacher, composer and mentor of many. The choir sang two Psalms and an Anthem, the music for which had been written by him, and the Organ Voluntary at the end, was played by the man himself - not bad for 100 (Hang in there Joy (Portarlington's wonderful organist), you could get there). I can't remember his name but I do have it in the room which is 25 stairs up ...etc. etc and it's now 11.00 pm and I can't be bothered, Sorry! I will add it tomorrow if I remember.