Cropton, Yorkshire Moors
A few reminders of our weekend
THE USUAL SUSPECTS...
- Barrie "Crap Beer!" Astbury
- Charlie "Dog Bowl" Grant
- Pete "Over Achieved" Smith
- Simon "Two-Noodle" Piercy
- Tim "Snore Lord" Spate
- Dave "Ear Plugs" Noble
- Steve "Custard Gloves" Barker
Friday
Charlie, Simon and Tim are soon joined by Barrie and Pete, for a traditional stop on-route. This time it was the "Bar 4 Lounge" in Pickering high street.
We check-in to our cottages before heading for the pub. On the way up the hill we meet Dave and Steve, who soon join us in the pub. We send Steve for some much needed training on ordering a round ...
We started him off with a nice easy round... A lager, three pints of Two Pints, two Brunettes and a Blonde. There was no-one else at the bar when Steve arrived but by the time he had plucked up the courage to order, a small coach-load of punters had come in and got served before him! F A I L
The Usual Suspects
It was great to have the full crew all back together again - the first time, believe it or not, for two and a half years (five walkies trips)!
Saturday
The Place
The Accommodation
("The Case of the Missing Left Bracket" ??)
... including our very own green red-telephone-box (complete with working telephone!)
Breakfast was a proper Barrie special, which just surpassed Pete's valliant efforts from the last two Barrie-less trips. Afterwards, we set off on one of our favourite types of walk - not too long, not too high and with a pub near the end!
Mama and baba ...
... Papa?
A nice little farmstead ... which Steve said he would buy - but, oh dear, it's not for sale! Too bad. (Five year plan is safe - phew!)
Details of a bygone industry - the glass furnace at the Spaunton Estate.
Oh great.
The closest Steve's been to a Bank for a long time ...
Piercy Pot Noodle Pic
Remind you of anyone?
... but it was soon put right by sticking it in some of Pete's hot, steamy fluid!
Stone cross.
We arrive in the village of Lastingham. Left-over lanterns.
Lastingham church.
The Blacksmith's Arms - and a decent pint of Black Sheep!
Road kill.
Road pizza.
We arrived back, showered and changed (and yes, Steven did BOTH of those things!) and the landlady paid us a visit to welcome us with a couple of home-made lemon cakes (one for each cottage).
Grandad in his rocking chair.
Pete "Wrong side of the wire!" Smith
The winning darts, as thrown by Charlie "Double-Eight" Grant
The food had been great - really nice, both nights ...
... which is more than can be said for the brewed-on-premises beer. Here are the jury's results :-
Sunday
A short walk to Sinnington and back along the river.
We eat our lunch on the green, under this great horse-chesnut tree.
Piercy has his SECOND Pot Noodle of the weekend!
A closer look at this old, nobbly & narly specimen ... leaning up against a tree.
Laid-back lunch.
We packed up and moved out, stopping off for our traditional Sunday shopping and pint trip, this time in Helmsley.
... before heading home.
(Map by Tim Spate & Charlie Grant)
How now, brown cows?
NOT for tomorrow's breakfast.
View from the top.
The remains of the glass smelting furnace provided a good place for lunch.
At this point, Steve's hands were getting cold and so he produced his now famous Custard Gloves ...
A curiosity ... which, upon careful inspection, turned out to be "a water thingy".
We asked a guy to take our photo - he says, "Has it got a zoom?" - and Charlie really wanted to say, "Yes, but you could just step forward a bit!"
At this point, Barrie's finger went pale ...
Pete's favoutite view ...
Horny sheep.
Lots of sheep being moved up the road ...
Three sleepy-heads (except Tim opened his eyes at the last second) ...
Back down the local and time for some darts...
Later that night, back in the 'Poker Den' cottage, Charlie gets the BEST hand, a Royal Flush - except it was a variation of the game that uses a 'wild card' joker. Even so, good enough to win the game!
(Map by Tim Spate & Charlie Grant)
At 11 o'clock we stop for Rememberance Sunday 2 minutes silence.
Heading back to Cropton.
(Photo by Steve Barker)
(Photo by Tim Spate)