I’ve been to see Mum a couple of times over the past week – the first of which was last Monday (24th March) when I managed to time things right to join in with the morning chair exercise class – always a bit of a laugh! This was after my trip to Skipton, to Specsavers for a consultation on wearing contact lenses… not sure if I’ll get on with these but, it’s a free trial so I thought why not… I collect them on 5th April so more about that then!
After Mum’s I had my usual lone walk along the canal – it was a nice day and, as it was a Monday, pretty quiet. At weekends it can get quite busy, especially with bicycles which can sometimes make it a bit hazardous if you don’t hear them coming!
On Tuesday (25th March) we decided to head out for a proper walk and headed off to Gargrave which is about 5 miles outside of Skipton.
We actually lived in Gargrave for a bit back in 2004, just before we bought our first house in Whitley Head, so it was like a walk down memory lane but not just for that reason as the town (or village?) is actually on the Pennine Way… so the first time I ever went to Gargrave was when we first walked around this area with Mum and Dad when we did the Pennine Way with them.
According to my Mum’s Pennine Way diary, we did the “Lothersdale to Gargrave via Thornton-in-Craven” 8.7 mile stretch on the 25 September 2000 – that’s 24.5 years ago! Mum wrote of this day:
“Set off at 10.32am. Weather dry and cloudy. Enjoyed today’s walk. Nice scenery. Saw grouse and pheasant. Reached trig point that marks one third of the way! Could see Pen-y-Ghent and Ingleborough in the distance. Had lunch at canal. Must have finished around 4pm (forgot to make a note). Saw signpost at Gargrave that marks distance from Edale – after we ran out of film! A must for the first picture of 2001.”
Our walk on Tuesday was only 6.5 miles and took in just a small stretch of the Pennine Way itself before getting back onto the canal and back into Gargrave… it meant that we got to see our old house on Church Street which we rented for about 6 months… it was a lovely day and was a bit tired by the end as haven’t walked so far in a while!
A walk near Gargrave… Top Left – the White House is where we used to live on Church Street; Middle Left – a view of the Church;
Bottom Left and Middle Right – we didn’t know, at the start of the Millennium when we walked the Pennine Way with Mum & Dad, that we would, in 2004 be living literally on it!
Middle Bottom (ooer…) – Gargrave Station – No steam train today though!
On Wednesday (26th) I had to head back into Skipton for a long-awaited hair cut and colour – not sure what it is about the hairdressers but it always makes you feel good… well, it does me anyway! After a trip back to Specsavers to order a pair of reactor light glasses (am fed up with having to change from sunglasses to glasses going in and outdoors!), I had a little walk around the block when I got home – am managing to keep up with this regular exercise lark!
Although the weather has been pretty nice, on Thursday (27th March) it was lovely and warm – I actually managed to have lunch sitting outside in the garden… I couldn’t believe that, come Friday, it was back to being cold and windy again… we were lucky with our walk to Bingley Five Locks as there was only one small shower before, later on in the day, it started lashing it down!
According to the Canal & River Trust Website, Bingley Five Rise Locks “are one of the most awesome features on the Leeds & Liverpool Canal”. It goes on to say that the five locks are “the steepest staircase locks, on the longest canal in the country” and “probably” why they are one of their “Seven wonders of the waterways”! If you are at all interested, the other six wonders of the waterways include Pontcysyllte Aqueduct (Llangollen Canal), Standedge Tunnel (a 196 metre tunnel under the Pennines), Caen Hill Lock Flight (16 locks near Devizes), Barton Swing Aqueduct, Anderton Boat Lift (River Weaver / Trent & Merseyside Canal), and the Burnley Embankment (Leeds / Liverpool Canal)
Saturday (29th March) was marked by a partial solar eclipse which we were told, on the news, that we should be able to see in our part of the UK between 11am and Midday… Left is a screenshot of the “live” view from Greenwich… below is what we could see through the colander! Obvs, it was sunny but cloudy here in Yorkshire!
I am fortunate to remember the last total solar eclipse back in 1999 – I remember standing in the garden at Skylarks (West Bridgford) with the guests, volunteers and staff visiting that week, trying to make sure that people didn’t look straight into the sun and the strange, twilight light when the sun was completely covered… it was a bit eerie but good to see! Am glad we made the effort that day as apparently, the next total eclipse is not until 2090!
I also remember Mum & Dad heading off to Cornwall with hordes of other people so they could watch the solar eclipse from Glastonbury & that they had to sleep in the car! Crazy kids! Always brave & a little bit bonkers my parents!
After the non-event eclipse, we had a walk up to the Tarn to stretch our legs… checking out the barn where we’d previously seen the tawny owl, it was nice to see it there again!
Whilst we were walking around the tarn, a Fire engine pulled up… we wondered what was going on but soon realised they’d popped up to have a little practice in drawing water out the tarn!
Today, Mother’s Day, I’ve been to see Mum and spoken to all three of my brothers whilst I was with her – which was lovely! An added bonus was seeing and speaking to my niece Emily, nephew Reggie & Sister-in-Law Sharon too – as well as a “live” shot of Steve’s rabbits 🤣. Despite all of the well wishes sent to Mum for Mother’s Day, I am not sure she really got that it was and I think, by the end, she got a little tired with all the conversations, but it was really nice to catch up with everyone and the staff at the Raikes had set out the dining room for a nice Mother’s Day lunch… it’s great that they make this effort!
Bubbly, real flowers and a box of treats from the staff at the Raikes…
Top Right is that Daffodil project I was working on! All crocheted – at least they should last a bit longer than a real bunch!
So, Happy Mother’s Day to all the Mums out there, including Step Mums, Mums to be, foster Mums, adoptive Mums and Mums to furry friend or other pets! You are all amazing 🤩 & I hope you’ve all had a great day!
All the gubbins… 
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