We started with a riveting talk from Ruth McKew [nee Montgomery - small clue], a freelance historian and museum curator, entitled ‘A-Z of British Waterways'.
After lunch and a ‘Thought for the Day' [which bore little resemblance to the inferior Radio 4 original], we had a display of quiltwork from Joy Hannaford and Pippa Hammond. Joy tells her life story through her creations, and the quilts are a work of love and art. |
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We intended to go to Castle Howard - but in view of the weather forecast [rain, mist, plague of frogs] we had a vote and the winning destination was Stephen Smith's amazing plant centre in Otley. The most interesting purchase may have been Richard Moore's kneepads... a lifetime of penance, or perhaps gardening? Wilf Gowing bought an enormous barbeque – most probably to cook for Club 50/90 next year?
Then
we enjoyed a slap-up meal at Millstones [see the censored photo], which might have been on the Skipton road just beyond Harrogate – it was too foggy to tell. The route over the moors to Millstones was allegedly scenic, and indeed one could clearly make out traffic moving slowly in the opposite direction. Way beyond that, it was occasionally possible to discern what may have been a roadside hedge. |
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On Thursday we remained with the gardening theme for a wonderful talk on gardens by Karen Taylor from Newby Hall.
After lunch, various games and multifarious activities were available, including boules upstairs in church – once chairs and worshippers had been stacked against the walls.
Once Peter Hitching started researching people's family trees on his computer, projecting the results on a large screen, all other activity stopped in awe at the scope and power of Peter [and the internet]. We must have that again.
Oops - did we replace the chairs and worshippers? |
