What are you all up to
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@Takethedogalong I was on duty at the Cathedral today with someone who took the lady who wrote the article for The Guardian around the Cathedral last Friday. She said she was a very nice lady who was very receptive to everything that she was told about the Cathedral. Visitors who came into the Cathedral today are devastated at the thought of it closing even for a few days a week and some have been so very generous. As was stated in the article part of the problem is the city itself. We just don't get the footfall that we used to have as not so many people come in to the city to shop because as with so many other towns and cities we have lost some of the shops that people came in for. Also the passport office was relocated. It used to be just round the corner from us and many people came in to the Cathedral when they we were waiting for their passports so those visitors have gone as well. It is all such a shame.
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@heddlo glad you enjoyed it😁 The tours are really good, you are taken well off the usual state room routes. If I was to recommended just one, I would say go for the Lady Mabel one, great fun with ex students taking folks around. We have free access in a few days, they do a postcode freebie across South Yorks every month, and it’s ours next. So hopefully the snowdrops will be out. And yes, we did get plenty of snow here! 😁
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@milliehull understand fully. Our town is the same, it has such wonderful almost hidden history and some interesting and nice eateries, but next to no one goes into town centre, other than ethnic minorities and those looking for bargain basement tat. Very sad, and it’s for all sorts of reasons. Our tax office went years ago, and we are far too close to two big shopping centres with free parking. The only time we venture in is to go to dentist, and to use a garage for MOTs. OH has joined library, and goes in to have a hair cut and get some books, but doesn’t shop or linger. Too many hairdressers, nail bars, vape shops and other shops we don’t use. I can count on one hand the only places we do go in, hairdresser, a Polish deli, an Italian cafe, and a lovely craft/makers shop. And Tesco. The only place where you don’t get fleeced for parking.
I’d also add that it’s rare to hear English spoken in the town centre, it’s very noticeable.
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Strangely enough, those were items that were not forgotten! 😜
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@milliehull thank you so much for sharing your tips, we will definitely be doing more lists, especially the hitching on/off one, as that is one of the major stressors right now! Luckily, one of us has always spotted the error, so no harm done but you never know! I really like the idea of having a check list of what we need to pack apart from what is in our 'caravan corner' at home. We've been out today getting bits of our list, as it is fresh in our minds. Managed to find real bargains at the Range and B&M, as another member said, no need to go to caravan shops to get the bits. We can't wait to get back out. Sadly, we have to go back to work first. 😕 Our next 5 night break will be early March. We've booked the Mornhill site 😀🥂
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MIxed weather today, as I got rather wet twice, before and after lunch, during my walks out with Flyte! Took the opportunity, while he was already wet, to give him a bath!! Then it cleared up and my afternoon walk was in the dry.
Edit. Have removed some of this post as the photo was rubbish!!😮
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@Takethedogalong - your description of the town centre, sadly, sounds very familiar - especially the bit about languages spoken. Please tell me - what is the story behind "Lady Mabel". The reason I ask is that when I went to Ecclesfield Grammar School (as it was then), our main assembly hall was called 'Lady Mabel Hall'. Never did find out why but vaguely seem to remember some connection with a teacher training college.
I recall someone (?Oneputt) - in the very first post on this topic saying "the van is a bit filthy"………..
How about this, then - after we arrived back from Thornton Le Dale yesterday afternoon. The tractors had certainly been busy in the fields (and on the roads) on the way back.
Guess what I'm going to be doing today😀
(Suppose I ought to get round to getting rid of all that moss on the drive, as well!)
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washed our van on Sunday. It hadn’t been out the drive for a few weeks but hadn’t been washed after our last trip away and also it accumulates dirt just sitting on the drive. Got up and done the roof too it’s now all sparkly ready to go away in a couple of weeks. Tiring job though. Good luck
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@richardandros Lady Mabel Wentworth Fitzwilliam was a sister of the 7th Earl Fitzwilliam. So home was Wentworth Woodhouse (plus a few other locations😁) She married a local gent from Ecclesfield nearby, and was quite an unusual woman for her time. This is what Wiki has to say about her, and shows you the connection with your school. She and her husband are buried in the churchyard at the big church in Ecclesfield.
Couple more photos of WW. The one of the first library room (check out the fabulous ceiling) is where we had coffee and cake the other day, Lady Mabel’s portrait has been rehung over one of the fire places, as it was in my days. I think this photo might date from late 60’s, early 70’s, looking at the clothes. The other photo shows part of the huge cellars being in use as a bar/recreation area. The new Education Block, Swimming Pool, Dance studio and Stdents Union bar were built I think in the late 60’s early 70’s, and so we never used the cellars. A good bit earlier than my time there.
Edit….we know Ecclesfield quite well, our horse was stabled not far away, and Ecclesfield Riding Society was our local Riding Club, OH was Chairman and me Secretary for a short while, until we moved him closer to home across town. We had some lovely times hacking round there. My best friend had a driving pony and we used to take him for a right old dash down the Common!
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Thanks @Takethedogalong - that explains it all - especially the Wiki entry. I wonder why I didn't know that - perhaps I was told and have just forgotten!! It's a long time ago😀
Anyway, mission accomplished this morning. Now I feel better (I'm a sad soul🙃)
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That’s looking better😁
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Been a busy week already. The shower fitters have finished and went yesterday afternoon. MiL and OH seem pleased but yet to be tried to allow sealants to become entrenched. They were from the next suburb along in North Manchester from where the ladies lived so plenty of updates and tales when they were on tea breaks. Early start for everyone though which carried forward to today as we had a plumber visit to sort out some problems we were having. So another £300 lighter when he left.
Meanwhile I've managed to cadge a very small piece of new mortar from the builder next door to fill a small finger sized bit that had come out under the eaves and wasps decided to call home last year. So another box ticked.
Looking forward to the home made smoked Haddock and chorizo fish cakes I've been toiling over bit by bit these last 2 days.
Also had the problem with The Van to deal with. Collected it yesterday afternoon. The dealers spoke with the manufacturer and they confirmed similar problems during the last year or so. They've replaced parts. I'll test it after coffee break, ongoing. Good luck with yours @nelliethehooker.
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Looking good @richardandros . 👍👍
David
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All this talk of Wentworth Woodhouse, I came across this interesting video on YouTube about the history and almost destruction of the House
David
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A cloudy day but the best this week so just a walk along Roker beach. The only excitement was the doggy football match where I'm sure the dog with the ball is offside?,
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Guess what? Yep, the gas hob rings wouldn't fire. No gas getting through after an initial burst and then nada. Not a happy bunny, especially as dealer hasn't returned a call. Will be ringing manufacturer tomorrow trying to get it sorted.
At least the fishcakes were tasty.😀
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@Cornersteady nah, he’s flying up the right wing🤣🤣
@DavidKlyne very interesting. Manny Shinwell was on a mission to destroy sadly. I doubt it would have been allowed to happen to a House in the South. The really sad thing is, it was the subsidence from the mining that caused the real damage, and that’s what the Preservation Trust have had to deal with. There was no mention of the House becoming a Teacher Training College after the War, and most of the rooms were intact, as the subsequent Earls lived in the “old” house, while the long “new house” with all the State rooms was the college that I went to, slept in. So the rooms were fine in the late 1970’s. But then subsidence hit, nothing was done, and water, rot, decay just ruined things. Neither the National Trust or EH would take it on, just too much for them. The fact that it’s being restored is a minor miracle to be honest. It’s loved by all in this area, because the Fitzwilliam’s employed thousands of people locally. My Grandfather worked in the gardens for the 7th Earl, his family had an estate cottage, and Mum used to tell us tales of visiting her Grandad there. Grandad’s brothers were in the mines. My OH went to a family wedding in the Marble Saloon in the early 80’s, so it was being used as an event location then. We had a family 90th Birthday celebration there back in 2017, absolutely fabulous. We couldn’t help thinking back to our Grandad, who would never have seen beyond the Pillared Hall, picking up his wages, yet we were whooping it up in the State Rooms🤣
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Forgot to mention it before but Mrs C did her renewing passport application. She had her pic taken at the local place in the shopping mall nearby (Max Speilman) and she was given a code which she then input in to the online application when uploading it. This was last Thursday evening and the passport arrived today!
She still 'lost' six months though by the new EU rule about having six clear months left on it😟
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@Takethedogalong It did seem rather drastic but of course the country had a real problem with fuel supplies after WW2. At least they didn't knock the house down. I wasn't quite sure why there was a picture of Winston Churchill as I don't think he was mentioned in the video? Do you know if the National Lottery has contributed and probably the EU would have done had we still been a member?
David
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@Goldie146 devastated to read your post....
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@Goldie146 so sorry to read your post, your family must be devastated.
@Wherenext not good new about the Van, hope you get a better response from the manufacturer. Hope the shower works to the ladies satisfaction. At least your fish cakes were to your liking.
@richardandros the caravan looks very smart now, definitely a good job done, and I guess @Francis will be as pleased with the outcome of his efforts on his caravan too. Mine will have to wait until we get a fine, or at least dry, day after we get it back from the dealers.
@DavidKlyne thanks for the video, most Interesting, and grand photos, @Takethedogalong
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Another grey dull and damp day, but thankfully very little rain. Had to get a local company in to clear out our house drains, which had become blocked, so more expense.
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@Goldie146 Really sorry to read about the TB - how very sad... Also sorry to hear the news about the van too, @Wherenext.
The dogs seem to be having a great time @Cornersteady
David
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Early start here, funeral in Essex lunchtime.
Upside is that I'm eating my breakfast witnessing a very pretty/dramatic sky in the direction of sunrise.
We had another 'brighter' grey day yesterday and a big yellow thing broke through very late afternoon. It hadn't been stolen! It was still very chilly and I won't be tempted into the garden, other than bird feeding - hedgehog seems to be hibernating thankfully.
A casual look behind the garage unveiled pots of bulbs poking through and a trough of snowdrops about to bust forth. So they've been brought round to the back garden wall so they can be enjoyed as they bloom. Although I've kept the daffodil pots sheltered by the house - mustn't give them too much of a shock!
ThThose That are forecast to be in the path of the coming storm - prepare as best you can, secure things and stay safe.
I'm still getting ocassional double letters at the start of a paragraph and capital at the start of 2nd word. Happened twice in this post, one corrected easily 2nd not....
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@Goldie146 - dreadful news - that must be heartbreaking for you all - it's about time those at Westminster really started to care about our farmers and what the realities are. My blood is boiling at the moment after the news that an estate around here is about to turn 1000 acres of prime agricultural land over to a solar farm - egged on by 'those that know what's best for us'. Where do they think our food comes from.
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The government has just given the go-ahead for a 2,500 acre solar farm in my area. It's going to isolate a number of communities. Added to that, they are also planning to despoil vast tracts of landscape with unsightly pylons, just to save the cost of putting them underground. Madness !!
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I don't wish to get involved in any political debate on this forum but just to say I am devastated to hear your news @Goldie146
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@Bakers2 yes I have some bulbs just peeping through. Such a cheery sight on this miserable morning. I have just been out to make sure all our hatches are battened down before the forecast high winds. Son in NI rang last night and said they are predicted very high winds for 24 hours from tonight. I am now off to my yoga class. Keep safe everyone.
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