Aug 4th - 13th - Exploring the North, Edinburgh Scotland and Home

Greetings All,

Today we headed off early to drive into Yorkshire to explore Fountains Abbey and the City of York. Construction of Fountains Abbey began in 1132 when a group of 13 disaffected monks from St. Mary's Abbey in York came to this wild wooden valley in search of a simpler and more devout life. Prayer alone could not sustain the newly founded monastic community so the monks sought out lay brothers skills as shepherds, tanners, masons and brewers to help build the abbey's wealth. By the mid 1200's the abbey became one of the largest and most powerful religious houses in the country. It was one of the leading producers and exporters of wool the main source of its wealth. So much for a simpler life style.

The abbey operated for 407 years until 1539 when Henry VIII ordered the dissolution of the monasteries.

We spent a good couple of hours exploring the Abbey and the grounds surrounding the Abbey. These grounds are part of Studley Royal an estate that John Aislabie, a politician that fell from favour, created. His son William managed to buy the ruins in 1767 so it became part of the gardens. William kept his fathers formal designs but added wild wooded and picturesque walks. Today, the Abbey is a Grade 1 listed building and is owned by the National Trust, it is also a UNESCO World Heritage site.

From the Abbey we head into The City of York. The city was founded by the Romans as Eboracum in 71 AD. It is a historic walled city though we have never walked the walls and did not do it on this visit.

The picture on the left is part of the ruins which we passed on our way into the city proper. We head up to York Minster for a look inside but the kids pass on entering to explore as the charge is quite expensive. It has been a while since we have visited and I don't remember that there was a fee to enter. As we are walking around the grounds we come upon stone masons who are using the old way of making new gargoyles to replace those that are badly damaged or crumbing with age. Picture on the right is a new construction and below it

on of the weathered figures on the church itself. It is fascinating to watch them chip away at the stone but I am rather surprised that a couple of the masons do not have protective eye gear on. Health and safety doesn't seem to be a issue. We next entered an area called the Shambles the oldest street in York. The overhanging timber framed buildings date back to the 14th Century. Once know as The Great Flesh Shambles because of the butchers that lined the street. In 1872 there were 25 butchers along the street, sadly today there are none. The shops have been replaced with souvenir sellers, bookshops, treat, bakery and clothing stores. We found a quaint little pub off the main street down a little alley way and stopped for some refreshment and a bit of a rest before heading back home.



The morning of the 5th was wet so we relaxed at home. It brightened up in the afternoon so we headed into Crosby for a walk along the beach and to show the kids Antony Gormley's sculptures "Another Place". Iron Men have been placed along the beach at various different levels and mark the levels of tide when the water is in. Some men are completely submerged when the tide is in. The men on this visit have been dressed in shirts some with ties and hats. Check out my Facebook page for pictures.


The 6th saw us heading back into Wales. This time to visit a castle at Denbigh and Pontcysyllte Aqueduct. Denbigh Castle was a fortress built following the 13th Century conquest of Wales by Edward I. Built in two phases the first in 1232 then the second after a attack in 1294 by Madog ap Llewelyn. There were redesigns made and the result was the most architecturally sophisticated gatehouse of the thirteenth century. Denbigh really is a ruin with little to see except the gatehouse is still in place. We opted not to pay the entrance fee as you can see what remains from the gatehouse. Another ruin for Mitchell though not very exciting and a one and done for us as we have said we should visit the site before. We now headed off to Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, a site we had wanted to take the kids to on our previous visit to Wales but ran out of time.

The 18-arched stone and cast iron structure took ten years to design and build and was completed in 1805. It is now the oldest and longest navigable aqueduct in Great Britain and the highest in the world. The aqueduct was built by Thomas Telford and William Jessop. Pictured on the left is Amanda and Mitchell at the beginning of the walkway along the aqueduct.

The next two days were spent getting ready for our trip to Edinburg Scotland. Laundry which takes forever and then packing for our two night stopover. The drive up is all motorway or highway and I sit in the back with Amanda. I hate driving on the highway and am a terrible passenger and as a result I make Amanda very nervous. We stopped in Gretna Green for lunch and to show the kids were young English people used to go to the get married without their parents permission. Sadly, it has lost most of its charm as it has become so commercial with bus loads of tourist stopping. While we are there there is a wedding at the Blacksmith Shop were in the past marriages did take place. 

Fred and I get a silly picture of us while at Gretna.

Mitchell has cousins in Edinburgh and they invited all of us for dinner on our first night. His cousin Marjorie had also got us tickets for the Edinburgh Military Tattoo something we could not get as they were sold out online.

We booked into a Marriott just outside Edinburgh city centre and while out to get flowers for the lady of the house we discovered the tram stop is a short 10 minute walk for our hotel.

We had a delightful evening with Stanley and Marjorie and our meal was delicious. Chicken and leek pie plenty of wine and the most amazing trifle. A light version that was made with yogurt and custard. Stanley insisted on picking us up so we could all enjoy some drinks and we got a taxi back to the hotel. We left with new friends who Fred and I feel we have known for a long time that was how welcoming they were.

August 10th we grabbed the tram into Edinburgh. It was very reasonably priced at £4.00 each for a full day pass which allowed us unlimited use of the tram and buses. The tram stopped at Princess street so it was a short upward walk to the castle. The Edinburgh Fringe Festival was also on and it was crazy busy on the Royal Mile. We recommended the kids explore the castle and arranged to meet them after a couple of hours. Fred and I wandered off to find a pub and a place to sit but were unsuccessful as everywhere is jammed packed. We checked out the whiskey store as I wanted to get some to take back and found the single malt that I enjoyed the night before at Stanley and Marjorie's. We then wandered though some shops but everywhere we turn there were the rudest Asian tourists. I feel for the shop workers as they literally destroy the displays and push themselves through everything. We headed back to the whiskey shop where I made my purchase then waited for the kids to return from exploring the castle. It turned out the lineup to get in was long but they did get in to explore. They sadly also had the same experience as us with the Asian tourists. We now headed down the Royal Mile and because of the fringe it was like running the gauntlet. It was crowded with buskers, people handing out flyers for shows plus people in general. We stopped and grabbed a quick sandwich then continued on to check out other sites. Once beyond the main area of the fringe it thinned out and the walk down the Mile was pleasant. We headed back to the the hotel for dinner and to get warmer clothes on for the Tattoo tonight as once the sun goes down it does get quite cool.



It has been about 40 years since Fred and I were at a Edinburgh Tattoo and this year the theme is all about the Clans. Our seats are fantastic we are right in the middle and at the bottom with only Amanda and Mitchell in front of us. The tattoo is fantastic. Guest performers are from France, Japan and the States.

The picture on the left is from the very beginning of the Tattoo when the clans and the heads are welcomed in with a dram of whisky. One of the clans was the MacDonald but I can't remember the other. We all throughly enjoy the show and the finale is awesome!!

It has been a great visit to Edinburgh and the kids have really enjoyed themselves. We took the tram back to he hotel and enjoyed a nightcap before heading off to bed. We were in no great rush so had a bit of a lie in and then breakfast before we headed back home. We stopped on the way to check out the Kelpies in Falkirk. Kelpies are a mythical creature of Scotland around bodies of water that can take on various shapes. The sculptures in Falkirk are 98 feet tall and represent the creature in its horse form. It is a cool wet day so the stop was a short one for photos.



The 12th saw the kids organising their bags for their trip back to Canada. We had a quick stop at Fred's cousins so they could use the internet to make sure all was right with their flights and stopped to pick up some nice steaks from the butcher for our last dinner together.

Bedtime was relatively early as we were to be up at 5:00 a.m. to get them to the airport.

We have had a great time entertaining Amanda and Mitchell and hope they have enjoyed their short time in the UK.

Now we need to plan our next adventure.


Cheers All,


Sandy & Fred

July 29 - Aug 3, 2017 - Company Arrives Amanda & Mitchell

Greetings All,

We are getting settled in the house now that we are home and prepare for our first company in our new home. My niece Amanda and her hubby Mitchell are coming. They arrive on the 29th and we pick them up at Manchester Airport in the morning. Once settled in at our place we relax around the house with them trying to stay up as long as possible so they can adjust to the time difference.

The 30th we head into Liverpool so they can see some of the sites and do a bit of shopping. The picture of the left is of them in front of a tall ship. Her Mom and family have all gone to Halifax (Canada) to see the tall ships and I tease Amanda saying see we have tall ships here. We wonder around town and stop at a pub for some refreshment before heading home. I am once again in my element with cooking for more then just me and Fred.

July 31st we are out relatively early and head into Chester so they can see the Tudor Style architecture. We walk around town then along the wall that surrounds the city. On our last visit large sections of the wall was closed  off for renovations. Today it is all open and
we walk quite a distance. We stop for lunch in a pub that Fred and I have frequented before where the food and service was good. Today the service is terrible and they mess up our order. We do however get a free round of drinks thanks to the crap service so all is not lost. Tummies full we head into the Cathedral . On this visit there is a artistic display on of various sculptures. I call this one Kong come to Church. There are may beautiful pieces and some rather bizarre ones. A calve enclosed in glass and some scary skeletal creatures. Check out my face book page for some of the other pictures I took.

Aug 1st we head off early into Wales and Conwy Castle. Built by Edward I between 1283-1289 we finally get to a item on Mitchell's list.UNESCO considers the castle to be one of the finest examples of late 13th early 14th century military architectures in Europe. We spend a good couple of hours exploring the ruin with Mitchell taking full advantage and climbing the turrets to get some photos.
We have lunch in town at a quaint little pub. The food is very good and the staff are friendly . We now head off to Llangollen which was originally founded as a religious settlement by Saint Collen a 6th Century monk who built a church by the river, We do a quick walk through town then up to the canal to see the horse drawn barges.

 The canal is a navigable waterway that crosses the border between Wales and England. The canal was to be part of a larger scheme of the Ellesmere Canal that was to link The Mersey River to the Severn River although work started in 1795 it was never finished due to several factors. Cost, the introduction of the railway and the maintenance of the waterway. It was restored in the later half of the 20th century with the increased use of leisure craft. Pictured on the right is one of the quarter horses that is used to pull the tourist barges along a section of the canal. We are late in the day so see the horses being put in their stables for the night.

Once we are home the kids tell us that we can have a day of rest and there is no need to do something every day.  We wanted to take advantage of the good weather as well as show them as much as possible as this is their first trip forgetting that maybe they would like just a chill day.
Aug 2nd is rainy so we relax around the house and get some laundry done and a bit of food shopping .

Aug 3rd the kids have a good sleep in. Fred and I have a good chuckle as we are supposed to be the old folks but we are raring to go and the kids are exhausted. Mind you we have not really given them much chance to stop. It clears up late in the morning so we decided to head to Southport which is a short drive to walk along the pier and check out the main street . Southport hosted the British Open this year and a sculpture to golf is still up at the Town Hall. It has turned into a very pleasant day . We have a nice BQ for supper and then have a evening of playing One Eyed Jacks a card game that combines cards and a board. Of course it is teams men vs the women. The women lose but we have had fun.

Ta ra for now,
                                          Sandy & Fred