Heres a quick burst of photos for Sunday Sevens. 7 pictures from the last 7 days.
We collected the wallpaper we ordered for our front room from Live Like The Boy in Colne. Brimmed full of retro, vintage and contemporary interiors, this eclectic store might just be our new go to for any finishing touches. Plus a very cute dachshund called Stanley lords over the stock. 🐕
Whilst in Colne it was recommended we go for coffee at About Coffee , which is just a few doors down from Stanley’s shop. I overloaded on sugar when I ordered an Austrian White Hot Chocolate and Raspberry & Pistachio cake!
A night out with friend in Clitheroe took us for gin cocktails in The Parlour. I always get drawn to the teacup cocktails! Wil looks like he is wearing mascara in this photo, but actually he woke up with a mysterious black eye. Not sure which is worse!
On the last day of our holiday 2 weeks ago , Hugo hurt his paw. 😦 So its been rest and on lead walks for our labrador lad. Luckily he is now on the mend and no longer limping. This was my atempt at getting him to pose amongst the Autumn leaves. I suspect he wanted to pounce on them instead!
Meanwhile Slinky Malinki is spending most of her time in her cosy new bed. ……. and looking put out when I disturb the madam for a photo. 🐺🐾
On Friday afternoon I dropped into a friends Tile and Kitchen Showroom…..and drank far to much wine on their Open day. 😉 We did choose some new flooring for our living room though, so its obviously a good idea to keep the wine flowing. 🙂 Here’s their website.
I am so glad I joinedPostcrossing ! Its a fun way of sending and recieving postcards from all over the world. I always get so excited when I get some happy post……and what is happier than a pretty postcard. 🙂 Here are some I have been sent recently. 🌏
Thanks for dropping by and thanks to Natalie for orgaizing Sunday Sevens.
A couple of weeks ago it was Afternoon Tea Week here in the UK, so what better excuse for an indulgent treat at The Cake ‘Ole in Skipton. My friends Arwen and Gill and I, just happened to be walking past this Hidden Gem whilst enjoying a little retail therapy. 🙂 Tucked away in the Craven Court Arcade, just off the high street , The Cake ‘Ole’s funky vibrant decor enticed us through the door.
A dazzling array of cakes.Cuckoo !
The lovely staff were charming and friendly and found us a table straight away. Our eyes were drawn to every colourful nook and cranny. The Cake’Ole is definitely a cafe that likes to dazzle you with it’s quirky decor. 🙂
Fairy Lights.
I’ve experienced the Cake ‘Ole’s mouthwatering cakes before, so I was eager to see what our Afternoon Teas would look like. As expected , they were served on pretty vintage china. I had a refreshing fruit tea with mine.
Mismatched Vintage Crockery. Always a delight. 🙂
Our Afternoon Teas were prepared speedily and oh so wonderfully scrumptious. There was an assortment of soft roll sandwiches on the bottom tier. The middle tier contained the obligatory fruit scones with clotted cream and yummy strawberry and black pepper jam. On the top tier a super selection of delicious cakes rounded off our feast.
Let us eat cake !
We found our dining experience at The Cake’Ole to be the perfect addition to our girly afternoon shopping in Skipton. Quirky, friendly and fun , with a delightfully delicious Afternoon Tea. 🙂
In the past when Wil and I have driven to the Yorkshire town of Hebden Bridge, we have arrived there completely frazzled, because our old sat nav loves magical mystery tours. Or we just couldn’t find the place at all! Happily on Saturday the Gods did not conspire against us, and we pulled up in a sunshiney Hebden before ten in the morning.
Hebden Bridge is a market town in Calderdale. , famed for its independent stores and creative community . Artisan shops and pavement cafes adorn the cobbles and Victorian terraces cling to the steep hillsides. On a bright September morning, it really did look like we had arrived in the ‘Happy Valley’.
Early morning in Hebden Bridge.
As we were accompanied by a certain ‘ hungry black labrador’ , I suggested we stop by at The Lamppost Cafe for coffee and flapjacks for us…and a pup cake for him. On the Lampposts facebook page it says ‘Because every dog deserves to feel special and be treated so! Don’t tie your best friend to a lamppost, bring them in The Lamppost!’
A cafe that loves dogs…and their humans. 🙂
Hugo and new friend ‘Lucky’.
Waiting for a Pup Cake.
Help yourself to water for your doog.
We loved the rustic decor in this very dog friendly cafe, and it was fun choosing Hugo a mouthwatering muffin from their impressive pup cake collection. It’s a pity he wolfed it down before I could get a picture ! His new friend Lucky was most happy to pose though. Isn’t she adorable. 🙂 Lucky is sat on a hessian coffee sack , which you can help yourself to, if your dog doesn’t want to lie on the wooden floor. I really enjoyed my fruity flapjack and the coffee was good too.
After a wander round the shops and the market ( I found a lady who makes felt fairy lamps ~ Christmas present sorted for one goddaughter! ), we had lunch at Green’s ( a veggie cafe) and then went for a walk by the canal.
We headed in the direction of Hebden Bridge’s neighbor Mytholmroyd, where poet Ted Hughes was born. Along the way there were were many barge businesses and floating homes.
On the outskirts of Hebden Bridge a rust coloured sculpture of a hawk, roosts in memorial to the Yorkshire born poet. I’m not sure it looks hawk-like enough. What do you think? Hughes first wife writer ‘ Sylvia Plath’ is buried in the churchyard at nearby Heptonstall.
Mid afternoon and Hebden Bridge was crazy busy , so we left the town and headed for nearby Haworth, another Yorkshire parish with famed literary connections. But first we stopped off for a walk on the rolling moorland above Oxenhope. Hugo decided to leap onto this wall and nearly ended up in the steep ravine below, tangled with the purple heather and brambles. Luckily he decided that running amongst the rushes was just as much fun!
The Black Bull was where Branwell Bronte could often be found.
Beautiful Haworth is still so evocative of its famous residents, the Brontes. Surrounded by wild moor land , Haworth’s cobbled streets are brimming with old fashioned shops and is little changed from the days when Charlotte, Emily, Anne and Branwell lived with their father in the parsonage , now a museum.
Text from Wuthering Heights.
I love the cute shops in Haworth and make no apologies for buying a couple more Christmas gifts. I just couldn’t resist and ‘ Wave of Nostalgia ‘ especially, really drew me in.
There are lots of Tea shops on the cobbled main street, but Wil can certainly recommend the Jamaican Peaberry Coffee from 10 the coffee house, where all coffees are freshly ground to order. As you can see the African Lime cake we shared is tiny! But I’m kind of glad, as it has been my only cheat in a fortnight of abstaining from cake, pastry, crisps , bread and chocolate …..so far. 😉
The Bronte Parsonage.
It’s been a few years since I have wandered round the wonderful Bronte Museum, and on this visit I contented myself with a stroll in the garden and a quick glance in the museum shop.
I’ve already decided that I would like to return soon and follow in the footsteps of the Bronte’s ,up onto the South Pennine Moors, via the path that passes the parsonage. Watch this space. 🙂
Hey there, it’s time for another bash at Hawthorn’s Photo Scavenger Hunt. Looking at this month’s pictures makes me realise, I have been out and about quite a bit in August. Not that I’m complaining!
1. Relaxed. A friend’s cute Bedlington Terrier is supplied with her own cushion in the pub , on our camping trip to Ingleton.
2. It begins with an M. This curved sculpture on the beach in Cleveleys is called Mary’s Shell.
3. Time For…… a delicious slab of moist ginger cake in a cute cafe bar in Sedbergh called ‘The Three Hares’.
4. Tangerine. Ok this photo is a bit of a stretch! I am seeing a slight hint of tangerine colour here , in a waterfall on the Ingleton Falls Trail.
5. It begins with an O. The Old Fashioned Traditional Sweet Shop on Blackpool’s North Pier sells all sorts of goodies. 🙂
6. Whiskery. Ok he’s not really that whiskery, just scruffy and cute. I met this sweetie in The Three Hares in Sedbergh. His name is Tigger!
7. Lace. Cow Parsley in a local meadow. It’s also known as Queen Anne’s Lace.
8. Bridge. Well how about this bridge! Ribblehead Viaduct is Europe’s longest viaduct and its in our very own Yorkshire Dales, not far from Ingleton.
9). Letters. The letter N appears prominently on these colourful Collins hardbacks in a book shop in Sedbergh. Sedbergh is a Book town in the Yorkshire Dales National Park.
10. My Own Choice. My two god daughters with their camping breakfasts. 🙂
Please check out Hawthorn’s Blog for more Scavenger Hunt posts. 🙂
On saturday we decided to leave the car at home and set off on a walk around the places where I grew up. Before I moved to the great Metropolis that is Clitheroe, I lived in the shadow of Pendle Hill on a hill farm called Little Mearley. Nope I never did move to far away…or make my fortune! Not to worry. 😉
Our walk took in a few country lanes, a bridle path/farm track and some farm land. I think we walked about 8 miles or so, so not too shabby. I imagine Hugo our labrador covered even more milage, as he definitely runs circles around me….
We started off by walking through the fields toward Standen Hall and then crossed the busy A59 and headed for the pretty village of Pendleton.
The Swan with Two Necks in Pendleton is a popular Real Ale pub.
Flowerpot Bees.
An Egg Wreath.
The folks of Pendleton have decorative Imaginations! I’m not sure about the Egg Wreath ,but I do like the Flower Pot Bees. 🙂
Mearley.
We walked through Pendleton and crossed the Sabden Road , then ambled along a bridle path through the tiny hamlet of Mearley. This eventually turns into a farm track and passes the farm where I grew up.
Little Mearley Hall.
It felt strange walking past the old place. Little Mearley dates back to 1590. My bedroom growing up, was the mullioned bay window room. The glass has names of past residents etched into it. I might have shared my ivory tower with their ghosts , but I was happily oblivious! Pendle Hill with it’s legendary associations with witchcraft fades into the mist behind.
Wil ended up detangling this Tup. He had got his impressive horns stuck in the barbed wire.
We then cut through some fields and passed Angram Green Farm & Campsite and walked into the beautiful village of Downham, where my sister and I went to primary school. I didn’t take many photos here, but If you would like to see more, here is a post I did a while back called Downham delights. 🙂
Quiet country lane to Downham.
We had lunch in Downham , sat outside a former collegues cute little ice cream shop, that also sells brews, sandwiches, baked goodies and other bits and pieces.
Inside Michelle’s shop on Hare Green.
Hugo eyes up lunch.
We decided to look for an alternative route back , which would take us through fields ,so Hugo could have a lot more off lead time. There is a footpath just over the road from the Ice cream shop that took us through some meadows and past the bottom of Worsaw Hill.
Worsaw Hill.
Even for a non- hill climber like me, Worsaw Hill, which reminds me of a mini volcano, looked far too tempting not to climb. At 725ft it’s tiny compared to Pendle, but offers gorgeous views of the surrounding countryside.
Kind of breezy up here!Green pastures and Pendle Hill.Surveying my kingdom. 🙂
After scrambling down the hill ,we continue through fields toward the village of Worston. As a teenager I was a saturday girl at the local pub ,The Calf’s Head. On the way we pass a farm with a movie connection!
Worsaw End Farm.
Have you ever watched the 1961 film Whistle Down The Wind ? It tells the tale of three farm children who discover a fugitive hiding in their barn, and mistake him for , well, Jesus! Worsaw End Farm is the farm. Local children from Downham and nearby Chatburn starred alongside such acting luminaries as Hayley Mills and Alan Bates.
A pint of Worston Witch for Wil at The Calf’s Head.
Once in Worston we take refreshment in the Calf’s Head Beer garden before crossing back over the A59 and heading home.
Heading home , with Pendle Hill in the background.
Thanks for accompanying me on a bit of a journey through my past….
ps It’s Hugo’s 3rd Birthday today. Time is certainly flying by. He will be celebrating later with a bottle of doggy beer from Millie & Ruby’s Dog Bakery. 🙂
A week off work, so a good way to summarise it, would be to join in with Sunday Sevens I think. Its been a pretty great week, despite the very unpredictable weather! Here are 7 pictures of what I have got up to over the last 7 days. 🙂
1. We took Hugo on a walk from Cleveleys to Blackpool. Here he is on the wonderful Comedy Carpet , in front of Blackpool Tower. Wonder which joke or catchphrase has caught his eye? Boom, Boom ! maybe. 🙂
2. Wil treated me to lunch at a new eaterie in Skipton called Alexander’s. It was a rare dry sunny afternoon and we shared this delicious platter outside on their lovely sun terrace. He definitely did treat me as it cost him £32. Yikes!
3. Last weekend we were camping with friends in Ingleton , in the Yorkshire Dales. We walked the Ingleton Falls trail and got our hands muddy knocking ten pence pieces into this money tree. 🙂
4. Yesterday we went a walk round Ribblehead Viaduct ….and it was bloomin freezing! Felt more like November than mid August. Seen in the black comedy film ‘Sightseers’, Ribblehead has 24 arches and is the longest viaduct in Europe.
5. You may have heard the story of how Ribblehead was built in the 1800s. One Hundred railway workers ( Navvies) lost their lives building the iconic structure, which carries the Settle-Carlisle Railway over Blea Moor. The Navvies also built shanty towns on the moors , where they lived whilst constructing the viaduct. I quite like this shot of a train journeying accross.
6. We visited Northern England’s Book Town ‘Sedbergh’ which is also in the Yorkshire Dales National Park. There are 7 or 8 book shops here, most selling other products too ,such as outdoor gear or gifts and toys. I picked up some pretty postcards, an Observer’s book of Wild Animals from the fifties and a couple more RSPB pins for my collection. As I flip through my Observer’s guide, I am definitely picking up clues to the demise of some of our beloved wildlife. Badger Hams were apparently a ‘thing’ back in the day. What!!
7. This week has been National Afternoon Tea week in the UK, the perfect excuse for booking a sublime afternoon tea at The Cake’Ole in Skipton. My friends Arwen, Gill and I tucked into the treats. I will blog about it very soon!
Natalie at Threads and Bobbins organizes Sunday Sevens. Anyone can join in on a Sunday with 7 ( or more ) pics of their week.
On our way home from our Appletreewick camping trip, we decided to call in at nearby Grassington for another walk to Linton Falls and a hearty breakfast. Grassington is a bustling little village, jammed with gorgeous gift shops and quaint cafes. I had spied Annie & Betty’s Vintage Emporium and Tea rooms the day before, so marched my other half in before he could object. 😉 Wil is not one for pretty pastels and Cath Kidson fabrics, but see, he is smiling in the picture below…and Hugo has been brought a dish of water.
I love how Annie & Betty’s has been done out , and of course it being a Vintage Tea Room, I had to order a pot of tea. There were lots of refills from this baby blue teapot, and of course I appreciated the floral teacup and saucer. 🙂
It is to be expected , that Annie and Betty’s is an amazing place to go for Afternoon Tea , but as we were morning visitors, I had to settle for Baked Beans on toast instead. No complaints though!
Adjoining the Tea room is a very girly Vintage Shop. Definitely one for the ladies, wouldn’t you agree? There are lots of mannequins, wearing jaunty little hats and plenty of frocks, doilies and tea sets.
I had to steal a cake picture from Annie & Betty’s facebook page. A slice of this would definitely entice me to visit again. 🙂
We found Annie & Betty’s to be very friendly and relaxed, a must visit if you are ever in Grassington. X
Blogging about my crochet world - How I come up with my designs, and the patterns I'm liking right now. The yarns and tools I like, or don't like. Offering my musings on books, crochet ones and others too!
