August is traditionally a very wet month here. Enough said, I'll not bang on aboot t weather, there is much to report over the last month. I left off promising news on our trip to Scotland. We did enjoy ourselves and Gail was able to relax in the company of family and ancestral lands. Our northern odyssey commenced with a quick drive to Newcastle, or Gateshead more correctly, where we wanted to look closer at the Angel of the North, It is ten years since Anthony Gormley installed his work overlooking the Great North Road (A1) and while Gail has driven past it before many times neither of us have got out and "seen" it. The photo shows the scale and the weather , I wasn't going to mention the weather,,, the mood and the majesty that the sculpture evokes is indescribable, I love grand passion, that and the engineering required are awe inspiring.. If you want to know more about it www.gateshead.gov.uk/angel will do it for you. If you look at a map of the UK you will see that the latitude of Newcastle is also the shortest distance across England east to west. Not only that but it is where Emperor Hadrian declared the limit of Roman occupation of England in 122 A.D. It was then that he started building his wall crossing the country strategically to keep those nasty early Scot tribes out, but probably more likely to enable him to gather tolls and taxes from the boarder trade. 
There are a number of restored sections of the wall and forts at various identified gateways and it is amazing to walk through the reconstruction and wonder at how civilised the Romans made their time here.. Even more interesting perhaps is how little humanity has changed over 2000 years. The facilities and comforts of a senior Roman were indeed as good as would be comfortable for us now. With their homes having central heating, internal courtyards, fresh water and managed sewer systems, the most senior officers had it very good indeed. Evidence of letters written to and from home, fine jewellery, soft leather shoes and beautiful fabrics on display in the museums all show that life in these relatively peaceful and obviously profitable fort and towns was very pleasant, even for the lower ranks who were granted pensions and benefits on their retirement. Retirement was a common event and many soldiers continued to live as free men around the forts when their service was finished. Anyway enough about the romans....
There are a number of restored sections of the wall and forts at various identified gateways and it is amazing to walk through the reconstruction and wonder at how civilised the Romans made their time here.. Even more interesting perhaps is how little humanity has changed over 2000 years. The facilities and comforts of a senior Roman were indeed as good as would be comfortable for us now. With their homes having central heating, internal courtyards, fresh water and managed sewer systems, the most senior officers had it very good indeed. Evidence of letters written to and from home, fine jewellery, soft leather shoes and beautiful fabrics on display in the museums all show that life in these relatively peaceful and obviously profitable fort and towns was very pleasant, even for the lower ranks who were granted pensions and benefits on their retirement. Retirement was a common event and many soldiers continued to live as free men around the forts when their service was finished. Anyway enough about the romans.... We headed up to Arbroath via Jedburgh in the Border Towns of Northumberland and on to Edinburgh. We chanced the day of the start of the 
Edinburgh Festival so the place was buzzing with crowds, parades, pouring rain, I'm not mentioning the weather, blocked roads, traffic and music of all types blasting out.. Gail was disappointed that nobody knew the steps to the Nutbush music but I dragged her down a back alley before she could do a show and tell. We found a below street level garden cafe for a great lunch, got into the mood and did some passive sightseeing. So many people we talk to love Edinburgh and I guess we need to give it more of a visit to enjoy it when there is not so much disruption. While we did not walk up to the castle, we did reach a grand vantage point from where we digited off these photos. Then onwards north to Arbroath, famous for a number of things, First it was here, in the Abbey that on April 6th 1320 Scottish Independence was declared. Look up 
The Declaration Arbroath on google for why the Scots hold this event and the name of Arbroath in some historic reverence. Then there is the famous Arbroath Smokey, sadly in decline due to over fishing by the EU and competitive pressures but there are still some dedicated entrepreneurs smoking the flat fish that every Scot loves for breakfast. I had one last time we visited some 22 years ago and the memory lingers, in fact I was still belching smoked fish a week later... Finally the good citizens of Arbroath earlier last century needed a water tower to supply their their town and as it was to take a prominent high position they had it designed as a feature. I am sure you will agree they succeeded and while it and its grounds are obscured by tree growth now it is a spectacle. 
Before meeting up with Gail's family we took ourselves off to Glamis castle (pron. Glams) where the Queen Mum used to visit and where Princess Margaret was born... Still run by the current Earl of Strathmoor family but now very much open for tourists. Great day out, lovely grounds and wonderful walks... we did the tour and the walks and had tea and scones etc. Sorry, no photo's of Gail's cousin Erica and Stephen and their kids but we did have a great night in with them discussing their emigration to Perth Australia in October.... On our way back home to Wetherby we decided to take 
the coastal route, lunching at a magnificent Restaurant in St Andrews after a wonderful walk through the town, over the beach and around the famous 
golf 
course. Staying overnight in Edinburgh but right out on the south bank of the Firth of Forth. The photos show a glimpse of a 
summer night in Edinburgh, no I am not going to mention the weather. Which stayed with us all the way home and stayed all August. We did some lovely day trips through the Dales and over to Lancaster but after a great start to the month Gail was back off and away at work for days at a time. On her days off we did manage to visit some not so distant pubs known for their fine food. While enjoyable in itself we were making sure we had a selection of places to go when our friends Peter and Ann visited us from London. They were due up at the end of the month on their way to Durham for a friend's birthday party and it was likely that the rain would endure. Our planning was appropriate as it turned out the weather did not encourage walks , no I'm not complaining about the weather. 
We spent a delightful day in Harrogate, had a beer in the old Swan Hotel where Agatha Christie hid out for a few days of national intrigue early last century... Then on to the Harrogate Ladies College 
as Peter had memories of dire back seat journeys from Lancashire over the moors in mid winter to drop off his sister at the beginning of school term. It is a grand place and his sister enjoyed her time there so it was an interesting detour. A quick walk through the fading majesty of the Majestic Hotel and then on through the Blubberhouse moors, towards Bolton Abey for a posh luncheon snack at the Devonshire Arms. Slotted the little Astra in between the Range Rovers and Bentleys and had a delightful meal, some fine wine and felt right at home. 
A drive back through the moors with the heather in full bloom was a delight and we stopped off at our favourite pub in Siklinghall for a pint of ale before waddling home. Next month is life as usual except we are heading back up to Scotland for 4 days as Gail has a couple of days work there and then mid-month we have hired a canal boat for three nights where we are going to have a real relax with David and Carolyn our neighbours, chuffing along the highland moors, fully catered and guided by the owners of the canal boat we expect to really enjoy ourselves. So , more later! 
Edinburgh Festival so the place was buzzing with crowds, parades, pouring rain, I'm not mentioning the weather, blocked roads, traffic and music of all types blasting out.. Gail was disappointed that nobody knew the steps to the Nutbush music but I dragged her down a back alley before she could do a show and tell. We found a below street level garden cafe for a great lunch, got into the mood and did some passive sightseeing. So many people we talk to love Edinburgh and I guess we need to give it more of a visit to enjoy it when there is not so much disruption. While we did not walk up to the castle, we did reach a grand vantage point from where we digited off these photos. Then onwards north to Arbroath, famous for a number of things, First it was here, in the Abbey that on April 6th 1320 Scottish Independence was declared. Look up 
The Declaration Arbroath on google for why the Scots hold this event and the name of Arbroath in some historic reverence. Then there is the famous Arbroath Smokey, sadly in decline due to over fishing by the EU and competitive pressures but there are still some dedicated entrepreneurs smoking the flat fish that every Scot loves for breakfast. I had one last time we visited some 22 years ago and the memory lingers, in fact I was still belching smoked fish a week later... Finally the good citizens of Arbroath earlier last century needed a water tower to supply their their town and as it was to take a prominent high position they had it designed as a feature. I am sure you will agree they succeeded and while it and its grounds are obscured by tree growth now it is a spectacle. 
Before meeting up with Gail's family we took ourselves off to Glamis castle (pron. Glams) where the Queen Mum used to visit and where Princess Margaret was born... Still run by the current Earl of Strathmoor family but now very much open for tourists. Great day out, lovely grounds and wonderful walks... we did the tour and the walks and had tea and scones etc. Sorry, no photo's of Gail's cousin Erica and Stephen and their kids but we did have a great night in with them discussing their emigration to Perth Australia in October.... On our way back home to Wetherby we decided to take 
the coastal route, lunching at a magnificent Restaurant in St Andrews after a wonderful walk through the town, over the beach and around the famous 
golf 
course. Staying overnight in Edinburgh but right out on the south bank of the Firth of Forth. The photos show a glimpse of a 
summer night in Edinburgh, no I am not going to mention the weather. Which stayed with us all the way home and stayed all August. We did some lovely day trips through the Dales and over to Lancaster but after a great start to the month Gail was back off and away at work for days at a time. On her days off we did manage to visit some not so distant pubs known for their fine food. While enjoyable in itself we were making sure we had a selection of places to go when our friends Peter and Ann visited us from London. They were due up at the end of the month on their way to Durham for a friend's birthday party and it was likely that the rain would endure. Our planning was appropriate as it turned out the weather did not encourage walks , no I'm not complaining about the weather. 
We spent a delightful day in Harrogate, had a beer in the old Swan Hotel where Agatha Christie hid out for a few days of national intrigue early last century... Then on to the Harrogate Ladies College 
as Peter had memories of dire back seat journeys from Lancashire over the moors in mid winter to drop off his sister at the beginning of school term. It is a grand place and his sister enjoyed her time there so it was an interesting detour. A quick walk through the fading majesty of the Majestic Hotel and then on through the Blubberhouse moors, towards Bolton Abey for a posh luncheon snack at the Devonshire Arms. Slotted the little Astra in between the Range Rovers and Bentleys and had a delightful meal, some fine wine and felt right at home. 
A drive back through the moors with the heather in full bloom was a delight and we stopped off at our favourite pub in Siklinghall for a pint of ale before waddling home. Next month is life as usual except we are heading back up to Scotland for 4 days as Gail has a couple of days work there and then mid-month we have hired a canal boat for three nights where we are going to have a real relax with David and Carolyn our neighbours, chuffing along the highland moors, fully catered and guided by the owners of the canal boat we expect to really enjoy ourselves. So , more later! 
