Changing accents

Today we “changed accents” again, from the lovely accent of the Yorkshire folk, to the almost unfathomable accent of the Scottish folk. Help, I’m going to need subtitles!!!!!

But before Scotland, an update on our last day in Yorkshire. We drove to visit Fountains Abbey and Water Gardens. I had previously visited this site in 1974 with my good friend Liga (hi kiddo!!!) who lived in Leeds at the time, and my ex. In 1974 you could just park your car at the side of the road and walk across the grass and wander around the ruins.

Fountains Abbey

Not so some 45 years later. Now the area is fenced off and a fee of £35 thank you very much, for both of us applies! Loos and restaurants as well as the obligatory souvenir shops have been added, and the area is mown, trimmed, swept and fenced to within an inch of its life.

We had only intended to spend around an hour, however it was 2 ½ hours later that we got back to the car, totally exhausted but delighted with what we had seen.

It’s a long walk to see everything and we were glad of a seat to sit down.

Then we drove to Thirsk, the home of James Wright who wrote about his life as a Yorkshire vet using the pseudonym James Herriot as he couldn’t write using his real name. That was considered advertising, and forbidden at the time. He has written about a dozen books about his experiences, which have been translated into 9 languages and were the basis of the much loved TV series , All creatures great and small. If you haven’t read any of his books, you really are missing out on a rare treat. We saw a fascinating display of his actual clinic, and the instruments that vets used at that time. Some looked like instruments of torture, and probably were!

James Wright

Back to our digs to pack, cook one final meal and do a load of laundry before hitting the road, bound for Bonnie Scotland.

Our drive to Edinburgh was without incident. Following the Dodds’ advice, we stopped off to view Hadrian’s Wall, a remarkable thing. Pete climbed to the top for the view, but I stayed on terra firma, taking a couple of photos of the ascending Pete. It looked like a steep scramble, and I wasn’t confident that I’d make it up and back.

Pete, pilum poised, peruses the parapet for Picts

We arrived at our accommodation in Leith only to find that we had no way to get into the building. The owner hadn’t provided information of where to get the keys. A couple of emails to Home and Away , and two subsequent phone calls eventually had us collecting our keys from the pub across the road! All good. We unpacked and went to a nearby pub, appropriately for us orienteers called the Compass and had a delicious meal.

Roadside electronic signs have been warning us of a Yellow Alert for storms tonight, so we’re battening down the hatches, and looking forward to the sound of thunder, and a deluge of rain. Who doesn’t like the sound of rain on the roof when you’re tucked in bed safe and sound?

Good night.

Ilze