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Published: June 26th 2017
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Geo: 53.7577, -2.70344
After a fabulous night at the theatre watching Spamalot we drove here yesterday.It was a miserable day, lots of rain and cloud. We picked up our Ford from Hertz at Marble Arch and proceeded to find the M1. Our route was simple, the M1 to the M6 and straight on to Preston. Apart from an initial holdup due to an accident, we found the going straightforward, stopping only for a sandwich at one of the reststops.
Approaching Preston we rang Chris and he guided us to Ye Old Hobe Inn where he and Cath soon joined us. It was great to see them again.
After a convivial drink we followed them to their house in Greystoke Close in Bamber Bridge, a pretty place with a lovely garden, all Cath's work!!(though Chris insists he mows the lawns)
After a welcome fit for a king the washing machine was quickly into action as two weeks laundry was done.
For dinner we went to their local, The Hospital Inn, a brief stroll down the road. We had a great meal there, Fletcher having the house special, sizzingly duck while the rest of us had some excellent curries.
After a convivial evening we returned and while Chris and
Fletcher had a nightcap scotch, Cath and I were sensible, retiring to bed.
After a comfortable night we had a good breakfast and then set out with our chauffeur, Chris, at the wheel. Our first stop was outside the Sirloin Inn. Chris had explained to us the origin of the word sirloin last night. It seems that in 1617, James 1 had enjoyed his loin of beef so much that he knighted it thus creating Sir Loin!! We then visited the site of this extraordinary event at nearby Hoghton Hall. This is a beautiful old manor house with sweeping views across the valley.
We then drove on to Haworth, home of The Brontes. I had always wanted to come here and it was a much higher class than the alternative of Blackpool that Fletcher had proposed. We stopped first at the bottom of Haworth, at the railway station that is part of the Keighley and Worth Valley railway. This is a preserved line on which Steam trains run during the summer months.(we saw one arrive as we walked back to the car ) The next staion on, Oakleigh is where the film, The Railway Children was filmed. (We visited that after we
left Haworth)
We then walked up the hill through a very pretty Central Park and up Main Street lined with interesting shops and cafes etc. At the end we reached the church of St Michael the Archangel which was the parish church of which the Reverend Patrick Bronte was the pastor for over 40 years. Inside this is a memorial to the Brontes and underneath is where all, but Anne, are buried. Next to the church is The Parsonage where Wuthering Heights was written and the Brontes lived for most of their short lives. I browsed the gift shop and bought a postcard to send to my Year 12 English class.
We then stopped at The White Lion Hotel for a drink and lunch. Very tasty and filling.
Then it was off to Skipton. Here there is a medieval castle, first built in 1090 and expanded in 1310. We alll went in and toured the castle. It is wonderfully intact. It had been the last Royalist Stronghold during the Civil War and Lady Anne rebuilt it after part of it had been destroyed during the seige that occurred then. The small boys would have loved playing knights and dragons there.
We had a
great day and have now returned "home". I am using Chris and Cath's computer to write this so will have to update later with the photos that Fletcher took today. We head on to Edinburgh tomorrow.
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