Return to England - Harrogate, Thursday 2010 September 9

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Had a lovely, relaxed breakfast of strawberries on muesli, scrambled eggs, 2 pieces of bacon, a whole grilled tomato, thick brown toast and a very sweet banana.

The B&B host recommended the Turkish Baths, of interest to me, and described how to get there – a ten-minute walk. So I checked them out first, discovering that, although they do make bookings, none was necessary today and that it was closed this morning and open for women only this afternoon. Perfect for me.

The tourist information centre was in the same building (Royal Spa), so I checked this out next. This weekend was “Open Days” which meant some buildings were open and some museums were free. The woman recommended several in the area and provided a map. Her instructions were rather sketchy but I did find my way.

The best was the first – the Royal Hall theatre. The docent was very enthusiastic and informative. They recently completed a full restoration, which she said it badly needed. The results are beautiful and fabulous. Windows and doors are art-deco stained glass. The halls are painted in green designs on cream background, and the theatre interior is plush red with cream highlights. The stage was visible but not open because technicians and designers were preparing for “the Wedding” productions, presumably a play.

The docent told me that the present Council Offices across the road used to be Spa reception rooms. And she urged me to visit the Art Gallery before the Pump Room Museum. As that was how the route worked, I did as she suggested. To my eye, the art gallery was not worth the fuss, although the docent there assured me every artwork or artist had a connection to Harrogate. The Pump Room Museum cost £3.30 today because it was not “open” until the weekend. At first it seemed expensive, but the accumulation of items and explanations won me over. I was particularly taken by the items related to the drinking of the salty, sulfurous waters over the centuries. The Victorians built the Pump House building, although they left an outdoor tap for the less fastidious public. At the end of your circuit of the round building, you are invited to have a drink of the waters – yellowish and “thick”-looking. They pour a small gulp and offer toffees for 10p each. I didn’t bother with a toffee, because essentially the water is just very salty.

By now a light lunch was in order – to ensure I didn’t faint from hunger in the spa. After wandering for a while along the park-like streets, including a nostalgic visit to the Farrah’s Toffee shop, I settled on a café with a few outdoor tables and interesting snacks. I had green tea and Yorkshire fruitcake (rather like a dark version of light Christmas cake). Restored, I had an hour or so before the Spa, so I strolled up the street and encountered “Betty’s”. The tourist information woman had told me it was over one hundred years old and prided itself on the high quality of its teas and cakes, which were priced accordingly. The café is very large, there was a queue, and the posted prices were beyond my appreciation. What I did appreciate were the beautiful flower gardens nearby.

From referring to my map, I realized this was close to the Library, so of course, I had to go there. What a surprise to see “Carnegie Library” carved into the recently cleaned sandstone. I tried to get in and discovered that it has been gutted and is being renovated. Our Memorial Park branch with its restored interior is thus better!

Now I realized I should be fairly near a Victorian Gentleman’s Club participating in Open Days. Actually I wasn’t particularly near, but the trek did take me close to the train station for a pit-stop. When I finally found the Club, it was not open until tomorrow when there would be guided tours. My glimpses of the rooms did not impress me. Nevertheless, I enjoyed walking along the fully treed streets lined by large Victorian houses, many of which are now law offices. After an unexpectedly circuitous route back to the city centre, I sought directions to a phone booth from the Tourist Information Centre and called home. Seemingly “Guest Houses” don’t provide phones - this has been a problem in both York and Harrogate. Everyone expects you to have a mobile phone, and people use them constantly to talk and text.

Finally, I arrived at the Turkish Baths to experience their friendly, comforting service. £15.50, including a towel. (The Baths were restored a few years ago and brought into full use.) After changing (clothing optional during single sex sessions), I was given a tour to learn how to benefit from the detoxifying effects of these baths. After a warm shower to clean both body and hair, the eucalyptus steam room was recommended for 3 -5 minutes. Then, a cool or warm shower to cleanse the skin. Then, into the cold plunge bath – almost painful at first, but you can swim a short length to warm the muscles. A succession of three increasingly hot but dry rooms (Tepidarium, Calidarium, Laconium) are visited as frequently as wanted, each time followed by a shower to cleanse salts from the skin and the cold plunge. After a while the cold was welcome to cool the body. To my surprise, the least warm of the hot rooms had a strong effect – never feeling hot, just warm enough to make me aware of evaporation from the skin’s tiny hairs, and deceptive in its gradual heating of the body, as evidenced by the shock of the plunge.

The décor was an imagining from afar of a Turkish bath: tiles on a brown-blue-cream theme covered the wetter areas to above head-height, where plastered and painted imitation tiles rose to rounded ceilings. The hot rooms were not self-contained – heavy, red curtains divided them from the more common area and again the cooler one from the two hotter ones. Perhaps it worked as simply as the heat entering at one end and drifting to the other areas.

For a couple of hours I enjoyed the rooms, listening with eyes shut to the gossip of groups of friends who were enjoying their afternoon together. This was curiously meditative, as I felt detached from everything. Then came a moment when I had had enough – none too soon. I took another warm shower (lovely feeling of sprinkling water) and enjoyed the suggested ten minutes in the relaxation area (Frigidarium). By this time it was almost 5:00 and the end of this session.

Languidly I walked back to the B&B to enjoy some tea and more relaxation. Finally about 6:30 I decided to go for dinner before all ambition deserted me. My destination was a very large pub with “curry night” on – for £5.49 you could order one of about a dozen curries and a drink - including Guinness which I had, along with Chicken Jezri (tomato sauce, very hot) – a much better curry than in York. The pub was full of people having fun so I also had fun.

Back at the B&B (again walking languidly), I found myself to be significantly but pleasantly tired and fell asleep early.

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Photos

The Turkish Baths
Of course, no photos inside!

Royal Theatre
Imagination peoples the theatre with elegant patrons

Royal Theatre
Art deco corridors restored to their original charm

Council building
Victorian site of entertainments, current place of bureaucracy

Pump Room
Now a museum, still serving vile tasting waters for health

Carnegie Library
Disappointingly gutted, devoid of original Victorian charm inside

Public Gardens
Elegant display of Harrogate pride