Pateley Bridge and How Stean Gorge Cafe Again!

How Stean Gorge

We visited Pateley Bridge again today, and went up to How Stean Gorge (to the café) to sample their meals. Dot had something Veggie (nut type cutlet) and mashed potatoed, peas, carrots and cabbage, whilst I had a cheeseburger (steak supplied from the local butcher – none of your GM rubbish, and proper cheese [none of the rubber variety] with onions) and chips. Both meals were excellent and very good value for money. We will no doubt be making it in our way to call here again for a meal now that the Miners Arms at Greenhow has closed its doors!

The guy who owns the café has a rather fancy Yamaha Claviolina in the room (which at first sight makes you not sure wether you should drive it, fly it or play it), and the last time we were there he persuaded me to play him a few tunes, and tried to get me to come up on a Sunday to entertain the customers! Today there were a couple of locals in having a meal, and he said to them, “You should hear this guy play he’s terrific!” Once again I was persuaded to play the instrument for a few minutes.

Coincidentally the couple who were eating had a Vauxhall Meriva, so I questioned them about it. They were very happy with it, after having downsized from a 1.9 VW Deisel. Stranger still they had bought it from Nidderdale Motors. Then in conversation with the girl who served us I discovered that she too had a bought a second hand car from Nidd Vale Motors. Both of the car owners spoke highly of the garage, which had been in the same family for in excess of 30 years.

After eating, the cafe owner suggested that Ruby might like a walk down by the gorge, and said, “It’s quite safe you can let her off the lead it’s all fenced off”. So she and Dot went exploring whilst I paid the bill and had a look round the shop.

Now it might be farewell to the old Zafira...........

After this we called into Pateley Bridge, but this time with a mission in mind. I had arranged to see the saleman at Nidderdale Motors with the possible option of saying goodbye to my Zafira if the price was right! Unseen he had quoted me what I thought was not a bad price against either a Zafira (3 years old with 10.000 miles on the clock - a motability car) or a Meriva (4 years old with 16,000 miles on the clock) both had full service histories and he had maintained them from new. I put him to the test and took along all the service history for my Zafira plus the log book and said, alright now give me a price. He walked round my Zafira and eventually upped his offer by another £300!

I had a test drive of the Meriva and was suitably impressed.

Two old codgers really don’t need a seven seater any more, and there is plenty of room in the back of the Meriva for a labrador!

I may just get back to him. In which case you might well see the Bentley Mafia in a tinted windowed Meriva Active Special Edition.

He is obviously interested in a deal as he said, "I will be in the garage tomorrow", but he’s going to have to wait at least until Monday before I ring him back!