It's My Third Birthday Today!

Hello there all you fellow bloggers! It's Ruby here with a reminder. It's my third birthday today!! The picture below is one my Lord and master took of me relaxing in the garden.

In the three years I've been with the family I've grown quite a bit and I've made lots of friends. That's a photo of me [below] with two of my best friends, Macy and Pixie.


Just in case you have forgotten I really do enjoy birthdays, because I get a lot of fuss made of me. The photo below is of me on my first birthday. How do you like my Princess Tiara?

I've included the photo below to show you just how much I've grown up. I was only about 6 months old in this photo and was beginning to settle in with the family.

Lots of Love - Ruby!

A Day out with the Grandchildren

Followers of my blog may well remember that this time last year we visited Newby Hall and Gardens, and on the way there we called in to the village of Ripley, to purchase their delicious ice cream. It was as we entered the village we discovered that we were there on the weekend they have their scarecrow festival, but it is a scarecrow festival with a difference. All the scarecrows featured have pigs heads, and they all have some allusion to ham, trotters, boar, pig, bacon etc. in their titles.

This is because, many years ago, when the King of England was out hunting with the then members of the Ingleby family, he was attacked by a wild boar, and the Lord of the Manor, Thomas de Ingleby saved his life. In appreciation of this he was knighted by Edward III, and a boars head now appears in the family crest of the Ingleby family!

This is rather a long winded way of getting round to the fact that we attended the festival again this year, and of course, the first place we visited was the world famous Ripley Ices Shop!


Each day there are two or three different flavours of ice cream available. Whatever the flavours on offer they are all delicious!

Enjoying the Ripley Ice Cream!

Lucrecia Boargia

Pig Clegg & David Hameron

Pigstop

After viewing, and trying to match the names of the scarecrows to the scarecrows themselves, we then went on to Pateley Bridge. It was a lovely sunny afternoon, and Ruby enjoyed watching the bowling match that was taking place in the park.

Meanwhile the rest of the family were tucking into a picnic!

Pateley was in all its floral glory. This flower bedecked light was on the bridge over the River Nidd.

This was a view at the bottom of the village from the River Nidd Bridge.

It then began to spot with rain, (which had been forecast) so we moved on. We had not planned to go anywhere else, but we had promised the grandchildren that we would take them out for a meal, and as it was only about an hour and a half after we had eaten, we decided to drive up to.........guess where.........

Masham!

Dot and I had stayed there the week before for a couple of days, and enjoy this part of the world, so it was a good excuse to revisit it! We ended up at the Smiths Arms in Beckwithshaw with the grandchildren.

A Walk Along the Canal Towpath

We had planned on taking the three grandchildren to Newby Hall & Gardens today, but due to the heavy rain last night, and this morning, the trip was called off. However by early afternoon the weather had taken a turn for the better, so we hastily arranged a walk on the canal side from Kildwick to Skipton. Olivia wasn't able to join us as she had made other arrangements, but Mollie and Tom were able to come.

We had only just got out of the car after parking it by the canalside when I noticed the name on this boat - Mollie!


Within minutes another boat had appeared from the Skipton direction, and the swing bridge was swung open to give it access on its journey towards Keighley.

We noticed that this Swan was quite tame, and on closer inspection we discovered that the reason was that the boat owner was feeding it from the open window!

Even the ducks along the towpath were fairly trusting and friendly. Unfortunately we didn't have any bread to feed them with!

Mollie, Tom, Dot and Ruby set off walking towards Skipton, whilst I stayed in the car, awaiting for a phone call to summon me. About an hour later it came through to say that they were passing where the old Craven Forge used to be, and would I collect them at Snaygill? As the weather was looking a little threatening I decided to drive on to Bradley, which is the next place where there is access to the towpath. Whilst I was waiting for them to arrive another boat passed through the swing bridge.

Once again there were plenty of ducks just waiting to be fed!

Unknown to the intrepid walkers I took this shot of them from across the canal.

Then called them. We moved on to the Bay Horse at Snaygill, where Tom,

and Mollie enjoyed tucking into a meal.

The walk had certainly sharpened their appetites!

An Escape to North Yorkshire

After all the hustle and bustle and excitment of Ben & Hannah's Wedding, we decided it would be nice to have a couple of days of relative peace and quiet, so we headed up to Masham - to the King's Head, where we have stayed for a few days after the Christmas Holidays. The first thing to catch our attention was another "Pink Peril" - not Hannah's Smart Car this time, but the vehicle pictured below, which was parked outside the hotel in the market square.





Masham Market has very ancient foundations, as can be seen from the plaque on one of the flower troughs. There are weekly markets held here each Wednesday and Saturday. Needless to say, Dot and I patronised the Wednesday market, Dot purchasing some flowers and plants, whilst I purchased some DVD's.

One of the delights (for Dot) is visiting "Joneva" which is a sweet shop specialising in all those sweets you remember from your childhood, as well as some local delicacies.

Dot waiting for Jonevea to open!

As usual we stayed at the King's Head, which overlooks the market place. The difference this time was that we stayed in the original stable block conversion - in The Coach House, which has a hall, with chaise long, wardrobe, desk and bookcase, as well as an en suite downstairs, whilst the bedroom is upstairs on a mezzanine floor. We took Ruby with us this time, as the hotel is "Doggie Friendly" and she immediately made herself at home by sprawling full length on the chaise long, until she was forcibly ejected from it! She spent the night sleeping on the floor next to me in the bedroom part of the Coach House!

Wednesday morning we went for a run and on our journey we came across these ducks and ducklings. Unfortunately we didn't have anything to feed them with!

On the way to Aysgarth I remembered seeing one of the original AA Boxes, so this year I made sure I had my camera at the ready, and stopped off to take a photo of it.

We visited Bedale, Leyburn, Hawes, and then over the Buttertubs pass to Muker, where we stopped for lunch at the Farmers Arms. If you are in the area and in need of a meal, do make it in your way to call here. Everything is home made, and delicious too!

Hannah & Ben's Wedding in Pictures

Preparations get under way for the Main Event!

Hannah hard at work in church decorating the Rood Screen

Flowers in the Church Porch


Hannah's Flower display on the base of the font

Sarah at work creating a display in the bowl of the old font

The finished decorations on the Rood Screen

Detail of the flowers

Wicker heart with bow and butterfly on one of the pew ends


Preparations begin on the day of the Wedding....

Hannah hard at work on Georgia's Hair, with Mollie waiting her turn

The mother of the Bride having her hair done

All dressed up and waiting excitedly for the taxi to arrive

Pretty as a picture

The Bridal Bouquet

Big Sister and the three bridemaids

The new Mr & Mrs Martin walking down the aisle

Thier pets Pixie and Macy get in on the act!

The Brides Father, Nana, Bride, Brides Mother and Bridegroom

The first toast in champagne

Ready to set off for the reception at Cavendish Pavilion

Off to the reception

Hannah & Ben with Olivia, Georgia and Mollie, in the grounds of the Cavendish Pavilion.

Another toast ,this time with Pimms!

The Wedding Cake

Mr & Mrs Martin prepare to cut their wedding cake.