Yorkshire day, also a day off and it rained too

"It's gonna rain soon" stated Lee. "The skies gone blue"
The sun came out bright and hot too. It still hammered with rain and sizzled with lightning strikes as predicted too. The hale forecast did not happen. Or I should say did not happen ..YET!

We have had a "Yorkshire day". It is now an official thing. I think mainly to encourage tourists to spend money as any self respecting Yorkshire person would never fall for such an expense of buying or donating any money what so ever. This year to make things more insulting....a vending machine has been installed in a local tourist trap selling merchandise for this Yorkshire day. They sell flat caps amongst other things considered "Yorkshire". A sorry day .

We walked Monza. He was greatly excited as we set off in the sun on a lovely warm morning. Monza was excited too because I was along for the walk and it was not raining and we had no rush to get back to the Fonz car. We had time to stand and watch the planes landing and taking off at the airport, the old grave yard is one of the best vantage points for plane spotters. there were loads out today. schools are out...it is one of the things to do here...sit in the car with binoculars and a short wave radio listening to the control tower. some even bring a picnic. There is an ice cream van that parks just the other side of the cemetery wall...it makes an absolute bomb in the summer months. The guy also owns the vans by the Tarn....he is a millionaire on the proceeds.

After this we went to Otley for a junk hunt. Very successful we were too.

The first stop off. I found this doll. I think 1960s as the fabric on her knickers looked from that time...and she has no markings. Dolls with manufacturers marks came a bit later. Labels were on the clothes in those days....So she looks from the 1960s which is just what I have started to collect lately. This one is only slightly strange. My others are "cute" this one has an odd creepy look. still I bought her!

 We went around to the 99p and 20p shops. It was not raining yet.......and in the 20p shop I found a Miss Piggy....her nose needs repair but hey........

 a mini Barbie from Mcdonalds.....

 A tiny LALA Loopsy....

 A Barbie with a fabric body...I have seen these on Ebay but never come across one. It is actually quite horrid but for 20p i figured I can do something with her.....and the bear is a souvenir of the birth of Princess Charlotte.....obviously unwanted by the recipient as it ended up in the 20p shop in Otley. I also found a Bratz doll for 20p ! I was greatly excited as earlier I had not bought a Rock Anglz doll from Cats protection shop as it was £3.99!

 Then for Lunch we bought pork pies and ate them with brown sauce. It has to be done. It is Yorkshire day. I will tell you it is the first and last time I eat brown sauce.

We went to the church and the Victorian arcade.......
It still was not raining and the batteries in the camera were still working.

 As you see from these photos the church has sadly been modernised. The pews ripped out on favour of just chairs.  and coloured lights. today it was bright blue and pink. other colours on different days they have.

 As every visit...Lee patently wanders around and then waits by the doors for me.....not his favourite place.

 Victorian arcade was really good this week. I saw a few things to buy. I did not buy them as I do not get paid until Friday.....If they are still there on Friday...then it is meant to be. Do I really need a picture ? a wooden Indian or another doll?

Well no. but has that ever really mattered. very intriguing picture though............ With that we rescued The Fonz and Monza and went home.
I washed all my new finds and then the rains came.


I also took some new photos of the Fairfax effigies...this is what took me so long in the church. This is a completely other blog ...but here are some of the photos.....

Lord Thomas Fairfax and his wife Helen Aske .Lady Fairfax was descended from the Clifford family of Skipton Castle.( a great fave as far as castles go!!! Still in original condition) They are the grand parents of "black Tom" the Thomas  Fairfax who fought for Cromwell in the civil war. Also 1644 at the battle of Marston Moor. (revered in Yorkshire history). The civil war mostly happened here in Yorkshire.......or the best bits any way. A different blog on a different day. These are my fave Effigies . Most weeks on the Otley Junkers I visit them...that is of course unless there is a funeral as there was last time!
As this is Yorkshire day I include them here too.

As the rain stops the sun goes down on the day.  We had "our tea" which was Giant Yorkshire puds filled with roast beef spuds and gravy...followed by apple pie and ice cream. Lee said that having ice cream with it was poncy southern stuff.
He still ate it all I noted. Mind you he would...He had paid "good money" for it!

The day is done now and it finished with a Turner sky.                 1797....That would be when the painter Turner first visited Yorkshire. He returned many times and a very lot of his paintings have Yorkshire inspired elements.
 JMW Turner RA 91775-1851) The painter of light. Britains greatest landscape painter was inspired and addicted to Yorkshire,