Yorkshire atmosphere in the sunshine.

 I need to be quick writing this as I have to be up, dressed and away to do it all again. Pyjamas and coat simply will not do. Flip flops are totally out of the question.
I am usually up by 4/5am, There is no way this was happening today. Plenty of Yorkshire fresh air I had yesterday, up hills and avoiding cow pats, castle ruins, driving history and talking for ten straight hours without ever shutting up. very exhausting work this family research and tourist trail.
Lee took me over to Huby to Mary, Bonnie and lee and Dixon's house on the farm they are staying on. It was my job to avoid the cow pat by the gate to open it. I noted that there was a foot print already there.........We came up the lane in the Fonz car with Monza totally mesmerised by the cows at feeding time on the path. most disgruntled they were....Monza did  half woof. I told him..."dont you dare bark at the cows Monza dog" and he gave me his woolfy side glace then stuck his nose through the slightly open window to take in a good sniff.
At the house we got out of the car were greeted and hugged. we all had a squeal and then went inside to see the "cute cottage"
Mary and Bonnie bought me prezzies of dolls and jewellery......I have not had time to do the pictures required...and they deserve a blog all of their own.........
So off we set. GPS!!! a wonderful thing.Except that I had postcodes...and the damn thing could not find them......so off we set anyway'
......my old school Hunmanby hall. It was twenty minutes from Ayton Castle...so I quickly showed them around.

 Here are Mary and Bonnie by the old assembly Hall complete with the stained glass windows depicting all of the local lords of the manors coats of arms. I explained that all of these are cousins.

 Next Ayton Castle at last. The tower castle that Edmund Mauleverer lived and died with his wife Anne pierson and their daughter Anne Mauleverer was born. Edmund died of TB in 1679. The castl or Tower house then fell into ruin over the ages.
Mary and Bonnie are direct descendants of Edmund. Anne Pierson married a fellow Quaker and emigrated to New England as a Quaker with her daughter Anne. Little Anne was about three and this was with in two years of her husband Edmund's death.

 Bonnie and Mary walking in the footsteps of their family from the 17th century.

 Mary here before the castle ruins with Dixon reading the history ...what is she holding? well it is a coil of willow that Bonnie deftly coiled as a headdress for her...

 Lords and ladies of the Manor. This is what is still standing of the ancestral family tour......back in the day it had stepped gardens right up to the top of the hill......fish lakes, dove cotes and a lime kiln. running water from their own water mill and fabulous entrance gates and outer walls....

Looking back from higher up the hill. The castle and lands with fabulous views in the background here. We wandered a bit further up the hill to look down, so that we could all see the impressions from centuries ago in the grass as to where walls gardens and outer buildings would have been. we all had to pool imaginations to get the picture of the beautiful grandeur that would have existed here in this cow field in 2017.

 A romantic ruin it is now. Dixson found a heart shaped stone on the ground and presented it to Bonnie.

 The remains of the fish ponds......

 Lord Lee of Ayton Castle. Well he would have been!!! he is married to Mary........

 Lady of the Manor. To the manor born. All that remains in 2017

 Ladies Bonnie and Mary of Ayton Castle. Masters of all they survey.

 The sun shine, the castle tower and the Yorkshire fresh air.

 We needed refreshment and more lip gloss very badly. we all stopped in the local pub......

 The locals were fascinated......so now they can tick "yorkshire pub" off the list of things to do.
I regaled them with the tale of Roy's wedding......the locals looked on.

 We left Ayton and went to Scarborough.....

 Mary and Lee on the little train on Scarborough front Peasholm park...The guard who blows all the wistles and checks tickets took us under his wing and regaled us with history of Scarborough.....and his health problems along with dead relatives in America. It was going to happen at some point!!!!

 The guard had a book he was trying to sell about...well being a guard on the little railway at Scarborough. a job which he has done all his life.

 Dixon and Bonnie. Dixon does not like his photo taken. though he is in quite a few of mine. I took them anyway...sorry Dixon my lovely.

 I took far too many photos. I have not been here since 1979. I am over excited. there were many more.......

 After this we headed up to the castle and could find nowhere to park....this all takes up time! and the time had come to drive the one and a half hours home....BUT...we had not seen the castle. So we decided to "go for it" and brave the traffic and stay on to see the castle.
It was so worth it.

 Anne Brontes grave very quickly as the light was going on the way back to the car.....

We left Scarborough with regret.....there was so much left to see. They will all be back.

And yes we did get slightly lost on the way home............