A white chocolate coated ice cream lolly .....

We bought white chocolate coated "Magnum " ice creams to eat on the way back to the Fonz car. We did not get chocolate eclairs as well. That would be outrageously greedy wouldn't it?

I got up and looked out of the window to find beautiful streaks of colour and thought oh all right then I will go for a walk then.....

 I went out past the tarn and towards Menston whilst waiting for the sun. I was that early.

 The sun came up quickly and I could just tell it was to be hot. So I headed home past the fishermen who had been out all night....and discovered that it was still too early.

 I reorganised the Barbie doll collection and got out my Barbie plane and all the beach buggys and made a display in the sun room.....watered the garden put on some washing and drank tea. it was still early but not too bad so I woke up Lee to take Monza dog for his walk.....
After this we set off for Harrogate.

 We started with the charity shops on Beulah Street and worked our way over to the town centre....

 I had already bought two Moxie dolls in Yeadon.....as we needed to get change for parking. This was good as I found nothing in Harrogate.

 We passed many interesting bits and pieces but there was no way I was paying the asking prices.

 Betty's Tea rooms.....

 Monpelier.....on the way down the Ginnel......to Valley gardens, we have been to Harrogate many many times and have never been....

 They are huge!!! and we walked miles. The is a victorian arcade and sitting areas....

 Which come out eventually by The New Zealand garden....

 Kiwis and Mouri inspired sculptures....

 Then on to the magnesium well.......

 Harrogate is a spa town. This is the old Magnesia well pump room.This dates from 1858 and was there to dispense water rich in iron and magnesium. This was good for Rheumatism and stomach complains of all kinds. Probably tastes horrible  too.....

 These apartments over look this park....I bet they do not come cheap.....

 By now we/I ...mostly me was really hungry......don't forget I had been up since about 3am. So it was not only lunch time it was late as well.....

 More sculpture and on to the Chinese gardens followed by the tea rooms....

 Very popular the tea rooms are....We did not stop.....but others do!

 Some of the plants are massive. Here is lee next to something that looks like Rhubarb.....Only it is huge. I remember this in Cornwall. Always planted by water....

 And sure enough there it was....a stream. Looked really mucky and horrible....but the mucky horrible water is full of magnesium  iron and Alum......

 We followed the stream back to the beginning again....

 lunch beckons...so we headed back to the Fonz car.....

 Only stopping to buy White chocolate covered ice cream and sandwiches.....we ate the ice cream first.

 Well it would have melted....

 Past the old original Methodist church....

 We called in to the theatre.....

 I asked if we could look around. But no...we were not allowed in to see the auditorium. once known as the Grand opera house designed by Frank Tugwell....Who also designed The Futurist Theatre in Scarborough(just been knocked down. All over the news. Very sad. My mum and I went to all the summer shows there in the 1970's!) and He also designed the Savoy theatre, London.....

 The carved frieze in the foyer is part of the original decor sculpted by Francis Darligton and depicts drama and literature and was added in 1911.

 Here is Lee...

Ice cream eaten and back to the car. We then ate sandwiches....Not to be recommended. I really did not want my boring ham sandwich after white chocolate and ice cream.
Monza dog was very pleased when we got home. It was much much too hot for dogs so we left him at home.

Just as we set off Father phoned. He was much put out when I told him we were in Harrogate.
"Oh" he said " I told Lee I were comin' up"
What father actually said was that he might "cum up next week...."

Any way...we are in tomorrow as we have to wait for a phone appointment with Lee's hospital. Yes the NHS do phone appointments now. It is cheaper apparently. We received a letter stating that the phone call would be between 9am and 12 noon. Basically you just have to wait your turn. Father is coming up as well.