Monza. White wells and the Millennium.

 So today I shall begin with Monza who as you see is a big German Shepard dog with very long hair. Monza is now eleven human years old and this makes him well over seventy in doggy years. He has a jammy back leg, but otherwise he is pretty good for an old fella. We have taken him to the vet and he has been given antinflammatory pills to put in his lunch. He has been on his "leg pills" now for about six weeks which is well long enough to see that they make a very big difference to him as he can get around now for much longer and very much easier.

 By the time we got to these woods Monza had already been on his normal walk around the old grave yard. When we parked up at the end of this lonely old road he was rushing around the back of the car squeeking and jumping on us to put on his lead. In fact he was so excited he was squeeking as far back as turning off to go to this road back in Ilkley....so I think this is a fave for him. We have not brought him for a bit as his legs were not so good.
Any way here we are today. We did set off up the very steep path to the Swastika stone, but it was too much for him...As I have just got him stable We decided not to push our luck and walked along the path and back along the road at the bottom. Monza did not care. Woods is woods to a dog.

 One day....I will make it as far as the swastika stone...but not this day. Later I did find a simpler way to the stone but I will leave that for a different day.

 This day was warm....after the initial shock of dawn nippy air and the light was beautiful. so You can not do much better than that can you?

 Monza found the road walk much much easier...so we went with that.
"do you think we will see some deer today?" asked Lee in passing
"well if there are any Monza will find them..."

 We came to these grand gates and wondered who could own this place and have their own post box?..Well I just looked it up and google says that it is in private ownership and purely decorative.
"it's just a very posh mail box isn't it?" offered Lee.

 We were they only people and dogs about. We spotted a couple with back packs and a yellow labrador much further back when in the car. They must have taken the easier route to the Swastika stone up the steps...as they had not apeared. I was keeping an eye out.

 Monza was very obviously tired by now and his leg was beginning to collapse ...so we headed back to the Fonz car.

 Monza lept easily into the back and settled down for a snooze. we have taken all the back seets out of the Fonz just so that Monza can be comfortable. For a car!!!!he has more space now that he did in the front of Rusty van. He also has windows all sides now and likes to sit up and watch. So he likes the Fonz car much more.

We Then drove over to Millenium gardens or Darwin Gardens not far from here and parked up the Fonz car. Monza was all ambitious and wanted to come with us again. It was not a good idea......firstly there were loads of other dogs about and I knew the path was steep again.

 Darwin Gardens Millenium Green.
Darwin? yes . Charles Darwin lived just by here in what is now a massive hotel where I am yold he wrote parts of his "origin of species" book.
These gardens were made for the Millennium. This was such a big deal at the time wasn't it?
I lived in Bath at the time and There were street parties organised. My then husband and I lived in Widcombe in a characterful cottage that thought it was a house which was built in Georgian times as accomodation for the pub next door. By the time we moved in the pub was very long gone and all the row of old houses were converted and renovated to "posh".
So the street we lived on was therefore posh. the others that lived there most certainly were. We thought we were too, but I turned out not to be as posh as I thought I was. Any way...the Millenium brought along a lot of hooha and it was decided by a commitee for the residents asociuation that a street party was the order of the day and each house would participate by providing something, Those with garages opened them up and set up stalls and a DJ tent was set up in the middle of the road. The road was closed off first I think I should add here and barriers were manned to stop riff raff from other streets not so posh as ours....Each garage housed a bar or a kitchen serving all types of food and drink.....this was all paid for with "donations" from all those wishing to attend. 

 As the light went the party came out. We stayed in our house drinking Champagne. So by the time I got to the party I was two bottles down. Moet and Chandon too. I had not yet discovered Cava. As I say I thought I was posh in those days and my drinking to excess was never mentioned. Posh people are not alcoholics they just like a drink.

 So out to the party we went. I must have been blasted, but I do remember drinking another two bottles of Australian wine and a shed load more Champagne.

 So that was the Millenium in Bath. Should have been a really big deal. I can not even remember much after smashing my camera. My husband dis owned me and some friends came back to the house with us after... the wife of one had to be carried out drunk and screaming "I want to talk to the white lady....let me talk.........." she obviously was not as posh either and also liked a drink.
The wife turned out to be an AA candidate and they moved to Canada eventually to open a bed and breakfast hotel. (he was that embarrassed)
My then husband and I moved to Cornwall shortly after this where I  hit the wine until it bounced. Oh the millennium !!!!those were not the days my friend.

Millenuim Green Ilkley was built for the same occasion. I am only guessing but there was probably a right ding dong went off at the opening of this one. Each one of the stones in the maze path embedded here in the lawn has the name of a patron of this work. The great and the good of ilkley and the Queen and the Queen mother both also have a stone in this commemoration.

 So millennium green in Ilkley today. Lee by the way did nothing at all at the millennium.
 So with that  we trotted off up the road to find the White Wells Baths high up on Ilkley moor.

 This house was a pumping station for the spring water used for healing at the baths up the hill.....

 It has been converted into a house and some lucky person lives here. Wouldn't you? I most certainly would. Monza would love it. We walked on up and then....

 Welcome to Ilkley moor. We most certainly were very welcome indeed and the sun and light illuminating  us was sublime.....as you can see from the very lot of photos I took this day.

 " whoe.....that's steep...a good hip and thigh work out....not far? lets see how you feel at' top.....cem 'ere on me bike when I were knockin' off school' cycled up the moor path. this un was't 'ere then. When were it? 36 year ago...well 35 I were 16. ...Why ain't ah been back? .....well I ain't got a bike now." said lee as we crunched along up the gravelled path.

 So up  we went. Then up a bit more steadily climbing up and ever upwards. On the way we met a dog walker with five lively animals...all of which instantly sussed us as dog people and herded around for biscuits and pats and dog talk. Oh yes they know. I was a dog walker when I lived in Bath. It was the job I was doing at the Millennium....just thought I would throw that in...anyway as you see even at the beginning of the path up the views were stunning.

 Views. Moor land and dogs. Does not get much better than that really. The only thing missing was mints. We forgot to bring mints to crunch as we walked. We always go through at least one pack an outing. it is a hang over from the van days when we were out and about.

 Lee  told how he spent the last two years of school bunking off. He hated being educated. I think it was the sitting inside a class room being talked at that did nothing for him at all. Lee likes to be out doing. He is not a class room guy at all. So this day were were well and truly out. Another place I had not been before. Lee remembered getting to the top and sitting having a smoke. He kept the cigs down his trousers so he did not drop or get them wet on these days out on his bike. This is a day out on a push bike from Kirkstall Leeds I think it is worth pointing out here.!!!

 The views we were looking at went for miles over the moors and the town of Ilkley. See and believe.

 Past the stream of "sacred" waters flowing down to a pool below.......

 Here is Lee by the waters.....

 There has been bathing going on here since 1791.This is when the pools/baths were built. I guess the Romans and all who came to this part of Yorkshire enjoyed it all in it's natural state! The water has no mineral content...it is the freezing cold water that stimulated the circulation by all accounts!!! White wells was partly what established Ilkley as a spa town. 1859 Charles Darwin himself visited White Wells to "take the waters" believed to cure all types of ailments!

 Modern visitors can still use the plunge Bath here...it was not open this day. It is New Years day that is the big tradition here. The water is cold any way...can you imagine the lunacy it would take to get in on New years day? guaranteed ice and possibly snow as well. You can? well there you are It would certainly liven up the year for you if you like that .

 So with this view we looked down on the big hotel that Darwin stayed in and the pump station house that we stopped at on the way past. and the town of Ilkley....

 Moors.....with the notice board looking very tiny below. It is not actually that far...though it looks impressive.

 Lee....

 Now,,,,,here we come to the bit about the house in the centre of this photo. It is Middleton Lodge. This house was built as a hunting lodge by the Great Middleton family who owned all you see back in the day. It now has the nickname of" the Monestry".As the estate is now a place of prayer and contemplation for Catholc retreat.  It's proper name is Myddleton Lodge and it belonged to the Middleton family and was used as a hunting lodge. They were Lords of the manor here for many centuries. My fave effigy is a de Myddleton knight who sleeps in Ilkley church. He lived in the house for a while.

 We got to what we thought was the top of the path....

 And had a sit down. We were not the only people. There was a party of back packers was a head of us eating their packed lunch. Now that would have been a great idea if I had thought of it.
There used to be a cafe here but all was locked up this day.

 Excercise and fresh air. Oh how we wished we had thought of the sandwich thing, From this White wells house the road changes to steps and goes up again.....and then again!

 I amused the others with sanwiches by taking photos of these dolls.....

 These steps....I was going up them They were really steep. I was going up them I told my legs so but they refused to listen. I had to Hoik up my skirt and go for it....then I noted how the sheep did it....and followed their path around the really steep steps. So sheep are not so daft after all.

 Once at the top the views were worth the trouble.

 Many others have discovered this for many a year and benches are provided.....I think I may just move here.

 We stayed for a while and enjoyed the view.....

 And enjoyed more view....

 Then made sure and looked all over again.

 There is no charge for plunging into these waters. Though if the place is open on the day you visit you can be given a certificate to say that you braved these waters.....

 And that dear reader tells you everything you need to know.

 We had left Monza in the Millenium car park dozing in the car. It was time to go home. So back down the path we came...very carefully in my case as once I am down I can not get up again unassisted. It is not the falling that bothers me it is the indignity of looking like an upturned blue bottle that is the indignity I like to avoid where ever possible.

 past the spring ....down down....to the Darwin Gardens again and Wells house......

 It is huge and now luxury flats. What a luxury too!

 This building has it's own garden which is private a fenced off at the foot of these beautiful moors.

 And a woodland walk back to the car....

 across the millenium maze...

We will be returning to this walk, as we only went to a small part. I noted that there is an easier way to the Swastika stone. So next week we try that too.
To day we went to Hunger hills in Horsforth and I am now drinking tea....a lot of tea whilst cooking Monza's dinner of chicken and rice. Today he is tired. The woodland walk was too much for his bad leg ....so Monza needs to stay on the flat. He has that option. !!!
So I leave you today with memories of living in Bath . Ilkley reminds me a bit of Bath.