Spofforth. This is the place we decided to visit on Halloween day. I had all kinds of ideas as to where I wanted to go. Unfortunately the day was already ruined as I found an injured swan at the Tarn at dawn when I went out to take some photos and it clouded the day alot.
I had been looking forward to Halloween and decorating as well as collecting a new outfit of clothes for the day. I wanted to go to an evening at Bolling hall which I saw advertised at Bradford industrial museum.....there was no way Lee would go out in the evening so trhat came to a nothing. Then I wanted to go and find the witch tree at the Otley Chevin...that would have involved leaving Monza dog at home and that did not go too well the last time .......
So I settled on the ruins of Spofforth castle on the way to Weatherby. Not so bad is it? This was built on lands given to the De Percy family by William the Conquereror. Then badly damaged during the wars of the roses and again during the civil war.
A very haunting and beautiful ruin . Yes! not bad at all. Then......
As we approached I could hear screaming children. Not just screaming...yelling and howling screams as they ran amock in the woods behind. The day was ruined ant way but this just compounded an already pox of a day. The quiet and peace of this place was entirely shot.
The the children came out of the woods and started screaming around the old stones yelling and climbing all over. I very quickly took these photos and then,,,,
We both had enough of that and walked back to the car very disapointed. The parents....or I think grand parents made no attempt what so ever to control the little buggers. We were not the only people who left as a result either. I hope they had a lovely day, as they ruined every one elses who encountered them.
I have been here a few times before fortunately and it is a fave place. We can return in a couple of weeks and there may even be snow!.......The children will be gone by then.
Halloween.....a beautiful sunny day......wonderful light. The photos came out okay....as you can not hear the screaming children.....so photos look all peaceful and mystic.
Which is how old ruins should be!
I was already brooding on the injured swan from the morning walk. I sent the photos and left a message at the swan rescue hospital , emailing, messaging and ansaphoner. There was not really anything else I could do. It still preyed on my mind though. I kept repeating all this to Lee as we walked....
" yeh. you told me that already..." stated Lee as I retold how I found the blooded feathers by the jetty at the tarn this morning.
Lee did his usual thing when encountering ruins. ......Tried to find secret passages and stair cases....long ago blocked off.....
Are there secret passages? well yes usually there are in these types of castles. Tricky lot back in the day.....
This castle is built into the rocks here .....and there is the remains of a chapel.
a watch tower.....
So yes I am fairly sure there would have been a secret passage or two into the woods behind there.....
We headed back to the Fonz car and Monza was very suprised we were so quick. He had settled himself down for a snooze as he figured I would be ages here......
Not far from the castle we found a millenium garden.....and a sun dial. Mid day it was and in the quiet we stood on the stone to see the date and time.....it was far enough away so we could not hear the damn screaming children. Peace at last....
Then on to Weatherby to check out the junk shops....
and back to the car past the church. Time was running on by now.....I still had some halloween doll dresses to finish....
We did not get home until mid afternoon......
November 1st 2018.
It is all over now. November 1st and I did not go over to the tarn this morning. So what happened to the swan?
I joined a local forum on facebook against my better judgement as they were posting about it.......I walked to meet Monza at the old graveyard past the tarn. On the way I came across two ladies on a mobile phone talking about the swan. I asked if they were from the swan hospital.
They were. With the help of the guys at the boat house they were going to catch the swan and take him to hospital.
According to the facebook forum,,,this is what did happen. It also says on there that they think the swan was attacked by a dog. Unfortunately so do I.
I have also discovered from this facebook site that they have had trouble too with a lady I had to block on facebook. It sounds like she has been blocked by a lot of people. A couple of days ago she held up a really long cue of people to tell me how awful the people were on this site......I said nothing except
"well that is a really good reason not to go on the site then isn.t it?" And as she goes on Facebook purely to wind others up it was a wasted comment. I blocked her months ago. She is equally as awful in real life. A patronising self seeking over bearing opinionated nutter with no regard for anyone but herself. I am paid to be pleasant to her when she is holding up a ques of people....but not in real life I am not! She is still a member of the local forum. I have the information I wanted about the swan so I will now take myself back out of group as I see others I know on there making trouble too( at least one of them should know better!). I really do not need it.
Facebook! a modern thing for a modern world. My manager is on there too.....I got a message on facebook yesterday asking me to work. .....
NO!!!!! this is not the way my life is going to be run, Settings going back to "friends only" and no public posts. So this blog will not be read by many then. Well!!!!! I am not living my life on facebook.
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