Quite a Gap

Having a new gt grand nephew born in Hong Kong on July 1st I need to update my Blog

The gap in time since May was due to some ill health ending on Calderdale Royal Hospital in Halifax for a Pacemaker Operation on June 21st.

After the first op they found it had not 'fixed' properly and that night the whole team were brought back and redid the operation around midnight to 1 am.

It is quite amazing as only by local injection and lying on the table you can see the scanning screen and the wires being manipulated into the heart.

On the second operation they also had to insert as temp pacemaker through a vein in my led and this was also seen on the screen.

After a day I was sitting up and everything was checked and working and they took me back into the theatre to remove the temp pacemaker.

Our NHS was wonderful, 2 guys on the ward were interesting fellows, one older than me ex RN on Mine Sweepers the other a local Asian and when he did his praying to Mecca at the end of my bed I asked him to include me ! His family was very nice and friendly and a young child was sent over to me to receive sweets and say hello.

Doctors and Nursing Staff and all those looking after the cleaning and feeding were brilliant.

Having been back home and stitches removed I went for a Scan Check up on Monday and was told my heart was now OK

So back to emails and dealing with my interests in The Battle of Britain 70th Anniversary by helping arrange School Memorial Plaques for the BOB Historical Society.

Four Days

I have not blogged for 4 days

Thursday I had meetings in Sowerby Bridge for the In Bloom Award scheme, firstly at Christ Church School with the new Head and Caretaker. They are great supporters and have interesting grounds for the pupils to take part in gardening and understanding our environmemt.

Then followed a meeting with a new Marketing Company just located in the Town and who have agreed to see how they can support Sowerby Bridge in Bloom

Friday it was such a nice day - not too hot - that I decided to carry out the DIY repair on the concrete drive to the rear of our house.
It had broken up at the point it meets the road and I felt tarmac in bags from the DIY store would be the easy answer. I had one bag but so much was needed when the concrete was removed I had to go and buy 2 more. But it does seem to have worked !

Saturday it rained most of the time, good news for the garden and water tub.

Today Is Sunday and Sara came and took Poppy and Jessie for a walk and Roma and I had lunch at The Moorings, Canal Basin Sowerby Bridge

Stones House

One of our Charity parties at Stones House

On Wednesday evening we were invited by the present owners to visit our former home Stones House, Ripponden.
We purchased it in 1963 when it was very run down and had a lot of dry rot, but with a barn, out buildings, large garden with victorian lake [ no water [ and 10 acres of land it just needed care and attention and was a great place to bring up children and we stayed there for 25 years before we moved to allow another person to finish repairing the roof !

The former family home of the Whiteley's of Stones Mills, Cotton Manufacturers and after they had ' banked ' one of the main victorian parts had been demolished.
The main delights were the victorian interiors, wooded floors and sliding doors, painted glass, painted ceilings and interesting fittings.

Luckily since we moved 2 other owners have completed restoration but not changed anything of the ground floor special interiors.

The sad part is that 4 houses have been built on the gardens and site of the lake, and the barn converted to a house.

But the visit was unexpected and we liked being shown round again and explaining how we had taken it on and the history of the house and its families

Monday after

Just a quick blog today

We had lunch at The Rock Hotel, Holywell Nr Elland, which is the same ownership as The Design House Restaurant at Dean Clough.

An excellent lunch in the new Restaurant called ' Churchills '

Then some quick shopping in Elland and Brighouse before taking the Terriers into Shibden Park.Sadly they have to be kept on a lead as otherwise they would chase the Ducks into the Lake

The Week End and Otley Show

Yeadon Air Cadets Band

Catching up after a busy week end
Friday evening we went to a performance at The Actors Workshop Theatre in Halifax by the Studio Group who help the Workshop by raising funds.
A repeat performance of ' A rose between two thorns ' great Northern Humore, sold out as usual

Saturday was the 201st Otley Show. It is the first of the Yorkshire Agricultural Shows to take place and often the weather is poor, but this year if anything it was too hot.I understand that between 16 and 17,000 people attended.

We spent more time in the Members enclosure and watched the Local Horse Judging, clapped at the Airedale Beagles and later the Badsworth Hunt.
These are very popular with the young children who rush into the ring to stroke the hounds.

Last year the 200th Roma presented a new Trophy for the Best Dog in the Dog Show, in memory of her Grandfather Maude Barret, Lawyer of Otley, and one of the first breeders of the Airedale Terrier and Judge at national level.


But this year we failed to make it to the Dogs as our Terriers on a lead were too much to handle on our own for a long walk to the far end of the ground.

The last event we saw was by the Air Cadets Band, they are based near Yeadon, Leeds Bradford Airport.


On our way home we called in for a journey breat at Saltaire, to visit the Chapel which is undergoing more restoration. partly funded by the national Lottery.

Sunday was again HOT and we had lunch at The Travellors Rest Pub in Sowerby and then took the terriers onto Blackwood Common where they can run free.

Thursday 20th

Not so busy today
Roma went to the Halifax Minster, the new name for our ancient Parish Church, where she helps out as a ' welcommer ' for visitors.

The Terriers enjoyed a romp on Norland Moor, but Jessie now knows where to stay digging to try and find some creature under a rock.

This evening we went out to Ripponden but The Fox was not serving food so we tried the Turnpike on Rishworth Moor, it has been much upgraded and the food and attention by the staff was excellent. Quite busy and some Motor Bikers were in the Bar and sitting out on the front tables.
From the front you can watch the traffic on the M62 beyond the Reservoir.

In Ripponden we saw the newly erected ' Blue Plaque ' on a house stating that the Co-op Store was opened here in 1832. It is a project by Ryburn History Group who claim the Co-op was a first before the famous one in Rochdale

YESTERDAY

We went over from Halifax to Kingston Upon Hull, to firstly have coffee with a former Uganda friend and to check the family graves in North Ferriby churchyard, found everything in good order.

Then into the City and found a parking place behind CERUTI's Restaurant where we enjoyed the view over the River Humber from the first floor Dining Room. An excellent place for good FISH.

A quick drive into the centre to locate the new City Archives and History Centre, look forward to a future visit as our family archives which were deposited in the University archives are now amalgamated into this very new and exciting History centre.

Then to Thorngumbald to see cousin Janet. Her garden is as usual most attractive and the Terriers liked the new smells but were stopped from crawling under the fence. Janet always has treats for them when we visit.

On the return we diverted to Swanland, my home village, to buy a loaf of bread and a break to look at the views from the top of Mill Road.

The M62 had been very busy when we started in the morning but by the evening was quieter and we had a clear run home