September 2025

September seems to have passed by in the blink of an eye, I don't know where these months are going. The temperature has most definitely dropped now, the mornings are rather chilly but we're still getting some beautiful days too. I've resisted putting the heating on so far but it feels just a matter of time now before I do.

We've had more lovely days out this month. We visited York to see The Ghosts in the Gardens trail which is in full swing at the moment. I have to say that they do look ethereal, very ghost-like. It just depends how the light falls on them as to how you see them, one minute they can look like a solid form but take another step or two, or if the light changes, and they look hardly there. The trail began in 2021 with just ten sculptures, now there's sixty. We didn't manage to find them all but we enjoyed what we saw. The monthly food festival in Ilkley is a lovely day out with so many great stallholders as well as the towns independent shops to look round so we had a trip there this month and came home with some lovely goodies. 

It was Heritage Open Days during September where many buildings, sites and gardens open their doors for free. We took advantage of this offer and visited somewhere I've been wanting to look inside for a long time, Shibden Hall in Halifax. This was the home of Anne Lister 1791-1840, a Yorkshire landowner, traveller, mountaineer and diarist. Her diaries detailed her life and financial concerns, her work improving Shibden Hall, and her lesbian relationships, which she wrote about in code. We've visited many times, but always when we've had Archie with us so we've never been inside the hall before. The popular BBC historical drama, Gentleman Jack, is based on the true story of Anne Lister and much of it was filmed at Shibden Hall, though I have to say that I was expecting something quite different after watching the series. It was grander than I anticipated, quite dark because of the wood panelling as you could see in the series, but there were beautiful carvings in the wood. The stained glass windows in the housebody are quite fascinating with glass panels which were taken from churches in York dating back 700 years decommissioned under Henry VIII. There was good, detailed information about everything on show. It was a really interesting day out.

It was my birthday on the 3rd. It was a Wednesday, which meant it was a day I was looking after Jack so I decided I'd like a quiet day at home, no family meal out this year, though Mick and I did go out for breakfast with Jack in tow. Everyone came round in the evening after work, which was lovely. I received some really wonderful cards and gifts, the ones above were from my lovely friend Maggie who blogs at BlackCountry Wench, she always spoils me. Who knew there was a salted caramel version of Bournville, absolutely delicious!

I've read six books this month.

I wasn't sure I'd enjoy The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah, I don't know very much about American history so I wasn't sure this book was for me. How wrong could I be, I absolutely loved it. The story takes us back to the 1930s and the American Dream on a farm on the Great Plains. When drought and dust storms shatter that dream, Elsa and her children must fight for survival. I didn't know anything about the Dust Bowl and this period in history, how millions of people were displaced with many seeking better lives in California. Elsa is such a strong woman, as I'm sure many women of this time had to be in order to survive. I wholeheartedly recommend this book.

I'm continuing to read the books in the Dr Ruth Galloway series by Elly Griffiths. The Dark Angel takes us away from Norfolk, this time to a village in Italy where Ruth has been asked to look at some bones, she's a forensic archeologist, but many of the recurring characters are there too. Another great read.

I'm not really into science fiction but I thought I'd give The Time Machine by HG Wells a go. It's a relatively short book so it did manage to hold my attention and I found the story engaging. Written at the end of the nineteenth century, the message conveyed in the book is as relevant now as it was then.

Another Ruth Galloway book by Elly Griffiths, The Stone Circle took us back to Norfolk where Nelson and Ruth had a cold case to solve, that of a murdered child. Another character, which will become a regular, came onto the scene in this book, and a big questions left at the end of the last book finally got answered. Another enjoyable read.

Someone on Instagram recommended All Things Consoled by Elizabeth Hay, a Canadian novelist. This book is a memoir about her parents and it won the 2018 Hilary Weston Writers' Trust award for non-fiction. It was an interesting read, the author having a complicated relationship with her parents but taking on their care as they aged, her mother suffering from dementia. Written with honesty and compassion.

A Terrible Kindness by Jo Browning Wroe is the author's debut novel and one of the best books I've read so far this year. The book begins with the terrible true events of 1966 in a small Welsh village called Aberfan when a colliery spoil tip slid down the hillside and landed on a school killing 116 children and 28 adults. Newly qualified embalmer, William Lavery is asked to help but he doesn't realise just how the disaster will affect him long term. The story then goes back to when William was ten and the circumstances which brought him to this moment. It's an emotional read from the start but it does have its lighthearted moments too. Beautifully written, a huge thumbs up.

I'd been waiting for Wool Warehouse to have their Drops Super Sale as I wanted some Drops Merino Extra Fine to knit a couple of sweaters for Jack. The sale has been on throughout the month so I bought two different colours which Eleanor chose. One of them looks like a grey here but it's actually a lovely sage green. I also got a couple of balls of King Cole Cherished for another cardigan for him. I'm hoping I can get cracking before too long. My crafting time has taken a huge hit now that I look after Jack three days each week.

As soon as the nights start drawing in we begin to get all the new autumn series on TV. We don't watch very much TV but Strictly Come Dancing is back and that's one thing we do watch. I don't have a clear favourite as yet but it's fun to watch how each of the contestants progress week on week. All Creatures Great and Small is also back, another favourite. It's filmed in the Yorkshire Dales so I enjoy watching to see which places I can recognise. Two good old-fashioned shows where all the family can sit down and watch together.

So we're now well into autumn though I know from past experience that October can produce some beautiful days still, I'm hoping that it does. I'm saying goodbye to September with a chest infection, which is annoying as I've got something very exciting coming up in the next couple of days, more of which I'll tell you about in my next post.

Birthday Freebies

It was my birthday at the beginning of the month and these days, having a birthday can be lucrative. So many companies entice you into having their loyalty apps by promising freebies on your birthday, along with offers and discounts at other times throughout the year. I'm not one to look a gift horse in the mouth so I thought I'd show you what I received from a few of the companies whose apps I use.

Marks & Spencer's Chocolate Truffles are one of my favourite chocolates so I was thrilled that my gift from them was a box of these. I went for the dark chocolate ones. I could have opted to have a punnet of grapes instead but they wouldn't have been nearly as delicious. Marks & Spencer change the gifts on offer, at the end of August Jacob's gift was some biscuits, and a couple of weeks before that, Mick's birthday gift was a tub of Mini Bites.

Costa gifted me a sweet treat of my choice, which is clever as I'm sure most customers will buy a cup of tea or coffee, or even a meal, at the same time as claiming their birthday gift. Yes, they scored on that account as both Mick and I ordered a drink, but we shared the cake, as we often do anyway. The Sicilian Lemon Muffins are delicious.

A sweet treat was also my birthday gift from Greggs. This time I went for a triple chocolate muffin. Mick still had his birthday freebie to claim so both of our treats were free on this occasion, we just paid for the drinks. The chocolate muffin wasn't as nice as the lemon muffin we'd had in Costa, but it was nice to have another sweet treat gifted.

I received a free doughnut from Krispy Kreme. I absolutely love their doughnuts but I don't have them often as I think they're rather expensive, (and calorific!), so this really was a treat. I usually choose the Nutty Chocolatta.

Hobbycraft gifted me a £5 voucher and Mick kindly gave me the voucher he got when it was his birthday so I had £10 to spend. I'm not really a fan of the yarn they sell, there isn't a lot of choice, but I picked up four 50g balls of Wendy Peter Pan DK. They cost £3.30 per ball so I only had £3.20 to pay and I'll be able to knit a jumper or cardigan for Jack.

I'm sure you'll agree that I did very well in terms of gifts from the companies in my phone. I know people who download apps just to receive the freebies, and there are many other companies who give gifts on birthdays, but these are apps I use anyway so it's always nice to have a little treat from them every once in a while, and especially on your birthday. It's time to get back to some healthy eating now, I've had far too many treats just lately.

Mum's Cross Stitch

My mum was a knitter, whatever she made was beautiful because she always paid attention to detail and it showed. She wasn't a sewer though she did all the mending of clothes, including darning holey socks. She never really enjoyed any craft other than knitting though. 

Except, that is, for a short time many years ago when she bought herself a cross stitch kit and gave that a go. I know she was enjoying working on it but I also remember her struggling with her eyesight as she was stitching so perhaps that's the reason she put it down without finishing it.

When my mum died in 2019, my dad came across the unfinished piece and asked if I wanted it. Of course, I said yes. I remember bringing it home with me, I took it out of the bag it had been kept in and I just couldn't look at it, it made me so upset remembering my mum happily stitching away. It was put away again until just recently when I finally got it out and looked at it properly. It isn't finished but there isn't all that much to do, just part of the badger, and the far left side of the bench and grass.

It's not really a design I'd have chosen to stitch but I thought it would be nice to finish it off. The aida is very grubby, I suppose that's the result of it being stashed away for all these years, so I think it will need a good soak once finished, I just hope it doesn't spoil it. 

It's a while now since I've done any cross stitching but I've recently had the urge to pick it up again so I shall start with this piece and see if I can get it finished, it would be nice to complete it in memory of my mum. 

August 2025

It wasn't the best of starts to August as I came down with a sickness bug. Eleanor had been sick at work on the Tuesday and continued to be ill once home, Jack was sick later that evening, Jacob was sick during the night, Mick started with the bug on the Thursday and I succumbed on the Friday. Daniel and Jasmine had gone to the Edinburgh Fringe that weekend and they got it too, luckily not quite as bad as the rest of us. I think it may have been something which Eleanor picked up at a baby group as her friend's little girl was sick too. It lasted a couple of days.

We've had some lovely days out this month, Temple Newsam Farm with Jack, and Kettlewell Scarecrow Festival, both of which I wrote about in previous posts, as well as Whitby. I enjoyed getting my Yorkshire Dales fix as well as some sea air.

It was Mick's birthday on the 14th, this is now his last year in his fifties, the big 6 0 next year. We enjoyed a really lovely meal out. We have a very good Italian restaurant within walking distance of our house and they do the best lasagna I've every tasted. We've also enjoyed some coffees (him) and teas (me) out, with sweet treats included too, of course.

I've read two books this month.

The Chalk Pit by Elly Griffiths is the ninth book in the Dr Ruth Galloway series and probably my favourite so far, though it's hard to choose really as they're all so good. I keep saying this one or that one was my favourite as I work my way through them, they just seem to get better and better. I really enjoy the mysteries but the characters and the complicated lives they lead are as equally fascinating. There's another development between Nelson and Michelle in this book which will definitely set the cat among the pigeons.

I'm still enjoying reading the classics and The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins is one I picked up this month. It's quite a hefty book but it kept me intrigued and engrossed the whole way through. It's so well written and has definitely stood the test of time. I sometimes wonder how a particular book has become a classic because I don't rate it, but I suppose reading is subjective and just because one person likes a particular book, it doesn't mean that everyone will. I definitely give The Woman in White a huge thumbs up and thoroughly recommend it.

The Thursday Murder Club landed on Netflix on Thursday, I've been looking forward to watching it. When I heard who had been cast in the four main roles I thought that Helen Mirren, Celia Imrie and Ben Kingsley were exactly right for the characters of Elizabeth, Joyce and Ibrahim, but I just couldn't see Pierce Brosnan in the role of Ron. I thought he did a good enough job but when I read a book I get a picture of what a character looks like in my head and I just think that someone like Ray Winstone would have made a better Ron. I enjoyed the film but not as much as the book. Mick's never read the books but he enjoyed the film.

Believe it or not, I've seen Christmas paraphernalia being loaded onto the shelves in certain shops. Yes, in the middle of August! I thought I'd better pick up a few autumnal bits to add to my seasonal decor before they clear it out to make room. I love the candles which I picked up in Primark, not a shop I usually visit, so pretty.

I've had a little break from knitting things for Jack but I've now cast on another Baby Aosta Cardigan by The Knit Purl Girl. This will be the fifth one I've knit for him but they fit so well and look lovely on, as well as being cosy, so Eleanor asks for this same pattern each time, just a variation in the colour. I'm knitting this one in King Cole Cherished DK in the Pebble colourway. Jack's growing like a weed, he needs lots of new clothes.

We're now approaching September, my birthday month. I can feel summer slipping away as we head into autumn but I'm still hoping that the lovely weather we've been having will hang on for some time yet. Time will tell.

Something To Crow About

For just over a week during the month of August, the village of Kettlewell in the Yorkshire Dales stages its Scarecrow Festival. This is the thirty first year that it's been held, and we've visited quite a few times. In fact, I've blogged about it before:- Kettlewell Scarecrow Festival, More From Kettlewell and It's Scarecrow Time Again. 

Car parking is just £4 for the day and a trail sheet, if you want one, costs £1. Where else could you have such an entertaining day out in such a beautiful place with the stunning Yorkshire Dales scenery as a backdrop, for the princely sum of £5?

There are different trail sheets for adults and children with a bit of a scarecrow quiz to solve as you make your way around the village, taking in all the scarecrows.

I love that the whole village seems to come together for this event, there are some brilliant creations and there's a wonderful atmosphere. Refreshments are on sale in the village hall, or if you prefer, there's three pubs and a tea parlour.

There are so many scarecrows that I couldn't possibly take photos of them all, so instead, I'll show you just some of my favourites. First up is the Dingle Dangle Scarecrow with his flippy floppy hat. This is one of Jack's favourite songs, we'll definitely have to take him to see the scarecrows when he's a bit older.

Maleficent. I've never seen the film but I knew who she was. There are some scarecrows that I don't recognise but I still enjoy seeing them.

A Chinese dragon. The work that goes into some of these creations is amazing.

I loved this one, a Yorkshireman celebrating Yorkshire Day (which is on the 1st of August) with all things Yorkshire related:- Yorkshire Tea, Tetley's Bitter, Wensleydale Cheese and a Yorkshire Pudding.

Little Red Riding Hood. There's plenty of scarecrows to appeal to children.

There's scarecrows for the adults too. Rob Burrow, rugby league player who sadly died from motor neurone disease last year. This won a judges award.

There was a wonderful scarecrow display commemorating the 80th anniversary of VE Day. The scarecrows here represent each branch of the armed forces.

The civilians are represented too, evacuees being sent away from their parents.

Even Winston Churchill's here. This display won best in show.

If you didn't get a ticket to see Oasis, don't fear, you can catch the boys at Kettlewell.

Or if Oasis aren't your thing, how about Elton John?

I don't think you can have any festival or event these days without Harry Potter popping up somewhere!

Even the church puts on a display of scarecrows, and they're usually excellent. I love this vicar reading his sermon.

This lady is making sure that there's plenty of refreshments for visitors to the church.

The flower arrangers are making sure the church is suitably decorated for harvest festival.

And the choir master is making sure that his choir is well rehearsed.

Another one for the children (or big children!). Mick used to make out that the kids wanted to watch Sponge Bob but I know he secretly wanted to watch himself!

This was my favourite scarecrow. I'm not a fan of Jeremy Clarkson and don't watch Clarkson's Farm, (is that what it's called), but I thought this was brilliant.

A close up of Jeremy himself, I think they've got a pretty good likeness, haha.

The grim reaper, least said.

There were a couple of Peter Pan themed scarecrows, I liked this Tinkerbell.

Oh, don't I know how she feels. Having the need recently to ring Sky about a problem with my account, this could quite easily be me!

I don't know who these two are, do you? They could be me and Mick.

The Scarecrow Festival is over again for another year but if you ever get the chance to go I can thoroughly recommend it. These are just a very small selection of the scarecrows we saw and I'm sure you can tell that a lot of work is put into making them. It takes a good two hours or more to see all on offer, but make sure you leave time for some delicious refreshments too. What a great day out.

Old MacDonald Had A Farm

Three weeks have now passed since Eleanor returned to work after her maternity leave and we've been looking after Jack. I'm trying to think of something nice to do each week while I'm looking after him so last week we decided to visit Temple Newsam Home Farm. It's a place I've visited since I was a child so it was nice to introduce Jack to the animals there.

We were in luck, there were cute piglets, a highlight of any farm visit for me.

What a fancy goose, look at all those beautiful feathers.

There were different types of sheep. One thing this farm is missing is detailed information about the animals, or actually, any information at all about the animals.

Jack was very interested in the cows, and the cows were very interested in Jack, they followed us the whole way along the fence.

The donkey's are always a favourite. There's two at Temple Newsam Farm, the other one was in his shelter.

More piglets. Jack was a little unsure of being so close to them, especially the Tamworth which would insist on poking his snout through the wire. So cute.

There's lots of different types of goats at the farm, big and small, but one thing they have in common is that they all climb.

The donkey paid a little more attention to us on our way back round.

Bless this cow getting comfy in the hay. This is a Vaynol, one of the UK's rarest breeds of cattle. You can read more about them, and see more of the farm, if you click on the link at the start of this post.

I think Jack was a little overawed by it all, but at least he's seen all the animals he sings about on Old MacDonald's Farm.