Yorkshire Family

On our way home from Whitby we stopped at Castle Howard. Castle Howard is not a true castle, but is a stately home 15 miles north of York. This is where "Brideshead Revisted" was filmed. I have never seen that series but I was familiar with the title. The home and grounds were absolutely beautiful. There were very few people around which was a perk of going in the "off season"; we didn't have to deal with huge crowds (of course we hadn't been to London yet). The Howard family are not "titled", it is not the Duke and Duchess or the Earl and Countess...  just Mr. and Mrs. Howard. Many upper-class people open their homes to paying tourists. This is a good way to support the maintenance of the vast grounds and enormous houses. But... enough of Castle Howard and the Howard family... I want to write about my family.

This is my Uncle Derek's castle. Unlike the Howards, I am welcome at this castle anytime and at no charge. You may be surprised to know that there are seven residences within this one building. Derek and Dorothy live at one end of the house. As we approached the house Derek turned into a driveway that seemed to appear out of nowhere. It was a dirt drive that led right along the front of the homes and came out again at the end of the row. One way in... the other way out. The pictures show the back of the houses which face the road. Derek has a beautiful garden which he maintains himself. In England they use the word garden like we use the word yard. Don't you think garden is a lovely word? Much nicer than the word yard. Even the word lovely... is a lovely word. Fortunately for some of the other residents, Derek's garden allotment is larger than just the front of his house. As you can see by the photos, he maintains about half of the property. I mentioned to Uncle Derek that he could come visit us in America and I'd be happy to let him spend some time in my yard, I mean... my garden.
In the close-up picture you get a better view of Derek and Dorothy's house which is on the right. The chimney is the dividing point. The bay window is in the living room. It is actually quite large. At the back of the house is a small kitchen. The window above the bay is the master bedroom. Derek and Dorothy generously gave their room to me and Caitlin. They slept in the spare bedroom (you can see the window to that room and the bathroom in the photo above). The little lean-to-ish part of the house that you can see is where we enter. The entire home is spotlessly immaculate and so cozy. I was impressed that Dorothy dusts and vacuums every day and Derek cleans the church every other Thursday all by himself. The church is spotless as well. Even though they are retired and could sleep in as long as they wanted to, Derek and Dorothy are up and about their day by 6:00 every morning. Derek, who is a tease, renamed Caitlin. Instead of Caitlin Rose Leger, he now called her Caitlin Rose Eventually, as she was the last one up every morning. Dorothy has a small washing machine in the kitchen. When we returned from York on Tuesday Dorothy washed all of mine and Caitlin's dirty clothes. We hung them on a drying rack and when we returned from Whitby on Thursday they were ready to pack.

I love these stone walls that you often see lining the roads in England. That is a farm exactly across the street from Derek and Dorothy's. This is one of the cows that you see at that farm. Very different from the cows we see in America.

My Auntie Mavis and cousin Yvonne came to visit us. Through the years I have only seen Yvonne four times (I'm really grateful for facebook where we can connect with our distant family). Yvonne is a lovely person and I enjoyed our visit. Auntie Mavis has been to visit us in America a few times. Caitlin was so excited that she got to see her in England. When Caitlin was a little girl Auntie Mavis visited our home one day. Caitlin invited her into her bedroom to see her dolls and toys. When Auntie Mavis was ready to leave Caitlin barricaded the door and wouldn't let her out. Although Caitlin doesn't remember that story... Auntie Mavis and I do.

Amid the joy of coming to visit Yorkshire and seeing our loved ones, there comes a time when we have to say goodbye. I am not fond of goodbyes. In the picture at the top of this post we are getting ready to leave for the airport. My eyes were filling with tears, although no one knew it. Saying goodbye to loved ones that we rarely see... or, wonder when we will ever see again is painful. I am so grateful to Uncle Derek and Auntie Dorothy for their goodness. They are great examples to me. I'm grateful that all of my children know them. All three of my boys and now Caitlin have been in their home. They treat us so well and we all love them. They have visited us a few times over the years (you can read about their last visit here). I hope they will come again (after all... my garden awaits). If not, I plan to go back to beautiful.... beautiful, Yorkshire.

Whitby By The Sea

 Twenty-one years ago I sat on a grassy hillside in Whitby over looking the sea. Derek and Dorothy were there on that day, as well as Michael and my parents. My Dad was so happy to be there. He shared memories of his boyhood and coming to Whitby on a school trip (field trip). That day twenty-one years ago is a priceless memory for me. Whenever I remember my visits to Whitby... I will always think of my Dad.

We arrived in Whitby after our day in York. No B&B complications here. We stayed at Number 5 B&B (interesting name) where Derek and Dorothy have stayed before (and have been back since Caitlin and I were with them). Caitlin and I stayed on the top floor in the room where you can see the iron railing around the window. Derek and Dorothy were in the room directly underneath us (that is the room where Alan, Marivic, and AJ stayed 2 years ago). The breakfast room is the one at the very bottom; two floors below Derek and Dorothy.

I loved our room at Number 5 B&B. It was spacious, clean and homey; the bathroom was fully equipped and big enough to move around in; we each got our own bed, there was a fireplace, and packets of Cadbury hot chocolate and lovely biscuits. Most important of all (at least to Caitlin) was the free wi-fi. I admit... I liked the wi-fi too. Caitlin always shared her ipad with me so I could message Michael and post updates on facebook, which was a lot of fun.

The houses and shops in Whitby start at sea level and wind their way up the hill to the cliffs on top (depicted in the last photo). That evening we walked down hill through narrow, winding streets and past the shops (every thing closes early) towards the sea. Being April, the streets of this seaside community were not filled with many people. We found a nice restaurant to eat in and then walked to the pier. It was cold and windy. I was afraid we would be blown out to sea. Uncle Derek teased Caitlin with stories of Dracula (Whitby is connected to Dracula), especially when a strange looking character with a long black cloak kept appearing. Caitlin was sufficiently spooked.

The next morning we again walked the streets of Whitby, this time popping in and out of the shops. I loved the homemade sign on this store window indicating that they were closed on Sunday "Not Sunday The Lord's Day". I liked that.

I couldn't get enough of the streets and houses in all of the little English towns and communities we visited. When we'd seen all we could in Whitby we drove to the ruins of Whitby Abbey which are situated on the top of a cliff.

I was disappointed that even the ruins of an abbey cost money to get into. We decided not to go inside, which in the ruins of an abbey are actually... outside. The abbey is an impressive sight from any direction. The picture at the bottom I swiped from the internet. Isn't it beautiful? Anyone know what famous sea Captain learned seamanship in Whitby?

The Noble Duke of York

I love York! And now Caitlin loves York, and I'm happy that she does! It is always a must to visit York whilst in England. I was so pleased that as we drove into the car park (parking lot) that it was familiar to me. I knew that when we left the car park we would walk along a river and in which direction we would walk. Familiarity feels good.

We had come to Britain with winter clothes... at least I had. The weather in England was beautiful, often quite hot and I wished I had brought lighter clothing. The temperature in York that day was much cooler (actually cold) and the wind blew.

Our first stop was the open marketplace which was an immediate hit with Caitlin. Afterwards we went to my favorite eating place in York... Petersgate Fisheries. But it was no longer Petersgate it was now called Drakes. The fish 'n chips were still fabulous. Afterwards we headed to York Minster. Caitlin and I went into the Minster which is one of the largest cathedrals in Northern England. You used to be able to go in and make a donation if you chose, now, you are required to pay to enter. It is not cheap. Every hour on the hour a prayer is offered. We stopped as did everyone else and reverently listened to the prayer (I said "amen" but I'm not sure anyone else did... oh well, that's what I do). There is something stirring about being in a catheral in England and hearing the one offering the prayer asking God to bless the people of Boston. This was just two days after the tragedy at the Boston Marathon.

Christmas Angels is another favorite in York. I remember telling a dear friend years ago that she must go into Christmas Angels when she visited York. I remember her telling me when she came back from her trip, that while in the shop she thought, "Lesley was here." It's an interesting thought process to consider while thousands of miles from your home... this time I remembered, "Janet was here."

Doesn't this look just like a Dickens village? I love the shops, the cobblestone streets, the windows and doors, the signs, those three people in the picture.

My mother told me to have a cream donut while in England. Caitlin and I were standing on the street and turned around and there was a bakery right in front of us. There is no bakery like a British bakery and no cream like the fresh cream in Britain... at least none I have ever tried. I can now cross while-in-England-eat-a-cream-donut-for-your-mother off the bucket list.

When we returned to the car park after a wonderful afternoon in York, we found a duck sitting on it's nest. We watched it for several minutes. Derek and Dorothy are real animal lovers and enjoyed it. I actually didn't mind and took a few pictures. Caitlin I fear, may be more afraid of birds than me. Just look at the picture at the top of this post (birds in the background) and the look on her face. There are a lot, and I mean a LOT of birds at some of the touring sights in England.

Just for fun! 10 pts. if you can tell me who the Duke of York is (no googling).

Some Things Are Meant To Be

After our wonderful day in Liverpool we drove to Southport; a beautiful seaside resort town where the only part of the sea we saw... is what you see in the picture. Apparently we had to walk across that bridge quite a distance to get a view of the actual seaside.

Derek and Dorothy had made reservations for the four of us to stay at a Bed and Breakfast in Southport. I have stayed in B&B's in England before and looked forward to it with anticipation. They are usually old farmhouses or townhouses that have been converted into B&B's (someday I will write a post about the old farmhouse where I stayed in 1997). They are comfortable, homey, in-expensive, and every morning you are served a traditional English breakfast, which in my opinion is part of the whole experience.

When we arrived in Southport we turned onto a street lined with townhouses which had all been converted into B&B's. Uncle Derek easily found the address where we had reservations and he and I went to the door. We were quite surprised when the people who came to the door adamantly claimed that we had no reservation there, AND they had no available rooms. There was another B&B down the street with a similar name, certainly our reservation was there... or so they said. We were very confused, and I think we maybe should have felt a little insulted. We easily found the other house and went to the door. When no one answered  Dorothy and I peered into the front window. It was obvious that no one was home, and even if they were, by the looks of the house they were not expecting company. Dorothy, being a proper English woman, has a meticulously spotless house and was not willing to stay at this house, so... we headed down the street looking for "vacancy" signs.

We stopped at a house just a few doors from the previous and were delighted to find that there were vacancies. We were warmly welcomed by a woman named Chris who is probably a few years older than me. She was friendly, kind, and genuine, the kind of person who endeared herself to you immediately. Uncle Derek quickly engaged in conversation with Chris telling her of our frustration with our mixed-up-reservation situation. Chris listened intently and sympathetically. I went to the car to retrieve luggage and when I returned found Uncle Derek talking to Chris about the church. Chris had explained that she had seen a program on TV about "the Mormons" after finding out that Caitlin and I were visiting from Utah. She herself was a religious woman (not of the LDS faith) and found the LDS values to be very admirable. I will insert here that my Uncle Derek is the salt of the earth; a humble and faithful man. Derek talked openly about the church and our beliefs and Chris listened respectfully. Once we were upstairs in our room I quietly told Caitlin that I had a copy of The Book of Mormon with me. Her response was, "you have to give it to Chris!" I agreed.

That evening the four of us went to dinner and then walked around the town. Uncle Derek was certain that we were meant to stay at Chris's, that it wasn't just chance. It certainly did seem that way. As we walked and talked I was silently pondering how I was going to give Chris The Book of Mormon.

I think that someone who is a proprietor in a place like a B&B has to be a people person. When we arrived at breakfast the following morning Chris greeted each of us by name. As she served us our conversation with her was friendly. Soon it was time to gather our bags and prepare to leave. I knew the time was at hand and I knew I had to give her the book privately. 

When it was time to go I stayed in the background as Derek, Dorothy and Caitlin all hugged Chris and said goodbye. As they walked out the door and it was my turn, I handed her the blue paperback copy of The Book of Mormon giving her a brief explanation. "Oh Lesley, thank you!" was her gracious response as she kissed both of my cheeks and hugged me. By her expression of gratitude you would have thought that I had given her the best gift ever; which I did... she really just didn't know it.

As Caitlin and I walked down the street side by side I shared with her what had occurred. I told her how gracious Chris had been. I told her that Chris may choose to open the book and read it, or it could be placed on a shelf and maybe not opened for ten years. I explained that a seed had been planted, and I was grateful that I had brought The Book of Mormon with me and that I had been given the opportunity to share it.

Ticket To Ride

Caitlin and our very experienced tour guide. He showed us a picture on his phone of him and Paul McCartney and he was in a movie about the Beatles.

I have never been a Beatles fan. One Christmas when I was in high school my parents gave me a cassette recorder/player and a Beatles cassette tape to play in it. I couldn't understand why they chose to give me a recording of the Beatles. I loved the Osmonds. I didn't love the Beatles. I'm still not die-hard Beatles fan, but... after listening to my husband rehearse and perform in a Beatles tribute band for a dozen or so years, I have certainly come to appreciate and even love their music.

While still in the early planning stages of our trip Caitlin expressed the desire to visit Liverpool. That desire was made a reality on Monday April 15, which also happened to be my 36th wedding anniversary (if I couldn't be with my husband on our anniversary... at least I was visiting a place that made me think of him all day long). We arrived at the Liverpool docks where we did some souvenir shopping and ate lunch (my first official fish & chips on the trip). Uncle Derek knew where the Cavern Club was, so after eating our lunch we began a long walk from the docks into town. It wasn't very crowded at the docks but as we got into the town, or rather it was a city, the streets and sidewalks were much busier. At this point I was a little concerned. Liverpool was a big city. Although we were headed to the Cavern Club, I knew there were many more Beatles sites to see... but we didn't know where they all were. While these thoughts were running through my mind, suddenly I looked over and parked on the curb right in front of my eyes was a Magical Mystery Tour bus. After a quick consultation with Caitlin I headed over to the bus where I inquired as to how we could take the tour. The guide told us that the tour left twice daily (11:30 and 2:00) from the docks where we would need to return to purchase our tickets. We checked the time and it was almost 1:30. Derek and Dorothy had gone ahead of us so I quickly hurried to catch up and tell them that Caitlin and I were going to take the tour. They had no desire to go on the tour but were quite pleased for us to do so. We quickly made a plan to meet back at the car later, then Caitlin and I hurried back towards the docks we had started from. We hadn't gotten very far when I thought I heard our family whistle. When I turned I saw Uncle Derek rushing towards us through the crowds bringing a contribution of twenty pounds ($30-ish) towards our bus fares. We arrived back at the docks where we purchased our tickets in plenty of time.

For the next couple of hours we toured the beautiful city of Liverpool and heard stories about the Beatles from a very knowledgeable tour guide. We saw the birthplaces and childhood homes of the Fab Four. Many of the Beatles songs were written and rehearsed in Paul McCartney's childhood home. We stood on the sidewalk in front of that home, which was an ordinary house on an ordinary street. We saw Strawberry Field and Penny Lane as well as schools and churches and other places that are significant to the Beatles. The tour ended at the Cavern Club where Caitlin and I spent about a half-hour. It was amazing to be there (who would have thought I'd ever care). There was a performer on the stage and people were enjoying their drinks in the dimly lit room. It wasn't very big and it was definitely loud. It was awesome!! We looked around and then purchased some souvenirs. I had to buy Mike and Andy T-shirts from the Cavern Club as well as some guitar picks for Mike. When we felt satisfied we had "seen it all" we walked back to the docks where we found Uncle Derek and Auntie Dorothy waiting for us.

Since my return home people have asked me what were some of my trip highlights. I always include without hesitation Liverpool and the Magical Mystery Tour. I would go there again in a heartbeat but next time Michael will be going with me. And one more thing... I'm a bit closer to becoming a Beatles fan than I was before taking the Magical Mystery Tour. They were just four boys that wanted to make music. 

This is the childhood home of Paul McCartney where many Beatles songs were written and rehearsed.

This is the birthplace of George Harrison. This home doesn't have a plaque because he hasn't been dead for twenty years.

This is the childhood home of John Lennon (notice the blue plaque, he was famous and has been dead for more than twenty years). His mother was hit and killed by a bus in front of this house.

A Yorkshire Rose

The White Rose of York is an adopted symbol of all of Yorkshire which we refer to as the Yorkshire Rose. I'm a sentimental person. When Caitlin was born a year after Michael and I visited England in 1992 I felt that Rose was the perfect middle name for a part English/Irish little girl that was born on St. Patrick's Day. Caitlin Rose. See what I mean? After recently spending time in Yorkshire together I found out that the Yorkshire Rose is named after her.... at least, according to Caitlin it is.

We spent six days with my Uncle Derek and Auntie Dorothy traveling through Yorkshire and other places ("other places" will be on another post). Our first full day in England was a Sunday. Caitlin and I attended church with Derek while Dorothy prepared us a lovely Yorkshire dinner which partly consisted of... Yorkshire pudding of course. My dad was born and raised in Yorkshire so after dinner we took a drive to see important "dad/granpa" landmarks. This is where my dad went to school, played football (soccer), sang in the church choir, joined the LDS church, worked hard, and as a young boy he helped take care of  his two younger siblings while his widowed mother and older siblings went to work. It is an emotional experience to walk the streets that my dad walked, thousands of miles from where he lives now in what seems like a lifetime ago. If you are blessed to know my dad you know of his gift of a sense of humor. Before leaving on our trip he reminded us to be sure and take time to polish the plaque situated on the house where he was born. I learned something in England. You don't get a plaque on your house until you've been dead twenty years... and you're famous. John Lennon's house has a plaque. He's famous and has been dead for more than twenty years. Dad... you don't yet qualify for a plaque.

After our drive to visit our family landmarks we went for a walk. It was one of the most beautiful walks I've ever been on. It was a quiet Sunday afternoon. We didn't see more than a couple of people as we walked along a sleepy street which included two homes that Dorothy had lived in as she grew up. Dorothy shared stories of her life growing up in this beautiful place. We walked downward on a dirt road to a park that had tall, bare trees, a statue, and two lakes. Top lake and bottom lake. I could only imagine the beauty when the trees would be in full bloom. There was also a very large, old brick building that had once housed a fine arts college (Caitlin wants to sign-up). I was amazed at how quiet and peaceful it was but Derek and Dorothy assured me that once the summer season arrived there would be plenty of people enjoying that beautiful park. They are very fortunate indeed. I love Yorkshire. It's in my blood.