A Village Green, Crows and Gothic Castles!!

Here is the most delightful Crows Chorus! Wow these guys are super loud and the Jacobean ruin behind them, just adds to the atmosphere...Id love to explore but it is unsafe sadly...so watching from afar is all I can do but oh boy the birds have really made it their home and it is amazing to see and to hear!!

Enjoy the Crows Chorus!!!

So my lovely friends and today again :) it is so lovely in the sunshine!!

Wonderfully refreshing infact, so much so that I have today tidied up my garden and quite enjoyed it as well...my cats were quite keen to venture into the sunshine but not for long.....they are so lazy and prefer to be inside....Couch Cats perhaps? ;)

So I thought I would just share with you the above picture of Slingsby Village Green with its May pole...its really quite a Midsummer Murders Set, is it not ;)

Really thought the sign could not be more appropriate with the lush green grass and space which just invites those Morris dancers and folk singers to be performing music and dance around the May pole...lets hope this Summer that all those lovely traditional events can take place and people can get together again!

I am dreaming of strawberries and cream....ahh blissful days!

True that is a Wimbledon thing but I think but for me it is an anytime treat:)....oh and those little stalls where folk make jam and cakes....irresistible....I have given up trying to say no to all those little divine pots of jam and conserves and do not get me started on Victoria Sponges .... so I just enjoy...why not!!

It's what life is about...live it and enjoy the best bits...cope with the rubbish bits because its going to improve...life does...keep it precious!! Live your best life xx

Now here are two of my more scary girls!! Veronica and Ethel xx

I speak of Halloween because the castle above in the video reminds me of that coming season HALLOWEEN!!!!!!

Anyone who knows me...knows that I am CONSTANTLY waiting for Halloween and all those treats!

Sadly last years trick or treat fest was a bit rubbish but oh boy if Covid gets its marching orders once and for all...Halloween 2021 is going to be spooklylicious superb in my house!!

I made that word up....Sorry dictionary corner ;)

 I love it though...I am so annoying to all around me at that time of year,  however its a time of year...I do not wish to grow up but just dress up and play up!!! 

 Life has to be fun sometimes and witches and wizzards have a life too!!

Have a lovely Sunday my friends where ever you are in the world...be kind..be happy!!

Stay safe and live it well!

Love you all

Mary-Rose XX

Slingsby In The Sun!!

How privileged today we were to venture off route to see this beautiful church and churchyard all lit up in the most amazing warm sunshine....To feel it on our faces was absolutely wonderful and the bird song was magnificent!! 

To have these ancient treasures on our doorstep here in Yorkshire, we are so lucky and they are the gifts that keep giving!

Today I just stood in awe of the beauty that surrounded me, just listening to the bird song and admiring God's house in the sun...looking so bright and alive as if some ancient stonemason had literally just finished the final carving...the church looked both ancient and brand new at the same time...truly breath taking in every way! 

I love to look around the graveyards...on these ancient monuments to the lives of our ancestors....so much history is there to be found...they are often works of art...a unique and ancient carving of words to the deceased...a testament to the life they have lived and their final possession here on this earth.

On ancient churches the carvings done by ancient stonemasons are truly awesome....the tools they used cannot have been perhaps as precise as the ones stonemasons may use today and they must have been working in all sorts of weather to finish the church, yet it is perfection...really a true tribute to God...who I should think would be mightily proud of the craftsmen that built so much beauty, made the stained glass, carved the stone and the wooden pews inside....crafted altars sometimes in gold and silver and lovingly polished the churches holy chalices and flagons etc.....

And here the church stands defiant throughout many centuries...she has seen so much and will see much more....a fortress for the villagers, a home for the swallows and a refuge for the souls....

Please see below for pictures from the beautiful graveyard, I do hope you like them and I hope you can feel some aspect of the beauty, the calm and the peacefulness of this wonderful resting place for our loved ones.

Blessings to everyone tonight 

Yours

Mary-Rose xx 

Two New Friends Today!

Hi Everyone!

I really hope you are having a lovely weekend in the glorious sunshine and lovely weather we have had today and I hope wherever you are in the world, the weather has been good to you!

Today my love of animals and nature was so gifted to me beautifully by meeting a tame blackbird called Fred! He had lots of apple to eat and certainly was unafraid of human company and indeed he adored posing for the camera! 

He was an utterly charming little bird and next time we visit Helmsley, hopefully he will be there!

Then treat number 2 for me, the most beautiful dog with ice blue eyes took a rather lovely liking for me when we called into a tea shop! 

The lady making our sandwiches was quite busy and it took a long time to get our lunch but I was ecstatic, I had this gorgeous dog to stroke and he never left my side, until we had to leave....I probably would have stayed longer if I could have....he was such a darling!

I am really quite nervous outside now and Covid has made that worse...I wondered if he could sense my tension and he came and sat with me, almost to calm me down...I like to think perhaps he was my little saviour and therapy for the afternoon......Bless animals....We are so lucky to have them xx

Sitting with me whilst we wait.....

 

Such a beautiful dog! We will be back for lunch and cuddles soon xx

Spring, Sun and Dolls! Perfect!!

 

One of my lovely dolls contemplating which seeds she should plant....oh decisions, decisions....which should it be ???

Good afternoon my lovely friends, well what a beautiful sunny and really quite warm day we have been gifted by God today! There is an air of excitement, a new beginning, which follows the dark and sad days which we are by the grace of God passing through and emerging into a new year of hope, love abundance of enthusiasm and real joy!

Let us take notice of the emerging and fresh beauty around us, in every new bud and awakening greenery, life springs eternal and love wins battles even against the evils of Covid and the sadness of despondency!

Take a few minutes to yourself...breathe in and out the freshness of the new days air and feel refreshed with life

Beautiful fresh primroses, a lovely delicate pink and vibrant yellow are so cheerful and lovely.

I am so excited to see my Willow tree in bud again and even excited to tidy up my garden after the storms and the snow and ice have taken their toll on my little plants..how amazing it is to see the resilience of nature and the delicacy of it all....So many plants beginning to show promice for the new season!

Amazingly the tiny daffodils that had sadly died on my windowsill have bloomed again outside, even in the snow and ice and the bitter cold, they have defied the odds and regained their golden crowns in the new warmth.

 

The day my grandad AWOL in World War I

May I introduce you to my Grandad Havelock Dillaway Benson!

My Grandfather was in the Royal Army Corps in the Great War! 

The Royal Army Service Corps were often referred to as the unsung heroes of the great War which is a little unfair as they were greatly needed delivering food, equipment and ammunition to the front line.

Much like our couriers of today delivering essentials to us during the lock down and of course also taking risks along the way.

We are very grateful to the delivery drivers of today, indeed valuing these roles now more than ever as I am sure the soldiers on the front line were so pleased to see deliveries of food and clothing.

One thing that Covid has taught us is to value those who give great service and those roles that we may not have considered so important before Covid, we now see just how vital they are and we respect our community workers so much more and give thanks for them in helping us to continue our lives in most respects.

So to the Royal Army Corps, using horse drawn vehicles and motor vehicles, railways and motorways, the ASC performed extraordinary feats of logistics and were one of the great strengths of the organisation by which the war was won.

The ASC was a formation of companies and each did a specific task.

Some of the companies were under the orders of different divisions of the army and the rest were under direct orders of the higher formations of the Corps, Army or the General Headquarters of the army in the theatre of war.

The ASC were part of a lines of communication , however many of the men were not with the ASC companies but attached to other types of units in the army.

For example vehicle drivers and horse transport.

Horse transport for the ASC was the largest section, I suppose with Grandad coming from the country here, he would have a very good knowledge of horses.

Mechanical transport was also another great line of communication.

I think that Grandad did a brilliant job and I am very proud of him.

I also picture a report when Grandad slept in and was in trouble actually losing 7 days worth of pay!

Brutal!

Poor Grandad :(

Squirrel Nutkin, Wendy and the Butterflies!

Remember these guys from the good old 1970s sitcoms! I have to admit to having an absolute devotion to Wendy Craig, something to do with Wendy reading to me as a tiny child from a record Mum put on at bedtime!! I think it was Beatrix Potter stories and the voice of Squirrel Nutkin as read by Wendy Craig was pure legend....I can still hear her now...as I would drift off to sleep in a usually freezing cold fire station house in Sheepsfoot hill! here in Malton.

   

 (Sadly this is her but not Beatrix Potter; the album is pictured below) 

The trains would be in the distance and the sound of Wendy chattering away in my ears!

No idea where my mother went while Wendy was reading my bedtime stories but perhaps to get a cuppa....bless you mum xx

Note to oneself, on complaining of the cold though, Mary-Rose....remember Sheepsfoot fire station house and the icicles on the inside of the room...oh yes those 1970 winters were absolutely nithering! (Yorkshire for blummin cold)!! Many times dad had to dig us out of the snow!

Anyway to explain to my good readers that I am studying bible type stuff and I thought I would share with you my thoughts to the heavenly one about my precious Wendy Craig!

I hope you enjoy my little essay and I wish you all a dreamy night and stay warm and cosy xx

Mary-Rose xx

My prayer

Father

I would like to offer up a prayer for the gift of flourishment!

At the start of my year…. I was not a gifted cook and I would super stress inside the kitchen…. I am a

little scared of cooking…. unfortunately, many years ago some trauma with a cooking lesson at

school….one which cannot be mentioned…. although Father you know my forgetfulness and the

accidental burning of the pan handle….

I could mention the near possibility of burning down the school home economics room….and father

you know the shame this bought to my mother….and the detention with many lines that came to

me…. line 1…you will not burn our school down…. repeat!

However, after the offer of extra art lessons and no further admittance to the school kitchen, the

cookery teacher and my mother were suitably calmed and life carried on.

I wonder if anyone can remember the sitcom, Butterflies and lovely Wendy Craig who played

housewife Ria from the 1970s…. Ria was my hero…Ria was pretty and she burnt dinner and she was

still loved…I wanted to be Ria…..even if it meant uncooked Turkey…Ria was cool.

Father, you know that despite the disastrous cooking and the paranoia of folk around me, if I even

thought of trying anything adventurous in the kitchen, lips would be pursed and tut tuts

emitted…however father you knew that I would try to be a little better eventually and this sad and

tragic year, the Covid year, was the time Ria has finally taken a backseat and Mary-Rose has got her

baking hat on….

Father, I am pleased to say that I have flourished in the kitchen…I have baked….I have cooked many

different meals and most importantly they tasted okay….sorry Ria…you may not be my hero

anymore and I may just have grown up a little bit now but my cake is good….it sits expectantly under

a coating of port and sherry……waiting for the crown of marzipan and Icing….no cherry on top but a

tiny little Christmas Robin awaits his perch on top of my Christmas Cake….

Mother would finally be proud and my cookery teacher surprised!

Ria you are my hero secretly but I am glad I made this cake….it is a new beginning and my flourish

moment

Father you are the reason I can do the things I do and I do them in love for you….

My Malton when I was Three and the unfortunate incident of the escalator

 

Hey everyone! 

I hope you are all well on this very windy and stormy Wednesday afternoon!

I love looking at historical videos if they exist and photos of the places that I have loved and lived and Malton does not disappoint in this respect.

I have blogged this video for you all to look at, its the 1970s Malton that I remember so well and the reason for the escalator mention is a shopping trip I made with mum to Woolworth's and much to her horror I took a tumble down the escalator...leading to a lifetime horror of moving staircases and the like! Think it was Woolies that had the escalator or was it another shop? Does anyone remember the escalator and shopping in Woolies.

Mum was not too sympathetic and I WAS IN TROUBLE despite my protestations.

Still its a memory, just like the purchase of my very first wellies at Yates! Oh boy, how proud was I of those boots!

Many years ago when I used to take my little ones to the coast on the coast liner...the bus would pass and still does Mr Yates' shop and I used to say hey that's where I got my first wellies from and it became a standing joke with my children and eventually they took the trip so often that they would say it first and spoil my pleasure!! Kids huh!!

Catch you later Guys xx

 

Marriage, fathers and ancestors!

Thank you to my cousin Maureen for access to family photos I am sharing my first wedding photo because I love it and it is part of my history..most of all because here is my most wonderful father, so charming in his penguin suit as he called it and my lovely god mother Gina to the right of my father!

My father absolutely had a ball at my wedding, he was a real ladies man and could charm anyone and anything in of course the best possible taste,  and he knew he looked his best that day and he worked it! 

If anyone at all recognises my father,do let me know...I am researching as much as I can about him, as I am hoping to write a book about my father and his wonderful life!

Here are images of my past relatives, I hope you enjoy them,  although I am not quite sure who they all are and in relation to me who they are but Wow for anyone who is interested in fashion and history, these photos speak much of the fashion and imagery of the times and the expressions are so beautiful.

I am completely blown away by old photographs....people try now to look unique with filters here and there and I have fallen victim to it too...is this a better light etc and altering features, putting on dog noses etc ;)

However here with I guess very basic photography methods, the faces speak a thousand words in one expression and the glimpse into the past is just phenomenal!

This lady is again beautiful!

 Again I am breathless and completely drawn into her countenance and the cross she is wearing is just fabulous!! I realise now where I get my love for fashion and uniqueness.

Here we have classic Victorian fashion, of all my favourite times in history, the Victorians have it for me every time!

 They were inventive, extraordinary, built the most amazing buildings ever! They had Queen Victoria, Isambard Kingdom Brunel, Jack The Ripper, although not such an amazing claim to fame for Jack, still completely fascinating to me! I love my crime dramas ;)

Not to mention their bizarre elements and other extremes....for another article perhaps....

To finish, here is another lady who is utterly beautiful...we share the same thick hair that is for sure and I just love her smile, although not a huge smile, its a face that says open, read me....I want to know more and she is utterly engaging!

Ladies of my family and extended family and other ancestors, I salute you for your amazing beauty and for your part in my  history and Gosh! you had good taste in clothes.....Thank you !!!!!

Love from your relative

Mary-Rose xx

 

Malton's Attention to Detail

Was struck by the great attention to detail in Malton when walking by the river bank.  Have traveled all over Europe and towns either have it or they don't. Malton has more than almost all- you can see it underfoot here but also in the shop windows and the architecture.

Map of Malton

St Gilbert, who lived to be 106 and whose order, the Gilbertines, ran the priory at Old Malton, now the parish church.  More about him in another post.

Fish who were swimming here for real a few days ago

The horses which make Malton and Norton unique

Spring is almost, almost, almost with us.

Thank goodness the flooding is past

Beautiful Castle Howard on a Wet Day

 

Few people could not be moved to wonderment at the first glimpse of Castle Howard from across the Lake. As you travel towards the stately home, you feel an absolute burst of excitement!

I have loved Castle Howard all my life from first hearing of its wonders from my father who as station officer at the fire station here in Malton had the wonderful job of inspecting all the fire safety procedures within the great house....my father liked to say how he had taken tea there ;)-

I am sure that he would have loved that treat very much!

I also remember but the memories are vague so please feel free to correct me if I am wrong but Lady Howard had a little dress shop here in Malton at some point in the 1970's. My mum was particularly fond of it and many a frock was purchased for me to my horror, I am sure the frocks were just beautiful but I really liked my flares and t'shirts at the time, being very much a Tom Boy!

As Horace Walpole, the writer and politician said in 1772,  "Nobody had informed me that I should at one view see a palace, a town, a fortified city, temples on high places, woods worthy of being each a metropolis of the druids, vales connected to hills by other woods, the noblest lawn in the world fenced by half the horizon , and a mausoleum that would tempt one to be buried alive ;in short I have seen gigantic places before but never a sublime one. "

Amazing description of one so beautiful, the noble and breath taking Castle Howard!

Above are serene and beautiful pictures of just a few things to see when lock-down ends and the house opens up for visitors.

At the moment though the grass is so green and magical and the water calm, the swans and other birds have their peace and the natural world blooms in early spring time or very nearly....snowdrops abound and the birds are beginning possibly look for a mate in the heaven of their homes....new life will flourish and joy will abound in this metropolis of beauty.