The Garden Fence - proper Old Style support and chat!

Floss

Oh I love this thread!

monnagran

So do I Floss.  It encourages the sort of stupity that is the breath of life to me.

burtha, by the time you get down here I think you will be well past the cup of tea and local delicacy stage.  A stretcher and intravenous gin seems to be more appropriate.

THOUGHT FOR TODAY 

Once in a while, in the middle of an ordinary life, love gives us a fairy tale.

Doveling

Pollyanna - quite near to Tatton. Always go to the RHS flower show there. When my MIL comes down from Aberdeen (MrD is a Scot), I take her to the charity shops in Alderley Edge. She comes out aghast that people will put their names down on a waiting list for a handbag. And nothing in there to fit me  as I am sadly not a WAG size 8 

mothernerd

VJsmum said:

I'm in the middle, burtha so you could stop in each direction?  I could offer you a staffordshire oatcake and a Tamworth pig and we're not too far from a bakewell pudding (never a tart!).

I was so disappointed when we stopped at Tamworth services and there wasn't a pig in sight. I wasn't expecting real ones (like the sheep grazing on the large roundabouts in Wales) but pictures, motifs anything - no just the usual blandness, M'n'S, Smiths and Greggs.
So Burtha, Carlisle. Follow the Carlisle to Settle railway (hop on and off and do your daily runs around the places of interest), Appleby (where the gypsy horse fair is held), small castle, rare breeds station (lots of sheep and pigs and an assortment of other animals, I have photos of the boys with owls, chipmunks and lots of pink flamingos), the pub by the station does b'n'b and an excellent roast in a plate sized Yorkshire pud, served in the garden (a real, long thin garden with the odd table here and there not a concrete slab outdoor eatery).
Kirby Stephen -lots of good walking/ running country
Settle was a glorious huddle of up and down and round streets, many antique shops (if you can look without being tempted to buy) filled with the contents of nearly every farmhouse in Yorkshire (good for those 'we/ my grandma used to have one of those' moments - mangles, tin baths, milk churns, lots of lovely furniture and treen)
and the railway itself with 17 viaducts plus aqueducts, Gill Force and glorious scenery everywhere.
Lake district - I spent a lovely week in Keswick in 2019. I had been ill (just run down and generally under par) so I skipped most of the day trips and just pottered around Keswick, walking down to Derwent water, a lovely park with lots of seats (you won't need them) and a dog friendly cafe (the dog menu was higher up than the children's menu). The whole place is a doggy paradise. As soon as the shops on the high street close at 5 pm there's a two hour promenade of people walking their dogs and two shops specialising in outdoor gear for dogs (including bespoke), even ski wear for dogs.

At some point you need to cross to our side of the Pennines. The Forest of Bowland is lovely, lots of folk stories. Definitely give Morecambe a miss (although it was having a major revamp when I last went their - to inspect sea defences). Carnforth is a good alternative, especially the station with it's David Lean museum. Head to Lancaster and follow the Witches trail down to Pendle heritage centre and then west towards Leigh (that's where I am). Although we are post industrial, outside of the towns there is plenty of open country and 'farmland' (mostly big houses and winding lanes where the people with money live). If you come in at the posh end of Wigan Borough (the border with Lancashire) you can run alongside the canal all the way to Leigh, passing 'The Road to Wigan Pier' heritage centre and wildlife/ bird sanctuaries with many rare visitors at both the Wigan (Scotsman's flash) end and our end (the Flash - both are the results of old mine workings, the land collapses and fills to make a 'lake). I'm currently living in mum's bungalow which is a couple of fields from our flash and country park (and there are steps down from the canal bank at the entrance to mum's street). 

After you have visited us you have a choice of heading towards south Manchester (again there is a farmland/ open country route through Cheshire (Glazebury, Cadishead) to either go towards the Peak District or to Chester , which is a good place to detour through Wales (North specifically) but whoever takes over your journey after me can guide you there.

pollyanna_26

Well you're very active burtha dashing hither and thither, Unlike nan . You can't spend

your time lolling about on the fence nan pretending you're Amy Pond. I tried that and I can tell you the Doctor is far to busy exchanging insults with Michael Sheen. He's never been the same since they took his Tardis away although he has a tiny one in his back garden.

We can only afford to have one person lolling about and monna claimed that role years ago. Don't be fooled by her sweet image , she can get very nasty when she's crossed. If Nursie is living with her you really don't want to come up against her. We still have nightmares years later about her.

Excuse me burtha but how did a flying eleohant become involved in your journey? Honestly it's like herding cats at times. We have a member of the Ming dynasty -no idea how many of them there may be but it disturbed my sleep last night- taking over an RAF jet just to get a stick of seaside rock, A lovely picture of Moffat but notice the fish and chips and sweeties. Utter greed.

I am going to make a brew before I continue. Behave yourselves if that's possible. I'll be back.

pollyx

MingVase

A lovely picture of Moffat but notice the fish and chips and sweeties. Utter greed.

EXCUSE ME! I was thinking purely of burtha! She needs to know these things

Monna I quite fancy some intravenous gin on a stretcher meself this morning - can I come down?

Doveling

I've just made a large slow cooker full of chilli. Well thought I had. I seem to have put curry powder in instead of chilli powder.
Can it be rescued or shall I just be trendy and call it "Fusion Cooking"?

mothernerd

I'd just put the chilli powder in and give it a good stir - if you don't need it for today (or some for today and some to freeze) the flavour will continue to develop (even in the freezer). I've used this to pep up a too bland curry and thinking back to reading the tuppence to cross the Mersey book and it's sequels (she married an Indian and they lived there for some years), curry should be made the day before and left overnight for the flavours to percolate.

pollyanna_26

MingVase said:

A lovely picture of Moffat but notice the fish and chips and sweeties. Utter greed.

EXCUSE ME! I was thinking purely of burtha! She needs to know these things

Monna I quite fancy some intravenous gin on a stretcher meself this morning - can I come down?

I'll accept you were thinking of burtha. However you and intravenous gin is one of the scariest things I've ever read.

pollyx

monnagran

Polly, what do you mean "she can be very nasty if crossed"?  She can be very nasty without being crossed if the occasion demands it.  However, I'm delighted that my 'sweet little old lady' persona has taken root. It has taken a long time to foster and has had many hurdles (like the truth) to overcome, but I've finally made it.

Ming, gin and drips at the ready.  Bring your own stretcher.

Doveling, call it whatever you like, just NEVER, EVER admit that you made a mistake.  An experiment, a try out for your new cookery book (You are writing one aren't you?) the latest thing in trendy restaurants, but NEVER a mistake.