Last weekend Mum and I managed to get away for a couple of days to show off our little bit of Yorkshire to two American visitors, Janie and Annie. (Janie and Mum have been friends since 1961 – which is long before a little bear can remember! – when someone in Mum’s class at school had an American penfriend whose classmates all wanted penfriends in the UK. Annie is Janie’s daughter.)
We went to meet them at Leeds station and travelled back to Keighley by train, before getting a taxi to the Old White Lion, a 300 year old inn in Haworth where we’d booked in for two nights. Mum and I have stayed there before and enjoyed it. This time it was even better. We had good company, a room with a fabulous view, good food and good beer- what more could a bear and his mum ask for (other than a big pile of money and a basket full of ginger kittens)?
Janie and I managed a walk to the edge of the moors that night, accompanied partway by a little black cat, and the next morning we went round the Bronte Museum in the Parsonage. This was Janie’s second visit there and she was impressed by the many improvements that have been made since last time as part of the bicentenary celebrations for the famous family.
Amongst other things we saw the table where the sister wrote their books.
Both Janie and Annie have mobility problems and so, in order for them to get a little idea of what the moors are like, we caught the bus to Stanbury, then stayed on it back to Keighley. By this time we were getting a bit hungry, so we had to stop and eat cake – no surprises there! – before catching a bus to Skipton and back. On the way we passed two cricket matches. Janie asked Mum what game they were playing, but didn’t ask for any explanation – for which Mum was very relieved as she knows very little about cricket!
Back in Haworth we had another lovely meal at the Old White Lion, then sat up till late, talking and drinking (but not eating cake – for a change!)
Next day we had to part as Janie and Annie were moving on. Mum and I said we’d go with them as far as York, which turned out to be a Big Adventure involving a taxi and two trains. Because of all the luggage, Mum asked on Leeds station which was the best train to get to York. The man said that, if we weren’t in a hurry, the one on the platform next to us would be the best. What he didn’t say was that it went via Harrogate and Knaresborough and for long enough Mum thought we were on the wrong train!
Eventually we got to York, where Janie and Annie were going to stay for the next two nights. Mum and I took them through to the taxi rank where we very quickly said goodbye, as otherwise we might have all shown ourselves up and burst into tears. They went on to their hotel.
And Mum and I came home…
Follow my next blog: 005. Mum’s Big Plan
21/09/2018
Wilf the bear-faced blogger 