Keighley, Sunday 7th June, 2026
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| With Eladio at The Strid on Tuesday, one of the most dangerous yet beautiful stretches of water in the UK. It is a place I always want to come back to . |
Good morning all from Keighley in West Yorkshire on our last day here. We have been staying with our great friends, Kathy who I was at St. Joseph's College with and her lovely husband Phil. Time is flying past, too fast.
Today would have been my mother's birthday. Oh, how she has been in my thoughts this week. Nearly everywhere I go I am reminded of her, my father and my brother George. It is like being an orphan here. She died in 1999, nearly 25 years ago. How she would have loved to read the tales of our time in Yorkshire and oh how I would have loved to be with here here. There may be no flea market, no C&A, nor Brown and Muffs and she would have been upset to see the house so forlorn with its overgrown garden but she, like myself, would have been happy to be here and see so many familiar places. In a way, in Yorkshire I have come home to my childhood which generally was a happy one. Love you Mummy and have carried you in my heart since the day you died.
We were soon ready for the day and first on the agenda was attending the Sunday service at Bradford Cathedral. I have many memories there, especially when our Vicar, The Very Revd. Brandon Jackson was the Dean. You may not know that he came out to Spain to marry us. My most recent memory, of course, was when I organised my father's funeral there in May 2022. What a wonderful sendoff that was. Going to church on a Sunday is a sort of ritual for me when I am in England. After all my grandfather was a Vicar of the Anglican Church where I was confirmed, even though I was baptised in the Russian Orthodox Church (in Paris btw). Of all the churches, I prefer the Anglican services which are so much more interactive, in that the congregation takes part. The Cathedral had a programme we could follow that helped. I loved the whole service and felt so at home and in harmony last Sunday at the Cathedral. I even partook of Communion and so eager was I, that I went up to receive the bread and the wine too early. Imagine my shame. In the Catholic Church in Spain no wine is given which for me takes the spirit out of such a solemn moment. Mass in Spain is so boring compared. The best part on Sunday was when we sang one of my favourite hymns, Immortal Invisible, God only wise. Wow, that took me back in time in a good way.
It was a good start to the day. Upon leaving and after shaking hands with the Dean, I ordered an Uber to our next destination. It was there in less than 5 minutes. We had a date with my friend Joanne, who was once my Airbnb guest and helped me with my father's book. Joanne who lives in Lancashire and was a teacher of French and Spanish is a Brontë enthusiast and has been part of the team that restored the house where Charlotte, Branwell, Emily and Anne were born in Thornton, a neighbourhood of Bradford. They bought the Regency house through crowd funding and restored it with more funding from the Town Hall when Bradford was one year away from being the Cultural Capital of the UK. It was opened formally by Queen Camilla last year and Joanne was the person who organised the event. I had last seen my friend on the occasion of my father's funeral at the Cathedral so it was great to see her again. She welcomed us with open arms and gave us a private guided tour of the house in Spanish and in English and what a marvel it is. Joanne explained that the Brontës lived there with all 6 of their children and that their time there was a happy one before they moved to Haworth after which they all died such tragic deaths. If you have seen the Parsonage in Haworth, then you must also visit the Brontë Birthplace in Thornton. You can even book the girls, Charlotte, Emily and Anne's bedrooms on Airbnb or Booking. This is definitely the top cultural attraction of Bradford and I was glad to have gone. The visit was fascinating. So, thanks dear Joanne. Here are some pics to remember our visit.
We got VIP treatment and came away bursting with knowledge about the house and the family. But hunger called and Joanne was on duty till the middle of the afternoon so I ordered another Uber. It took us to Darley Street Market where we had hoped to have lunch but the place was a bit dead. In the end we went into the first pub we saw, The Vault opposite The Wool Exchange and only satisfied our hunger as the lunch was nothing to write home about. I had hoped for a Sunday roast but would have to wait for that.
The bus would drive along the Manningham Lane route which meant I would have a last look at Lister Park, Bradford Grammar School and of course Heaton Grove. I also pointed out Cunliffe Road to Eladio, the steep road leading down to our old school, the Catholic Grammar known as St. Joseph's College. I wonder how many times I went up and down that road to and back from school? I knew the rest of the route too and pointed out places to Eladio such as my friend Brenda's house on the corner of Redburn Drive and now a dental practice, the chip shop which no longer exists where I had a part time job and used to give generous portions to friends, past Shipley and St. Peter's Church where I used to go to the guides when Brandon Jackson was the vicar there. We went past more familiar places to me such as Nab Lane, the old Bankfield which is like a modern Hilton today, then on to Bingley where my father used to teach at Night School at Beckfoot college. I remember both my parents giving language lessons at night 2 or 3 times a week to enhance their salaries. It must have been difficult.
From there we drove to the main entrance to the Strid River which is quite a long and steep walk down to that dangerous part of the River Wharfe. I have been countless times in my youth and adulthood and my brother George frightened my mother several times when he jumped over it from the rocks, a very dangerous thing to do. It is a lugubrious place; dark, gloomy, yet so beautiful and fascinating to watch. The danger lies in the undercurrent and the pot holes that can suck you in. Many lives have been claimed in it and thereby lies its macabre fascination. Yet it is a stunning peace of geography. I have chosen a photo of the two of us there taken by a lone Scottish visitor for this week's feature photo.
The rest of the day was spent uneventfully except for a call from Tana to say the a/c in one of the rooms wasn't working and the guests were not happy. We had to give them a fan and call the insurance company who said we weren't covered. Thankfully, I found a man who did the job the next day. Suzy was back from her own Road trip in the new car to see a friend in Murcia and I hoped she was well. The worry never goes away.
Last Sunday we were still in Bradford at the Midland Hotel and had more interesting things on our progamme to report on in today's blog post.
We had breakfast in the restaurant which is not particularly good unless you like a full English which Eladio does. What I did love though was the staircase as you come out of the restaurant.
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| The ornate staircase at The Midland Hotel in Bradford. |
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| Attending the Sunday service at Bradford Cathedral last Sunday |
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| Well worth the visit. The Brontë Birthplace in Thornton, Bradford |
Before heading back to the hotel, we had a quick look in Waterstones, the bookshop, which is their most beautiful store in the UK. I remember it housing the flea market my mother would patronise every week for years buying me all sorts of antique home ware, especially silver plated spoons. Later when the bookshop was opened, I would go there with my father and he would always pay for any choice of book I wanted. What a wonderful father I had.
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| Waterstones in Bradford which is housed in the old Wool Exchange |
After 4 days in Yorkshire we had hardly eaten any fruit and were dying for some. We found fruit at a small Sainsbury's where we bought British strawberries - the best in the world - and mangoes and nectarines. We arrived back in our pokey but comfortable little room to devour the strawberries between us and generally put our feet up after another packed day. And what a wonderful one it was.
Monday came and the good weather was over. From then on it would rain on and off until our departure and we hadn't brought enough warm clothes. M&S would soon remedy that when I could to get to one. We had our last breakfast at The Midland and then it was time to go. The next stage of our trip to Yorkshire was to stay with our dear friends Phil and Kathy in Keighley. We could have got an Uber or a train but decided on the Bradford Keighley bus, a route I knew very well from my youth as the 662 goes past Heaton Grove. The bus was the easiest choice as the stop was on Cheapside directly across the way from the hotel. So we sat with our suitcases and the odd bag waiting for the bus and I had to have a photo of Eladio.
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| At the bus stop across the road from The Midland with all our luggage waiting for the 662 bus to Keighley |
Soon we were in Keighley where our friends were waiting for us at the train station. They were looking tanned after their recent holiday in their beloved Salcombe in Devon. We must go one day.
By then I had quite a few boxes ticked of my top things to do in Yorkshire: curry in Bradford, fish and chips, my old house, my parents' grave, a walk in Lister Park, a trip to Ilkley for lunch at Betty's, a trip to the big M&S in Pudsey and now the Dales and a pub lunch and finally a visit to one of my favourite places in Yorkshire; Bolton Abbey and The Strid.
We soon settled into their beautiful 4 story Victorian home which 3 years ago got completely flooded and had to be made over from the beginning again. It took 18 months to do while they lived in rented accommodation. The whole thing was a nightmare for them but on the bright side now everything is new and pristine and in exactly the same style it was before. So it is looking stunning. Besides, our friends, have exquisite taste and the place is wonderful.
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| We have been staying at Phil and Kathy's gorgeous Victorian House. I love their English country garden with the views of the Keighley Valley. We feel completely at home here |
Our hosts offered us tea as one does in England. My husband drank his out of politeness as he has never understood the British passion for tea all day long. We chilled out that day and Kathy and I chin wagged all the time too which amused our husbands. We laughed a lot and it was pure therapy for me. I am starved of a proper social life where we live in Madrid so it is wonderful to be able to talk English to friends here and anyone I speak to.
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| Lovely to be back at Phil and Kathy's house and to be staying with them. |
Phil made a lovely roast chicken - he is quite the chef - and I ate more than my body needed and couldn't face any food until breakfast the next day.
The next day was Tuesday and we had booked a table for an early lunch at The Craven Arms in Appletreewick in the Dales where I used to camp when I was in the Girl Guides. After our lunch we aimed to visit one of my favourite places on earth: Bolton Abbey. It's unbelievable but my friend Kathy who has lived in Keighley all her life has never been there. She was in for a treat if it didn't rain and luck had it, it didn't.
We had left early and had plenty of time so first we stopped at Skipton to pick some things up from M&S and Boots where I went to town. I got my first fix of M&S which is probably the primary British thing I miss in Spain.
Soon we were on our way to the Dales and got to the pub early. It was drizzling and cold and again I wished I had brought warmer clothes. Here are a couple of photos of the 16th century pub and the surrounding Dales full of grazing fields.
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The Craven Arms and the peaceful surrounding area |
It rained in the morning but the sun came out just as we reached Bolton Abbey. Founded in 1154 as a Priory it belonged to the Augustinian Order. The monks were very devoted to local life but when Henry VIII's dissolution came along after breaking up Protestant orders it was closed by the King in 1539. The abbey as such was never restored but most of the church is still there. Today the 30.000 acre estate is the Duke of Devonshire's private Yorkshire residence. As a child and teenager I went many times and always by bus. I especially loved crossing the stepping stones which, unfortunately, were covered by torrential water that day. Here are some pics of our visit. I think I go every time I come to Yorkshire.
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| Bolton Abbey in all its splendour |
The good weather held all through our visit of the Abbey and The Strid and we didn't leave till nearly 6 pm. We came home to rest, do some washing - thanks Kathy, after which we had a marvelous M+S cold dinner from the food I had bought in the morning. There would still be enough left for the next day.
The next day was already Wednesday 3rd, the day we planned to spend time at the big M&S in Pudsey as it looked like it would rain all day. That's where I would get my real fix of Marks and Spencer, my favourite shop in the UK and the British institution I miss most in Spain. It started off with coffee and a tiny Bakewell tart in the cafe and then I went on the rampage; well not quite. I got two outfits for the kids, some underwear for Olivia, a white t-shirt for my self, the liquid hand soap replacement for the Calm variety for the girls and myself. Ah and I also got a fleece because the English weather requires me to wear warmer clothes of which I had brought very few. Then to the men's department for Eladio who generally hates shopping for clothes but that day went along with it quite placidly. I got him some shorts, a white top and 3 easy to iron white shirts with a view to our road trips. Later I realised I had bought them short sleeved so promptly ordered them online with long sleeves as we couldn't go back. Lastly we went into the Food Store, my favourite place and got bits and bobs for the coming days. I had to have a photo of my Marks and Spencer moment to record here. This is it:
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| My M&S fix at the big store in Pudsey on Wednesday |
We came home to have more of the M&S food I bought and then, believe it or not, the rain went away and the sun came out. That meant I could sit in Phil and Kath's pretty garden. Kathy joined me and I got this lovely picture of my dear friend.
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| Dear Kathy looking lovely in her garden full of flowers |
We had more M&S leftovers for dinner and put our feet up until it was time for bed. I slept quite well that night.
Thursday came, the day of our St.Joseph's College reunion brunch at Betty's in Ilkley (again). I was really looking forward to seeing Geraldine, Maureen, Cathy and Trish. It would be a lovely girly reunion. Eladio and Phil were coming along too but would be sitting separately.
It was a very rainy day and cold too. I have been so cold in England. I think the foremost benefit of living in Spain is having good weather with sunshine nearly all year round. English summers are strange. You never know what the weather will be like but almost all my compatriots wear summer clothes because of the season, not because it is warm. Thus you see scantily dressed people when the maximum temperature is about 14c while in Spain with 14c, we all have the heating on and wear winter clothes. As I write now my fingers are freezing and I am wearing 4 layers of clothes including my coat indoors! Then when it is really hot the English go mad and remove as much clothing as possible and sit in the sun. Men often go bare from the waist upwards and walk on the streets as if they were on a beach. I saw a sign at a pub in Bradford which said "no shirt, no pint". Whereas, when it is extremely hot in Spain, people avoid direct sunlight, stay at home with the air conditioning on and only go out in the evening. It will be quite a shock when we go home next Saturday to 35ºc. That's hot but I prefer it to 14ºc and rain in England. Annoyingly, I have just read that a new heatwave will hit England the day of our departure. Not fair but despite the weather I have still enjoyed our stay so much.
It was raining in Ilkley that morning so it was lovely to be inside Betty's which, thankfully, was warm. Our brunch reunion was such fun and a lovely culinary experience. All my friends went for a savoury dish while I chose the pastry and pikelet selection. It consisted of a croissant, a pain au chocolat and two pikelets. I had never heard of the latter which are basically a very thin crumpet or muffin with butter; quite delicious.
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| My breakfast choice at Betty's on Thursday which I couldn't finish of course |
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| The St. Joseph's College reunion brunch at Betty's on Thursday. From left to right: Kathy, Maureen, me, Trish, Catherine and Geraldine. I think we look quite good for our age don't you? |
Before we said our goodbyes, Maureen took me across the road to the little park where the bandstand is to show me her parents' remembrance bench; such a lovely tribute to her parents who used to go to Betty's once a week. I wish we did things like that in Spain to remember our loved ones. Here we are together on it.
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| With Geraldine on her parents' bench in Ilkley across the way from Betty's where they used to go every week. |
Geraldine's parents are buried in the same cemetery as mine; "Charlestown" in Baildon and when she goes to take them flowers, she always puts some on Mummy and Daddy's. It always warms my heart when she does so.
Soon it was time to leave and say our goodbyes except that I stayed behind to buy a Betty's hamper as a thank you gift to Simon and Gill for hosting us for the last part of our stay in Yorkshire.
Kathy and Phil wanted to go to Booths, a very exclusive supermarket with 25 branches and dubbed The Waitrose of the North. I have to say it is extremely good. We went home after that as it was pouring it down and Phil and Kath had to prepare the evening meal to which they had invited Sam, Kath's youngest, his 11 year old son Freddy, his partner Ela and her 5 year old son Jasper. I only wished that Elliot and Juliet had been there to play with them. Phil turned his kitchen into a pizza parlour and was on his feet from about 5 pm to 10pm which is not good for his sprained ankle. We had such a good time we forgot to take photos. Kathy has 4 strapping sons, Joseph, Tom, William and Sam. I had met Tom and William and now I know Sam, a great chap, and am only missing Joseph. We had a grand time together and laughed a lot.
Friday came and it looked like the weather was a bit better. We took quite a while to choose where to go that day. In the end we drove to Settle and then on to Kirby Lonsdale. My father loved Settle and we do too but Kirby Lonsdale was to be a new place for us. I commented to Kathy that I always go back to the same places and that is was great to have enough time to explore new ones. The only downside is that Kirby is in Cumbria, not in Yorkshire, haha. It is in between the Yorkshire Dales and the Lake District and we were in for a treat. We only stopped in Settle for a coffee and were soon on our way to Kirby Lonsdale described as "a historic, picture-perfect market town located in Westmorland and Furness district of Cumbria. It is famously situated in the Lune Valley, serving as a scenic gateway right on the border of three counties: Cumbria, Lancashire and North Yorkshire". We absolutely loved it as it is indeed picture perfect. It was lunchtime so first on the programme was The Sun Inn, a 17th century coaching inn on Market Street which we loved too.
Our friends then took us to a magical place that was new to us. They walked us through the grounds of the 12th Century Norman Church of St. Mary's which would lead us to Ruskin's View which we had never heard of, a beautiful, beautiful spot.
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| St. Mary's church grounds which lead to Ruskin's View |
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| At Ruskin's view - according to the 19th century art critic, one of the loveliest views in England. I can only agree with him. |
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| The pony and trap we saw in Kirkby Lonsdale on Friday. |
The pony and trap just enhanced the beauty of lovely Kirby Lonsdale. What a pretty sight that was too. I wonder if Ruskin would agree. Probably not. As it happens, my friend Joanne had been to KL with her friends from the Belgian Brontë Society on Tuesday. They went to see the Royal Hotel where Branwell Brontë spent the night on NYE in 1839 in "a riotous drinking session". She added "there is always a Brontë connection". Fascinating.
Before heading home, we stopped at another Booths supermarket for a few provisions. It is very good but not a patch on M&S food halls. I must go again before we leave next Saturday.
We spent a quite evening at home with our friends in their lovely and newly restored Victorian house in Keighley. It had to be renovated from top to bottom after a dreadful flood about 3 years ago which left them homeless for 18 months. They went through a terrible ordeal which we listened to in detail with our eyes boggling at what they underwent. Thank God it is over and all is well and their house looks fantastic.
Our last day with Kathy and Phil was yesterday, Saturday, another rainy day which I could never get used to. Phile had a dental appointment so we went into town too. Keighley city centre is not a nice place but I liked the Italian cafe she took us to where I tried to speak a little Italian to the girl who served us coffee and who is from Venice. Who on earth would leave Venice to come and live in Keighley???
I had a long video call with my dearest friend Amanda that afternoon after she had told us that, sadly, they would not be able to join us for the last part of our stay here. We had planned to stay at her brother Simon's for part of the time as well as 2 nights in the Dales with friends from our school days who were coming specially. She has terrible back pain and must have an MRI this week and was advised not to travel. When we heard that we didn't quite know what to do. But dear Simon and his lovely wife Gill, insisted we stick to our plans and go to their house in Sowerby Bridge today. Eladio suggested going back to The Midland but I wasn't for it. Thus the last part of our time in Yorkshire commences today and although I am sure we will have a good time, we will all be missing Amanda and Andy.
Yesterday ended with a lovely evening meal prepared by our friends, an English staple: bangers and mash. They have been such good hosts. Thank you for everything Phil and Kath.
Today is Sunday and I must pack again. We feel a little like cuckoos staying in other birds' nests but then again it is wonderful to spend time with friends in my beloved Yorkshire.
Meanwhile, back home in Spain, Pope Leo XIV has begun his first papal visit in Europe, if you don't count Italy, and I am following it with interest. He will be there for 6 days, in Madrid, Barcelona and the Canary Islands. Spain is no longer an officially Catholic country and President Sánchez is proud to say his is an atheist. However, this papal visit will help to shift attention from all the political corruption scandals and give him praise for his stand against Israel, Trump and his support of immigrants - up to 1 million undocumented immigrants are receiving the right to residency. He is not Pope Francis, my hero, but I was happy to hear he will meet victims of sexual abuse at the hands of the church, the poor and needy as well as immigrants who have risked their lives to reach Spain in the Canaries. I am not into the pomp but am interested to follow the coverage of this historic visit.
Now my friends, I have come to the end of the tales of this week. I am not quite on the high I was last Sunday for various reasons but happy to be here.
I will love you and leave you until next Sunday when we will be back in Madrid to the heat of course.
All the best,
Masha.
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