From Keighley to Sowerby Bridge, staying with Simon and Gill, a day in Hebden Bridge, philosophy and classics, Yorkshire friends reunited in the Dales, ride on the heritage Bolton Abbey steam train, a walk in the Strid Wood, RIP David Hockney, last days in Yorkshire and home again.

Home again, Madrid, Sunday 14th June, 2026

On the Bolton Abbey train to Embsay. From left to right: Gill, Sarah, Gael, Chris, me, Mark, Simon and Eladio. A group of old friends and their spouses remembering their youthful past in Bradford.

Good morning folks.

We are home. Our Yorkshire holiday, the return to my roots and seeing friends is over and although the weather played up, we had a marvellous time. I got my Yorkshire fix which, hopefully, will keep  me going until next time. Oh how glorious God's own country is.

Last Sunday we woke up in Keighley in Phil and Kath's beautiful Victorian house. We were leaving that morning and I had quite a bit of packing to do. We said our goodbyes and hope we will see each other again soon if we make it to El Cuetu in the next week or so as they are driving their camper van to the north coast of Spain. They are going to much better weather. The weather was not good in England apart from the first 4 days. In Spain we returned to temperatures in the mid 30ºs which was quite a shock. 

I ordered an Uber to take us to Simon and Gill's house in Sowerby Bridge (pronounced Sore-be) which, as you may know, if you are a Happy Valley fan, was filmed around here and in nearby Hebden Bridge. Simon is my best friend Amanda's brother who I have known nearly all my life. He went to Bradford Grammar School where my father taught and it was thanks to him that Amanda and I were introduced to his friends and made our own happy "gang", the gang we met up with this week in The Dales.  We are talking over 50 years ago. Our families were close and it is wonderful that their memories live on in us. We have talked a lot about the past these days which is so comforting to me. The only sad note was that Amanda and Andy could not come. We plan to make up for that by putting together a trip to Spain in October where we can have another great get together. We have felt so at home with Simon and his wonderful wife Gill who we now consider our friends and it is good to have friends in England. 

We got a warm welcome and were happy to be back in their beautiful Yorkshire stone house in such a stunning location. Let me show you:

Simon and Gill's stunning house and garden in Sowerby Bridge near Halifax

It was sunny when we arrived although that did not last long. We made the best of it and sat in their conservatory enjoying the warmth that comes in from outside. 

Just arrived at Simon and Gill's

We hadn't seen them since 2022 when we all met at my father's funeral. Simon joked about Eladio's age and sent the photo above to his sister saying: "Masha and a young man impersonating Eladio have arrived safely". No one believes his real age and it is often a joke with people asking if my husband has a pact with the devil or similar. I have to say he does look good.

Our hosts served us a splendid Sunday roast, with all the trimmings. Pudding was divine; rhubarb and strawberry crumble with the former coming from their garden and oh what a garden it is. It is like a small version of Harlow Car gardens in Harrogate.

And here are our friends getting the meal ready in their large and beautiful kitchen.

Simon and Gill are wonderful hosts

Lunch lasted from about 2.30 until after 7 pm when, feeling exhausted, we had a siesta only getting up at about 8.30. We were turning day into night. Later we sat and talked and talked until it was the real time to go to bed. We had a lovely large bedroom with a very comfortable bed and our own enormous bathroom. We have been wined and dined and looked after in the most splendid way.

Monday dawned and it rained from when I got up at about 6 am until 10ish but then, my friends, the sun made an appearance which completely transformed our day. We had a leisurely morning and left at around 11 to drive to nearby Hebden Bridge. Hebden Bridge is in Calderdale, Yorkshire (of course) and is a very vibrant progressive and bohemian market town. It is also a very popular tourist spot. It was once called the Trouser Town for its massive clothing industry. The town is completely unspoilt. If you took the cars and signage away, it would look just like it did 150 years ago with its cobbled streets and back to back terrace houses made of Yorkshire stone all blackened by the smoke of the mills. The Rochdale canal runs right through it and in the past served as a way of transport for the clothing. Today there are leisure barges and it is great to walk on the tow path and watch how the locks are unlocked. But first we headed for the centre to have a wander round. This is one photo I took of our friends to share here and to send to Amanda. Notice the chimney of an old mill in the background.

In Hebden Bridge on Monday

At about 1 we walked to the restaurant where we had booked a table for lunch at The Old Gate. Just as we were approaching it we saw a bride running into it. It is so funny I have to share a picture.

The random bride going into the restaurant where we had booked a table for lunch.

The groom later arrived on crutches. I thought they were some sort of stunt but they said they were for real. Later when we were leaving, they  had removed their wedding gear. Funny wedding I imagine. We had a great meal at The Old Gate. Simon and I went for fish and chips which I could not finish and Gill and Eladio chose a lobster "chowder" which they loved.

As we were leaving, a very friendly Scotsman who I mistook for being Irish, took our photo and then played a jig on his mouth organ to our delight. He was about our age and was wearing shorts and a t-shirt and said he was off to see his girlfriend but  had run out of Viagra! His name was George and I shall remember him, as will all those in the pub garden who witnessed  the spectacle hahaha.

Fun in Hebden Bridge on Monday

Hebden Bridge is known for having a large LGBTQ community and for drugs. Not for nothing is the name of the TV series called "Happy" Valley. So when I posted some of the photos of this Yorkshire town someone said it was a "den of iniquity". Well, hardly so. I loved it. 

I also loved our walk on the tow path along the Rochdale Canal with geese and ducks and barges and the sunshine. Simon and Eladio had started quoting Green and Latin poets from lunchtime which then turned into a lesson in Philosophy. Eladio studied Theology and Philosophy as well as learning Latin,  ancient Greek and Hebrew and his memory is amazing.  Simon did Classics at Oxford and then law, so there we had 2 very cultured men debating the meaning of life and remembering Gods and philosophers as far back as Plato and Socrates. They got rather excited. There was a bit of a language barrier as Simon pronounces Greek and Latin with an English accent and Eladio with a Spanish accent. I was fascinated and felt very uncultured compared to them. But when Eladio said Bertrand Russel,  the English philosopher and much more, said humankind was as important as an ant having being stepped on by an unaware passerby, I had to disagree. The conversation started in the pub and carried on late into the night. My head was reeling when we went to bed. I'm not sure they noticed their surroundings on the tow path while being so engrossed in their high brow conversation, but I did and here are some pics.

Pretty Gill on a bridge on one of the locks on the Rochdale Canal on Monday

Eladio and Simon engrossed in conversation about philosophy and classics during our walk by the canal

One of the barges on the canal

We were home on time for Eladio's siesta which he gets teased about and later, as if we hadn't already eaten enough, Gill and Simon put on a marvellous cold spread of which I wish I could hardly eat due to my suppressed appetite as I am on Mounjaro.

Dinner at Sowerby Bridge on Monday night

During dinner, the conversation got deeper and deeper. Is there a God? Is there eternal life? What is the meaning and point of life and in the end they concluded there is no answer. I was delighted to see my husband enjoying the conversation so much. I am ashamed to say also I have never really had a conversation like that with my extraordinarily cultured and knowledgeable husband and felt very uncultured myself but could only admire him more if that is possible. I told Gill that one of the reasons I fell in love with him was for how cultured he is. I think I even felt a little more in love with him that night if that is possible.

Tuesday was the day of our trip to The Dales where we would be reunited with our friends from our youth and their partners.We were to be 8 although we would have been 10 with Amanda and Andy who were sorely missed.  Before we left, Gill and Simon fed us again and gave us a tasty brunch to last us until our 7.30 meal at The Fell Hotel in Burnsall. That was where we headed to at around 1pm. We got there at about 2.30 and were given our rooms, each one named after a village or landmark in The Dales. Ours was Grassington and we loved it.

I was delighted that our room was called Grassington

Soon Chris and Gael, Mark and Sarah arrived and we convened in the bar of this lovely Yorkshire hotel which was quite luxurious. Before dinner, some of us we went for a walk, despite the rain which puzzled my husband. In Spain if it rains everyone goes inside. Not so in England I told him "come rain or shine". This is a photo of us braving the rain with the hotel behind us. 

Braving the rain to go on a walk in Burnsall on Tuesday afternoon

Luckily it didn't pour it down and we enjoyed walking on the 1000 year old path in Burnsall by the River Wharfe although we had to navigate lots of puddles. 

On the cold, rainy and blustery walk on Tuesday in Burnsall

Dinner was at 7.30 pm at the hotel and what a wonderful dinner it was. Apart from the food and drink we had a very jolly time, laughing and making a lot of noise which may have annoyed some of the diners. We celebrated with a bottle of champagne which truth to tell I am not keen on and agree with my father when he said it was overrated. Before digging into the delicious meal, we had a photo taken by the lovely Polish waitress to remember the moment.

Celebrating the occasion of our reunion at The Fell on the first night

She will remember the moment too as she got into the fun of it and we had a hell of a laugh especially when she gave a bottle of Sauternes for Simon to smell. 

A hilarious moment on our first night with Simon being offered the bottle of French dessert wine to taste by the Polish waitress. 

Mark was on top form too so if you don't know him just look at what a marvellous chap he is. He was so funny telling me the next day that I was a lousy kisser when actually he is remembering the wrong girl as I never kissed him. 

Mark was on top form as was to be expected

Mark was like a brother to me as were they all. We used to go out most weekends to the Mucky Duck (the Black Swan in Frizinghall now closed) and many a Saturday I held parties at my house for all of us and more. Mark used to be the gatekeeper as he played in the First 15 of the Bradford Grammar Rugby Team. I honestly don't know how my parents let me have so many parties or any at all. My father, being their teacher, used to hide but my mother held court in the kitchen feeding us her Chinese rice well into the night. Chris remembered a moment when he heard my father saying "Masha, tell them all to go home"!

But back to The Devonshire Fell dinner. The banter between Simon, Chris and Mark was thoroughly enjoyed. Oh how I miss the English sense of humour. They had me laughing all night until I couldn't any more, until it was time for bed.

We slept marvellously in the Grassington room with the heating on maximum as it was freezing outside. It was cold too when I went out with my cup of coffee to smoke a cigarette or two on Wednesday morning. 

We all convened for breakfast around 9 am which was not to my advantage as it was mostly savoury. Some enjoyed a full English and others had eggs with something. Thus by the mid afternoon I was starving and couldn't wait for dinner which wasn't until 7.30 pm.

Breakfast on Wednesday morning

We had a great agenda that day. It started with taking the Embsay and Bolton Abbey steam train which wasn't new to me but it was to some of the others. This railway line built in 1888 was built to connect Skipton and Ilkley. It was closed in 1965 and restored in the 80's and 90's and it is now run, much like the Worth Valley Railway in Keighley, as a route for tourists and train enthusiasts. The carriage we were on was from the mid 60's and the engine was a 1945 one. Thus it would be familiar to us all. As a child I would travel to London with my family to spend Christmas with my father's beloved sister, Aunty Gloria and her family. We would take the steam train to London on similar carriages and I always hated the loud whistle when we approached King's Cross. I well remember the billows of smoke from the engine. Today a tonne of coal costs 500 pounds. 

The old station at Bolton Abbey has been restored lovingly to look like one from the late 19th century and which was very familiar to me from my childhood. Getting on the train was a great opportunity for a photo shoot of all of us. I have chosen one of them for the feature photo and here is another with the station master who even clipped our tickets. What a treat.

Photo shoot just before getting on the heritage train. From left to right: Gill, Sarah,Gael, Chris, the Station Master, Mark,Simon and Eladio

And this is me with Gill on board.

With Gill on the Bolton Abbey heritage train on Wednesday 

Once in Embsay, we watched with fascination how they moved the engine to the other end of the train for the short return journey to Bolton Abbey.

The next item on the agenda was a short drive to the Cavendish Pavillion next to the River Wharfe on the Bolton Estate from where we wanted to walk to the Strid  through the Strid Wood which is a beautiful walk I have done countless times since I was a child and adult. I was so, so happy to be back. We had been to the Abbey and stepping stones and to the other entrance to the Strid but not to this part right by the river.  So I was ticking another, if not the last box of the things I wanted to do in Yorkshire. The Bolton Estate is one of my favourite places in the world if not my favourite.

The lodge, the Cavendish pavillion on the bank of the  River Wharfe, a great starting point for trekkers. 

We had coffee and tea and the walkers, Chris, Gill, Simon, Sarah, Eladio and I set off for one of my favourite walks in the world, through the Strid Woods. It didn't rain at all during our walk and we were in for a treat. 

The prize is arriving at the narrow stretch of the river which is dangerous, slightly sinister and eerie but a beautiful bit of geography which unfortunately has claimed many lives because of the slippery stones or daredevils, like my brother did who jump across the rocks at the narrowest point. They then get sucked in by the whirlpools and there is no way out. We didn't go very near but took lots of photos. Here are some to remember the day and to show you.

Visting the Strid for the second time during our stay in Yorkshire

When I later posted some of the photos on my social media profiles, I added "you can never get enough of Bolton Abbey and the Strid" and you can't. I would be taking these memories back with me to keep me going.

Once back at the Pavillion I had a cup of tea but wished I had had something to eat as I was starving in the afternoon and had to wait for dinner which was at The Red Lion, also in Burnsall, at 7.30 pm.

We rested a while before dinner and shortly before, Eladio and I meandered down to the village from the Fell Hotel eager to get photos of the hotel from the Burnsall village. We looked round the now familiar village and enjoyed the village green by the river, the lovely old bridge and the pretty stone houses, all of them with flowers in their gardens. Here are some of the pics to remember and to share with you. I took one of Eladio outside the Red Lion remembering being there with Chris, Mark, Andy and Amanda on many occasion during our youth. 

Beautiful Burnsall

We met the rest of the party at the Red Lion and were escorted to our table which happened to be the same one we sat at at our first reunion in 2022, when we came for my father's funeral. The dinner was great and a lot of fun. Mark was on top form and told joke after joke. He could have been a stand up comedian which he has been on some occasions. Simon chipped in with more jokes and they both directed them at me so that I could translate them to Eladio which was so taxing and not much fun in Spanish really but we did laugh a lot. Finally, there was lamb on the menu - I had not seen it before, despite the abundance of sheep in The Dales. It was a bit tough. What wasn't tough was the treacle tart I shared with Gill, one of my favourite school puddings. I felt so full afterwards and was grateful that we were walking back to the hotel. 

We had bad news just then which threw me and spoiled my evening completely but I cannot go into it here as it is private. This is the cross we have to bear. On the other hand, despite our problem, we have to live and live we will despite the things life throws at us.

I did not sleep well night and was up on Thursday at around 6 am after about 4.5h sleep. We were leaving that day. It was the end of our incredible reunion which we must repeat next year. Our final time together was at breakfast in this gorgeous hotel I would love to come back to.

Our last breakfast together at the Fell Hotel in Burnsall on Thursday

And here is Eladio about to enjoy his "full English".

Eladio about to tuck into his full English breakfast on the last morning in Burnsall

It was sad to say goodbye but, happily, we shall all meet again in Devon in September for Amanda's 70th Birthday, something to look forward to.

It was to rain all day on Thursday so we did an indoor thing and our friends took us to Salts Mill in Saltaire which I wrote about last week; the model village built by Sir Titus Salt in the 19th century for his workers. 

Salts Mill today

The Mill closed as late as 1986. Today it is an art gallery with bookshops and cafes and it houses the largest collection of artwork by Bradford born artist David Hockney who contributed to the conversion of the mill.  David Hockney went to Bradford Grammar School and is probably its most famous pupil.  He is renowned for being one of the most influential and versatile British artists of the 20th and 21st centuries. He never forgot his Bradford roots and was a very colourful figure who in his work championed homosexuality. He never quit his wonderful Yorkshire accent and in this clip of an interview by the BBC he explains why.

He was also a great smoker which he said was good for his mental health. I warm to him too because of the love he showered on his two dachshunds, Stanley and Boodgie who he painted frequently. He said of them "They sleep with me; I'm always with them here. They don't go anywhere without me and only occasionally do I leave them. They are like little people to me". He is my man. He smokes and loves his dachshunds.  This is just some of his work  we saw at Salts.

David Hockney's painting of Salts Mill and a close up of him smoking from one of his paintings as seen at Salts Mill on Thursday the day before the 88 year old died.

It was a coincidence and a shock to learn the next day that he had died aged 88. Britain had lost its greatest art figure of today and a wonderful person. Mark, Chris and Andy, my BGS friends, wrote on our Dales trip Whatsapp group that they remembered him visiting the school when they were young for he maintained ties with the school always, although he was never a good pupil. A quote from one of his school reports said: "Hockney can't rely on art to make a career".  How wrong that was. Chris wrote "it was alleged that Oates the Chemistry Master kept Hockney's exercise book because it had wonderful portraits in the margin". Mark wrote "I seem to recall he quickly sketched Jock Gross the English master on the blackboard who rubbed it off after he left!". Andy wrote: "Does anyone else remember David Hockney coming into our class in about 1968? Wearing a pink suit and big Stetson knee length boots? I've never forgotten". A friend of theirs wrote too saying "He once visited our English lesson at BGS. We transitus pupils were astonished by the flamboyant peroxide character who invaded our English lesson". How lovely that these now old men remember meeting the larger than life English art genius.I would have loved to. Tributes have been paid to Hockney from the world over. As I looked at his wonderful colourful works at Salts that day I had no idea this giant of the arts world was at death's door but how lucky I was to see the fantastic exhibition of his work at Salts near Bradford the day before he passed away, presumably accompanied by Stanley and Boodgie who will miss him more than anyone. They will feel bereft and my heart goes out to them and all those who were close to the man. 

We continued our visit of Salts paying special attention to the part dedicated to the history of the Mill a story that fascinates anyone who visits. It is part of Britain's history but also part of mine as we used to live less than a mile away when we moved to Bradford in 1964 when the Mill was still working at full steam. 

After all that art and culture we made our way to the cafe for tea and two crumpets for me and soup for my husband. And thereby ended our visit to Salts Mill. 

We were home again at Sowerby Bridge in the late afternoon and it was still raining. Last on the programme that day was curry for dinner at Syhaba nearby. It is Simon and Gill's local favourite and they know everyone there. We were in for a treat as after our meal I declared it the best curry I have ever had. Here are some pics to remember that great Punjabi meal. Do note the hanging naan which I have never seen anywhere else.

We had an absolutely marvellous curry at Syhaba restaurant in Sowerby Bridge

Eladio was amazed by the large hanging naan. He was also curious to learn that people have to take their own alcohol as the Pakistani restaurant does not sell it for religious reasons of course.

I slept better that night and when I woke up on Friday morning it was bloody raining again which was a bit depressing. We had pretty bad weather in England, much worse than expected so I am happy to be home to enjoy the warm weather in Madrid.

It was our last day in Yorkshire and, despite the rain, we enjoyed it to the full. It was to be a day to remember. Donning the same clothes I had been wearing so often and thoroughly tired of my yellow coat and my M&S fleece, we went into Halifax, in fact into M&S for a quick fix for me. Eladio calls it "Masha's cathedral" hahaha. We just got some food to take home that we love and can't get here. I bought smoked mackerel, sliced roast beef and salmon pate as well as one large sausage roll.  We had a quick lunch at the M&S cafe which was full of women representing what they call in England "the grey pound" and of course women of my age who love M&S and shop and eat there often. After that we visited the most important landmark in town, the Piece Hall which is one of  Britain's last standing cloth halls from the 18th century, built before the Industrial Revolution. It was a "dedicated marketplace for hand loom weavers to trade their "pieces" of woolen cloth and became a highly visible monument to the region's immense industrial wealth". Halifax went on to be a very rich town, like Bradford. Today the Piece Hall is a cultural centre and is used for markets and a lot of concerts. 

The Piece Hall in Halifax, its biggest landmark

We came home to rest and in the afternoon, when the rain finally ceased, we drove to Baitings Reservoir belonging to Yorkshire Water to walk around it. The scenery is stunning but it was very, very windy and scaringly so. 

It was very windy at Baitings Reservoir on Friday afternoon. 

It was a good bracing walk which would help work up an appetite for our last dinner in Yorkshire. Our friends took us to the Shibden Mill Inn in the Shibden Valley on the other side of Halifax. Again we were in for a treat; dinner at Yorkshire's best pub among many other pub accolades. It is a very pretty 17th century country inn and the quality of the food is famous. Here we are outside for you to see just how charming the pub is.

The beautiful Shibden Mill Inn

We had a fantastic dinner and we laughed a lot too. Poor Simon had been trying to pronounce the name of a town in Spain, "Valladolid" and couldn't for the love of money get it anywhere near right. Eladio too was in trouble often for not using "please" and "thank you" often enough. When he ordered his mains he just said "trout" and did not include the magic word please. 

All good things come to an end and our lovely dinner at that beautiful and scenic pub did too and Gill drove us back home. We were in bed by 11.30, our last night in Yorkshire.

I was up at the unearthly hour of 5 am on Saturday, the day of our departure.  Packing was a bit of a nightmare but I did it as I always do. Our Uber arrived with a bit of help from Gill and we were off and very grateful to our wonderful hosts who took such great care of us and with whom we had the time of our life. Thank you both Simon and Gill and especially for looking after Eladio. We got to Manchester airport in about an hour and were through security very fast. Thus we had at least 2 hours to kill the time which was easy. Here is Eladio waiting patiently to see which gate we had to head to for our flight to Madrid. 

Eladio waiting patiently at Manchester airport

Notice he is wearing long trousers and a jumper and has his coat with him. I was wearing my coat when I boarded the flight as it was so cold; just 13ºc. Eladio took a photo of me saying goodbye to my dear but cold country.

Saying goodbye to England in the cold and wind, hahaha. 

Our flight left on time and was a bit boring as flights are these days. We arrived to sunshine and 20 degrees more. A big shock to our systems.

Passport control was a bit long but our luggage was fast and we were soon outside which felt like a sauna. Suzy came to pick us up in the Mini as the VW has no petrol which we shall remedy tomorrow. It was lovely to see her and to be home but it was too warm. I immediately put on the air con in our room and it took me a while to unpack. I met some of our guests, all of them students who were relaxing by the pool after their exams. Tana was off on Saturday and will be back on Monday. She has looked after the house and the guests splendidly.

Today is Sunday and we have no plans apart from returning to our routines which you will know well if you read my blog often enough.

England was great, or rather Yorkshire was and we had a good time but I got my fix until September and now it's back to normal.  Thus next week's post won't be half as exciting as this one. But that's life with its ups and downs.

Must sign off to get on with the day. Cheers to you all till next time,

Masha

Sunday service at Bradford Cathedral, private guided tour of the Brontë Birthplace in Thornton, end of the good weather, staying with Phil and Kath in Keighley, Bolton Abbey and the Strid revisited, my M&S fix, school reunion at Betty's in Ilkley, discovering Kirby Lonsdale and Ruskin's view and other stories of the week.

 Keighley, Sunday 7th June, 2026

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. 

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. 

The ornate staircase at The Midland Hotel in Bradford. 

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.

Attending the Sunday service at Bradford Cathedral last Sunday

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.

Well worth the visit. The Brontë Birthplace in Thornton, Bradford 

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.

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.

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.

At the bus stop across the road from The Midland with all our luggage waiting for the 662 bus to Keighley

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

The Craven Arms and the peaceful surrounding area

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. 

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. 

Bolton Abbey in all its splendour

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 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:

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.

Dear Kathy looking lovely in her garden full of flowers

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.

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.

My breakfast choice at Betty's on Thursday which I couldn't finish of course

Eladio took the group photo to remember our reunion and to post here. This was us at Betty's this week.

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.

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.

St. Mary's church grounds which lead to Ruskin's View

Picture perfect is the right description. Soon we were walking towards Ruskin's View so let me tell you about it. "Ruskin's view is a famous panoramic viewpoint in Kirby Lonsdale that overlooks the River Lune and Valley". Painted by Turner in 1822, "it gained its legendary name after the prominent Victorian art critic John Ruskin visited the spot in 1875 and declared it to be one of the loveliest views in England, therefore the world". We were in for a treat I have to say as we saw it on a sunny day. Here are some snapshots to remember this lovely viewpoint that could easily become one of my happy places.

At Ruskin's view - according to the 19th century art critic, one of the loveliest views in England. I can only agree with him. 

We walked back through the picture postcard town and spied a beautiful pony and trap which I had to take a photo of. Its driver tied it to a lamp post and promptly went into the Cheeky Fox pub probably for a pint. 

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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