We're Back Home

We ended our 9-day tour of the Yorkshire Dales in the UK last Friday, And, after a long day of travel with the time change, thankfully arrived home a day before the weekend's first nor'easter. 

Our large tour group of 45 was on a nine-day tour of the Yorkshire Dales, sponsored by NH Public Broadcasting System (PBS). Titled Discover the Yorkshire Dales, the tour highlighted locales featured in the popular TV series, All Creatures Great and Small. 

Alf Wight

Everyone on the tour had watched either the original 1978 series or the more recent 2020 PBS series (or both) that focused on the popular books by James Herriot (pen name of Alf Wight, a Yorkshire veterinarian). The book title is taken from a popular children’s hymn written in 1848 by Irish poet Cecil Frances Alexander. Wight also used another line in the poem for his book titled, All Things Bright and Beautiful.

Our week-long accommodation was at The Yorkshire Hotel in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, which dates to 1815 when Nicholas Carter built the first house on Prospect Hill as a premises for the sale of wine and spirits and provided guest accommodations. The hotel has had several names. First it was known as Carters then The Prospect and The Imperial before taking on its current name. It has also undergone many renovations with wings demolished, extra floors added, elaborate iron work and towers erected. 

The Yorkshire Hotel, Prospect Place, Harrogate

Royalty, the rich and famous and countless celebrities have been stayed here. The Yorkshire remained open during both world wars when it was used for support services and accommodation.

Harrogate War Memorial

Some of the hotel gardens were sold off to become the town’s war memorial site. The Harrogate War Memorial is a 20-meter white Portland stone obelisk located in Prospect Square (Prospect Place) in the center of Harrogate. It was designed by English architect Ernest Prestwich who specialized in war memorials and civic buildings. 

Crowds at War Memorial 1923 dedication (Internet source)

Two large bronze plaques list 1,163 local casualties from WW I and II, including a special dedication to Victoria Cross recipients. It was unveiled in September 1923 and its dedication was marked by one of the largest gatherings in Harrogate, an estimated 10,000 people.

Our room at the Harrogate

The hotel has 5 floors and 94 rooms. Our third floor room was modest with a king-size bed, built in nightstands, wardrobe, arm chair, desk and TV. Notably, there was no clothes dresser and the wardroom only accommodated hanging garments. We have become adept travelers at using our suitcases as dressers..

A very high tub was challenging

As expected, the bathroom didn't have wash clothes, but from previous European travels we knew to bring our own. It did have a towel heating rack with oversized bath towels. Getting into the high tub-shower presented unique challenges as there were no hand rails or step stool. In future travels, we know to request a shower-only room. 

Views from the single hotel window

Our hotel room only had a single window, but it provided a great view of the town center, including the war memorial.

During a short walk, we noticed that Harrogate had a lot of rounded buildings with at least one on every corner. Harrogate is a spa town that is about 455 years old, dating back to the discovery of its first mineral spring in 1571. 

Exterior of Harrogate Turkish Baths

Several fellow travelers went to the Turkish Baths housed in a restored 19th-century Victorian spa with Moorish design, Islamic arches, and terrazzo floors; however we did not. The UK currently has 11 remaining original Victorian-style Turkish bath with only about 6 open for public use.

In December 1926, mystery novelist Agatha Christie mysteriously disappeared and spent 11 days at The Swan Hydropathic Hotel, a grand 19th-century spa in Harrogate that was renamed in the 1950s as The Old Swan Hotel and remains in business today.

Bettys Café Tea Room in Harrogate

Bettys Café Tea Room is among the most popular places in Harrogate and was 

located directly across from the hotel. Bettys is famous for combining traditional Swiss confectionery with hearty Yorkshire hospitality into a grand, afternoon tea experience. Long lines outside its five Yorkshire locations have turned a simple tea room stop into a major tourist destination

A sundae dessert at Bettys

Bettys was founded in 1919 when Swiss baker Fritz Bützer, later to become Frederick Belmont, opened the first one in Harrogate after arriving in England. There's no information on why it was called Bettys, but it's become a legendary institution for traditional afternoon tea and pastries. And, now also serves lunch and dinner. Rather than tea and scones, we opted for Betty's Gooey Rascal Sundae during our visit.

UK friends, Kath and Andrew, met us for dinner

A highlight of our first full day in Harrogate was a visit from our UK friends, Kath and Andrew, who traveled from Derby to meet us for dinner at The Yorkshire. We last met up in London in October 2023 when we were on another tour. This is long-standing and long-distance friendship that started over 20 years ago at a VA hotel. Over breakfast talk, we learned that we shared the same wedding anniversary date. We've remained in contact through emails and cards and have with  phone calls through WhatsApp.

Surprisingly, the weather was perfect for our 9-day trip with daily temps in the high 60s or low 70s (F) and a couple of light showers. This was ideal as in the weeks before our trip, Yorkshire had been receiving rain on a near daily basis.

Our limousine for the entire tour

Harrogate served as the tour base as we took daily bus trips accompanied by PBS representatives and Linda, a local tour guide. The very capable bus driver, Harry, always managed to maneuver a very large tour bus along the narrowest Yorkshire roadways.

Future posts will contain highlights on some of the sights seen and places visited, including a the 1940s festival, an agricultural fair, and, of course, some castles and abbeys.

Apologies for not keeping up with fellow bloggers recent posts. Catching up on things at home and recovering from a cold have taken up time.

Friday Funnies

Next month, a new women's' clothing boutique is opening in a recently vacated downtown storefront. The previous business was also a boutique and when it closed last month, two mannequins remained in the window.

Both displayed a bit of modesty this week.(Window reflections were impossible to ignore or remove.)

These were spotted the same day that the media exploded with backlash after a female celebrity posed nude (nearly) for a sports-focused prediction app in which she holds a direct financial stake.

Seeing the figures after reading the news made this scene look very funny.

Enjoy Your Weekend, Everyone

We're going to a 1940s festival in Grassington, UK

Away We Go

I set the wrong date to publish this post. It was written the day we left on a tour and meant to be published next week, but I mistakenly selected an earlier post date.

This blog is taking a short break as we are off on a new adventure. We're currently on a 9-day tour sponsored by NH PBS (Public Broadcasting System) to the Yorkshire Dales countryside and visiting some of the locales featured in the popular TV series, All Creatures Great and Small. 

This popular show revolves around a trio of vets working in the Yorkshire Dales in the late 1930s and 1940s. The show is based on a series of books about a Yorkshire veterinary surgeon written by Alf Wight under the pen name of James Herriot. 

A quick synopsis is that eccentric Yorkshire veterinarian Siegfried Farnon hires James Herriot, a newly graduated Scottish vet, to work at his Skeldale House practice in the fictional town of Darrowby. Herriot soon learns to handle tough farm animals and skeptical locals In addition to Siegfried and Herriot, the cast includes Siegfried's younger brother, Tristan, their housekeeper, Mrs Hall and Helen, a local farmer's daughter who marries James as well as many other locals.

There's been two versions of this show. The current PBS series debuted in 2020 as a new adaptation of Wight's books. It's currently run for six seasons with a 7th due in January 2027. The series followed an earlier BBC series of 90 episodes that ran from 1978 to 1990. Both series were filmed in the Yorkshire Dales.

Our group flight departed from Logan Airport, Boston for an overnight flight to Dublin with a connecting flight to Manchester, UK, followed by a bus trip to Harrogate and arrival at the Yorkshire Hotel, our hotel for the entire tour. Anyone who has ever traveled on a multi-day group tour will appreciate having a single accommodation for the entire trip.

1940s attire is featured in Grassington for the annual festival

One of the highlights of trip includes a day trip to Grassington for a 1940s festival held annually in September. This Yorkshire Dales town has been the main filming location for the fictional market town of Darrowby in both productions of All Creatures Great and Small. 

Producers transformed its cobbled market square and historic shop fronts into the series 1940s setting. The festival transforms the town into a snapshot of England in the 1940s. The festival features a collection of vintage vehicles, live entertainment, and a replica Spitfire displayed in the Main Square.

As the series is based on the practice of a country veterinary surgeon it's no surprise that the tour includes a visit to the Nidderdale Agricultural show in Bewerley Park, Pateley Bridge for a traditional Dales agricultural event known as the Pateley Show. 

Poster for 2026 Pateley Bridge agricultural show

This show is one of the county's foremost agricultural shows which attracts crowds of over 15,000. Features events include sheep dog trials, show jumping, livestock classes and a demonstration cricket match. The Nidderdale Show traditionally marks the end of the agricultural show season.

Fish & Chips & mushy peas

We will also be visiting the market town of Skipton which will include having dinner at Bizzie Lizzie's Fish and Chips. The unusual name of this family-run business combined the middle name of its founder, Jean Ritson, with what was hoped the restaurant would be — busy, then applying poetic license for the name of Bizzie Lizzie's. In 1999, it won the National Fish & Chip Award. We're first ate mushy peas several years ago on a London visit; yes, we liked them.

Other places toured on this trip include some of those listed below. Future posts will contain more detailed descriptions.

Castle Howard

Castle Howard is an English country house in Henderskelfe, North Yorkshire. Large portions of the Castle Howard mansion are open to tourists as a public attraction. It remains a private residence as family members maintain a private wing of the house, preserving it as a functioning family home which has been the home of the Carlisle branch of the Howard family for over 300 years. It has been a filming location for British films and TV shows. In this way, it's similar to Highclere Castle in Hampshire, the filming location for the Downton Abbey series and films.

Whitby Abbey ruins

Whitby is a historic seaside town and fishing port in North Yorkshire, England, famous for its dramatic clifftop abbey. The ruins of Whitby Abbey are on a clifftop over the town. The abbey was a 7th-century Christian monastery that became a Benedictine abbey. The abbey and its possessions were confiscated by the crown under Henry VIII during the dissolution of the monasteries between 1536 and 1545. The abbey ruins have been used by sailors as a landmark. The substantial ruins of the church are a historical landmark in the care of English Heritage. (English Heritage is a registered charity that manages the National Heritage Collection of more than 400 historic sites, monuments, and properties across England.)

Bolton Castle in Wensleydale

Bolton Castle is a 14th-century castle in Wensleydale, Yorkshire, England. The castle was built between 1378 and 1399 by Richard, 1st Baron Scrope of Bolton, and is an example of a quadrangular castle. It has never been sold and remains in the ownership of descendants of the Scrope family. There is a garden including a maze, herb garden, wild flower meadow, rose garden and a vineyard on the site. The castle is a tourist attraction and rented out for events. Part of the structure is a ruin, another section has been restored. Several film and TV productions have used it as a location, including the All Creatures Great and Small series.

The 3-stages of Aysgarth Falls

Aysgarth Falls are a triple flight of waterfalls, surrounded by woodland and farmland, carved out by the River Ure over an almost 1-mile stretch on its descent to mid-Wensleydale in the Yorkshire Dales, near the village Aysgarth. After heavy rainfall as thousands of gallons of water cascade over the series of broad limestone steps, divided into three stages — Upper Force, Middle Force and Lower Force.

The walls of York

The city of York, a historic cathedral city in North Yorkshire, is known for its Roman
origins, Viking heritage, and well-preserved medieval architecture. Since Roman times, York has been defended by city walls of one type or another. Today, substantial portions of the walls remain. York has more miles of intact walls than any other city in England, which are referred to as York City Walls, the Bar Walls and the Roman Walls.

The majestic York Minster

While famed for its numerous historic buildings, castle and city walls, the most famous structure here is the Yorkshire Minster. This looming Gothic cathedral is not only the largest such structure in England, but the largest Gothic church north of the Alps. York Minster has more original medieval glass all other churches in England. The Minster is famous for its 15th-century stained glass, especially its Great East Window, the size of a tennis court. 

The ruins of Fountains Abbey

Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal in North Yorkshire has a history that spans nearly 900 years. The ruins at Fountains Abbey are the largest monastic ruins in England. The abbey was a Cistercian house founded in 1132. Over four centuries it became one of the wealthiest monasteries in England due to large and diverse landholdings. The abbey was ruined after the 1539 Dissolution of the Monasteries during the English Reformation. In the 18th century, it was incorporated into the designed landscape of Studley Royal, a historic 800-acre estate. Even in its ruined condition, Fountains has been described as the best preserved of English abbeys. Open to the public, it's owned by the National Trust and maintained by English Heritage. In 1986, it was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. 

Alf Wight

The final tour stop will be to tour The World of James Herriot, a museum and visitor center in Thirsk, North Yorkshire. It's housed in the former home and veterinary surgery of Alf Wight, known as James Herriot. Our tour of this 1940s home and surgery will include a walk through restored rooms that include a consulting room, dispensary and family living quarters. The items on display will include veterinary instruments and Wight's personal belongings. Vintage Austin Seven cars featured in the series will also be on display.

The World of James Herriot Museum

All of the photos in this post were obtained from Internet sources as we are still on our travels.

25 Years Ago . . .

It hardly seems possible that today marks a quarter of a century since two hijacked planes struck the Twin Towers in NYC causing both to collapse, destroying the global business complex and killing nearly 3,000 people. 

Remembering the Twin Towers as they were and against the skyline of NYC before 2001.

Last December, I visited NYC and photographed One World Trade Center, now known as the Freedom Tower. In January, a post about my visit to the 9/11 Memorial and Museum brought back so many memories.

And, this is view shows the NYC skyline photographed in December 2025, forever changed.

The words Never Forget remain in our collective memory no matter how many years go by. Like so many others, I can recall where and what I was doing in my native NJ that fateful morning. 

Today, people, here in the U.S. and worldwide, will take time to recall the tragedies that resulted in the deaths of so many people, not only in NYC but in Washington, DC, and Shanksville, PA. We remember all of them and will Never Forget.

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FYI — Blogger seems to be having a new issue this week as fellow bloggers, including myself were having trouble uploading photos. That's what happened earlier when composing this post. I resolved it by dragging and dropping photos into the draft, not a permanent solution. Apparently, this latest issue has since been resolved — for now.

Holiday Downsizing

What's become to regarded as the unofficial last day of summer, Labor Day, was celebrated this past Monday with a 3-day weekend. 

Traditionally, this day is time for picnics, family get togethers and getaways. We'd considered a road trip, but increasing gas prices, dealing with holiday traffic and last minute vacationeers made us re-think that plan. Instead, we stayed home, aside from a trip to the supermarket and a walk outdoors. 

It was a good weekend to tackle Christmas holiday downsizing. Believe me, empty containers are a very good thing especially at this stage of our lives when less is much better. We wil still enjoy Christmas, but with a lot less to put up and take down, which will also be good.

Empty containers are a very good thing

Grenville hauled five of these containers from storage and we spent time sorting through Christmas stuff — this 'n that, stockings & holders, wooden signs, Nativity, tree skirts, lights. One tote had styrofoam pieces (now discarded) and Buffalo snow (artificial snow to be donated) that were used for the holiday village, which won't be set up this year. 

There were too many ornaments, so a decision was made to keep special ones like those given by family (only one each of grandpa and grandma ornaments needed, not 3 sets). Also kept were ones bought at craft shows or when on travels. 

Progress was made, two containers were emptied and then there were three, not five. These totes definitely need to be relabeled much neater once this project is completed.

These three containers will soon become two

The to go items were boxed, loaded into a cart and taken to a large thrift store yesterday — the sooner the better. When donating Christmas holiday items it's best not to wait until right before the holidays. That's when thrift stores will be inundated and may not accept giveaways, which could then become toss-aways. The start of October is a good time.

All of this went to a thrift store this week

Sorting will be ongoing with the goal to reduce Christmas items into two containers before Grenville returns them to storage. It's handy that in the absence of a garage or attic, a storage unit is just down the hall from our apartment. Of course, the goal is to not add more stuff.

In between the holiday downsizing, a mini scarecrows and pumpkins display was set up outside our apartment entry — it was downsized from previous years.

Your Turn — Do you have excess holiday — if so, any downsizing plans?

Rough and Tumble

This is one a post that's been in draft form since an early spring road trip to Lancaster, PA, to visit family. We had a day of exploring as family was either working or in school. We've been in this area before, yet always find something new to us.

It seemed appropriate to post it on Labor Day weekend, a U.S. holiday celebrated annually on the first Monday of September to mark the achievements of American workers. A PA museum we visited focused on agriculture, industry and workers.

Founded in 1948, the Rough and Tumble Engineer Historical Association, is a non-profit, all-volunteer PA museum that celebrated its 78th year in 2026. Located in Kinzer, PA, Lancaster County, it's one of the first and longest running organizations of its type in the U.S. 

The museum celebrates agricultural and industrial history and the men who worked steam and gas-powered farm equipment. Called threshermen, they operated steam or gas-powered threshing machines to loosen and separate grain or seeds from stalks and husks. 

Threshermen would travel between farms with heavy equipment to bring in and thresh the wheat harvest, usually processing crops for multiple homesteads. Crews covered several states and hundreds of miles within a single harvest season. Sadly, the development of the combine harvester in the 1940s and 1950s lead to the demise of the threshermen and their equipment.

The association's name derives from this 1891 text

The rough and tumble name derives from the above 1890s guide for farm machinery, Rough and Tumble Engineering: A Book of Instructions for Operators of Farm and Traction Engines by James H. Maggard. This book was an operational manual for heavy steam and traction engines. 

Rough and Tumble has one of the world’s largest collections of old traction engines on site. There's antique farm implements and machinery and three barns of old steam engines and stationary gas engines, including an Otto-Langen Engine, one of the world’s few surviving examples of the first commercially successful gas engines. Most of these machines are kept in operating condition.

Some vintage steam-powered tractors

Exhibits include a collection of steam tractors, including a restored 1886 Schiedler engine, one of the oldest running steam traction engines in the U.S. There's a working sawmill and shingle mill, a traditional blacksmith shop, a line shaft machine shop, and a detailed model shop. Another building houses a collection of vintage automobiles and commercial trucks. 

One building holds vintage cars and trucks on permanent display

On the grounds there's a large display of kerosene, gasoline and oil-powered tractors from the early 1900s onward, featuring brands like John Deere and Rumely. The machinery is maintained in operating condition and run during the annual Threshermen’s Reunion and other shows. 

Some steam-powered threshers on display

The museum didn't begin as a collection of memorabilia, but as an event. After crops were harvested, steam threshermen and farm families would gather for a reunion and picnic. Manufacturers and salesmen would show new models. Farm equipment dealers, farmers and threshermen organized The Pennsylvania Threshermen and Farmers' Protective Association (PTFPA).

Then, as the days of the steam-powered traction engine waned, two local threshermen's chapters voted to spend remaining funds on a Threshermen's Reunion. 

In 1948, the first reunion was held on the grounds of farm equipment dealer, Arthur Young, across Route 30 from the present location. The son of a custom thresherman, Young operated a steam traction engine during harvest season, before opening a farm machinery business. The PTFPA provided food and advertising for the first event. In 1950, before the second reunion, Young recommended the Rough and Tumble name to the Board of Directors.

In 1951, Rough and Tumble developed a national reputation through promotion in The Iron Men Album magazine (now Steam Traction Magazine) devoted to preserving the heritage of threshing and farm life. Interest grew and the organization began to collect, preserve, restore and exhibit artifacts of agricultural and rural society. 

Rough and Tumble Engineers Historical Association (from website)

In the mid-1950s, contributors established a fund that allowed the organization to purchase land on the north side of Route 30. Nine acres were initially purchased. Today, Rough and Tumble has expanded to 33 acres and 15 buildings.

Farm equipment isn't the only attraction here. Two working railroads operate on the property. Adults and children can ride around the grounds on a coal-fired 2/3 scale Shay side-geared steam locomotive. 

A 2/3 scale Shay steam engine takes visitors on a ride 

A Shay locomotive is a geared steam engine that originated and was primarily used in the U.S. It's named after Ephraim Shay who invented it in the late 19th century for logging, mining, and steep mountain railways. Unlike standard locomotives that use side-rods connected directly to driving wheels, a Shay uses a side-mounted drive shaft and bevel gears to power every single wheel on the engine and tender.

Little Toot is a smaller ridable steam locomotive for younger visitors.

Throughout the years, Rough and Tumble has hosted events in response to popular demand such as a two-day “Steam School” of hands-on learning, an Antique Tractor Pull, a Spring Steam-Up Day, Blacksmith Days and a celebration of the harvest in October. 

The Rough and Tumble Engineers Historical Association is located in Kinzer, PA, on historic Lincoln Highway (U.S. Route 30). There's an admission charge and a separate fee to ride the steam train. We found this excursion was well the cost to explore. If you plan to visit, be sure to check when Rough and Tumble is open as this is a volunteer-run operation.

Other than dates for special events, the Rough and Tumble grounds are generally open for visitors the first Saturday of the month from May through the Time of Harvest event in October. After that, there's no exhibits on the grounds until the Spring Antique Tractor Pull in April.

Best Wishes to U.S. blog friends on this Labor Day Holiday

No holiday travel  for us. Our far-away travels are next week

Blog Commenting, Not

Fellow bloggers, it seems there is some sort of glitch going on in blogger. Comments are not publishing.

UPDATE: As of this morning, I have been able to leave comments, so it seems that this universal issue has been resolved. — at least for now.

Earlier today, I tried leaving comments on many blogs, only to have the Publishing button stay on and on and no results. A comment simply would not publish. So, while I have read your recent posts, there's no way to comment.

I read that other bloggers had expressed the same frustration.

A fellow blogger (Kathy) stated in a blog post that she had this issue in the past. She said she went through several new blogs, but would not recommend doing this. Not only did it not help, but you would lose your main blog.

This is the first time that this issue has presented itself for myself being unable to publish a blog comment. Similarly, any reply to a previous comment also will not publish.

So, after doing an online search, AI came back with this statement:

If your Blogger comments are not publishing as of September 4, 2026, this is a known technical hurdle that frequently occurs due to recent browser security upgrades, cookie policies, or specific dashboard configurations. No widespread global server outage is currently reported for Google's platform.

One of the suggested fixes was to in your browser settings (Chrome, Firefox, or Safari), turn off Enhanced Tracking Protection for your blog site, or explicitly add blogger.com to your browser's cookie "Allow" whitelist. 

My browser is Safari and I do have Enhanced Tracking Protection turned on and it will remain that way. Also, an online checked came back that Safari does not have a built-in allowed cookie whitelist that lets you block all cookies by default while permitting specific websites.

Fellow blogger, Kathy, reported going through this issue for weeks and through an online search found that Google no longer supports this platform.

Doing another online search, I queried whether blogger is still supported with these results:

Yes, Google Blogger still exists and remains active. You can still sign in, create new blogs on blogspot.com subdomains, and manage old posts using a Google account. While it is rarely used for major new marketing campaigns or high-end commercial projects, hobbyists and personal diarists still use it. It receives very few modern updates compared to competitors like WordPress or Substack, leaving its interface and SEO tools feeling dated.

Google Blogger is largely outdated and rarely chosen for new professional projects, though it remains functional for basic, personal hobby sites.

WordPress.org remains the best overall blogging platform in 2026 because it offers complete ownership, unmatched customization, and superior search engine optimization (SEO) capabilities. 

Also, I found this question (dated April 2026) on a blogger community help platform:

I regularly publish posts on a weekly basis and currently have over 100 posts on Blogger (Blogspot). I wanted to know if there is any possibility that the Blogspot platform might be shut down in the future, even if not immediately.

And, this answer from a Diamond Product expert:

 

Sometimes between today and the heat death of the Universe, Blogger will surely shut down. Google has not announced plans to do so before then. It's still a good idea to back up your blog regularly.

Finally, I did a check on many blogs listed on my sidebar, most comments on these blogs were left a day or so before today, September 4.

Just wondering how many other fellow bloggers have noticed this no comment issue. 

Of course, I realize that you will not be able to comment below, so perhaps can do so in your own blog post. 

Hopefully, this is a temporary glitch, but who knows?