Early afternoon on the somewhat dismal and wet Saturday this weekend, we decided to pay a long overdue visit to Helmsley, a little market town in North Yorkshire. It's about a 40 minute or so drive (slow moving tractors permitting) from home and the single lane road winds its way through part of the spectacular North Yorks Moors national park.
The remains of the medieval castle tower above the town and, we discovered, are to be the setting for an open air production of Shakespeare's Taming of the Shrew in August. Of course, we've now bought tickets. Who could resist? (And there's plenty of time to locate the folding chairs and picnic basket, last used some years ago at an Abba tribute/sing-a-long event in our local park).
There was no market today but it was enough to just meander the little streets around the market place.
There are some lovely shops here, including this book shop for me (I picked up a hardback copy of Joanna Trollope's Second Honeymoon for a bargain price, though I now think I 've read it already),
and a good selection of ales (this was only part of the display) in another for Himself.
A chocolate cafe? Now that looks promising.
This little cottage garden was immaculately tended.
I pulled over into a farm entrance on the way back home to get a snap of the view which, for this Townie, was breathtaking.
Then it was onto Sainsbury's for the weekly trawl of the shelves and fridges, trying to remember what was on the shopping list which, as usual, was left on the table at home.