love those cupcakes

A bit of a do..............

...........all done!  After much planning and preparation (with a bit of baking and icing of cakes from me), the big day arrived and the Girlie married her boy. 

Mumps (see previous post) had subsided, the sun shone in a glorious setting and two families came together with a host of friends to celebrate. 

Now I'm off to put my feet up in the little house in Spain. 

Back in November.

To market

We went to check out a new (to us) cattery at one of the farms not far from here this morning but the sat nav led us a merry dance and sent us down the wrong unmarked lane, so we ended up hopelessly lost.  Of course, neither of us had bothered to bring a mobile which meant we couldn't ring for directions so we adjourned to Stokesley for a cappuccino and mooch around the market.

There was so much tempting stuff, I just about emptied my purse.

The haul included a couple of bags of  Queen of the Night tulip bulbs, a dahlia plant, a goosegog crumble, chunks of swirly apple pie chocolate, an eryngii (king oyster) mushroom (looks like risotto is on the menu tonight), chickpea curry spice mix, Yorkshire blue cheese and a homity pie. 

We also came across a craft fair with free admission in the little town hall and a chunky necklace, which might just put the finishing touch to my wedding outfit, jumped out so that came home with me, too.

Speaking of the wedding, which is just a week away, I now have a natty little something to plonk on my head, made by a new friend who happens to be a milliner.  

I had a little practice with it the other day.  It took the mister about an hour to realise I had feathers sprouting out of the top of my head.

So, I have a fascinator and the bride-to-be has mumps.

 

A walk and a dance in the park

Boo usually gets his daily exercise in the little park close to our house.  But, as it was ages since we'd last visited, we decided to treat him to a run around the much larger Stewart Park (though I don't know anyone round here who doesn't call it Stewarts Park) which is also in walking distance for the more energetic.  (Needless to say, we drove.)

It has lots to offer: two lakes, a pets corner with deer, highland cattle, llamas, rabbits and goats, woodland areas, visitor and education centres, totem poles and a couple of decent-ish cafes.

The park has an interesting history.  Local-boy-done-good, Captain James Cook was born in a cottage on the site (there was an entire village at that time) and a commemorative urn marks the spot on which it's believed to have stood. 

The land was first landscaped when it was owned by one of industrial Middlesbrough's founding fathers, Henry Bolckow.  A Victorian ironmaster and our first elected Mayor and first Liberal MP, he built an impressive looking home, Marton Hall, in the 1860's.

The Hall and grounds were eventually given to the town for the benefit of local residents, becoming a public park in 1928.  The Hall itself, neglected and falling into disrepair, remained until 1960 when, sadly, local councillors made the decision to demolish it after being advised by the Borough Engineer that it was of "no historic or architectural value".  Demolition had started when it was completely destroyed by a fire.

I bought this postcard of the Hall on eBay.  All that now remains are the steps which lead up from the garden (and which now lead to the Captain Cook Birthplace Museum) and the colonnade to the right.  Some of the estate buildings survived and have been restored in the last year along with a Victorian walled garden (which we stumbled across, only to be told off for going where we shouldn't).

Every summer, until the 1970's, the park was the venue for a big country dancing event when every junior school in the town would send a group of pupils to dance together on the grass.  Mine was an all girls school (I'm not sure if the all boys schools joined in) and my turn to dance came the summer I turned 11.

In the lead up to the event we had country dancing lessons (every Friday afternoon with Mrs Whitehouse) where we practiced the Gay Gordons, Circassian Circle, Dashing White Sergeant and some dance that I remember involved a lot of clapping and slapping of thighs. 

On the big day, my dad took me to the park and managed to take a couple of blurry pictures.

Here I am on the right, dancing with my friend, Caroline, in her gorgeous flowery dress with shocking pink cummerbund.

 

I don't think I've do-si-do'ed since.