Day Trip to Ripon

On the 2nd of December my mum and I had our Christmas shopping day planned. We weren't sure where to go but then I thought I would like to go to Ripon, and then we decided we would take Lee and my stepdad along with us for the day too. So we all went in the same car and we got there in good time. I actually drove there! We parked in the long stay car park and walked up an arcade that is new since any of us were last in Ripon. It had some lovely shops in! In fact the first one was a very good charity shop where my mum found some Jacques Vert slingback shoes and matching handbag, which she snapped up as she was about to go on a cruise and thought they would be perfect for it. We then went in a cute clothing boutique where my mum kindly bought me a very festive jumper as part of my Christmas presents.

We went in a cafe and had a coffee and a little breakfast - I had a toasted teacake which was lovely. We walked up to the main square and then through to the cathedral. We went in, my mum and I looked around more than Lee and my stepdad. We lit some candles which I nearly always do in churches, and we spoke to one of the priests who was really friendly and had a lot of information for us. Their cushions round the edge are all about Ripon and one of them had York St John on it, which is where I went to university! It was Ripon & York St John at one point but the Ripon campus shut just before I arrived there - or maybe as I arrived, not sure. It was nice to see the cathedral. 

We went back to the square and went into the Lounge which is one of the chains, I like them. We just wanted a drink; I had mulled wine and so did my stepdad. My mum had some kind of cocktail but I'm not sure what. We then did some more shopping, I managed to get quite a few Christmas presents. By this time it was getting on a bit so we went into a pub for some lunch. It was nice food, my mum and I shared some wine too. By the time we left the pub and were back on the square it was starting to get dark. My stepdad was flagging a bit by this point so he went and found a pub to sit in and Lee, my mum and I did more shopping, I think we went in nearly every shop that Ripon has! We finally went to the pub to meet Norman. I think it was about 4.30 by this point and as we didn't want to set off and get stuck in rush hour traffic on the A1, we decided to just sit there for a couple of hours and chill. So it was a bit later by the time we dropped my mum and stepdad off! 

As it was nearly Christmas I had pulled out all my sparkly tights so I was wearing them with some boots. I also got my vaguely festive skirt out of storage. It was a dress which a friend gave me but the top didn't fit me, so my mum made it into a skirt for me. It is a wintry scene and I get a lot of compliments on it! On top I was wearing this teal coloured top which I don't remember buying but I love the colour! 

Breakfast in a cute little cafe

Looking up at the cathedral. I must have been in there before because we spent a lot of time in Ripon when I was little, as we had a caravan and we used to go near Ripon a lot, but I don't remember it at all. So it was nice to see

I love all the old saints, this was cute to see

Apparently Lewis Caroll was a choir boy at Ripon cathedral and may have based Alice in Wonderland on some of the things he found there

I also really like stained glass windows

Oh this is the cushion that mention my university!

Christmas decorations in the pub, which was nice

Here we all are. I can't remember what I had to eat

This cute little thing is in the main square 

And there were festive lights too!

My outfit when we got home

And my tights and boots!

Saturday 8th November

As I said previously, my cousin Peter was staying with us for the weekend as he'd come to see the new house. We decided to go into Leeds on Saturday and we had been thinking about what we were going to do. So we booked to play crazy golf at the Junkyard in Leeds, and arranged the day around that. 

We got to Leeds about midday and parked in the Light. It is so expensive there but we needed to be in the Light so we just sucked it up. We walked through to Tamatanga which is Indian street food and where I've been a few times. Lee suggested it as he'd really liked it, and Peter agreed. We just turned up but it did get busy so I'm glad we were there for opening and managed to get a table. 

I had two cocktails as they were on special offer, I don't quite remember now what they were but they were nice. For food I had chaat, as always, and some onion bhajis, and I shared a chilli cheese naan bread with Peter. It was all delicious food and we all enjoyed it. We maybe over ordered a little bit though!

I was wearing my black Simply Be dress that has blue hearts on it, I love it but the sleeves really annoy me so I we them pushed up. I had also put on my other glasses that I got earlier in the year when they were on buy one get one ffree. They rub my left ear a bit so after a few hours I get fed up of them, but for a little bit they are cute. I must get them adjusted again because I really love the pattern on them. 

We went up to the Junkyard at about 1.30 for our booking. There are three different golf courses, all themed but basically the same. You can play all three of them for £16.50 which isn't bad at all. I can't remember which was which, but we played one first then had a sit down and a drink, then went to another and then did the same, and then I noped out about halfway through the third one because I was really aching and needed to sit down. They were fun to play, with a few different types of holes, but on the Saturday afternoon they were just so busy that we ended up waiting behind big groups for ages which was a bit annoying. Staff told us to skip forward which did help a bit, but not entirely. I'm not sure I would bother to go again but it was a fun time and we enjoyed it. We took some photos in the photobooth as I do love a photobooth and in my new craft room I've 

After we had finished there we went to La Dolce for pudding. I think that was Lee's suggestion too. He and I went on my 40th birthday in January 2024, for brunch. There are so many things to choose from but I went for a crepe with chocolate and bananas. When we'd finished - absolutely stuffed full - we left Leeds and went to my mum's in Wakefield so she and my stepdad could see Peter for a bit. We didn't stay there long. My mum had made this meaty thing for their tea and gave Peter some to take home haha as there was loads. 

We got home and just chilled out for the rest of the night, watching a couple of films and just talkimg. 

On Sunday morning Lee went off to band practice so Peter and I did some jobs in the house. He helped me to sort out the garage a bit more. I thought we had way more boxes still to unpack but seeingthe garage reassured me that we didn't. We actually unpacked the last box a couple of days later! Amazing to be honest as it wasn't fun but it got done. When Lee got back Peter helped him with some stuff in the loft (I haven't been in it as I don't think I could do it safely, but I have stuck my head through as the ladder is okay for me to access). That really helped us too! Lee made some kind of roasted food for lunch before Peter left about 4pm! It was a lovely weekend with him. 

Here we are in Tamatanga, the ceiling is very lovely

Drinks and chips. Oh seeing this it was some kind of martini with a beer shot, haha

I had put some make up on and you can also see my other glasses as opposed to my red ones

Outfit photo in the loos. My tights were bright blue of course

Peter playing a hole in the crazy golf

Here we are sitting in a hollowed out car waiting for our turn

I love black light and neons, so I took this in one of the rooms

Here's our photobooth photos, we weren't expecting the second photo! 

And here's my crepe!

Trip to Whitby

On the 16th of January Lee and I went to Whitby for the day. Lee was made redundant in December and was about to start a new job, so we decided to make the most of his time off and go to Whitby for the day. We haven't been there in an absolute ice age so we set off about got to Whitby about midday. We parked near the Co op and walked along the harbour. We went into some charity shops and a couple of other ones. We walked right along the front to the very end to look at the sea. It was completely beautiful and just exactly what I needed. 

We were hungry so we went into a restaurant right on the end for some lunch. It was upstairs and had an absolutely gorgeous view over the sea. They had champagne by the glass for just eleven quid so I had to have one, and it was cold and delicious! It was a lovely lunch. 

We walked back along the front going into some shops this time, and we also went into the one amusement arcade that was open. Upstairs it had a bunch of retro games so Lee made me play the Simpsons arcade game and then he played some other stuff while I played on the 2p machines. We had a massive ice cream each from one of the stalls on the front which was lovely. 

We crossed over the swing bridge and went into some more shops. I had some Christmas money so I bought myself a piece of freeform Whitby jet on a pendant. It's really lovely, I'll have to wear it soon. Then we went into Cafe Montmartre which is on the market square. I can't remember what it used to be but now it's this French themed bar, and it's totally gorgeous. It's tiny inside and heavily decorated with all kind of French paraphenalia. It was cold so we both had hot chocolate - mine also had Grand Marnier in it which was delicious. 

We walked back to the car via some more shops, and then set off home. It was just getting dark and it was absolutely beautiful coming back over the moors. I managed to get a lovely picture of the sunset on the way. My last photo is my outfit when we got home. I was wearing a tartan skirt that my mum made for me absolutely forever ago and which I recently discovered and am determined to wear more often. With it I wore my Carl Barat t shirt. I did have my coat on while were were in Whitby because it was very cold! 

It was a lovely day though and I'm glad we managed to go. 

Standing on the harbour looking towards the sea. Whitby's estuary is very tidal so the water was low at this point

I love the signage on this building and the colour of it, and always have

Right on the front breathing in some of that lovely sea air

There were a few people about, but really not many

View from the restaurant. I'm so glad we went in there because it was glorious

Champagne with my lunch

And then the most hugest ice creams ever

The retro game Lee made me play

Looking across the estuary to the other side, where the abbey is (you can't see it in this photo though)

As we crossed the swing bridge, later, so you can see that the water had come in quite a lot

The beautiful French themed bar we went into 

My delicious hot chocolate

More views of the harbour, isn't it beautiful?

I liked how low this doorway was. We ended up walking through this snicket to get back to the car

Sunset on the way home

And here I am in my outfit of the day when we got home!

Afternoon in York with Jacqui

On the 20th of March I went to York to see my friend Jacqui. We had planned to meet for tea but then we decided to meet a bit earlier. I set off after craft club and parked near the bottom of the Shambles which was fine for me. We met at the bottom of the Shambles - although I did take a picture of Whip-Ma-Whop-Ma-Gate on the way there - and then went through Shambles Market to the Portal bookshop. It's an LGBTQ+ bookshop and my mum had mentioned it to me so I wanted to go in. They've got tons of stuff including a lot of sci fi, YA, and fantasy, and a decent amount of crime. I bought two books and a present for Lee which was a pink keyring shaped like a Playstation controller. It's cute!

Then Jac and I joined the queue for the York Ghost Merchant shop. I have two of the ghosts already that I got back in 2021, and I wanted a couple more for myself. I also thought my stepcousin Nirosha would like one for her birthday. So we joined the queue. It was busy for a random Monday afternoon. We queued for around half an hour before we got in. I chose a pale pink and white ghost for Niri and then a mini blue ghost for myself. I paid, and then one of the employees told me to look in some of the cupboards and curios against one wall. I found the white and black ghosts in one cupboard and liked the black ones so much that I had to buy one! Jac bought two too. We weren't in there too long. Then I got some fudge from next door for Nirosha too. 

We walked along then towards the minster. I was considering going in some other shops but didn't. We did walk down Mad Alice lane and through a couple more of the little snickleways that York is full of. We had a cup of coffee and walked a bit further, spotting the back of Pho. I of course love the chain and Jac had never been so we decided to go for tea. We had said we would have an early tea so we headed there. I had summer rolls with peanut sauce and tofu curry, which is what I always get - it's just so delicious that I really like it! 

After tea we walked back to my car together so Jac could get her pottery stuff that I had picked up a few weeks before. I gave her a lift home and actually driving round the inner ring road wasn't too bad. I got to go past York St John where I did my undergrad degree, which I always like to look at. I left Jac's about 6pm and was home 45 minutes later. It was a lovely afternoon and nice to chat to Jac as always!

The entire street is supposedly one of the shortest ever

This is also supposedly one of the oldest buildings in York. It used to be a pub I think but it sells York Gin now. I'll have to go one time!

While queueing on the Shambles for the ghost shop. It used to be the meat market and the buildings really are that close

My blue mini ghost and Nirosha's one in the little photobooth. The whole shop is such a gimmick, but it's also so cute that I can't even be cross about it

Here's the cupboard of black and white ones that look like they're crying. I love them! I chose the little black one just behind the sign at the bottom

Formerly Mad Alice Lane. I'd love to know the story behind this one!

Summer rolls and that peanut sauce which I could literally drink. I wish they sold it

Tofu curry - I love it

Me and Jac - you can see I'm wearing my Lizzo t-shirt

I love the pattern on this wee ghostie

And I LOVE this one, he is so cute!

Pottery Painting with Sam and Jacqui

On the 11th of February me and Sam and Jacqui met up to do some pottery painting. I've wanted to do it for ages and I put it on my list of forty things that I want to do before I turn forty in January 2024. I will try to blog things on this list as and when they happen, but I've already missed writing about a couple - like get another tattoo was on the list, and I did that just before this day. I'm going to write a zine about the forty things, because it's me and that's what I do! So anyway Sam and Jac said they would do it with me. We looked around at plenty of places but decided to go for Crafty Owls in Ossett, near Wakefield. 

We decided to go for some lunch first, so booked a table at Bistro 42. I've been before, but it was ages ago, for my mum's birthday at one point. I remembered it being nice though, and it is. Jac and I shared some nachos and then I had a halloumi burger and chunky chips. They were both nice. Sam and Jac enjoyed their food too. They also had two cocktails each, which I tasted and which were delicious. 

We got to Crafty Owls early but we were able to sit down. They have lots of clay things for you to choose from to paint, although the person in charge said their choices were a bit down because they had been so busy. There was still ample choice though! I went for a big bauble and a cat. I am not, it turns out, a natural painter. I enjoyed making the patterns on the bauble, though, and I just sort of tried my best with the cat. It's orange, reddish, and black. My own cats are black, and black and white, but that seemed like it would be boring to paint so I went for more of a calico. Sam painted a bowl and a cup, doing patterns and stuff. Jac did a Belle! She was beautiful and will look stunning I am sure! It took her ages but she did manage to also paint Stede Bonnet (if you know you know) on to a teabag holder.

We were there about two hours in all. Crafty Owls has some drinks and sweet things, so we got a drink each. We paid and I arranged that I would go back to collect our stuff once it had been glazed and fired. It was really good fun to just sit and paint and chat - so much so that Jacqui asked if we can go to the place in York near Christmas and paint some stuff then! I am so glad this was on my list and that we crossed it off!

I had painted my nails - Barry M Spearmint - so took this photo while I was waiting for Sam at the station

Nachos to share!

Halloumi burger and chunky chips

I love ghost writing on old buildings like this!

My cat and bauble before painting

All the different paints we had to choose from - we each had a tile to use as a paint palette which showed what each colour looks like when fired

Sam and Jac!

And all three of us - there were other people in the place, on and off

My bauble

Jac's Belle - just so good!

My little cat - I'm excited to see what this will look like too

And finally my plate

Jac took this of everything we had made!