Wonderful week

It's seems so long since I wrote to you all, but having had my lovely day at Chelsea I was so lucky to go straight away to my favorite place - Cornwall, where I write to you now. It's the end to one of those perfect Cornish weather days where it started with a sea mist and gradually the sun burnt it off and we ended up with a gorgeous hot afternoon on the beach, which is now ending in a beautiful sunset. I want to tell and show you so much about my special place but I am going to wait till I get home ( internet connection is very iffy here) as there is Chelsea first, but just as a little teaser here is the view from my caravan window as I type

 and here is my van

but no more till I'm home. So till then enjoy the rest of your weekend. Love Anne xx

Tomorrow's the day!!!

It's almost here and tomorrow is the day for this

which maybe hard to read so try this  

Yes I'm going to CHELSEA!!!! I've always wanted to go but never made it and now I'm going. I'm all packed, camera (with full battery), money, a waterproof coat and very comfy shoes!, don't need to take much, only essentials. I'm going to work shortly for a few hours and then down the M1 to Nottingham, home of the very special couple who gave me this gift (It's A who I went to Paul Hollywood with) where I'm sure there will be a gin and tonic waiting for me and a rather lovely tea cooked by A. We're getting the train down to London in the morning - maybe a glass of Bucks Fizz might be called for as we travel! and a whole day of heaven. 

Just to add the icing on the cake when I return from Nottingham on Thursday D, B and I leave for our very special annual holiday in Cornwall, where many more friends will be arriving and of course, my eldest, C will be waiting for us (we've not seen her for 5 months).The caravan is packed and ready to go and SO AM I! 

I'll be sharing both Chelsea and Cornwall with you as soon as I can so till then BYE

The Old School Coffee Shop, Grosmont

The final part of our weekend in north Yorkshire and one of the nicest bits - The Old School Coffee Shop in Grosmont, which is just up the path by the railway which leads to the engine sheds.
Who could resist a coffee stop in a place that had a sign like this

and this

and looked like this

and inside was this

and whose tables outside have these on them 

the coffee was delicious, complete with latte art

the seating outside was heaven for D

as he had a view of this

Do you get the idea I liked this place? Well I loved it. there were some lovely touches like the pop up tables we sat at by the wall,they and the chairs were just the right height to sit and watch the trains. There was a special area for dog owners with 3 bowls full of water so even the dogs could enjoy a coffee stop. The school yard had both sunny and shaded areas to sit, the shade being provided by pergolas planted with flowering climbers. I should also mention the cakes looked absolutely gorgeous and had we not had such a big breakfast half an hour before we would have certainly been sampling.

I've gone on and on about the coffee shop and not even said what we were doing up there in the first place (you can see what my priorities are!). Well D is a steam engine enthusiast, not that he is obsessed by it but where I could spend hours in a craft or vintage shop he is similar with steam engines and you can't go up to North Yorkshire and not visit the North Moors Railway so we had gone up to Grosmont.

If you've not been there it's not a big place but you get the impression that time has stood still especially when you see the Co-op

We walked up to the engine sheds through a tunnel built by George Stephenson

I took a picture of the ceiling on the vivid setting on the camera and it came out like this - amazing colours

D found the engine sheds a little disappointing but never the less enjoyed looking at the 'bits and pieces' around. I preferred looking at the railway cottages that we walked passed on the way back

Once back at the station a train that had just pulled in and we were able to savor the atmosphere complete with the smell of the smoke.

So that completes our weekend in Runswick Bay, I hope you have enjoyed it as much as we did. Come and visit me soon as I have still to tell you about my mad sewing project late last Friday which involved 3 tea towels. Till then have a lovely sunny day (it's sunny here and still very early) Anne xx

Runswick Bay

Yes I know 2 posts in one day, well I said today was a ME day so I really wanted to get up to date with all our doings as it's going to get busy for me during the next 10 days due extra work days, a sailing club open day, Chelsea flower show and GOING TO CORNWALL!!!! But before all that I really want to tell you about our holiday in the caravan at Runswick Bay. If you don't know where Runswick Bay is it's north of Whitby, between Sandsend and Staithes. It's a small village at the bottom of a very steep hill, which is fine when you go down but doesn't half work your calf muscles on the way back.

It's very pretty, with very little in the way of amenities apart from a pub (very nice) and cafe

(cafe on left of picture)

It seemed very much a 'holiday cottage' place, with lots of lovely cottages to rent

alleyways

and unexpected gardens

The bay sweeps right round

with the sailing club on the beach. D enjoyed watching the racing taking place.

and some amazing rock formations with gorgeous colours in them

and patterns on them

There were rock pools, perfectly round due I think to some sort of drilling (D found out why they were like that so I'll update when he's in and can tell me)

and pebble sculptures

(In case you were wondering about the bright colours I was experimenting with the vivid setting on my camera)

We had a lovely walk along the beach when the tide was out on our last day, finishing up at the cafe for an ice cream.

We had our caravan at Runswick Bay Caravan and Camping site which was at the top of the bay with access to the Cleveland Way. Here we are

Can you see our car through the gap in the hedge? that was the way onto the Cleveland way and from the van we could just see the sea looking through it.

We walked from the site to Staithes on our first day.

 Passed Port Mulgrave

which owes it's existence to the ironstone mining industry of the mid nineteenth century. 

The fields around were alight with yellow rapeseed flowers

When you get to Staithes it's a walk down into the bottom (and hard going back up)

But at the bottom quite a pretty village, with a working harbour and more amenities.

I just loved the way this driftwood had been used

and the pile of lobster pots near the lifeboat station

It was our wedding anniversary that day so back at the van a treat for tea was in order, steak diane enjoyed with a bottle of gorgeous Urbina rioja - perfect

Now I still have to tell and recommend to you a lovely, lovely tea shop in Goathland and show you a picture of the bedroom end of our van that I re-vamped, but I'll save that for later. Till then bye x