Bucks WI look North

June 15th
En route to Scarborough with 38 other WI members and friends. We travelled happily up North through what used to be the industrial towns of the Midlands which is now reclaimed as green and pleasant land. We passed through rain but were quite oblivious of the torrential downpours the rest of Yorkshire was experiencing.
What a lot of cars on the motorways carry just one passenger! It was lovely to see the sea and to hear the seagulls and to discover that the hotel was welcoming. The food was good too.
June 16th
Today we were off to learn about the lovely city of York and to see the first evidence of the flooding overnight.The locals informed us that this was nothing out of the ordinary for them but it certainly impressed us.We had a very amusing and knowledgeable guide for the morning and then went our separate ways to explore whatever interested us.I was most impressed by the York Minster and the work done to underpin it.The embroidery on show is very fine and the modern work of stonemasons equals that of those who went before.It was wonderful to hear the service in progress with the choir singing in the midst of tourists from all over the world.
The party is beginning to jell as the travellers get to know each other which is an important part of these holidays.
June 17th
We travelled up the coast today visiting Robin Hood's Bay and Whitby and then home across the moors. It was very atmospheric on the moors as the mist came down bringing a shower of rain.Our guide gave us an historical account of life among the fishing fleets and the abbey communities. Lots of people just had to have fish and chips in Whitby and then sit and watch the clog dancing on the pier.We were there at the end of the festival and when the dancers finished with an eight group communal dance on the beach they up-skirts and rushed into the sea!
June 19th
We received a bit of reflected glory today with the publication of the article about the WI impact on Marks & Spenser in the Daily Telegraph. Some of the hotel staff knowing we were from Buckinghamshire wondered if they were harbouring members of the focus group.I wish they had been because that was wonderful publicity and such a well written piece. Some of us considered an invasion of the local branch to receive the grateful thanks of the shop staff for saving their stores but a sense of decorum prevailed and we went off to learn about Pickering and the North Yorkshire Moors Railway instead.
There is no doubt about it that the WI is constantly appearing in the media these days. Someone somewhere is working the system to good effect.
June 20th
We visited Castle Howard where two gentlemen on the staff made us very welcome because they had both spent time in Buckinghamshire schools either as pupils or staff. We had a lovely day with a guided tour of the house with all its treasures and there were guided tours of the marvellous Italian, rose and vegetable gardens. I have never seen such a good vegetable garden and the House boasts that the restaurant and cafe on the premises uses all its own local produce.There was a wonderful choice of honey and jams and cakes in the shop and soups all homemade in the restaurant. There was also a wonderful chocolate shop! Temptation!
We could not look around two of the rooms in the house because they are filming a remake of Brideshead Revisited.There were people milling around with cameras and stars reading their lines in secluded corners and every now and again everyone had to be absolutely silent while some tiny bit of film was made. The only thing that refused to keep quiet was the peacock! We are all going to have to see the film to see how it turns out.
Home tomorrow with new friends made and a nice break away enjoyed because the worries and concerns that many of the passengers have in their private lives are left behind for a few days.