CoLJ 13 - Owl Cottage is not a flight of fancy.

Our week in Owl Cottage, in Thoralby in the Yorkshire Dales has come to an end. It is a week we have thoroughly enjoyed.

There has been so much written about the beauty of the Yorkshire Dales, by 'proper' writers unlike myself, and even that cannot do justice to the scenery, that I need not try to add my bit. Only a visit shows the reality.

Having written about our unfortunate experience in Camp Cottage it was with some considerable trepidation last Saturday (20th) that we negotiated the rough roller coaster bridle track, entered the drive and approached the front door of Owl Cottage. Remembering the description “Luxury Converted Dairy in the Heart of the Yorkshire Dales National Park with Spectacular Views' Beautiful Scenery and the Perfect Place to Get Away from it All” about the cottage from the website we were fearful our hopes for the week would be shattered, as they were last week.

The spectacular views and beautiful scenery statement was already proven but what of the inside of the cottage we wondered. As we pushed the door open our apprehensions immediately left us and smiles beamed across faces. I was relieved that I hadn't reserved another duff cottage. A quick tour around, well it's only a one bedroom cottage, showed that the inside exceeded our expectations created by the website information.

Our week long stay has confirmed Owl Cottage as a clean, comfortable, cosy, homely, tastefully renovated cottage from what was originally a dairy. Within the property there is almost everything that visitors need. It is an idyllic place to stay in, with the fantastic location and complimentary facilities making it a pleasure to rest here. The excellent value for money is an added bonus. The owners, Jeanette and David, should be proud of the holiday cottage they have created.

Should the opportunity offer itself we most certainly would stay here again.

The anticipation of the ambience of Owl Cottage as “ the perfect place to get away from it all” is not a flight of fancy; it is a reality.

CoLJ 12 - Camp Cottage to Owl Cottage.

On Saturday ( 20^th August ) we moved again, this time from Camp Cottage to Owl Cottage at Swinacote Farm, in Thoralby in the Yorkshire Dales.

Owl Cottage - the righthand part of the farm house

 The journey was uneventful and quite boring for the majority of the time being on the M50, M5 & M6 motorways. However everything changed in the final hour from just south of Skipton, Yorkshire, to our new location for the week. We travelled along the B6265 and the B6160 going north through Wharfedale and Bishopdale in the Yorkshire Dales National Park, passing close to Grassington and through the pretty village of Kettlewell and smaller quaint hamlets. The road twisted and turned along the valley bottom and edges, following the course of the riverbeds, climbing to get over the moorland separating the two dales and descending into Bishopdale. At many locations it becomes nothing more than a single track road with a lot of stopping and manoeuvring to pass oncoming traffic. Interesting driving. The scenery through these dales is fabulous, with Natalie constantly commenting on and saying "look at that view", but I declined from looking for the vast majority of the time, instead concentrating on the next twist and climb of the road.

Northern end of Bishopdale

Once we arrived in the village of Thoralby my faithful SatNavratilova couldn't guide me any more, as the final half a mile access track to the cottage is along a public bridleway, which the cottage owners advise “is not suitable for low bottomed or sports type cars”. They are not wrong with that statement but the bumpy, tyre juddering, car swaying last half mile is worth it.

Click here to see the exact location of the farm, shown to the South West of the village centre, and the off road section.

No lunch at Talgarth Mill

Having seen the Talgarth Mill featured in the BBC 1 series 'Village SOS' on the 10^th August 2011 Natalie and I decided to visit the mill today (Monday 15^th August 2011) with the intention of having lunch in the “Riverside Café serving local seasonal food and drink” and then a tour of the mill.

We would have had lunch, sampling the local produce, except that the Riverside Café is closed on Mondays. During the months of May to September the mill is open daily from 10am to 4pm, according to their publicity leaflet, and we thought, foolishly it turns out, that the café would have been open during these times. Nowhere on the leaflet did it indicate otherwise!

The mill markets itself as a tourist attraction. August is a major tourist month in the United Kingdom. Where is the logic in not having the café open on a Monday when the mill is open? What about bank holidays, is it closed on these days?

We couldn't have lunch in the Riverside Café so we didn't bother to waste any more time or money paying to tour the mill. They not only lost two entrance fees but also payment for two lunches. We were not the only ones to be caught by the closure of the café as we saw other visitors turn and walk away in apparent disappointment.

Note:

Having checked the mill's website on our return to our holiday base it is mentioned that the café is closed on Mondays, but how many people have internet access when on holiday to check on details given in publicity leaflets. I only checked after the event because of my annoyance of having our time wasted.

There is a dead wasp in the swimming pool; - what should I do?

I was sitting at home one  afternoon recently with some friends who had called round for a chat and a cup of tea. There was an unexpected knock on the front door. I broke off from the interesting conversation we were having to see who was at the front door in the middle of the very hot afternoon.

“There is a dead wasp in the pool” said the young lady standing on the door step in her swim suit! She was on holiday, with her equally young beau, staying with a relative who has a property in the community.

I ought to clarify at this point that not only do I live next to the communal swimming pool but I am also the Chairman of the Community in which the pool is situated.

Her statement threw me for moment and before I could think of the appropriate response she enquired as to what she should do to remove the offending insect from the water.

Refraining from the urge to make a satirical, or verging on sarcastic, comment I suggest that perhaps the solution was to scoop the invader out of the water with the aid of a handful of water as a propellant. If that failed she might try the alternative of using her swimming goggles as a scoop. I suggested that her 'Sir Galahad', who remained in the pool, possibly as a rearguard defence and lookout, might assist her in the quest to remove the Hymenoptera.

It is good to be able to assist the youth of today with their education!

Having made my constructive suggestions, I refrained from leaving my guests and undertaking an act of chivalry by despatching the 'beastie', thereby enabling her 'Knight in Armour' to save the señorita from the Spanish invader. With what I perceived as a look of disappointment, that I was not to accompany her, she returned to the swimming pool. Whether or not she, or her 'Superman' hero, or neither of them extracted the wasp from water I'll never know, and to be honest, even though they felt it necessary to disturb my afternoon, I don't need to know.

On returning to my guests I found them chuckling amongst themselves about the episode they had just overheard. Wondering if it was real life or a trailer for a comedy sketch. I put their minds at rest.

It is another one of the joys, or is that peculiarities, of being Chairman of a Community!

Burglars next door -- No British Holiday Makers!

Deep into the night two of the residents of a Spanish residential community were awoken suddenly by loud banging and furniture moving noises, and voices coming from the next door property. They looked at the clock it was 02:15 hrs., a quarter past 2 in the middle of the night!

Immediate half asleep thought, because the owners life in the United Kingdom, 'there are burglars in the house ransacking the place'. Rather noisy burglars though.

As fully awake thoughts started to function they realised it was the British holiday makers currently renting the house. Behaving as intoxicated, stupid, inconsiderate and ignorant holiday makers do. The residents checked to see if the visitors hire car was parked on the road in front of the house, but it wasn't. They began to wonder if perhaps it is burglars after all. No it is the holiday makers. They recognised the voices of the revelling holiday makers as they shout rather than talk to each other. Probably left the car somewhere as the father had drunk too much to drive. Perhaps not so stupid.

Doors banging, furniture being scrapped on the tiled floors, and then the scream! They, and other residents, know what that means. One of the females in the party has found a cucaracha (cockroach) or two. That was followed by the noise of frantic furniture moving and the multitude of the slamming of shoes on the floor with the many attempts at exterminating of the unwanted visitors (cockroaches not the holiday makers). The evening consumption of alcohol obviously effecting the exterminators aim.

Thirty minutes, forty five minutes and the cacophony continues. By this time the husband has had enough, sleep is out of the question, and he is beginning to think about calling next door to ask the holiday makers to have consideration for others. His 'better half' points out that it may be better to leave it till later as the combination of alcohol and holiday makers can be explosive.

One hour after it started, it's 03:15 by then, peace and quiet was restored. The holiday makers have retired, or 'flaked out'.

Now the residents have to try to get back to sleep, thanks to the moronic attitude and actions of the British holiday makers. The clock shows 03:30, 03:45, still no sleep.

When it was politely pointed out to the family later, when they eventually rose from their induced deep slumbers, that the disturbance they had made during the night was inconsiderate to the resident neighbours, either side of the rental, the matriarch replied, “we're on holiday”.

How many times have residents of communities on the Spanish coast heard that. What it really means is 'we don't give a dam, we'll do what we want, we've rented the house for a holiday so you residents can put up with it'.

A true story that is almost certainly re-enacted here, there, and in every community.

How Inconsiderate can British Holiday Makers be?

Having already raised the question about the stupidity of some of the British holiday makers I will now add their lack of consideration.

A family have rented a house in Spain for two weeks within a terrace row of residential properties.

They decide to have a barbecue for their evening meal in the front garden because " You've got to have a barbie when you're on holiday". There is no problem with that.

There is a problem however when they decide to place the portable barbecue directly under the front window of the property adjacent to the one they are staying in. No consideration given to the residents living in the property. No thought as to the effect of the smoke and the smell of the cooking on the barbie being blown into the next door property, and the fact that it is adjacent to the building.

The look of amazement on the faces of the holiday makers when asked to move the barbecue away from the building and the window is unbelievable. This starts them thinking. How could these residents be so akward as to object to us cooking our barbie under their window? Where can we put it and besides that it's hot? We're on holiday we shouldn't have to think about things like that!

The answers are; neighbours don't want living rooms stinking of cooking and full of smoke; anywhere else in the front garden not next to the building or under a neighbouring resident's windows.

That's not a too difficult thing for the holiday makers to think about. Had they been considerate in the first place they wouldn't have the problem of moving the barbecue to a sensible location. The problem probably has something to do with the adage about leaving brains at airport.

As an aside: what is the enjoyment of standing in direct sunshine in temperatures in excess of 36 centigrade in front of a very hot smoky barbecue with the end result of burnt  overcooked burgers and sausages and burnt but undercooked chicken?

How stupid can British Holiday Makers be?

This is a true story, and probably being repeated throughout the Costa Blanca.

A family group of five, two parents and three teenagers/early twenties arrive in Spain mid-morning today.

They arrive at their rented house and see the community swimming pool. - Oh great joy!

First task for the youngest three is presumably to unpack. Second task is to get into their swimwear and head for the pool area.

Mission is accomplished by 13:30 hrs.

Spain currently has a hot weather warning with temperatures in the area anticipated to reach 36 C. The sky is a clear blue with no cloud cover what so ever. The residents in Spain are sensibly keeping out of the sun and in the cool.

But not the intrepid trio. At 15:oo hrs they are still in the pool area sunbathing and swimming. They are immune from the direct heat of the sun, or so they think! I wonder which one will be the most sunburnt tomorrow. Will we see the pink lobster holiday makers, that we see so often, trying to keep their clothes off their roasted skins.

How stupid can British holiday makers be?

P.S. Where were the parents? Indoors out of the extreme heat of the day.