Stir up Sunday

Today is “Stir up Sunday” and is apparently the traditional day to make your Christmas Pudding. It was started in Victorian times as a tradition when families would get together to get their fruit puddings stirred up, steamed and stored ahead of Christmas. It’s not...

North York Moors Dark Skies

When we first moved here, we couldn’t believe the night skies especially on a moonless night. One summers night just after we’d moved in, Jackie saw 2 shooting stars from our bathroom window at 3am. A few minutes later, she’d woken Ian up and bundled him down to the...

Castle Howard

We’ve decided to be local tourists during these strange times and check out places we can then recommend (or not!) to guests. This week we visited Castle Howard, a stately home which is 15 miles south of us. We’ve been there many times before, from visiting the...

Autumn at the Long Barn

  We can feel the arrival of autumn everywhere. There are hints of the colours to come in the countryside, greens turning to golds, oranges and russet browns. The heather on the moors has already turned purple, and the bracken will soon start to change.  ...

Cycling

Even before the Tour de France came to Yorkshire in 2014, the Brits have been keen cyclists. Since then, the number of cyclists on the road has grown and grown, helped by subsequent Tour de Yorkshires and the general interest in cycling. We have cycled off and on for...

Rosedale Abbey Walk

Rosedale Abbey village is just 7 miles drive from Appleton and is the starting point for a lovely walk that we’ve done in every season since we moved here. We love it because it is a circular walk of just under 8 miles through a real variety of countryside and some...