PINKTOBER - DAY3

After a busy day yesterday, we decided to have a quieter day today, so took our time getting up.  Our new friend, Marjorie, had told us about a Quarry Tearoom in the village of Hunwick, just about half an hour away from where we are staying, so we set off just after 10 o’clock, not having had any breakfast, and decided to see what was on offer.  

Reeth insisted on coming with us, just in case there wasn’t much pink around, but we needn’t have worried, there was plenty in the tearoom.  Mr. HCB decided on a Cumberland sausage sandwich and I thought a bacon sandwich sounded just the ticket, so that was what we ordered.  Both were delicious, but were actually in buns rather than just bread - obviously how they do it “oop north” in Yorkshire.

However, I have to report that Reeth was rather upset to see his cousin embroiled in a bun and said he didn’t really feel like having his photograph taken, but I managed to talk him round, explaining that it was for a good cause, so here he is - and please remember to click HERE so that those who cannot afford to pay for a mammogram can have a free one.

On our way out, we spoke to Amber, who took our money and Tina, who had served us - the top left photograph in my extra collage.   I explained about Blip and asked if I could take their photograph with Reeth and why it needed to be pink, so they told us that they had done a Breast Cancer Awareness Calendar for 2023 because a friend of theirs has breast cancer, so  were happy to let me take this shot.  

After the awful whoopsies on our car yesterday, just after we left the tearooms, we saw a car wash, so I persuaded Mr. HCB to take the car in and get it cleaned and what a great job the young men did - a tenner well spent and of course, Reeth wanted to be in another shot - middle top in the extra collage.  

As we meandered, we stopped just near Wolsingham because we had spotted some donkeys in a field, and I managed to get quite close to take a few photographs, especially for Sid, our Silly Saturday Gang donkey, but also for Gill, who bought him for us, as she is especially fond of them.  I did have a little chat with them and said we had a friend of theirs, but had left him back at our lodge - however, I promised to bring him if we were ever this way again.

We then stopped in Stanhope and found a little chip shop that was just closing, so treated ourselves to a large portion of just chips - and then sat on a seat opposite to eat them - we haven’t done that for a very long time and they were scrummy!  Whilst we were sitting there, I had a Whatsapp message from Linda and Karen, two friends who are also volunteers at the Community Fridge, who send me a selfie saying they missed me, so I sent them one back of us eating our chips, to say I was missing them too!

The main shot in the collage is the Norman Church of St. Thomas the Apostle in Stanhope.  The garden and graveyard was beautifully kept and in fact, there were two men mowing the grass and tidying up, so we told them how good it looked - one of them said “Aye, it teks a lot of doin!”  There was a most beautiful altar cloth, depicting the dales in the area - and it was very striking to see, even from the back of the church as we walked in.

We then meandered back across the moors, which at times looked quite bleak, but Mr. HCB was thrilled when we saw not only lots of sheep, but also several red grouse - see the bottom right shots in my collage.

When we got back it was spitting with rain, but that didn’t stop us going in the hot tub, in fact, Mr. HCB suggested it!  We are now watching the sun go down from our lodge and hope it is a good omen for tomorrow.  Although the forecast isn’t that good, I’m sure we will have a good day anyway!

“October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month,

         But for a survivor it is every single day!”

Anon