No Work Today!!
😀
As was mentioned in last week's blog - today was to be the NCV's annual Christmas walk and lunch. There would be no filthy clothes to wash when they arrived home. No need for them to sink, exhausted, into a seat by the fire or soak in a long hot bath. Just some gentle exercise, chats, a general feeling of 'bon homie' and some tasty scran. What better way to finish off the 2022 NCV calendar?
Here are some photos of the day.....
All aboard!!
Liz, fresh from her mini-bus driving training
drove 16 up to Lofthouse.
(Ros E. followed up in the rear with 3 more.)
Hoi! You lot at the back. Behave yourselves!
Christmas hats bobbing merrily along.
Talking of christmas hats - who's this?
On route there were glimpses of
How Stean Gorge.
created bottlenecks.
Tree cover as we climbed higher
was rather sparse.
Although there was some nice
streamside woodland in the valley bottom.
Here the surface of the water was freezing over....
...and care had to be taken crossing to the opposite side.
That's the way to do it Jan!!
Once over the beck it was up the hill to Low Riggs,
the home of 'Stonebeck cheese'.
Goodness - this lot look enthralled.
No wonder! It was farmer Andrew Hattan who started
to tell us all about cheese making.
He's a hardy lad is Andrew - just a jumper
with rolled up sleeves! Brrrrrr!
We then repaired to the slightly warmer
confines of the milking parlour...
...where we were plied with xmas biscuits (thanks Liz)
and Stonebeck Cheese (thanks Andrew and Sally)
Andrew kept everyone entertained
with his talk about how the cheese is made
and the farming system he and his wife Sally use.
These little cuties are just two of the herd of Northern dairy shorthorn cattle that provide the milk for the 2.5 tons of cheese that is made here each year. They are a rare breed and stay out all year round, grazing on the restored hay meadows on the farm. Andrew and Sally use the same way of farming that would have been used in the area 80 years ago.
Then it was back down the valley on a different path,
passing an area of tree tubes we were very familiar with!
The majority walked straight up to the
Crown Pub at Middlesmoor.
An elite group needed to go downstream to
Lofthouse to collect the vehicles.
Inside the Crown the wonderful Angie made us
all very welcome and served up an excellent
lunch. Thanks Angie!!
Everyone enjoyed the repast
and the repartee....
...before emerging, replete, and finishing off
over in the churchyard to admire the view.
The NCVs have racked up no fewer than 2708 hours of work this year.
Well done folks!!
Just before we finish -
First a bit of good news....
NCV Adrian, who has been so ill this year, is now back home and looking much better. Ken joined him for lunch one day last week and has sent this picture of him to share.
Adrian - it is so lovely to see you smiling and having an outing. Pity you couldn't join us for lunch today, but we hope to see you in 2023, if only for you to join us for a chat at coffee time!
And now the bit you have all been waiting for....
Days from a bygone age number 6 - NCV revealed
Cast your mind back to last week's challenge. Did you guess the NCV correctly? It was, of course our excellent hedgelayer, Phil!
Then...
...and now.
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