York, but not by boat

Tasty smelling morsels were being put into my magic food bowl Saturday morning. I like my magic food bowl, it magically opens up and produces my evening and morning Dingding without being told to do so, the dingding doesn’t happen like it does when they are here. It just seems to know when I’m hungry. How magic is that?! But then she got another thing out of the bathroom cupboard, I don’t like this bag, it means there will be outside and no feet to keep warm in the morning and it most certainly isn’t magic!

This weekend we’ve been up to York to help celebrate one of Mick’s eldest friends 60th birthday. With a hire car we drove up Saturday morning stopping off to purchase some foody things and some wine when we reached the outskirts of York. Before we crossed town we made a phone call to check that we wouldn’t be arriving at just the wrong time. Mark didn’t know there was to be a party on Saturday (he’d thought something suspicious was going to happen on Sunday) and our arrival at the wrong moment could have blown it. However we had plenty of time to get to the other side of York to Sally and John’s house where balloons greeted us on the gate and if Mark hadn’t twigged by that point, then the number of cars outside the house along with banners would kind of give it away.

Three generations of the Harford family had gathered, all of Mark’s siblings, his four kids and their children, the youngest being 6 weeks old. Other old friends from Scarborough and York were there too.

Mick had spent some of Friday making some Yorkshire Cruncheon (almost flapjack, but with more crunch) to take with us, Harry (Mark’s youngest) had also made some, so a lot of time was spent comparing the two batches.

Mark hadn’t twigged and thought that he was going to The Pipe and Glass near Beverley with some friends for a meal. Instead those friends were absent, but all his family had gathered for a good afternoon and evening of celebrating.

Once the surprise was over we got back in the car and went to check in with a nice Italian couple at our AirB&B, our first time. After removing our shoes we were shown up the stairs to our floor, a bedroom, bathroom and living room all to ourselves for £65, half the price of any B&B or hotel in York this weekend. They started to give us directions of how to get into the city centre and advice on the best route to walk to the Minster. I explained that we both know York very well, me having been born and breed, Mick having worked in the city for many years. We asked if they had any questions about York, they did and we did our best to answer them.

The afternoon back at the party soon turned into the evening and night followed on. Food was consumed (too much by one dog!), wine and stronger drinks drunk, conversation had. A lovely catch up with them all and chance to meet the two youngest members of the family.

I was relieved to pull the amputee card when the drunken party games started. My grip would no way allow me to walk across a rug balancing with my hands on two beer bottles. Young and old tried their best, Jacob aged 6 did quite well, but then he was allowed to cheat. By the time we left everyone was looking tired and a bit merry, including the three dogs.

Our walk back to our accommodation was thankfully dry after some thunder earlier in the evening and we managed to tiptoe up the stairs in stocking feet without disturbing our hosts.

Sunday morning we made full use of the bathroom being connected to mains water and checked out squeaky clean to walk back to retrieve the car.

Everyone was awake so we manage to say goodbye to them all again before heading to find some breakfast in a supermarket cafe. Next port of call was Hobbycraft and WH Smith so that I could stock up on materials to be able to make my panto set model, a new sketch book and have some files to fill with reference pictures. It was then time to leave and wave goodbye to York and head back to the boat.

Oleanna sat where we’d left her a large gap behind her now that boats had moved off. Tilly was so pleased to see us that she immediately went out to explore before I could suggest when she should come home. There was a lot of shouting going on on the towpath from her, maybe that had something to do with us leaving a wrapper from some mackerel in the bin, the boat did whiff a touch!

0 locks, 0 miles, 1 hire car, 2 flipping food bowls, 60th, 1 surprise, 18 blood family, 6 weeks to 66 years, 2 lots of cruncheon, 3 dogs, 1 ravenous (Bliss), 1 elegant (Scout), 1 ponderous and obedient (Archie), 2nd floor to ourselves, 2 pairs of shoes on the ground floor, 1 crescent moon, 1.36 miles walk Pip’s way, 1.32 miles walk Mick’s way, 2nd round of goodbyes, 50p more for scrambled eggs, 2 sheets mount, 1 card, A2 foamcor, A4 sketchbook, 1 ringbinder, 3 wallets, 1 pleased to see us cat, 4 hours to cram in, 4 leg nudges, 1 absent cat, 1 stinky boat, 2 hatches open, 2 sets of doors too!