Clarifications about our house

First of all, we do not live in a Stately Home! It has 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, neither en suite, 2 tiney ex maids rooms, now our offices. Downstairs, a drawing room, sitting room, small hall, dining room a loo and a kitchen. The so-called utility room is several yards outside the house, beyond the Conservatory. It has a washer, sink, table, dryer, and another table. Also garden tools and all sorts of other gardening bits and pieces!

The house was built in about 1570 as a Bastle House ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bastle_house ) The stone vaulting mentioned is not here and may have never been. The "New Front" was probaly put on in the mid or early 1600's. The wall is thinner and of course has proper windows in it, though they were smaller then. An extra pane was added in 1927 when the ceilings were raised. The square bit was added in about 1730 and has a flat roof. Used to be lead but not any longer.

Film set - it has been used once, or rather the flat roof and the front door were. A children's film a number of years ago. The rooms are all too small for films and there are so many better houses in Northumberland, even for Cookson films.

Shall have to discover how to transfer the Common Room Post to here, so that this makes sense!

WI visit to Yorkshire Lavender Farm and Castle Howard

Yesterday (Monday) 22 of us set off for Yorkshire in a 24 seater coach. It poured as I walked down the village to the coach and as we boarded. It poured most of the way as we drove South and was still raining when we arrived at Yorkshire Lavender. We hurried in and had coffee etc. I had coffee and a delicious buttery crisp toasted tea cake. By the time we had looked round the shop and the owner was ready for us, it had stopped raining and we walked down to the polly tunnel, where he talked about the history of the farm and much about lavender. As he had lived for quite a section of his life in Northumberland, he talked to us like blood brothers!

We had a short time to look round, but it was so wet under foot that we did not feel inclined to explore far. Another visit before too long perhaps?

Then we boarded the bus again and went a few miles to Castle Howard. It was still not raining!

This is the recently restored cupola - as close a copy as could be made, with only old photos to go by. The original collapsed into the hall below when there was a disastrous fire in 1940

And this is the inside. The painting is also reproduced from black and white photos, using great knowledge to create it. Below is one of the burnt-out room, now water proofed and with a wood floor. It, with 2 or 3 others, was used in the second filming of Brideshead Revisited. These rooms are very odd, with open ceilings and bare stone walls, mostly and a little of what the film people did. One day, they will be properly restored, but it costs so much to maintain the house, that it will pobably be a very long time before the money is available.

The famous fountain, in which the young men bathed in Brideshead Revisited.

Two bird species that were around in large numbers. It not being mating time, the peacocks tails were firmly down!

The rose garden. There is also an ornamental vegetable garden, which is most impressive. Produce from it is sold in the Farm shop.

Our day was rounded off with supper in a pub on the way home, and we got back to Kirkheaton, in light rain, about 10.00 pm. Everyone had had a lovely day as we always do when we have an "outing"

An interesting day

G put the dishwasher on after breakfast. When I came to empty it after lunch it hadn't functioned. Oh burger! Put it on again and it stopped again at the same point. Rang the local man who does Bosch. When I gave him the model number and said I though it was at least 5 years old, he said add 10 - ie 15 years old or thereabouts. It could be repaired but at a great cost. Discussion with G arrived at the conclusion that the most cost effective action was to renew. So we will get another Bosch. They are so reliable. I need advice about which one to get, so putting a thing up in the forum.



Settled down to wash up before I had to go out. Did the 'old man' offer to help? No, he was sitting with his legs up in the Conservatory, alongside the kitchen, reading the paper. After a while, he needed a pee, so on his return offered to dry up the few remaining glasses! Brilliant!!!



Next on the programme was to go to the occulist. He is lovely and has been doing our regular eye test for years and years. "Anything special about your eyes?" "Yes, I am having trouble reading road signs at a reasonable distance away" In a second a car number appeared on the wall and I could just read it, so I am legal! Then he set about testing my long sight and gradually all things came clear, first with one eye, then the other. So --- I am to have glasses to drive in. Good. Then he moved on to my short sight for which I have had glasses for ages. At one point I said "ooh that's much better" and later when I asked whether I was to have new lenses he said did I not remember how much better I had found one setting. So --- I am to have new reading lenses. So far so good, but then he shone lights into my eyes and puffed air on my eyeballs. The puffing showed no problem with pressure, but he found that my lenses were dirty!! A lovely way of saying that the beginnings of catteract where showing. Not a problem yet, but will be in time.



After that I went to Curries and looked at Bosche Dishwashers. Came to a partial conclusion but need your input/advice. See forum.