Treasures at the garden centre

The local garden centre is quite a big place and has some quirky displays, with a lot of old machinery hanging from the rafters. Since I last visited it has added some new departments and now has a few animals (rabbits, guinea pigs and rats) and reptiles. I'm not sure if they are for sale or just a crowd puller. I know young children love visiting pet shops. They have a large parrot called Elvis and I'm pretty sure he is just there to amuse visitors.

The reptiles are fascinating. I feel OK when they are behind glass! I'm not so keen to come face-to-face with these creatures, especially the snakes, but I marvelled at the colouring of the lizardy thing.

I'm not sure what the insect is, possibly a locust?

There are also tanks full of tropical fish, which are for sale. I do like watching those. Goldfish make me smile, as I remember when I was a child we looked after one for some neighbours. It managed to jump out of its bowl and died. My mother spent hours touring the local pet shops trying to find one that looked the same, to replace it!

At one time, we had an aquarium at home. My favourites are always the neon tetras, such colourful little things looking as though they are illuminated from within:

Mad grannies and other stories

Kilnsey Show 2018 - a few random things that caught my eye:
Above: Somebody's granny at the wheel of an impressive police tractor (who knew there were police tractors, complete with flashing blue lights?!)

Being eyeballed by a cow... 'Don't give me no bull!'

Beauty kit for show cattle (they apparently need nearly as much stuff as I do!)

Sausages! Lots of them.

The smartly turned-out Summerbridge and Dacre Silver Band, entertaining the crowds.

More tractors, this time vintage ones being paraded round the show ring by vintage chaps (somebody's grandad?)

And my favourite, the sheepdog trials.

People and animals

Kilnsey Show 2018
This seemed a rather tender moment between the beef cow and her handler. She had said something to it and the cow leaned in and gave her, effectively, a hug. Aw.

This family looked justly proud of their magnificent horse. It's a 'heavy horse' but I'm not sure exactly what breed it is... maybe a Clydesdale?

The sheep are a little tricky to control. Holding them under the chin seemed the preferred method of calming them. But the guy looks as though he can handle most things...  Certainly this Dalesbred sheep was docile in his care.

After this hot summer, I imagine these sheep were glad to shed their wool. The young man was demonstrating sheep shearing for much of the day. I bet his back ached afterwards!

Children were captivated by the smaller animals. These saddleback pigs, plus some sheep, goats, alpacas and small donkeys were part of an exhibit by a charity that works with children using pet animals as therapy.

Bridgehead

My Grassington walk took me along the riverside to the handsome arched bridge across the River Wharfe. It carries the main road into the town. There's been a bridge here since the 1500s but the present structure dates to the 1820s when the bridge had to be widened and strengthened to accommodate the many pack-horses carrying lead down from the mines above the town.

I was intending to continue along the riverside beyond the bridge - until I realised the footpath was blocked by a herd of cows. They looked peaceful enough but I still didn't fancy trying to carve (calve?) a way through the implacable enemy forces at the bridgehead! I revised my route...

The sheep races

Among the events at Masham Sheep Fair are the sheep races. Four sheep are enticed along a run, with the promise of some food. They all have ribbons and there is a sweepstake, betting on which sheep will reach the food trough first. It's a light-hearted way of raising money for charity.

However, there has been a petition raised by animal rights activists (who have probably never even seen the 'races') to have them banned as being cruel. To be honest, the sheep didn't look in the least uncomfortable or frightened to me. The crowd weren't roaring noisily and the animals were just running after the food, which I have often seen them do in the fields when the farmer arrives with the buckets. 'They don't know they're racing. They aren't actually racing. They're just trotting for some food.' It's hardly bull-running, as the local paper pointed out. They don't get stabbed at the end!

Masham Sheep Fair

The small market town of Masham, in Wensleydale, has for the past 30 years held an annual sheep fair in the market square. The fair commemorates the sheep sales that used to be held here, which thrived because of the town's proximity to Jervaulx and Fountains Abbey, with their large flocks of sheep. The fair raises a lot of money for charity. This year, the beneficiary will be the Yorkshire Air Ambulance.

I love the bustle of these kind of events and Masham is a lovely setting, its square lined with fine Georgian buildings.

Incidentally, the judge in the photo below (in the pale green jacket) is Sir Gary Verity. He is a sheep farmer but perhaps is more famous for being the Chief Executive of Welcome to Yorkshire, the county's official tourism agency. He was responsible for bringing the Grand Départ of the Tour de France to the county in 2014, and since then for inaugurating the Tour de Yorkshire cycle race.

Baa, neigh, moo.

Kilnsey Show 2017

'Baa, we're stuck in this truck and want to be out of here.'  These sheep were awaiting the shearing demonstration.  

And ... who knew that there was such a thing as a miniature donkey? The miniature donkey had an even tinier foal. Just too cute!

I also loved the highland calf, furry, ginger and very interested in all that was going on.

Sheepdog trials

Kilnsey Show 2017
In the Dales where sheep farming is a way of life, it seemed appropriate that there were sheepdog trials as part of the Show.
I love to watch these intelligent dogs working out strategy and lying low in the grass, creeping forward stealthily and then darting like lightning to round up those sheep that make a run for it.

Judging sheep

Kilnsey Show 2017

No, not 'the ones that got away'! During the judging of the livestock, the judges want to see them walk. The cattle are led around on ropes but the sheep are are held until it's their turn and then let loose. It can be quite amusing when they want to assert their independence!  

Sheep judging is a serious business, and requires some concentration.

Kilnsey Show 2017

Another show, though this one is going back a couple of weeks. (I can't keep up with myself!)  I was delighted to tick off another item on my bucket list with a visit to the 120th Kilnsey Show. I've thought about going many times but it is always held on the Tuesday after August Bank Holiday Monday so I've always been at work until now. (Yay!) It's held in a gorgeous setting, in fields right under Kilnsey Crag, in my favourite of the Yorkshire Dales, Upper Wharfedale. It is a 'proper' agricultural show, reflecting the surrounding Dales rural life, farming, culture and crafts. There are trade stands for farmers and more livestock than at our local Bingley Show but plenty of general interest too and plenty to learn for a 'townie' like me. 

It's always interesting to see how they go about building a dry-stone wall, an ancient craft that is being nurtured in our limestone dales. There were trophies for those judged best Junior and Senior Dry Stone Walling Champions. 

It was lovely to see the shire horses too. Now they don't use them for farm work there are many fewer than there used to be; yet another piece of our history that enthusiasts are trying to preserve.

The morning of the show is taken up with horse riding and jumping in the main ring. I didn't see much of it but there were some beautiful horses around. The one below looks like it was dipped in chocolate! So pretty.

Fields of green

A few weeks ago, when the hawthorn blossom was abundant, I took my favourite walk along the canalside and back along the river bank. Cows were grazing peacefully on the fields of the Milner Field estate, which formerly belonged to Titus Salt Jnr. The may-blossom always reminds me of my childhood. It is lovely to be transported, even for a few moments, away from the hustle of today's world into something timeless.

Icelandic horses

Iceland holiday - I'd been hoping to see and photograph some Icelandic horses. There are lots about, though often too far from the road to get close to. We were lucky to spot some within camera range and then luckier still that they were curious enough to walk over to us to inspect us at closer quarters. Icelandic horses were brought by the early Norse settlers in the 9th century. They are pure bred; imports of horses are not now allowed. They are small (pony-sized, but they are always called horses), stocky and hardy. There are many different colours of mane and coat. Those with dark coats and blond manes look especially spectacular. They've played an important role as the country has developed and nowadays are mostly used for herding sheep or for leisure riding and competitions.  

Life as art

I'm always fascinated to see what people do with their leisure time. It was Sunday morning up by the Glen Tramway and a dog obedience class was in full swing. I only had my iPhone, which didn't cope well with the lighting conditions, so I've played with this image a bit to give it a painterly effect. Barking mad, perhaps?

Teifi Marshes Nature Reserve

Wales - I really enjoyed exploring this nature reserve. We stopped off in various hides around the circular boardwalk, though none of us had any binoculars. I guess you really have to be there early (and have the proper equipment) to spot the most interesting sights. By the time we arrived there were quite a few other folk about but we still saw enough birds and beasts to make it an interesting and enjoyable visit. Horses graze to keep the vegetation down. 

A herd of water buffalo is an unusual sight in this country!

We had only just arrived in the first hide when we saw this fox. I had to be very quick with my camera as it walked quickly into the long grass and then it soon scented us and was off.

 A common Meadow Brown butterfly but it posed quite prettily for me.

View from a hide - though all we saw here was a mute swan.

Goit Stock Mill

Goit Stock circular walk
Once across the bridge, the walking route turns back and goes up the hillside a little, out of the steep gorge that the river runs through. I was a little nervous walking past the cows as they had calves but they seemed more interested in paddling in the cool water on what was quite a warm day.

The hawthorn blossom is really abundant this year - there will be a good crop of berries later.

On this side of the valley there is an old flue chimney, the last remnant of Goit Stock Mill, which had a very interesting history. Built as a cotton mill towards the end of the 18th century (1700s) it was initially water-powered and then converted to steam but cotton production ceased in 1860. In 1865 it became a pig farm, and then in 1919, the landowner William Ferrand sold the land and it became Happy Valley Pleasure Resort. There was boating on the mill lake, a café and ballroom in the mill itself and all sorts of other entertainment on offer for the enjoyment of people from the nearby towns and cities. It flourished until a disastrous fire at Easter 1927, which destroyed the ballroom. Repairs were made but the Resort never regained its popularity and it closed in 1932.

A mixture of delights

Around the Kilnsey Park trail you meet various birds and animals, including this rather splendid rooster. The Park has a breeding programme for red squirrels, which are endangered in much of Britain, threatened by disease and competition from the larger and more aggressive grey squirrels. The squirrels are bred and held in large enclosures but, having known nothing else, they seem quite healthy and happy to play. The hope is that one day they can be reintroduced into the wild in this part of Yorkshire. Sorry about the mesh; it was too small to get my lens through and moving too close to the wire frightened the squirrels away.

Since I was on holiday and I'd had a good walk, I felt obliged to indulge myself with rich chocolate tart with my cup of tea - and an enjoyable browse through a lovely book of photos: Working the View, a collaborative project with photos by Mark Butler of the favourite views of various people who live and work in the Yorkshire Dales National Park, interviewed by Sarah Butler.