In Yorkshire, If You Don't Walk In The Rain..... ...then you don't do walking at all. As my car appears to have a length of wiring hanging loosely from its underside, my lovely wife offered to drive Lucy and myself up to Horton so we could have a go at the 3 Peaks. Lucy (lucky girl) is going trekking in Africa next week as part of a month long expedition so it was a good training walk for her. We set off in overcast conditions at just past 7am and made really good time up and down Pen-Y-Ghent, we were back at the cafe at 9.30am. There had been a bit of mist and drizzle, and no view at all, on the top of the first peak. I don't know how many times I have climbed the 3 Peaks in summer, but as often as not they seem to be fog shrouded, windy and wet, and today was to be no exception. We strode up the long and gently rising flank of Ingleborough in steadily increasing mist and rain, the wind was quite strong on the summit when we paused briefly to eat some of our packed lunch. Neither of us wanted to stop for too long on the top as the wind was cooling us down rapidly and we didn't want to get chilled before setting off again. The far side of Ingleborough is a right bugger, really steep, going down is much harder than coming up. A bit of tiredness has started to set in and you thump down with each step, I could feel a little bit of pain in my left knee and was trying to favour my other leg a bit. We made it down into the next valley and the sun almost came out, it dried up and we stowed our waterproofs in our packs. Philpin Farm in Chapel-Le-Dale has a snack bar on a weekend to serve hungry and thirsty walkers, we stopped for a comfort break and ice lollies then pressed on up Whernside. Whernside this year was almost identical to when I did it to years ago with Steve, the waterproofs were back on halfway up as a light rain set in, the the rain just kept getting harder. We didn't stop on the summit as the wind was driving the rain into our faces, stinging almost as if it were hail, the paths on the far side had turned in to streams. Two years ago Steve and myself (and everyone else that walked up here) had to ford the largest of the streams between Whernside and Ribblehead, since then a foot bridge has been built close to the ford so we didn't have to plunge waist deep into the torrent this time around. At Ribblehead the sun came out at last, we stopped for a break at The 4th Peak, the burger / bacon butty / tea van that has been here for 39 years, then did the dull and rather gruelling 6 mile road walk back into Horton where we had a couple of pints in The Crown. Out time including breaks was 10 hours, so about nine and a quarter hours of walking for the 26 miles and thousands of feet climbed. Well done Lucy, you're a good walking partner and great company and kept the pace up nicely, espcially on the steep uphill sections, good luck in Africa.

Barn At Addingham Along the Dalesway which follows the banks of the Wharfe.

Fly Fishing On The Wharfe At Ilkley This was on Monday 16th of June, I think there is a fishing ban for a month before that date to allow the fish to breed in peace, but on the day after the band ends there were fishermen all along the river casting their flies.

Skipton Council Fail At Signs Right, so let me get this straight, you can't leave waste at the waste disposal site ? What might Skipton Council plan next ? No golf on golf courses ? No narrow boats on the canal ? No award for clear written English anyway.

Just What's The Point ? As I set off for a day's hiking a couple of weeks ago, there in the distance I spotted a small herd of Nordic Walkers. By lucky chance of birth I'm a Yorkshireman, a Dalesman even, I live in one of the most beautiful places that the good Lord saw fit to create, and I make use of it. I get my hiking boots on when I can and stride across the moors, along the rivers and up and down the hills that make up the wonderful county of Yorkshire. Along the way I marvel at the natural beauty that surrounds me and count myself blessed that I live where I do. Then there are Nordic Walkers. The point of this bizarre 'activity' seems to be that you spend a decent amount of money on two hiking poles, then you wander rather slowly and pretty aimlessly about the streets of Ilkley. You see those people in the distance ? Four hours later I was in Skipton, they hadn't reached the end of the next street. The aficionados of Nordic Walking make all sorts of dubious claims for its health benefits (even the Wiki article doesn't seem convinced of its own writing). "Nordic walking using 90% of the body's muscle mass as opposed to 70% in normal walking", well, I assure you that when I'm struggling up the flank of Pen-Y-Ghent in a howling sleetstorm, there really isn't much more muscle mass I can utilise. I do use poles when I'm hiking, I nearly always take a single pole with me, especially for hills. Sometimes I take two poles, if I plan to be doing somewhere steep and potentially slippery in mid winter those extra points of balance and support are really useful. Come on folks, get a grip on yourselves, if you're going to wander around with an expensive metal stick in each hand at least do it on the way up Whernside, not down The Grove.

Upper Class Yobs Only in Ilkley..... A vandal smashed the display window at Peter Dyer's last weekend, with a bottle of champagne, going by the manager's comments about it being a waste of a good drink, I can only assume that it was a full bottle as well. Story here at the Gusset.

Wimbledon Day 2 Right, is that it then ? I presume all British interest crashed out in embarassing style on day one ? Can we get back to some proper sport now ? In the real summer sport, Yorkshire sit on top of the Division One table, unlikely as that sounds after achieving only two wins from six games. The table is so tight though, and the season has been so full of drawn matches so far, that bottom placed Surrey with five draws and one loss in six games are only 19 points behind Yorkshire, so any team in the division can go top with a single win.

Village Is Stunned By Police Raid "Villagers have spoken of their shock following the discover of a suspected drugs factory in Burley-In-Wharfedale" (This weeks headline in the Ilkley Gusset) Although I suspect that some villagers were quite mellow about the whole thing.

Yorkshire - The Ben Rhydding Hydro This enormous gothic looking pile is the Ben Rhydding Hydropathic Establishment which opened for business in the hamlet of Wheatley (the hamlet came to be known as Ben Rhydding after the hotel, not the other way around) in 1845 (the image is taken from a postcard). At the Hydro you could undertake a course of hydropathy in order (allegedly) to cure all manner of muscular, skeletal and other ailments. Nancy Wharton of the Wheatsheaf Inn suggested the name, Ben Rhydding means 'clearing for wheat' and had been an ancient name used for part of the moorland above the village. For a while the Hydro was very popular, and along with White Wells (see New Year's Day posts on this blog for pictures of YS and friends 'enjoying' modern hydropathy) Ilkley became renowned as a spa town, patients in their thousands came to stay in the town and employ its healing waters. The use of the Hydro gradually changed as the popularity of hydropathy waned, the Hydro became more of a hotel, even accepting golfers who came to play at Ilkley Golf Club. The building survived until the 1050's, but when the then current owners failed to find a buyer for the Hydro, it was demolished to provide land for housing, Hydro Close in Ben Rhydding is where the Hydropathic Hotel once stood.

This Is The Side That The Grass Is Greener On I was chatting with some of the girls during service last week and they were describing their desire to move away from "dull, boring old Ilkley". Now I'd have to admit that old Ilkers might not be the fast moving, up tempo place to live, but it is beautiful. I love travelling and I have been lucky enough to see beautiful places all over the world (and the odd hole as well), I was even marginally tempted by Australia for a while, but whilst all those places were lovely when you're on holiday, when you're living there and stuck in a hot and sweaty kitchen all places are pretty much one and the same. Sometimes people move or even emigrate because they think that they can leave all their problems behind them and begin afresh in a new place, for some folk that might work, but other people find that they are their own problem, it was never the location that was the trouble. I feel a connection to the landscape here, just looking up at the moors gives me a sense of peace and of belonging. Sometimes when I'm up really early in the summer a light mist lies along the river with the trees shrouded and ghostly, as the sun rises through it the scene has an ethereal, spectral beauty. At this time of year, as the sun sets beyond the top of Wharfedale it reflects in all the windows of the houses along Skipton Road setting them ablaze with glorious golden light. Later as the valley falls into darkness, house lights glow amidst the trees on the other side of the valley and it calls to mind Tolkien's descriptions of Hobbiton and Bree. My favourite place in the world I think is stood high up on Cam High Road, looking back down into Kettlewell an down Wharfedale. The dry stone walls in the valley bottom both mark out and are one with the landscape. Trees in strong and vibrant green stand guard around the village and are dotted along the valley. Where the valley sweeps up to the moors there are more trees and stands of gorse which early in the year will explode into vivid yellow flowers, here and there are set aside meadows in which delicate wildflowers flourish throughout the summer. Sounds will reach you on the road, sheep bleat, the buzzing of a farmer's quad bike, the haunting calls of golden plover and nearly always the wind, whether soft and cooling on a hot summer's day, or biting and freezing and carrying with it rain or sleet so hard that it stings any exposed skin, and being Yorkshire, this can be high summer as well. I love travelling, but I love being here as well, the Dales are in my soul.

The blogger as a young boozer, this must have been taken at some kind of Spanish banquet when we were on a family holiday. I got a taste for paella as a kid and I'd pester Mum and Dad to go for paella until they eventually gave in. My little sister seemed to exist on white bread, chips and ice cream when we were abroad, yet she's anything but a fussy eater now.

R U A Scutter ? If so, then please keep the hell away from where I live, stay in your own dingy streets where you can live like pigs / animals / chavs etc. I love where I live, Ilkley and the surrounding areas are naturally beautiful, you only have to walk out from town for a few minutes to find yourself in the farmland countryside of the lower Dales. The fields are thronged with new life, tiny lambs tottering about or peering inquisitively through fences, their little tails jigging as they suckle. In the hedgerows and woods wild flowers are blooming, the first bluebells are alread showing and shortly they will all be awash with colour. Birds are nestbuilding and preparing to raise young, gathering straw from barns and wool caught up on barbed wire. It's all beautiful, and I love it. None of this is in any way improved by the litter throwing scumbags that drive around the country lanes. I'm not just having a rant about this, because just talking doesn't achieve a right lot. Periodically, when I go walking, I take a few binbags with me, fill them with litter as I go and the leave them by the roadside where I can pick them up later in the day. I havn't advertised this before as it's just something I do, I don't want heaps of praise either, however, if you think it's a good idea - why don't you have a go ? You could pick any stretch of road, around Ilkley there are lots of areas that could use some volunteer litter pickers. I have seen in the USA that roads are 'adopted' by various youth and community organisations, I presume these groups run litter picking days to keep the roads tidy, that's a great idea, perhaps if you're a member of a sports club or community group you could organise something like this. A couple of car drivers stopped for a chat today as I went tidying, and both of them suggested other roads where I could come and do some work, but you're entirely missing the point people, don't find me more rubbish to pick up, get out and pick up some rubbish yourself. Litter really annoys me, even in the more remote parts of Yorkshire / The Lakes etc., where access is by a few hours stiff walking, you still find litter. This defies all common sense, you walk for hours to see the most beautiful countryside, then after your packed lunch you stuff your empty coke bottle and crisp packets into a hedge. Smokers are about the worst offenders when it comes to chucking litter from a moving vehicle, I've picked up dozens and dozens of damp fag packets today. Mobile drinkers are probably next on the list, empty booze cans and bottles are a large part of roadside litter, and no matter how far you are from the dreaded golden arches though, and it's a fair drive to nearest McDonalds, McLitter gets everywhere. I don't suppose I have the sort of readers that chuck litter, but I know I have the sort of readers who are concerned for our countryside (and for city dwellers, street litter in towns is no more pleasant), might you consider taking a binbag or carrier bag next time you go for a stroll and doing a bit to keep the place looking spick and span ? Ta, Yorkshiresoul.

The Definition Of A Yorkshireman "A Yorkshireman can buy a sheep off a Scot and then sell it to a Jew and still make a profit" (Anyone deeply offended by the above pun should, in all probability, be reading another blog)

Scarborough We thought we'd spend our day off at the seaside today, partly so I could get some new ink and Mrs YS could have a laugh watching me squirm in pain as the tattoo bloke worked on me. As it turned out, the tattoo parlour was shut, so we had fish and chips and walked around the front instead. A view along the beach, renovation work being carried out at the Grand Hotel. One of the numerous amusement arcades on the seafront, you can't go to the seaside without wasting a few quid on the slot machines or shoot-em-ups. Roof detail on another amusement arcade. The fish dock in Scarborough harbour. Landing boxes of crabs fresh from the sea.

Walking Yorkshire : Brimham Rocks Brimham Rocks is a National Trust property close to Pateley Bridge in North Yorkshire. It is within the Nidderdale Area Of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The Brimham Rocks formations sprawl over 400 acres, so you could easily spend half a day, or longer, here with the children playing and exploring, do supervise though, there are one or two hidden falls and cliffs. The weird formations are made from millstone grit, a sedimentary rock laid down roughly 320 million years ago, the odd shapes and formations have been brought about as a duel result of glacial erosion and weathering. Many of the stone shapes suggest other things and have been given folk lore names over the years, the Dancing Bear, Druid's Desk, Blacksmith and Anvil, some are rather more obvious than others. After wandering around the rocks area for a while I struck out West, there are numerous footpaths around the rocks, I took a woodland path out to High Wood Farm (203647), where I saw this cute little chap. Are you thinking what I'm thinking ? Mmmmm, rare breed pork chops. Snowdrops blooming next to Fell Beck. I walked on through the woods and came out onto the road above the hamlet of Fell Beck (199663) and then followed the road NW out on to Pateley Moor. There is a tourist feature marked on my map, South Oaks Pottery, but it seems to be closed / converted into a vast private home. Looking across Kingstone Farm to a smoke plume on Skell Gill Bank. This is normal winter burning off, a controlled burn of old heather to make space for new growth, with the ground so wet there is no danger of uncontrolled fire, unlike the blaze on Ilkley Moor last summer which got down into the peat layer. I thought I'd walk out to watch the burning, but when I got there the flames had died down, so I walked on, and when I looked back a couple of miles later it was burning again, pah. The moor just in front of the burn area is called Burnt Heath. Red Grouse on Pateley Moor, the moor was alive with grouse, pheasant and rabbits. Grouse often managed to startle me when I'd striding across the moor, they wait until you are almost atop them before they burst into the air with a rapid drumming of wings. A quick fly by from the RAF, great, I got a picture of one at last, usually the Tornado's are dots in the distance by the time I have got the camera out. Standing stone looking out across Bishop's Moor. (174675). I pressed on along the road north to the junction at Bonfire Hill (199706) where I took the road east to meet the Ripon Rowel Walk at Skelding Grange (216697) and followed the walk as far as Eavestone Lake where I came back to the road again. Inquisitive sheep on the Ripon Rowel, it's compulsory to take pictures of sheep you know. I had pottered on parts of the walk and now I realised that I would have to press on if I was going to get back to the NT car park before they locked my car in for the night, so I fairly yomped back along the road, pausing only to snap this lovely sky scene. If you are inspired to come and visit my beautiful county because of the stuff I write and the pictures I post, please do, however...... I was changing out of my boots in the car park when a scutter car pulled in, you've seen the type, small car with blacked out windows, huge exhaust and spinning wheel trim thingies. The car sits there for a few minutes, then two of the windows open and the scutter occupants eject a heap of litter out into the car park, then the car pulls away leaving their pile of debris behind them. Take nothing but photographs and memories, leave nothing but footprints, if you're a scumbag, please stay away from the places I love. This walk can be found on OS 298 : Nidderdale, as always, wear proper boots and kit, there were some boggy sections and two fords that would be dangerous after rain. The walk was 23k done in about 6 hours.