February 20, 2017

I have become disillusioned with Trip Advisor over a number of things. Things To Do are biased and slanted toward promoted activities also I’m not sure that the accommodation is particularly complete as a selection in any town. So you end up, in any case, searching Google to truly understand what you can. I want small digestible chunks of information that either interest me or I can quickly discard.

So I thought why not do this with York? I’ve started to do this. I started a new Facebook Page called ‘York in 30 Seconds’ where I give a snapshot of what I’m talking about. With York there is a lot to cover and I shall tick off attractions when I go to a part of York where there is something to talk about.

Talking about ‘something’ to talk about then Anna is a devotee of rhubarb. (Eating not talking). So we ended up on tour just south of Wakefield at a rhubarb farm on Saturday – Oldroyd & Sons. This farm is one of eleven in the UK and is in the magic rhubarb triangle (I’m not making this up).

I was interested to learn about the various species, Sainsbury’s specific requirements, it’s arrival as a vital ingredient in Molten Brown cosmetics, blood thinning and cholesterol reduction properties, it’s WW2 history, its discovery on the banks of the River Volga in Russia and their reliance on Eastern European labour to pick the stuff. Sadly stopping hair loss hasn’t yet been attributed to this divine fruit but you feel that it is only a matter of time.

All this was explained by the most down to earth Yorkshire folk who just say the way it is. In the dark shed we received an apology for the low temperature – this was due to some previous visitors fainting when it was kept at its usual 24°C. Oldroyd’s couldn’t have that happen again because it “meant lots of form filling and it damaged the rhubarb when they fell on it”.

I shall have to slow down as a Speeding Fine has been received from the laughingly called ‘West Yorkshire Casualty Reduction Partnership’. These thieves (Police) have put in a speeding camera in a village just south of Wetherby, called Walton. For about half a mile you go through this sparsely populated settlement at, hopefully, 30 mph. I lost concentration and in the dark, at about 10pm, with no pedestrians or cars about; I soared to 36 mph. Booked.

At its worst that is 3 points, a £100 fine and an increase in insurance premium on the four cars we drive so, say, another £200 p.a? There’s a chance I will be allowed to attend a ‘Speed Awareness Course’ and at least avoid the points and the need to declare this crime (against humanity) to the insurance company. I wonder why so many people don’t respect law and order?

Lastly, like Star Trek, then with the present Mrs Ives I ventured to ‘where no man has been before’, namely east of Hull. We went to the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust reserve on Spurn Point. This is the long sand spit/bar that extends well into the Humber estuary. We were transported up the spit on a truck flat bed, in safari style, and got to see the wildlife, RNLI Station, WW1 & 2 emplacements, lighthouse and a lot of shipping heading for Immingham and Hull! Tremendous, put it in your diaries.