Two days in the Dales.

With a goodish forecast for a couple of days this week we decided to extend our proposed picnic and spend some time in Yorkshire, God's own county as far as my Yorkshire Accountant friend tells me, although being a Lancastrian I would severely question that!

Ribblehead Viaduct on the Settle-Carlisle railway line.

Little did we realise when we set off, that a great chunk of our journey to Middleham, where we were staying, was over the Tour de France route, from Hawes to Ripon.

Some of the hundreds of decorations for the Tour de France

As you will notice from the photographs, the locals are taking it very seriously indeed, with all the roads closed on the days of the Tour, businesses stocking up to meet the demands of the expected visitors,  houses decked with bunting,  yellow bikes and various other creations in the fields, particularly advertisements for Wensleydale cheese utilising cylindrical bales of hay....'Wallace and Gromit' will be delighted!

These 'Cheeses' were in many farmers' fields.

In one instance near Hawes, a gigantic white bike has been painted/cut on the fellside along the lines of the ancient white horses carved into the chalk in other places in England.

The 'White Bike' on the fellside near Hawes.

 Highlights of our visit were Aysgarth Falls and return visits to Fountains Abbey and Newby Hall.

Aysgarth Falls

The weather was delightful for most of the time although there was a change  during our final afternoon and on the journey home, but it was mainly Morgan motoring at its very best with the top down and the wind blowing free through my remaining strands of hair!

En route to West Burton.

West Burton, for a welcome pitstop at the hostelry across the Green.

The trip back was a cracker, across the high fells to Ingleton, passed Ingleborough fell and the Ribblehead viaduct, with little traffic on the road, making adventurous driving possible! Naughty boy!

Middleham, horse racing centre of the north.

Heading to the 'gallops', a small group of the 500 horses stabled in Middleham.

Morgan at rest.

Some of the horses residing in Mark Johnson's stables.

Only one hiccup with the car and that concerned the nearside rear indicator which started to behave in exactly the same way as the offside one had done until 'repaired', flashing at a high rate of knots instead of in a nice steady way.

Middleham Castle, home of King Richard the Third, awaiting restoration!

The problem arises within the fitting, when the fibre washer that holds the connector on which the bulb sits, moves and presumably causes a short circuit. Anyway, I did manage to effect a temporary repair but have arranged for a long standing Auto Electrician to have a look at both of them with a view to a permanent solution.

Fountains Abbey

Newby Hall

Replacement via Morgan is £25 + labour of course, so I hope my man can sort them prior to our drive south in a few days, to spend a few days in a cottage at Ross on Wye, which will include a visit to the centenary of the Morgan factory on Sunday 13th July and thence to Surrey and Warwick where our daughters reside

More decorations.....

.....and a lovely pint of 'Timothy Taylors!'

Incidentally one of the major benefits of the Tour for Morgan drivers is that the County Council in Yorkshire has had to fix the roads, potholes and all.....however once we veered off the main route it was back to normal

Perhaps going to be a wet return journey....

....but somehow it stayed dry, even over the high moors. Ribblehead Viaduct in the distance.