LEEDS AND YORK

On Friday morning my little nuclear family set off down the Carlisle and Settle line to Leeds.  The children were really excited as they've only been on short train rides before, with the exception of Son having been to Edinburgh once with me last year, and also we were off to meet up with my parents.

The countryside of the Yorkshire Dales was beautiful, particularly around the Ribblehead viaduct, and Husband and I were both commenting on the fact that neither of us has ever been there.  It seemed more remote than the Lake District, although perhaps no more so than parts of Northumberland, another county which we would like to get to know better.  Husband in particular, on seeing the Dales way path, was becoming even more inspired and motivated to do the 'Dalesman', a 55- or 110- mile run.  He later bought three maps covering the relevant area and we were discussing having a few days when he could do a recce: possibly at October half-term although I did point out that at 7 months pregnant I will probably not feel like camping.

On arriving in Leeds we went to check in to the hotel, and then walked along the river to the Royal Armouries.  The British Waterways signs, and the 'to let' board outside their offices, made me feel a bit sad: like so many other public sector organisations they face severe funding cuts, if not being disbanded altogether: after all canals are hardly vital to the survival of the UK, more a 'nice to have'.  Husband and I both worked there for a few years, and met there, and as employers go I would say it was one of the best places I have worked: not perfect (where is?), but there was a sense of being part of a team and I have some very fond memories, and generally felt I was well-managed.   It saddens me that the organisation may not exist at all before long.

The Royal Armouries was a bit stressful as whilst Son started off being quite interested in finding things in his booklet about 'Max' (Henry VIII's Horned Helmet), Daughter was only interested in running around and generally causing a disturbance: and meanwhile Husband got bad-tempered as he wanted to have a good look round.  The horse show kept the children's attention for 20 minutes and then we were back inside with them both running around in different directions and me feeling pregnant and heavy and wanting to sit down rather than chase after them.

When we got back to the hotel I took them swimming, and was impressed that Son is genuinely now swimming several strokes at a time: but with his head under water, so whenever he has to breathe he stops to come up for air!  Still, it's huge progress.  Daughter is still keen on swimming up and down on her back, kicking strongly and not looking where she's going.... While we were in the pool the APs (Aged Parents) arrived and were impressed, as grandparents should be, by the children's swimming prowess.

We ate that evening in the hotel, which was fine but expensive for what it was.

Yesterday we all went to York for the day, again on the train, and headed to Jorvik.  I knew it had been revamped but hadn't realised it had re-opened as recently as this year.  The 'ride' around the reconstructed viking streets is relatively brief, but excellently done and the children thought it was brilliant.  Again, the exhibition afterwards held their attention less: I was fascinated by some archeological finds of 80 skeletons which the experts are thinking may possibly be gladiators.

Husband and I then managed to offload the children onto their grandparents, who were keen to take them to the National Railway Museum, while we had a stress-free wander around the shops.  Neither of us had been to York for a while and had forgotten how lovely it is: we came to the conclusion that if we can save up enough money we should treat ourselves to a weekend there to do our christmas shopping.  If it wasn't for the fact that I'd had a large hotel breakfast and knew we were going out to dinner that evening, I would have been tempted by the mouth-watering smells of the hog roast shops (thinking about it makes me want to have roast pork for next Sunday lunch).

Being aware of how rapidly I'm getting through my redundancy payment, the fact that we have a baby on the way, and that I don't yet have a new job, I treated myself only to a new pair of slippers.  It may seem odd to go all the way to York and buy a pair of slippers, but I happened to see them on my way to the loo in Fenwicks and they were exactly what I've been looking for but unable to find.

Back in Leeds we wandered around the City Centre a little looking for somewhere good to eat, preferably Italian, and found Casa Mia, which was excellent.  We could with one in Carlisle... and a Pret a Manger (of which there were 3 or 4 in central Leeds).  I'm currently keen on Caffe Nero's Mint Frappes as well, which are rather like liquid Mint Choc Chip ice cream (or Mint Chop Chip as Daughter calls it).

Sunday morning was a morning for more swimming: and we ended up having the pool to ourselves, which was rather more restful than trying to stop the children crashing into other people, and I also managed to swim a few lengths myself.  We caught the 1.15 train back to Carlisle and were home before 5pm.

Tomorrow I have a second interview with Smiths Gore: I'd love to work for them, I think, but I'm not sure the money will be that great.  I'm also waiting to hear about 3 or 4 other jobs.

Meanwhile I haven't felt the baby move that much today and had the usual paranoid pregnant mother worry about whether I'd squashed the baby at one point yesterday evening when I rolled from my back to my side and had a sharp pain.  Unlikely I think: I hope!  I shall do some singing practice and then read in bed and see if he gets more active this evening, which is when I normally feel him more.  But first I have to get the other two into bed, which has been proving a battleground recently.  Son is currently sulking and telling me I'm fat: but at least they are both in pyjamas, so some positive progress has been made.  Better go now and stop him killing his sister who has dared to trespass into his room.