Humbly Chastened

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My apologies, it appears I was mistaken when I made my last blog post. Mister E has laughingly pointed out that in September we spent a whole week at St Abb's Head in a lighthouse cottage. How could I have forgotten? A little like Covid vaccines, perhaps the effect of all that bracing sea air is only good for 6 months and then you need a booster.

Humbly chastened, I accompanied Mister E inland today to Richmond Racecourse. That's Richmond, North Yorkshire and the racecourse which opened in the 1760's held its final races in 1891. The site on Low Moor just above the town is registered as public land and the world's oldest surviving public stone racecourse stand graces its highest point. I say surviving but, to be honest, it is very definitely a ruin after the local authority dismantled the upper floor for reasons of safety. 

 

Alongside it stands another ruin, namely that of a private stand for the Marquess of Zetland built in the mid-1800's some 75 years after the Grandstand, paid for by public subscription, was erected. Whilst you can still make out the pillars and arched windows of the Grandstand most of the stonework lies in piles around its base. A Judges' Building from 1814 remains on site too, although boarded up, 

 

Going back to the 1700's, Richmond's race-meeting took place in September and was one of the highlights of the calendar. It must have been an occasion for those ancestors of mine living on the moor only a few miles away when they surely mixed farming business and the cattle fair with an opportunity to watch or even gamble on those horses flying around the track. That at least was the justification for our visit as, deprived of the opportunity for travel in the here and now, we continue to explore the past.

 

Today there was no sign of either horses or historic kith and kin, as we wandered along the footpaths that weave around and across the track. Easter bunnies were, of course, in abundance as was the spring gorse. I even left all Monday's layers at home to make the most of what was definite T-shirt weather before a cold snap begins again tomorrow.

Comments

Jean said…
Yesterday it was summer, parasol and deck chairs out and a positively tropical 25°C. Today it has been back to winter, absolutely perishing at 9°C with a biting wind.
I'm always fascinated by how many people look so tanned and healthy in their shorts and sleeveless t-shirts at the first hint of warm weather, whereas some of us look knackered and pasty as if we've just come out from spending months under several woolly jumpers. The contrast can't be attributed to winter sun holidays this year!
1 April 2021 at 17:45
Caree Risover said…
Yes, I was working in the garden today all donned up for winter and thinking what a contrast to last year when lockdown first started as well as to yesterday. It keeps us on our toes but it certainly makes planning difficult.
1 April 2021 at 19:31
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