Old Fogeys up t'Dale

 

Mister E and I had our second vaccine inoculations yesterday. It was quite a carnival atmosphere in the sunshine with everyone in sunglasses, some in shorts, many stopping to soak up the sun on the benches by the pond whilst others had reserved seats at the terrace cafe. All it needed was an ice cream seller and the quintessential summer's day vibe would have been complete.

Not that Mister E and I would have partaken, as we had travelled equipped with our own provisions, determined to make the most of the warm spring day with a picnic. Leaving the vaccination centre at Leyburn behind, we drove up the dale onto the top of Grinton Moor, stopping at an isolated spot at the edge of the road. The view was stunning but with a bitter north wind blowing across the hills, we had to add another two layers over our T-shirts. 

This was no ordinary picnic either, as Mister E magicked folding chairs from the boot of the car, along with plates, cutlery and a culinary feast from out of a large cool bag. I was half expecting the camping stove and kettle to make an appearance too, but I guess that sitting behind the car, sheltering from the breeze whilst enjoying the fresh air and scenery was quite enough excitement for one day. It certainly made a change from our usual packed lunches out of rucsacks and there's always the next decade of retirement to sip tea at the roadside with a woollen blanket for the knees perhaps.