Enjoying Elvington

 Wednesday 8th July.                 Enjoying Elvington 

 

With a flight crew of just 6 it was off to the Air Museum at Elvington, this old airfield is in a lovely location on the outskirts of the city of York. The crew members today will consist of Derek, Dave and Glenn travelling from Wakefield, whilst Brian, Mark and John Howarth will be making their way from Leeds. A rendezvous time of about 11 am at York railway station was agreed upon, from there they intend to take a No. 36 bus heading for Elvington and beyond.

With a slight delay in the train leaving Wakefield due to signaling problems, all hope for these lads is will their train arrive in York on time to catch the bus, as it is only a limited service to Elvington etc, plans could be somewhat effected.

Luckily this train eventually arrived with only minutes to spare, the lads from Leeds had no such problems, soon the group of 6 where on the 36 and heading through the streets of York and out into the countryside that surrounds this city.

Another very hot day was forecast with a temperature of 28-29 degrees expected, so certain sun protection was necessary. 

The bus journey would take about 30 minutes to reach the airfield establishment and dropped them off in close proximity to the entrance gates. A few minutes later and their experience of this nostalgic place began, entrance fees paid and it was off to the Restoration hangar first, with a glimpse of some early flying machines etc and various materials used in their construction. From here it was onto the Hangar that housed the infamous Halifax bomber and all its accoutrements etc, loads of memorabilia on display with a helpful staff member giving us some insight into this planes activity during the war years. Great stuff. Now it was outside for a short period to view the various aircraft on display, a return visit to a stationary Dakota was experienced has we all sat inside for a few moments reflecting upon our previous visit to this memorable airfield. A few more planes to view parked on the old runway then it was off to the Naffi for a spot of lunch and some respite from the very hot weather. A leisurely time was spent here in this canteen before we visited a few other smaller buildings with various displays of things associated with military aircraft etc.

Now the time approaching 2pm. It was time to leave this nostalgic establishment and make our return bus journey back to York. Once back in the city we took another short bus ride back to the railway station and with a little time on our hands it was a refreshing drink for us all before boarding our respective trains taking us homeward bound.

A great experience today well worth the visit.

Cheers Everyone 

Double Celebration at Ilkley

 Wednesday 1st July 2026.           Double Celebration at Ilkley.

Today will be a joint celebration in the West Yorkshire town of Ilkey , firstly to celebrate the birthday of our good friend Brian and secondly to assist our other good friend John’s so-called Stag do!

Those attending and taking part in the riverside walk will be Glenn, Keith, Dave, Brian, John and his son Mathew, the rest of the team will be joining us later at the Flying Duck pub, this will be Derek, Mark and John Howarth along with 2 of Mathews friends, Martin and Russel also joining in the celebration will be Kevin, John’s neighbour.

The riverside walk is due to commence at a few minutes after 11am, hopefully meeting the rest of the guys at about 12:15 pm in the vicinity of the Pub.

The walk will take the group of 6 heading down stream as far as the suspension bridge,once they have crossed the river they will return upstream to the point where the old packhorse bridge is situated, then recross the river and head for the pub, a total distance of about 3 miles or so.

It was a pleasant morning here in Ilkley, not too hot like last weeks outing to Stanley Ferry ! just great for walking with no apparent signs of rain. It was a leisurely stroll along the riverbank taking in all aspects of the surrounding scenery etc, at one point a group of schoolchildren were encountered making various observations also.

Waiting on the wall outside the Flying Duck was Derek he had arrived a few minutes before the rest of the joining bunch, upon entering the pub we were greeted by the landlord that he would be unable to cater for 12 guys for lunch, somewhat disappointing reaction from him to say the least!!

Anyway drinks were ordered and various conversations ensued, once all gathered in the pubs quaint setting the frivolities began, Brian received a resounding rendition of Happy Birthday to his great delight, while John was adorned with a Groom to be sash to great amusement by all. With no prospect of a lunchtime meal here in the Flying Duck an alternative venue was sorted out by Mark, so it was drink up lads and venture off to pastures new courtesy of the Bar’t  Tat pub a few hundred yards away up the road. This was a more accommodating place, we eventually got seat at numerous tables with various groups of us engaged in various conversations etc. Our food orders were taken and soon delivered, meanwhile Russell was engaged in taking individual Polaroid photos of us all much to our delight.

Eventually it was time for some of the group to disperse and take their respective journeys home , the rest continued to enjoy themselves frequenting a few others pubs and activities etc.

Upon Reflection today was a great time for all concerned 

Cheers Everyone.

No Worry at Stanley Ferry

 Wednesday 24th June 2026.            No Worry at Stanley Ferry.

It appears that Mark can print rather small, so below is a much larger version!!

A baking hot Wednesday greeted us for our visit to Stanley Ferry. Mark and John Howarth met at Leeds railway station and caught the 10:20 train to Doncaster. Brian was supposed to be joining us, but sadly for us he missed the train, arriving at the station just as we were pulling out of Leeds. We alighted at Sandal/ Agbrigg to be picked up in car by Glenn, who drove us to Stanley Ferry where we were met by Derek and Russ. Derek and Mark decided discretion was the better part of valour and opted to sit outside the pub avoiding the extreme heat. Russ, Glenn and John then did a very short walk and joined us at the pub. A very nice meal was had and talk turned to memories of our days at Thackrays, with some surprising revelations!. We then departed for our various homeward destinations, ending a pleasant get-together.

Streetlife Hull

 Wednesday 17th June 2026                      Street life Hull

Today’s outing would see 6 of the Lads take a trip to the East Yorkshire City of Hull, they intend to pay a visit to the Museum Quarter and indulge themselves etc. It will be Colin, Derek, Brian, Dave, Mark and John Howarth taking part, all meeting up at Leeds Railway Station in order to board the 10:27 train heading for Hull. The journey takes just over an hour to complete, so hopefully there will be no rain showers to contend with upon their arrival at the Paragon, in fact it was a very pleasant morning, warm and sunny. 

After a few minutes sorting out directions it was over the main road and heading along the cities shopping precincts in search of the Museums about a mile away. With plenty of time on their hands it was a leisurely stroll taking in the atmosphere of the city’s many interesting buildings etc.

A suggestion that it maybe advisable to book a table at our intended lunchtime venue was taken care of by Derek, 1:00pm was the time chosen, that would be at the Lion & Key pub close to the museum quarter.

The Street Life was our first port of call so to speak, this building giving the lads a glimpse of bygone days here in this city, different modes of transportation alongside the various shops displaying their products etc, all very interesting and absorbing. This particular visit lasted for an hour or so before the headed off in the direction of the pub, just a few hundred yards away. 

Surprisingly it was scarcely occupied just a handful of punters enjoying drinks and meals just like we were about to do, a brief browse of the menu and it was off to the bar to place our orders. Our meals did eventually come after some 40 minutes waiting, but we all enjoyed them ever so much, well pleased.

It turned out to be an extended lunch , leaving the Lion & Key at about 2:30 . From here we returned to the Museum Quarter, this time making a visit to the Hull and East Riding Archaeological Museum, another fascinating experience for us all, so many artefacts on display that had been discovered in this particular location, far too many to mention but so full of information etc.

Now with over an hour extending our knowledge still further, it was off in search of an ice cream parlour back nearer the city centre, but this was to no avail, instead we returned to the Paragon Station and took a drinks break courtesy of a Costa Coffee kiosk. 30 minutes was spent in here before it was time to jump aboard the 17:03 train taking us back in the direction of Leeds , then our own individual journeys home.

Yet another great day out with the Lads.

Cheers Everyone.

Happy Birthday Keith

 Wednesday 10th. June 2026           Happy Birthday Keith 

It was a belated birthday meal celebration for one of the gang today, Keith. His choice of venue was that of the Railway Inn at Drighlington, a place we have visited on a few previous occasions etc. It would be 9 of the Lads making their way to this location, those being Colin, Mark, John Hey, John Howarth, Brian, Russ, Derek, Dave and Keith of course. 

A time of midday was agreed upon to meet, with the lads travelling there by various modes of transport etc. We were soon sat around a suitable table and with drinks to hand we now browsed their extensive menu of which there were great choices to be made, various conversations now ensued as only to be expected, many topics being discussed before our meals arrived they were mainly about football and the health of a few of our comrades plus the choice of our next outing or adventure, looks like it could be a return visit to the east coast city of Hull and experience what it has to offer.

With our meals consumed with great enjoyment it was time to say goodbye to the staff at the Railway Inn and take our respective journeys home.

Great choice of venue today avoiding the rain but embracing the company etc.

Cheers Everyone.

Merchant Adventurers York

 Wednesday 3rd June 2026.                 Merchant Adventures 

What a day full of surprises, little did some of the Lads know what to expect when they arrived in the city of York. It was a group of six that gathered on the concourse of the railway station in the city, Derek and Dave travelling from Wakefield, whilst John, Colin, Brian and Mark had made their way via Leeds, all meeting up at a few minutes after 11am.

Various opportunities were on their minds, should they visit one of the many Museums here in the city or just take a riverside walk, it wasn’t too long before the choice was obvious etc, upon leaving the station they were met with rain, it had been forecast, so had it, on the previous two days but without any significant downfalls. So a walk was on the cards! however the decision was made to visit the Merchants Hall situated somewhere in the city centre.

After a few moments of discussion with a suitable person the lads now found themselves on a bus and heading along the city streets wondering where to get off etc. Some seven minutes later and they were off the bus and walking along Merchant Gate only a few yards from their intended destination. Soon inside this ancient building they began to inspect its magnificent structure that of huge Oak beams and flooring that had stood the test of time, this Hall had been constructed in the middle of the thirteen century to accommodate local merchants selling their goods etc. There was a vast array of artefacts on display for us lads to both see and read about, wooden chairs and benches, storage chests and silverware from those bygone days, so impressed were we all at the character of this building and the many people that would have used it throughout the many years to follow etc.

The Lads spending much more than an hour browsing it’s delightful existence, before setting off to find a suitable cafe for lunch, a couple establishments were suggested only to find they could not accommodate 6 of us, we did eventually get seated in the Oasis Cafe and what a very pleasant experience for us all, great choice of food and a good atmosphere to boot! This cafe is only a few hundred yards away from the railway station, so within striking distance if a rain shower comes along.

Now with the time approaching 2:25 pm the lads began their short journey back to the station in order to take their respective trains homeward bound.

Upon reflection today’s adventure was a great choice, full of intriguing stories of bygone times.

Cheers Everyone.