leeds and the lakes district...

On thursday 23rd we took the train north to Leeds to spend a few days with my uncle. The trip cost £5 which was a special deal on the net - it would normally cost anywhere up to £150 ($400-odd)! My uncle has a gorgeous stone house built in the 1840's, and lives in Headingly - we could hear the cricket cheers from his backyard! My lovely cousin Felix, who is 5 and frighteningly smart - told me "Did you know? If a helicopter didn't have a cheese grater, you'd have shredded tweet"! (which I think infer's to the air intake having a cover over it, so it doesn't suck in birds!)

We did some touristy things - mum and I caught the bus into the city for a look around, and later went with my uncle and his family to an estate called Harewood house (pic left), which belonged to the Lascelles family who made their money from slavery. The next morning we went to another old estate called York Gate which had absolutely beautiful gardens.

Anna and Mike picked us up on saturday morning from Leeds, and we drove to Ambleside in the Lakes District. We'd booked a hideously expensive 4 star hotel - and it was wonderful! I had a massive king sized bed to star-fish in, soft as a cloud. I was here 10 years ago and stayed in the youth hostel next door...quite a difference! We took a boat trip on the main lake and nearly froze our respective bits off. Had dinner in another old english pub - nearly ordered ham steak (which they call gammon here), but passed it up for steak (cheap at 12 pounds!).

It took us 5 hours to drive back to London, and because it was a Bank Holiday the trip took a little longer - the M6 motorway became a car park at times. But I've had a great week away! Time to get a job I 'spose....