GARGRAVE, NORTH YORKS

What a waste of a day really.

For some time Hubby has been looking to replace  our Nissan Note because the bodywork is really very bad now.  So he's been looking for a "new to us" car and thought he'd found one in Burnley - a Suzuki.

He called yesterday and the  guy who answered "guessed it would be OK to come a view it today"!!  

We decided to go via the A65 and A682 as it was actually in Nelson, just outside Burnley as I didn't fancy the M6 and then the M65.  Well we got there no problem, in fact a very pleasant drive.  We stopped offin Gisburn at a lucky to find car park by the Festival Hall.  Just walked down the road and found a really lovely deli with a cafe and had fika.  I had chocolate and beetroot cake hubby had the most enormous fruit scone, as well as coffees of course.

We then got to our destination - sort of.  Already alarm bells were ringing.  The guy in the dilapidated and terrible office said it was at their other site (which wasn't advertised as being there) so to follow him.  After a wait we followed him in his car - well we tried to.  The eejut obviously never checked in his rear view mirror at all, he zoomed out of the road and was immediately followed by two high sided white vans!!  We managed to keep him in sight for a while and I saw him turn left.  Unfortunately we got held up at some very busy traffic lights, we then couldn't find him at all - he obviously did not check that we were still there or what was happening behind him.  So after trying several roads we just gave up.

We went back a slightly different way and it was busier for a while, which reminded me why I don't really like driving around Bunely, Keighley areas - just soooo much traffic and so built up it made me claustrophobic (well built up for me).

We eventually arrived in Gargrave and decided to stop for some lunch.  We tried the village car park but couldn't get in, but found a tiny car park by the river so managed to get in there.  On the way in I'd noticed a nice looking pub callled The Mason's Arms which had lots of signs around saying "Home made food" (as opposed to home cooked as that just means heated up). 

It was very busy in there but we managed to get a table, not in a great area right by the cutlery drawer right behind my back, but still at lrat a table.  I decided to try the home-made fish and chips and hubby went for a home-made steak and kidney suet pudding.  Well my fish and chips were over cooked and hubby's suet pud was just warm, not bad he said but just warm.

So wish we had now gone back via Gisburn and stopped off there OR stopped off at the Twin Locks Garden Centre and had a stroll by the canal - but never mind, we didn't.

So a little disappointed we went for a walk in the park along by the River Aire, just to get some fresh air.  It was quite pleasant and loads of signs saying "respect the water". Today the river was very low indeed and I found a set of stepping stones (see extras) but didn't go on them.

The young  boy was quite fun to watch as he was looking at the water as if he wanted to go for a paddle but wasn't sure - his Grandad was nearby to makee sure he was OK.  Another older boy was in the water having lots of fun.

We then just drove up the A65 and home.  It was a 6 hour day out for nothing really.  I don't think we will even try that area again.  The trouble is there is nothing in our price range near to us, but there is somewhere in Barrow we might be able to try.

That is all for now, do take care and stay safe and I will see you all tomorrow.