With Wimbledon in full flow and stating that I love it and look forward to it every year, I’ve been thinking about all the extra bureaucracy and rules that accompany tennis at Englands’ , nay the worlds, top tournament. Started in 1876 it is the worlds oldest tournament.
England could be accused of being a historical museum as millions of tourists visit each year to explore our historical estates and buildings, towns and cities. Visitors from countries such as the States and Japan revel and bask in the “cute old world charm” aspects of our culture – and top of the list surely has to be Wimbledon.
Wimbledon, with its afternoon tea, strawberries and cream, Pimms and some weird and wonderful rules.
THE ALL WHITE DRESS CODE (even underclothing!) – Euginie Bouchard There can only be “a single trim of color no wider than 1 cm”. “White does not include off-white or cream.”
TOURNAMENT SPEAK – Ladies and Gentlemens events, women are given titles such as Mr or Mrs or Miss, but men remain called by their surnames.
BOWING AND CURTSEYING – up until 2003 players were expected to curtsey or bow to the people in the Royal Box. The Duke of Kent stopped this in 2003, but it is still expected if the Queen or Prince Charles are in attendance.
STRAWBERRIES AND CREAM – Strawberries and tennis both signaled the arrival of summer. Gradually, the two have become an essential part of the tournament. At Wimbledon, nearly 9,000 servings are prepared per day, using only the highest quality strawberries from the county of Kent. The berries are picked the day before being served, arriving at Wimbledon at around 5:30am, where they are inspected before removing the hull. Each year at Wimbledon, 28,000 kg of strawberries are eaten along with 7,000 litres of cream.
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THE QUEUE – Wimbledon is also probably the only place in the world where thousands gather, wait and camp overnight in a queue to gain tickets for the matches. there is no rush, no uncontrollable mob, or uncouth behaviour. Around 500 seats are available for each court. People are given coloured coded wristbands according to corresponding court. So very British – so well mannered.
TIME OUT – While matches on the women’s tour permit a 10-minute break between sets two and three in conditions in excess of 30C, there are no such guidelines for men
Wimbledon has pulled itself out of the dark ages and apart from the differences between men and women game, the traditions it has makes it stand out and tiny as Britain is, that is what it likes to do!
Category: Birds
These post mostly pertain to birds.
PAULS POND
Well it was Tetleys forst walk to Pauls Pond, another lovely walk from my house. Over Cookridge Golf Course first.
Didn’t trust Tetley off the lead to start with ……..he wasn’t impressed.
When we got to the gate into Breary Marsh he was off. Down the path, through the trees and into the water!
http://youtu.be/oI52q6igyWs
Pauls Pond is hardly a pond – its a lake really.
Tetley is a lurcher – that is any sight dog cross – definitely greyhound and something! Greyhounds don’t like water, however Tetley enjoys playing in the shallows . He’s not so sure about swimming although he has had a couple of dips that show he can do. Today was another one of those dips…….shortly after these photos below were taken, he leapt in after a duck.
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The side of the lake was too high for him to get out!!! He was panicking and so was I. I ended up having to haul him out by his front legs, nearly falling in myself in the process!
MY PATCH TODAY
If you search my site you will come across a few posts for “My Patch”. This is the one I’ve mentioned before just behind my house. It used to be farm land and much of it was sold off and was turned into a golf course but these two fields remain. This filed is full of buttercups, clover and various grasses. There is a spring that bubbles from the ground on occasions, creating a very small stream, but it has dried up considerably from when we first arrived here in the 80’s. There is a wet area which becomes a pond when theres plenty of rain and many rabbit burrows. I’ve spied roe deer and foxes here. There are many varieties of birds and it is awash with birdsong. My favourites are the magnificent red kites which are regulars over the fields and my house.
A BIT OF A CHANGE!
As you can see I’ve changed the name of this blog to rambling excursions.org This I feel reflects more of its content ……or not as the case may be.
Rambling as in walking or wandering and in “rambling on” ………..talking, discussing expressing thoughts and ideas.
Excursions as in journeys, whether it be walks, bike rides, holidays etc, including wildlife or the journey we are all on that is “life.”
2015
well here I am and it’s May 2015! I’m sitting in the sun on my patch with my new dog Tetley. Sparky died in October aged 16. We acquired Tetley a lurcher from Leeds Dogs Trust at approx 14 weeks old.
Mum also left us on 3rd Jan this year 4 days before her 92nd birthday.
My daughter Alison left home a couple of months ago and I left teaching in Feb 2014. I still keep my hand in though by running after school clubs….more of that later
Wildlife on a motorbike
I eventually made a decision and bought a new bike. Its a Suzuki Intruder M800 and its my little Black Beauty!
Ok so its not so little, but it’s surprisingly easy to handle and i can get both feet on the ground which is a big plus for me! It is now adorned with a screen – the wind drag is awful without one – and some lovely leather saddlebags. Now all I need is some sunshine, but fat chance of that at the moment. I was out on Saturday and got absolutely drenched to the skin!
Anyway back to the title of this post – Wildlife on a bike”……………………. Well I see a lot of wildlife “on” bikes, but the more attractive kind is not riding a bike! I rode from LS16 through Otley and up over Asquith Moor recently, stopped to have a scan with the binoculars and was rewarded with curlews and lapwings.
These are the best photos I have of lapwings- they are not very well focused and I haven’t any of curlews.
Curlews have a really weird call like a sort of constant “peewit” when they are flying. The are fabulous acrobats and look like a huge butterfly dipping and swirling in flight.
Here are some views over the moors.
I’m a Londoner and am proud to have been born there but Yorkshire is definitely gods own county and I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else – thanks for adopting me Yorkshire.
Hampsthwaite Circular
This is a short walk I did with a friend and the again with my husband and dog back in March this year, when the weather was actually nice!!!
Start from the village of Hampsthwaite just outside Harrogate and start off with a cup of tea/coffee and something nice to go with it at Sophie’s village cafe – also a BB. You can sit outside and watch the world go by or there’s a garden around the back.
http://www.sophiesbedandbreakfast.co.uk/
Make your way from the cafe to the left of the village green for a short walk along the road towards Birstwith. You will walk past a path on your right leading to the village church which we will visit on the way back. Further on up the road you will pass a layby then you will spot a barn on your right and a footpath sign. Cross over the field and walk by the side of the river – this is the Nidderdale way. Everything is quite straightforward then. You eventually walk by the side of a food factory and cross over the road at Birstwith. We the made our way onwards past a weir and some open land….
Alongside the river again and you will reach an old pack horse bridge. You can cut your journey short here by crossing over the bridge walking up the hill, turning right and follow Nidderdale way back on the other side of the river.
We continued on alongside the River Nidd on our right until we had to climb over a wall and walk to our right along a little toll road past an old railway cottage and a little further on we crossed over the field just beyond the cottage and joined an old dismantled railway line.
There’s a field on the right where there were some gorgeous horses. At the top of the hill turn right down hill towards a small copse of trees. You will pass through a farm yard which isn’t a farm any more but stables. After this you will bear right past a small cl caravan site down to the river again. Follow the river until you get back to Birswith and get back on the road. Turn left to go to the pub which is well worth a visit for the beer and the food. Had been recently refurbished when we went. We had a nice lunch. At the Station Hotel.
Thats it really just follow your steps back past the food factory and return to Hampsthwaite. However take that path that I mentioned earlier to have a look at the church and graveyard its very interesting.
And back to the village green.
Why the English talk about the weather so much!
Our weather is being even more weird than usual! Think there’s quite a few places around the world having the same experience, but it’s no wonder the English talk about the weather so much. I mean its a starter of conversation with everyone isn’t it? Where else in the world can you get floods and a hose pipe ban within a hundred miles of each other? And the Englishman with an umbrella – that incidentally was invented in India where they have monsoons – its true isn’t it? You can never be sure from one day or one hour to the next when the next shower will arrive.
The weather has such an impact on our live; what we do, how we feel…………. There are many people who are effected by Seasonal Deficit Disorder – SAD- a very appropriate name for the melancholy condition felt through lack of UV rays. Even if you don’t there is absolutely no doubt that we all feel better in the sunshine. Our weather here has been wet, windy and miserable for months with the very odd sun break. And what about the affect on wildlife? The birds that migrate here for the summer must think they’ve taken a wrong turn somewhere. But there’s still plenty of juveniles around, fluttering their wings and asking their parents to still feed them and some young ones trying to puzzle out how to use the feeders – it doesn’t take them long.
The Leeds Waterfront Festival was on Saturday – normally a lovely sunny occasion- was beset by wind and rain. It didn’t stop people enjoying themselves though. The Dragon Boat racing still took place and there were still many stalls selling their wares, much beer and food and UMBRELLAS!!
Adel Dam
Went for a walk around Adel Dam nature reserve recently. A small reserve maintained by Yorkshire Wildlife Trust.
http://www.ywt.org.uk/reserves/adel-dam-nature-reserve
Haven’t been for a while even though it’s just down the road. It was fairly quiet to be honest and there’s probably more bird life at the park next to it. Saw Jays and Mandarin Ducks along with Greater Spotted Woodpecker. Got some great photos recently.
Heron and Little Egret Stand-Off!
Whilst at Manton Bay (Rutland Water), we watched a Grey Heron move a Little Egret out of its territory. have a look at the photo sequence of events. 
“I’m just not even gonna look at you!”
I“If I flap my wings about a bit maybe he’ll get the idea!”
“Ok, ok, I’m going!”
“This’ll do at least they look a bit more friendly!”
“Ooooo, heck, obviously not far enough! I’m off!”
“Finally ! He gets the idea!”