50th Anniversary Trip

Elk's Street followers will have noticed that the blog has been rather silent in recent months. There is an explanation for this. Firstly, the photos on the blog are mostly taken with a mobile phone, which had some technical difficulties (after having been in Thomas's hands) and as a consequence all data - photos, contacts, notes, music etc - were erased. So there was nothing about which to write. Secondly, your scribe's work has changed so that he spends hours a day working at a computer and as a result has little interest in sitting in front of a screen in the evening as well. And finally, Henry has become a stroppy teeenager, reducing your correspondent's energy levels and limited reservers of positivity.

Nevertheless, some nice things have happened in the Elk's Street world. One of which was Mum and Dad's golden wedding anniversary in November 2012.

For reasons of school and cost, it was not possible for the whole of Elk's Street to go to the celebrations but Peter, with a little help from Stephen, hatched a plot to make a surprise appearance. The plan was that Peter would go over to the UK, stay with Stephen in Knaresborough, and then surprise everyone - the prodigal returns!

Knaresborough is a picturesque village and the day after my arrival we had time for a walk around. The weather, as can be seen from the photos below, was very good, although the evening before it had been raining the proverbial cats and dogs.

Stephen by the entrance to a hermit's cave.

The sharp-eyed can find a number of sculptures in the forest along the river.

Old Man of the Forest.

A lizard-rabbit.

A diving kingfisher.

The river Nidd with the railway viaduct.

 

The railway viaduct.

Knaresborough Castle

Knaresborough Castle with War Memorial.

View to the River Nidd from the castle.

After a stroll round Knaresborough, we took the short train ride to Harrogate, where we met Sarah, who joined us on her lunch break.

 Sarah and Stephen.

In the evening, Sarah drove us non-drivers over to Preston, where we were to stay at Catherine's before the big 'bash'. Even though it was only a small do, there were quite a few of us there:

• Mum and Dad
• Peter
• Catherine, Andrew and Jonathan
• Ruth and Abigail
• Patrick, Jane, Daniel and Lois
• Stephen and Sarah
• Sarah, Ben and Lukas

My subterfuge worked a treat. Everyone was in the bar having a pre-dinner drink, when I walked in and quietly stood in the background until I was noticed. Of course, the beard was excellent camouflage!

The dinner was held at The Derby Arms in Longridge, an excellent place for solid, unpretentious food. My photos were useless, so most of the photos below are courtesy of Catherine.

One end of the table.

And the other end of the table.

Dad, Mum and Jonathan.

Jonathan and Patrick

Jane, Lois and Sarah.

Lukas and Ben.

Lois and Lukas.

Ruth and Abigail

Patrick.

Peter.

Sarah and Stephen.

 Daniel.

 Patrick decided to go for a 'light lunch'. Here is his venison steak with suet pudding.

Mum and Dad with their anniversary cake. The trick here was that the cake was a photo cake, that is, it was decorated with a photo of Mum and Dad cutting their wedding cake 50 years earlier.

50 years is quite some time - well done, Mum and Dad!