Wolds Diary: Welcome return of friend that is held dear by Brock the dog

I didn’t feel too great having been unable to shake off a summer cold and had to be a little careful not to stray too far from home, as I had a stomach upset as well.

When I did feel better my attention was turned to mowing the lawns again and then the old chore of taking a load of things down to the local tip.

My handyman has made a brilliant job of my kitchen and a general clear out was called for. I took some blankest and old towels to the vets for use with animals. I unravelled some ties I was given and washed and ironed them.

I went into Pocklington on the Thursday, to have my hair done. I was devastated to learn that the local white goods shop is to close. Not only have they given me excellent service since I got here, they have become friends.

I popped in to thank them and was presented with a huge cardboard tiger they had used for promotional purposes some time ago, which I had admired.

I then had to walk back to the car and got some very odd looks and eventually explained to a fascinated onlooker that I was just taking the tiger for a walk. I’m not sure she saw the funny side of it.

Then I went to the funeral service of our very much loved, admired and respected verger, Jennifer Bean. I had been asked to do a reading at the service.

The church, which is very large, was packed out and there were even people outside.

Everyone knew her and it was a mark of terrific respect that so many people wanted to be there. I was actually rather cut up about it after the service, and took the dogs for a good walk to calm down a bit.

By the end of the week I was beginning to feel a bit better health-wise, and was thrilled when I got a message from my former lodger, wanting to visit with his wonderful lady friend. He is doing very well in his teacher training down in the Midlands and came to visit while on a break up here.

If I was delighted my Staffie, Brock, was ecstatic. She had missed him dreadfully when he left and the expression on her face when he came through the door was a picture. All the dogs adored him and after tea and coffee we took the dogs for a walk up the hill.

In an empty field we let Brock off the lead but she refused to run far as she didn’t want to let him out of her sight.

I had happily let our local youth group use my garage to store things in last year, while they attempted to find new premises. This has taken a while but I understand things are progressing.

The team came to move the stuff that day and now my garage has a lot more space. I very much doubt I shall have that empty a garage for long.

Having said farewell to my former lodger I then took off to the shops and also did another trip to the tip. I even tidied up parts of the garden.

On Saturday, I was still feeling a bit shaky but went to score for the local cricket club.

I have seen an awful lot of cricket grounds and clubs in my time but I have never seen a more beautiful one that where we were this week. It is at Londesborough Park.

Set in beautiful dry chalk valley with May trees in flower on the valley slopes and a wood, delighting in the names of Rosemary Coombe and Owlet Hill in the background, you reach it by a very rural drive.

The weather was glorious and the setting idyllic. The facilities were excellent and I sat in a sheltered scoring area, with a charming and knowledgeable fellow scorer.

I had hardly arrived when a lovely gentleman called Malcolm offered me a coffee and asked me to sign something for his wife Margaret who is a reader of this diary. I was only too pleased to do so.

It was a very relaxing afternoon when the sun shone, the cricket was good and the location superb. It showed Yorkshire, and England, to be a truly green and pleasant land.

And the tea was excellent as well.