Sue Woodcock: Heartwarming story as winter's chill begins

Just occasionally a news item actually cheers me up. I was mesmerised by the rescue of the miners from the San Jose mine in Chile. This kind of thing makes me realise that any problems I may have pale into insignificance. Not that I have any great problems at the moment. Nothing that a huge amount of money wouldn't ease – but as that is unlikely I shall soldier on. I have everything I need and I am thankful for it.

The weather has turned distinctly chilly this week and we had our first real frost. Little Boo, who is growing daily was rather startled when she felt this white crunchy stuff under her feet on her first trip outside one morning but soon decided it was rather fun.

I went into Skipton to give a talk one evening to the International Club and met several people there who were fascinating and good company. Then on another night I went over to Killinghall to an evening

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with the WI. I had to come through Harrogate during the evening rush hour. Big mistake! I thought we had a traffic jam up here on the moor once when there were six cars. I got to Killinghall just in time. The village hall was packed, not just with ladies from the WI but a good proportion of men as well. I discussed the merits of Texel and Beltex sheep with one chap and the history of the Jowett motor car with another. The ladies were equally fascinating.

On the way home the road at Pateley Bridge was being dug up so a detour showed me some parts of the area I had not previously explored but as the cloud was so low I didn't see much of it. As I drove up the hill to my place the mist was so thick I almost missed my gate. I let the dogs out as soon as I got in and then had to search for them with a torch.

I went into work the next morning and gave them a progress report on the pub dog, Paddy, who has been a perfect gentleman while he has been staying with me. He has on a couple of occasions enjoyed rounding up my sheep when I didn't want him to but he is such a wuss that he won't get too close.

Two new families arrived this week in the village and I got to meet them. The TV crew wanted once again to film me and my friend talking about them. The wind was bitterly cold and I did warn the TV lady that if it was snowing next week there was no way I was going to sit outside and even pretend to knit. When the programme

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is shown in the New Year I hope it will prove to be of benefit to the village. Only time will tell.

I was reading at church on Sunday and was privileged to listen to a talk from a man from the Leprosy Mission. Talking to him afterwards he asked if I could help at all, so I did volunteer to help at a duck race at Bolton Abbey next summer. Later that evening I was running the quiz at the pub when we were invaded by a group of very drunken Scotsmen, if their attempt to sing Scottish ballads was anything to judge them by. They were too drunk to serve and were asked to leave twice before I lost my patience with them. Thankfully they did not try to take me on and left and the evening resumed.

I was given two wonderful old machines this week; a wool winder and a sock knitting machine. It will take me a while to work out how to get them operational but I rather like that kind of challenge. I think they date from the early 1900s when things were made to last. They weigh a ton. It will keep me occupied in the long dark evenings of the winter. The forecasters say it is going to be worse than the last one. But I was talking to an elderly farmer the other day and he doesn't think so for a number of reasons. I suspect he knows a thing or two and I hope he is right.

CW 23/10/10

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