Wolds Diary: Sue Woodcock

I seldom go to the pictures and am usually happy to wait to see things for free when they come on the TV. I couldn’t wait for this film and whilst it is hardly politically correct Mrs Brown’s Boys D’Movie was easily the funniest film I have seen in a long time. I think it does one good to have a really good laugh and I came away feeling much better.

Having taken the antibiotics for my tooth I was still in quite a bit of discomfort. My friend from down south who was staying wanted to see some of the countryside so on the Sunday morning we drove out to Millington Pastures.

There is something quite entrancing about these dry chalk valleys that we had a good look round and then went over to Great Givendale and stopped and walked down to the church of St Ethelburga there.

Set in a sheltered valley with a lake close by and surrounded by woods and pastures this beautiful little building has a fine Norman arch and great charm. It is small but only had to serve a small community and still does. It is well worth a visit. Then it was approaching lunchtime and so we headed into the pub in Millington and ordered a roast dinner.

My friend was so impressed at the size of it and the Yorkshire pudding that came with it he took several photographs to show his southern friends. He is actually a very good photographer and had been taking pictures of my dogs, my house and the scenery. He even took a picture of a meal I cooked and he bravely ate. Before he left on the Monday he insisted on going into town to buy some proper black pudding to take home as he says he can’t get the real thing there!

I had a fairly quiet week until the Wednesday when I set off to return to the dentist in Grassington. I have a very good dentist there and I am reluctant to leave his care. I actually followed the instructions of my satnav that rather surprisingly took me round York, through Harrogate and up across the moor to Greenhow before I dropped down into Nidderdale.

I stopped off for a coffee at the show cave and found one or two things in the shop there that interested me. I was particularly taken with soaps in the shape of sheep!

Once in Grassington I called in a couple of shops and then headed to the dentist and with much relief had the offending tooth out. I had a prescription for some special toothpaste but the chemist at the health centre didn’t have it and told me to return at 6pm.

I pointed out I lived over 60 miles away and declined and then headed up to see friends at Kettlewell while I caught up with the gossip. Then I headed into Skipton but the high street branch of that chemist there didn’t do prescriptions and expected me to walk another half mile or so to another branch.

I again declined and drove back through Harrogate where another chemist was very polite but did not have the quantity of what I needed. I then detoured into Knaresborough where it was market day and finally found a parking space. I like Knaresborough. At yet another chemist I drew a blank and it was at chemist number five I finally got my prescription filled.

Anaesthetic makes me very dopey for some time after it wears off but I managed a decent walk the next morning with the dogs but felt quite exhausted afterwards. I finished spinning the lamb’s fleece and started on yet another patchwork quilt. I was offered some Soay fleeces by another friend and drove to Dunnington to pick them up and then went on to fetch some of the food I had won at the dog show.

On the Friday it dawned on me that a Bank Holiday weekend was imminent so I rushed out to get some food and provisions. I have been offered some huge African land snails as pets so needed to stock up on what they eat. I then needed to clear a space for their tank in my study which necessitated quite a tidy up!