Whitby to Sandsend

 Wednesday 9th July.                       Whitby to Sandsend 

Today’s adventure would take on a new meaning of punctuality, we were on time and so was our train heading to the East Coast resort of Scarborough. All was going smoothly until we, that’s John, Derek, Dave, Brian, Glenn and Mark exited the station at the town and headed towards a nearby bus stop, the time was a few minutes after 10am. They were hoping to catch the 10:20 bus heading for Whitby, a rather extensive queue was already awaiting the arrival of the X94, the previous 2 had not turned up for some apparent reason. Nevertheless we took our places in the queue and hopefully we may get seated.

Quite a few minutes later than scheduled the bus along with us on board began to move away from it’s stand, with a few extra passengers taking this journey through the streets of Scarborough and further afield. We were heading towards Whitby calling at Robin Hoods Bay on our way . This would take about an hour or so depending upon the traffic. As the X94 took us along the winding roads we were given magnificent views of the splendid landscape in this region of North East Yorkshire, fantastic sights.

Eventually the bus pulled into it’s appropriate spot in Whitby, the time now was 11:45, some 10 minutes later we were inside Greggs and purchasing a bite to eat along with a drink ,our alternate decision to take a further bus journey onto Sandsend was abandoned due to our needs for sustenance, so with sandwiches to hand it was off to the beach, not before a swooping seagull had taken Dirk’s pasty out of his grasp.

Soon we made the beach and began our trek to the distant vista of Sandsend, fortunately the midday tide was still far out enabling us to progress slowly along the shoreline, the occasional rest was inevitably and a few photo opportunities taken along our way.

At this moment in time the weather was perfect, not too hot and a gentle sea breeze made conditions fine, but as the afternoon wore on the sun broke through and brought with it a rise in temperature, thankfully we had reached the picturesque setting of Sandsend and now a time to rest awhile and collect our thoughts.

We eventually climbed up the sea defence structure and made our way to a nearby bus stop. Once there we were greeted with an outcry that yet again the last 2 scheduled buses had not turned up, we were expecting to take the 1:50 back to Whitby, by 2:20 nothing had shown up so the seeds of doubt came to our forefront, what action do we take, a decision to maybe call for a taxi was suggested and true to form our leader step forward and made the call. Some 15 minutes later we were all outside Trenches ordering fish and chips before joining the bus stop queue back in Whitby.

 

The sun was now at its hottest and unfortunately our place in this queue didn’t provide us with any shade at all, thankfully this bus did arrive and we began to board slowly, choosing the wrong side of the bus to sit meaning we had to endure yet more streaming sunshine, phew it became oppressive at times.

The bus ride back to Scarborough seemed to go on and on with the weather conditions not helping, thankfully we reached the town and eventually the railway station, time now for a well deserved cuppa and a chance to relax a little, 30 minutes before our train is due to leave and head back to Leeds, from here we will take our respective journeys home.

Cheers Everyone for taking on this Adventure.

Upon reflection our adventure today was seriously effect by the failure of the bus company to deliver a proper schedule.

Saltaire Celebration

 Wednesday 2nd July 2025                Saltaire  Celebration 

For their outing today the Lads have chosen to go along with Brian’s request to visit Saltaire and have a lunchtime meal at the Boathouse Cafe which is situated on the riverbank are in the town. Those taking part will be John, Malcolm, Derek, Dave, Glenn, Mark and of course Brian, the reason for this visit is to celebrate his birthday. 

The Lads have planned to meet up at about 10:45 at Saltaire railway station and then from there take a walk along the riverbank as far as the seven arches canal bridge that spans the river. From this point they will now take the canal towpath and head back towards the town hopefully reaching the Boathouse cafe around 12:30. This is the time they have booked to have their meal.

Early morning rain had now given way to sunshine so it was a pleasant start to their walk which would cover a distance of some two and a half miles or so, taking in the many aspect's of wildlife as they ambled along, they also caught the odd sighting of young rowers in their river craft plying their skills etc. We gave them a little encouragement as they passed us by with a round of applause, great stuff.

A variety of different conversations took place as you can well imagine, John recalling some of the interesting moments from his recent holidays keeping us well amused from time to time. He can tell some long drawn out stories you know! 

As we began our return journey a brief moment was spent tossing coins into the river and making the odd wish or two, fingers crossed they might eventually come true? A few good photo opportunities arose along our way so we took advantage of these interesting and memorable moments etc.

As 12:30 came around we found ourselves just a few steps away from the Boathouse Cafe so our timekeeping was almost impeccable, we were soon shown to our respective table and given a menu each to browse through and make our choices , a refreshing drink was now in order so it was off to the bar. Some ten minutes later our food arrived and was relished with much delight by everyone. We sang the customary birthday greetings song to Brian along with a few other customers etc, with a little encouragement Brian did give us a heartfelt thanks of appreciation for all the assistance we are giving him, Cheers Lad.

We did eventually turn our thoughts to upcoming arrangements and what the next few weeks adventures would involve, could it be plan A , B or even C. Who knows with us lot. The decision to visit Whitby next week is our plan . Good luck with the rail tickets etc. 

Now with the time approaching 2:20 it was farewell to the Boathouse Cafe and make our way to the train station and our onward journeys home, saying goodbye to John as we left Saltaire behind us.

What yet another great day out with the Lads.

Cheers Everyone.

Durham

 Wednesday June 25th 2025

 

 

The latest destination in our Infinite Road (and Rail!) trip was the historic city of Durham, in the land of the Prince Bishops. Brian and Mark met up at Leeds rail station, and boarded the 8.16amtrain to York. An early start!. On arrival in York, Brian and Mark were greeted by Glenn and Derek, and we boarded the 9.05 train to Durham. A good journey on an almost empty train. On arrival in Durham we headed for Treat's cafe ( directly across the street from where it used to be). A superb brunch was enjoyed by the four of us, and very good value it was, served by excellent and friendly young staff.

From there it was on to Durham Cathedral, a jewel in the city's crown. An astonishing building which impressed us all, an inspiring and excellent visit, a couple of hours spent here. The treasures and jewels of St Cuthbert were on display in the museum section, fantastic. From here we decided to retire to the Victoria inn, a Grade II listed building and a legendary ale house, for more refreshments!. A quality pint was enjoyed by each of the thirsty four, much needed on a warm day.

From here it was back into the centre of Durham, and we attempted to enlist for a guided tour of Durham castle. Unfortunately, the tours were fully booked and as this was the only way to view the castle, we were out of luck here. On reflection we should really have booked ourselves on a tour prior to visiting the cathedral. Ah well, next time!. From here we decided to return to Treat's cafe for afternoon tea with superb scones!. It was by now time for us to return to the rail station for our trains home. Unfortunately, blue lights and sirens were seen and heard arriving at the station, and all trains were delayed as there were trespassers on the line just outside the station. We were all delayed by at least an hour until the problem was resolved. Finally Derek and Glenn managed to board a train back to Wakefield, and Brian and Mark soon after caught a train back to Leeds, bringing to an end a superb and eventful day in Durham.

Knaresborough Trip

 Wednesday 11th June 2025

 

We had scheduled for today a trip to the picturesque and historic market town of Knaresborough. John, Derek, Colin, Glenn, Malcolm and Mark caught the 10.29 train from Leeds, meeting up with Brian, who had caught an earlier train, at Knaresborough station. A beautiful warm sunny day. Our first port of call was to the fabulous and wonderfully nomenclatured cafe The Black Mulberry. A superb brunch was taken here, 10 out of 10 rated, and excellent value. Many thanks to the lovely staff there.

Our next aim was a walk out to some steps from where we could take a climb back into town. Unfortunately, on reaching said steps, we discovered the gate to access them was padlocked. Time for plan B!. After some discussion about which set of steps to take as an alternative we decided on some which took us through the Bebra gardens at a leisurely clip and then back towards the town centre. Then on to the Castle creamery for a cooling ice-cream. Delicious and great value again!. Some of our party then left us to catch a train back while the rest of us took in the market place, an antiques centre, followed by a quick look inside the superb Blind Jack's pub, an architectural marvel, before we in turn left to catch our return train, bringing to an end a superb day..

A Trip down Memory Lane plus a Birthday Celebration

 Wednesday 4th June.2025.              A Trip down Memory Lane 

Well what can I say, today’s outing for the majority of our group would be full of memories from their working past, firstly it would involved a trip to their former employer’s establishments, that of Johnson and Johnson, or as they knew it, Charles F Thackray. A prominent building Situated on St. Anthony’s Road Beeston, Leeds. Just a hop ,skip and a jump for some of the boys back in the days.

It would be almost a dozen of the Lads that would participate in this organised tour of their former factory etc. A suggested time of 10:00 am was set up for this visit to begin, after signing the visitors book we were on our way, familiarisation was their first obstacle, it had been many many years since they had set foot in these grounds. Luckily our tour guide Ray was able to help resolve this issue, so before not too long we found ourselves on the workshop floor and being introduced to members of the present workforce who were only too willing to talk us through present day procedures, processes and products, very informative, a far cry from the days of yore.  The whole factory as undergone massive restructuring with many of the old methods of manufacturing being replaced with modern state of the heart machinery to say the least.

 As our tour progressed quite a few former colleagues got wind of our visit and took the opportunity to come and say hello, a pleasant surprise for everyone involved, faces from the past appearing from every angle, just great.We experienced a glimpse of the infamous Clean Room and the importance of its functions etc, then onto the plastic division and there involvements in the production line, fascinating to see young people following in our footsteps.

Our tour continued with a viewing of all the modern facilities that have been installed for today’s workforce, restrooms, showers, gymnasium and a up to date canteen, all providing a more relaxed environment to be working in. Finally we passed through the administrative offices and the expanse of their functioning towards the final products destinations etc. 

As we gathered in an appropriate restroom to reflect upon our visit , a few of the lads were given the chance to experience some product from the Med Tech innovation section here at Johnson and Johnson, how to mix a fresh smoothie drink whilst sat peddling a bike, a joyous moment for John and Mark.

After almost 2 hours our tour of the facilities here at Saint Anthony’s Road were over, so we said our farewells and thanked the members of Staff for this memorable opportunity and experience.

It was time to move on now to our next venue, that of The Railway Inn at Drighlington and enjoy a Birthday celebration meal courtesy of the staff here at this location. It would be the upcoming birthday of our dear friend Keith Bland , he had unfortunately missed the opportunity to visit his former work place.

We sat and briefly chatted about our visit along with many other topics as we awaited the arrival of our chosen meals , all of which were consumed with much delight. Nice to see Keith again and catch up with things etc. We spent a good 90 minutes here at the Railway Inn discussing this ,that and the other before finally saying goodbye to each other and heading homeward bound, reflecting upon today’s events, a bittersweet moment for some of the lads tinged with a little sadness about certain aspects of our day. Nevertheless most rewarding.

A special thanks to Russ and Sue for organising our visit of the former Thackray Building.

Cheers Everyone.

Riverboat Ride at York

 Wednesday 28th May 2025.              Riverboat Ride at York

For today’s adventure as the title suggests, it would be 8 of the Lads that would experience the pleasure of cruising along the river Ouse that flows through the city of York. Those boarding the riverboat would be Malcolm, John, Derek, Dave, Brian, Colin, Glenn and Mark, all travelling to the city by train from either Leeds or Wakefield. The group all gathering just a few minutes before 11:00 am in the station concourse here in York. 

After a brief moment of discussion etc, the lads set off in the direction of the river embankment and to the Kings Staith where the Riverboats are moored. A suitable craft was about to leave, so it was Ahoy Shipmates has we clambered on board, we took up our vantage point at the stern which gave us great views of the riverbank scenery and the city beyond etc. We cruised along at a steady rate of knots, first heading upstream as far as Clifton Bridge before returning downstream towards the distant Millennium Bridge. As you can well imagine various conversations were taking place between all of us along with the customary wave to fellow travellers on both shore and other water craft, all with good fun and cheers. Some 20 minutes later we had reached Millennium Bridge and our riverboat captain steered us in the opposite direction and headed back towards our mooring point at Kings Staith.

Our cruise lasted just over an hour, so it was about 12:40 when we set foot on dry land again having all enjoyed the experience etc. It was now time to head in search of or lunchtime venue, a couple of options were put to the test, the city was rather crowded with the many visitors to this historic city so accommodating 8 hungry lads proving difficult, we did eventually stumble upon a suitable establishment courtesy of Mark, it was a cafe on the upper floor of an antique emporium that was able to accommodate our gang. We took up our seats and viewed the lunchtime menu, only a small selection of meals to choose from, but nevertheless the young girl was able to satisfy our culinary preferences albeit a rather time consuming chore. 

While we awaited our meals the conversation turned to upcoming events etc and the prospects of being short handed so to speak throughout the month of June due to holiday commitments. Who would steer our adventuress group and lead them in the right direction, the choice is theirs, Ha,Ha.

Now with our lunchtime meal consumed we had decided to take an earlier return train heading homeward bound, so it was back to the station in order to accomplish this, one train leaving before 3:00 pm the other a few minutes after 3:00pm. Luckily for us it was just a light rain shower that was falling as we walked along, the rest of the day had been a little kinder with the odd glimpse of the sun to brighten up the day.

Upon reflection this visit to York was not what we originally intended but nevertheless proved both enjoyable and good fun for all.

Cheers Everyone.