There's No business like Snow Business

Well we didn't get to York on Monday.... 'cause it started snowing. For some mad reason I keep waking up at 4ish in the morning and Monday morning while I was pensively staring out the little lounge window of the Manse, sipping my cup of tae (people from Yorkshire don't drink Tea.. they drink Tae) the first flurries of snow arrived and then the place was covered, like icing, all over the buildings and fences.
I have to say at this point I was somewhat excited. I've never been in snowfall, and although I have seen snow on the side of the road... it was nothing like this. It turned the little stone walled settlement into something out of a picture book. Very romantic. I'm sure it would wear thin after a while but I stayed just long enough, that it didn't lose it's charm
As soon as the light came up I went for a tramp down to the river, watching the flurries of snow sweep down the valley and settle everywhere. Later the others joined me (except Adelle - who thinks running around in snow is a crazy thing to do) and we walked up to the waterfall, threw snowballs around and had a half hearted attempt at making a snow man.
Later after we had dried out a bit we decided to follow the river Swale down the valley to the town of Richmond. This suited me fine as I had heard there was a castle in Richmond.
Driving alongside the river was quite pleasant, you cross it repeatedly at each little settlement. Little stone one lane bridges weathered and worn. Avoiding the fat pheasants that marched across the road like fools...they were pretty game.. Boom boom.
Richmond is a little market town stuck in the bend of the Swale. It grew up around Richmond castle which was founded by the Normans to control the area. See : Harrowing of the North. William the conqueror.
The castle is a pretty good example of early medieval castle architecture but we couldn't get in because it wasn't opened until 1st of April. I decided storming the castle was probably counter productive....
Instead I went to the regimental museum of the Green Howards. They have 14 Victoria Crosses and a variety of battles from fighting the Catholics under William of Orange through to fighting Taliban in Afghanistan (now as part of the Yorkshire regiment). A rich and bloody history.
The weather was pretty cold which justifed the sausage, bacon and egg buttie that I wolfed down along with pot loads of tea. You can't eat like that in Australia... unless you want to look like Billy Bunter.
The next day we got up early and crunched through the snow to begin our journey south via York.