Be a rainbow explorer - 2023

Yorkshire Air Museum

Halifax Way,

Elvington, York

YO41 4AU

01904 608595

www.yorkshireairmuseum.org

Elvington is one of the UKs largest independent aviation museums and well worth a visit. It is situated on the former site of RAF Elvington which was a World War Two bomber base and is typical of the many sites that were dotted around Britain during the war. In York alone, there were over 30 airfields!

The site was originally a grass airfield but in 1942 it was rebuilt with the addition of 3 hardened runways ready for the arrival of 77 Squadron in October 1942.  They arrived with their 4 engine Handley Page Halifax heavy bombers.  77 Squadron were located here until May 1944 during which time they suffered heavy losses – 50 Halifax’s and over 500 aircrew.

In May 1944, the site became a French enclave known as ‘La Petit France’ which became home to over 2000 French airmen.  There is a fabulous room at the museum set out as their Officer's Mess – a place for them to switch off and relax from the pressures of war.  They too suffered heavily with the loss of 50% of their aircrews during the 18 months they were stationed at York. 

In 1952, the site was handed over for use by the US Air Force Strategic Air Command but never became fully operational and was vacated in 1958. The site was then used in the early 60s for the test flying of the prototype Buccaneer aircraft and by the RAF Flying Training Schools at Church Fenton and Linton on Ouse, as a relief landing ground. Elvington was officially closed in March 1977.

The Museum became established in June 1985 and now covers around 20 acres.  There is so much to see there including the French Officer’s Mess mentioned earlier. Exhibits range from pre World War 2 aircraft to the iconic jets of the Cold War. There are support vehicles including armoured vehicles, fire and emergency and military transport. There are memorials to 77 Squadron and a women’s memorial, set within a small memorial garden and a chapel with some beautifully crafted kneelers. The Astra Cinema runs a selection of information films and for the children there is an outdoor playground. Visitors can wander around the site, enter the control tower which has various scenes/exhibits set up and explore the aircraft. There is also a café set in the old Naafi which serves a selection of snacks, drinks and light meals.

Admission costs are:

Adult £14

Children aged 4-17 £6

Students/military veterans/serving personnel £10

Family 2+2 £35

Tickets generally cover free admission for 12 months though special events throughout the year will incur an additional fee.

Elvington is currently running its winter hours, open 6 days a week from 10am till 4pm (last entry 3pm), closed on Wednesdays. Tickets can be pre booked online or bought on arrival. It is 90% accessible and is dog friendly.

During December there are additional Christmas activities. They are offering the opportunity to experience what a wartime Christmas was like, are showing a play for young children entitled 'The Man Who Fell From the Sky' and offer a visit to Santa Airlines! Santa’s grotto is located on the Dakota aircraft and costs an extra £10, with children being given a small gift. They can also enjoy a variety of activities with Santa’s elves in the control tower before they ‘board’ Santa’s Airline. These tickets must be pre booked.

The museum’s mission is to Honour, Educate and Inspire.  They are determined to honour the memory of all the Allied Crew that served there, educate the public on the history of aviation and inspire future generations to take up careers in aviation and engineering. Having visited a number of times, I think they are proving successful in all three.

Beaulieu Motor Museum

Brockenhurst

SO42 7ZN

Tel: 01590 612345

www.beaulieu.co.uk

I’ve visited Beulieu Motor Museum before as a child, but my memories were vague, so when we were staying nearby it seemed a good opportunity to visit again. I had remembered the motor museum but had no recollection at all of all the other things to visit whilst we were there! Put aside a full day for your visit here and you will fill it easily. We spent a day but still didn’t get to see everything.

Opened in July 1972, Beaulieu Motor Museum is famous world wide for its collection of cars, motorcycles and motoring memorabilia. The collection houses examples from the earliest cars to family saloons, F1 cars, land speed record breakers and pioneering motoring examples.  The oldest exhibit is from 1875 and in total there are around 285 vehicles on view!

Although the day we went was very busy with extra events going on, we found that there was plenty of car parking and plenty of space. We didn’t feel crowded at any of the areas we spent time at. We started with a monorail ride which took us around the outside of the exhibition, around the gardens and even through the inside of the museum itself! We had a short wait but the mono rail runs regularly so it wasn’t too bad at all.

The Motor Museum itself is divided into different areas with the motorcycle exhibits upstairs. We saw a huge variety of cars, many of which brought back memories of those we had had in our families. There was a range of F1 Grand Prix greats, rallying and hill climbing cars, an exhibition of record breakers including Donald Campbells Bluebell and an example of practically every car you could think of. This year they have the original Genevieve from the film of the same name plus her rival which was causing a great deal of interest.

Also there was a replica of Jack Tucker’s Garage – a 1930s garage filled with items from a bygone motoring age, Motopia, an exhibition that will be there until April 2024 looking at future visions for motoring and ideas that have become a reality, an area devoted to the evolution of motor cars which includes a history of the crash test dummy, areas where you can find out how an engine works and a display of mascots with some interesting stories behind their creation. I particularly liked the one about the Silver ghost used on a Rolls Royce and its scandalous connection to the Montagu family.

Outside of the main exhibition hall is The World of Top Gear which was a must. Here there is a collection of some of the weird and wonderful cars used in the making of the very popular TV programme, many of which I recognised instantly such as the ski jump mini, the souped up ice cream van, the Reliant Robin space shuttle and the Jaguar hearse!

There is also a small collection of cars used on screen in film and TV programmes. I was a little disappointed in this area as it was so small and having visited other better exhibitions of such cars, but it was fun to see Mr Bean’s mini and the Weasley Ford Anglia from the Harry Potter franchise amongst other familiar cars.

Also on the Beaulieu Estate there is the opportunity to look around Palace House, the home of the Montagu family and learn of its history and the ruins of Beaulieu Abbey which was founded by King John in the 13th Century. It was subsequently destroyed in 1538 on the orders of King Henry Vlll. The ruins have been carefully conserved and there is an exhibition about the Abbey and Monastic Life that took place there.

I was also intrigued and interested to find an exhibition hut entitled the Secret Army as I had not known that Beaulieu was a finishing school for the Special Operations Executive during the second world war - a particular interest of mine.

Children can find plenty of things to do here also. Throughout the main motoring exhibition there are character cards and embossed stamps to collect. There is also a fabulous adventure playpark called Little Beulieu with lots of buildings to investigate, walkways, tunnels and so on, the Monorail, miniature remote-control cars and a veteran bus to ride on as well as the beautiful gardens to run around. This summer the gardens were housing a collection of sculptures.

There are many special events hosted throughout the year and these are all detailed on the website. There is also an excellent restaurant (though there was quite a wait) with snacks and light meals being served, a selection of drinks and ice creams, plus the obligatory gift shop which had lots of motoring themed items to suit most pockets.

All in all, we had a very busy and interesting day here. Be prepared for lots of walking and standing as things are well spaced out but be assured that there really does seem to be something for everyone. The site is open from 10am till 5pm every day except Christmas Day and it is not necessary to pre book, though you will get a discount for doing so.  Prices are   as follows:

Adult £27.50

Senior (60+) £26.50

Child (5-16) £16.50

Under 5s free

Pre booked tickets are around £3 cheaper.    

The Overlord Embroidery at the D Day Story Museum

Clarence Esplanade

Portsmouth

PO5 3 NT

I hadn’t heard of the Overlord Embroidery but found information about it when I was researching places to visit near to the New Forest.  As it happens, it was some distance from where we were staying but once I had discovered it, I felt compelled to visit and thankfully, I was not disappointed.

The Overlord Embroidery is a series of 34 hand stitched panels, totalling 83 metres in length which outline the events leading to D Day and the Battle of Normandy.  Inspired by the Bayeux Tapestry, Lord Dulverton commissioned the embroidery in 1968.  He set up a committee of retired senior officers from the Navy, Army and Air Force to help decide what events needed to be depicted to give a full insight into all that happened.

A young British artist, Sandra Lawrence, was tasked with designing each individual panel which then had to be approved by the committee. This was no easy task and Sandra had many ideas rejected or adapted before they were passed. She looked at hundreds of wartime photographs and researched each aspect in great detail before submitting her pencil sketches. As each panel was approved, Sandra then painted a coloured version, the same size as the final panel would be – 2.4 by 0.9 metres. Tracing paper was then laid on top, an outline drawn and these were  sent to the Royal School of Needlework. Here, a team of highly skilled seamstresses transferred the design onto linen using the ‘pricking and pouncing’ method.

Each fabric was then made of various carefully selected pieces of material which were stitched onto the background linen (applique).  Depth was created by careful choice of colour or building up different layers and detail was added by a variety of stitches.  Everything was stitched by hand and over 50 different materials were used, including actual uniforms.

The Embroidery took 5 years to complete, with the final panel finished in January 1974.

Many of the designs had to be altered numerous times before they were accepted with disagreements on what should be shown.  The final panel seemed particularly difficult as it was meant to portray the joy of returning home to loved ones, but also needed to reflect the pain and suffering that France had endured during the Occupation.

Each panel is incredibly detailed. There are images at the beginning of men receiving their call up papers, women working in factories, search lights and fires. We see the generals’ making decisions, the aeroplanes and warships, the injured, children wearing gas masks and the dead.  The more you look, the more you want to look to see every tiny detail.

The panels are laid out in a dimly lit room which is a little frustrating if you want to take photographs or if your eyesight isn't quite as good as you want it to be!

The embroidery toured various venues for some years before finding its permanent home at the D Day Museum in Portsmouth. A new museum was built to mark the 40th anniversary of D Day specifically to display the 34 panels and it was finally opened on 3rd June 1984 by Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother. As patron of the Royal School of Needlework she was the ideal person and is said to have proclaimed that Panel 28 was her favourite. As she went along to view it in detail she declared ‘Oh my goodness, that’s my husband,’ recognising him from the exquisite needlework.

I spent a long time looking at each panel but would quite happily have spent many more hours there, as the detail is just incredible and the quality of the stitching and applique astounding. Each panel told its own story, a vital part of the D Day story itself.

The Museum is also well worth a look with its collection of vehicles, uniforms, medals, documents etc and outside there is the LCT 7074, the last surviving landing craft from D Day which is open for visitors to walk around. This is included in the entrance fee and is located just to the right of the museum, with a carpark directly behind. The landing craft has been restored to its former glory after being used as a floating nightclub for some years! On board is a Sherman tank and a Churchill tank to give an idea of how the landing craft would have looked, though on D Day itself it carried 10 tanks.

 There is a gift shop inside with a selection of souvenirs and books about the museum, D Day and the embroidery and a café with handmade light meals. They weren’t cheap but they were very tasty and fresh.  Ticket prices are currently £14.35 for adults, £11.45 for seniors and £7.20 for those aged 5 to 17, however, there is a discount if tickets are bought online which could save you a few pounds.

I would happily have paid the entrance fee just for the embroidery but seeing the museum and walking on a craft that played such a vital part of the D Day landings was quite something and highly recommended. I hope to visit again one day soon. It also inspired me to buy a small applique craft kit of my own (though it currently remains in its box.)  One day perhaps!

Nunnington Hall

Nunnington

Nr York

YO62 5UY

For 300 years, Nunnington Hall has been providing comfort, safety and sanctuary to a wide variety of guests. Situated near Yorkshire, this rural manor house with organic gardens and beautiful relaxing setting is well worth a visit. Owned by the National Trust, visitors will find a wide variety of things to look at to suit all ages.

In its time, the house has played sanctuary to Civil War soldiers who rested here before attending the siege of Helmsley Castle, provided a safe home for evacuees from Leeds and welcome respite for the Women’s Land Army. All of these are described on noticeboards throughout the various rooms in the house that are open to the public. Fascinatingly, the house was also used to house stained glass windows from York Minster for the duration of the war.

Visitors can work their way through the rooms, starting with the trophy room (animal trophies!), discovering the history of the house and enjoying the varying ambience of each room from dark oak panelled bedrooms to light airy drawing rooms. The house was inherited in 1920 by Margaret Fife from her uncle. Margaret had always admired the house and sold her own property to fund renovations. In one room, there is a glass panel showing some of the debris found underneath the floor boards during the renovations including playing cards and metal pins.

Room guides are there to give further information, some more helpful than others.  One lady was very knowledgeable about the 17th century Verdine tapestries that hung in one room, showing us photos and examples of the restoration process used and the modifications needed (such as backing the tapestries to stop the threads pulling apart). One room is described as haunted though we sadly did not see the lady in question or her dog!

At the very top of the house is a room that houses the Carlisle Collection of miniature rooms. These were gifted to the National Trust in 1970.  There are a number of different period rooms with steps for children to get a closer look. The detail in them is quite incredible. Look out for family portraits in the great entrance hall, the harp that really plays and a book of the entire works of Shakespeare – all in miniature!

The gardens are accessible to all and dogs on short leads are welcome in these areas. There are plenty of places to relax with deckchairs provided for those who want to stop a while. Mr McGregor guards the vegetable patch, there are fruit trees galore, a wonderful horse sculpture and plenty of outdoor games for both adults and children to enjoy. We had a try at hoopla, archery, croquet and badminton but there were others available.

Those with children will find plenty to keep them occupied – outside, apart from the various games, there is a shed filled with art materials and jars for bug hunting – all of which can be borrowed – there is a bird hide and a fabulous play area called the Lion’s Den. Inside, on the second floor, there is a reading hub, an illustrator’s studio space to encourage creativity and an evacuee dressing up area.

There is a tearoom in the garden and one inside the house providing a decent selection of options, at reasonable prices and using fresh ingredients, cakes, drinks, and a second-hand book room.

The house is open from 10.30 till 5pm with the last entry being 45 minutes before closing time. Prices are: Adults £10, children £5, family ticket £25.

The village of Nunnington which is a very short walk from the hall has a small courtyard of craft units and a café. We noted that all the owners were friendly but not pushy, encouraging us to browse without pressure.

Should the weather be good, it would be heavenly to sit in one of the deckchairs overlooking the river, with a good book and just enjoy the peace, quiet and tranquillity

Northwood Fairy Trail

England’s Fairy Sanctuary

Buttercrambe Moor Road, York

YO41 1AP

Did you know that there is a fairy sanctuary near to York?  I didn’t until I stumbled across an article in a magazine and found that it was pretty close to where I live. I just adore fairies and anything magical, so it was a given that we would end up visiting here!

Finding the sanctuary was a bit of a problem – the fairies obviously like to keep things very secret!  Rather than following the Satnav which can cause a number of problems, visitors are advised to use the What3words method in locating their very secret hideaway: unlocking obtain exhales, as this is more likely to get you to the correct place at the correct time. (they are pretty strict on time keeping, be warned.)

Northwood fairy sanctuary is a unique fairy woodland approximately 20 minutes from York.  It is nestled in 100 acres of magical woodland and has a huge array of fairy houses to find, secret stairways into the trees, thrones, magical doorways and fairy signs to keep children and adults amused. There is also a highly unusual fairy museum with a collection of artefacts and stories of strange woodland creatures that will astound you.

The site was discovered in 2008 after work began on creating a glamping site in the woodland. During the excavations, fragments of fairy and elven relics were discovered, alongside considerable research from the Victorian era. These were from the collection of Professor Harvey John Howland, an eminent fairy collector. Many of his writings, journals and sketches were later found in an abandoned woodshed, along with an intriguing collection of fairy antiquities. The owners decided to reopen the old fairy paths, repair the many fairy treehouses and homes and restore the fairy woodland to its former grandeur, befitting of the extensive fairy population.

Visitors delight in spotting the fairy doors on trees, the many tree houses connected by bridges and rope walkways and fairy rings, all nestled within the forest which has a wide range of tree varieties and is home to over 200 species of birds.  There is also a maze and a natural playground with tree stumps, sand pit, mud kitchen and den building, thrones to sit upon and a selection of woodland sculptures.  The pathways are easy to walk upon and wind approximately 2 miles through the beautiful forest with  many surprises that will delight both young and old. Remember to look up as well as down so that you don’t miss anything!  At the end of the route is the Fairy Museum with its collection of intriguing costumes made from leaves, feathers and beetle wings, incredible artefacts and large wardrobe doors that must be opened to reveal a magnificent magical surprise!

For those not as interested in fairy magic, walking through the forest or forest bathing as it is known, is a great way to boost natural well-being. It has been proven that walking through trees and woodland in a relaxed manner, has calming, restorative and rejuvenating benefits which will help improve sleep, boost the immune system, reduce blood pressure and improve mood.

The Northwood Kitchen Café is open to visitors and non-visitors and provides hot drinks and tasty food though it isn’t a cheap option!

The Sanctuary is open all year but tickets MUST be booked online and you MUST arrive promptly. Visitors are asked to check availability and opening times (usually 10.30 till 3pm) before travelling and last entry is 2 hours before closing time. They are keen to stress that each season brings new delights and special events and seasonal decorations are organised.

Free parking is available on site and paths are accessible though they are stone and can be rough.  No dogs are allowed and no picnics to help preserve the site and its wildlife.

Costs are: Adult £11.50, under 16s £6.90, under 2s go free. A family ticket for 2 adults and 2 children is £31.90.

Visitors are advised that as this is a natural woodland, appropriate footwear and sensible weather appropriate clothes should be worn.

The Northwood fairy trail is enchanting, atmospheric and full of nooks and crannies to explore. If you love anything magical you will adore it here! 

York is a beautiful city to explore but where do you start? There are so many interesting things to see and exciting activities to do but it can be an expensive business, especially when children are involved. When visiting York for the first time, it can also be difficult to know where to go and what the city actually entails. The Cat Walk of York is an alternative way of discovering or rediscovering the city whilst enjoying the fresh air and getting plenty of exercise. Even better, it won’t cost you a penny!!

If you wander around York city and look upwards, you may be surprised to see a number of small cat statues looking right back at you. There are over 20 scattered across the city centre - cats that prowl, balance and climb along rooftops and ledges, or sit contentedly on windowsills, surveying the world below them. Some are difficult to spot and need a keen eye, whilst others are more easily found.

The origins of the York cats are said to stem back to Medieval times when cats were installed in the city to frighten away vermin and prevent the spread of disease. They were also believed to ward off evil spirts, bring good luck and ensure good health for the residents of York. The current cats are predominantly the inspiration of architect Tom Adams who commissioned York sculptor Jonathan Newdick to create a number of statues to erect around the city. Jonathan used the York RSPCA refuge for inspiration and for his initial sketches from which the statues were created.

Many of the cats have names such as the Peering Cat of Coney Street, The Ghostly Cat, Gordon, the Sad One Eyed Cat and the Clinging Cat – all relating to their appearance and location. Each one has its own charm and are a delight to find.  Leaflets about the cats and a trail to follow can be downloaded from www.yorklucky cats.co.uk or obtained from the Cat Gallery at 45 Low Petergate, YO1 7HT or the Tourist Information Centre. Challenge yourself to find them all, or just locate the ones in the city centre itself. Whichever you decide to do, you are likely to see parts of York that you would otherwise miss.

Having completed the walk, why not visit the Cat Gallery - a shop filled with cat related gifts and goodies, perfect for that personal present for fellow cat lovers or for your own pet.  Gifts range from tea towels to sculptures, bookmarks to t shirts and everything in between!  You could also visit The Cat’s Whiskers, York’s very own cat café and enjoy a cuppa and cake whilst admiring the adorable cats that live there. The café can be found at 48 Goodramgate, YO1 7LF. Pre booking is essential and costs £7 per person.  The cats are extremely happy wandering around and lounging in their beautiful and comfortable home.

A cat themed day is a great way to spend a day and an alternative way to discovering the city of York. It’s also a great lesson to us all, that many of the fun, exciting and historic parts of a city are seen by looking upwards rather than down!

A small booklet describing the origins of the cats, profiles of the individual statues and their locations can be bought from the Cat Gallery or from online bookshops. It is entitled ‘The Mystery Cats of York,’ by Stan Young.

The Scarborough Fair Collection and Vintage Transport Museum

Flower of May Holiday Park

Stone Pit Lanes

Scarborough

YO11 3NU

www.scarboroughfaircollection.com

info@scarboroughfaircollection.com

01723 586698

Found on the coast road between Scarborough and Filey, this is a lovely eclectic mix of vintage cars, steam engines, mechanical organs and fairground rides! The collection is located on a holiday park in a large warehouse/building.

The collection began in the 1980s when Graham Atkinson bought his first steam engine and mechanical organ. It was to be the beginning of a unique collection which is now one of the largest of its type in Europe. His passion for vintage began to take over his life and necessitated the building of new storage facilities to keep everything in tip top condition over winter. After some thought, it was decided that rather than only show the vehicles during the summer months, they would build a venue that could house the entire collection and enable it to be viewed throughout the year.

The museum is open from Wednesday to Saturdays, 10am till 4pm.  The last admission is at 3pm and the small café also closes at that time. There is free parking, toilet facilities and light refreshments (sandwiches, cakes, hot drinks etc) available. They are not cheap, but very good quality. The café is located in the ballroom where sometimes a Wurlitzer organ is played for your entertainment and small tea dances are held. Entry costs are £9 for adults, £8 for over 65s and £6 for children.  A family ticket for 2 adults and up to 4 children costs £27.

The collection itself is quite small (though bigger than you might originally think) and surprisingly entertaining. There is a good collection of vintage cars, motorbikes, traction engines, buses, lorries and various other vehicles. There is a large model of a fairground which will delight the children – all lit up and moving as they would in real life. There is an old-fashioned penny arcade that may transport you back to your childhood. Old pennies are bought at the reception desk for use, with any unused pennies bought back at the end.

There are also a number of mechanical organs which are absolutely beautiful and play at various times throughout the day. Some of these date back to the 1800s and are fully restored. There is a model child sized caravan and a full-size gypsy one too amongst all the treasures. Interspersed with the vehicles is a small collection of old-fashioned traditional fairground rides – some for adults and some for children. The piece de resistance is the Golden Galloping Horses Carousel which runs on the hour every hour. Taking a ride was a highlight although I had forgotten how high up it was!  All the rides have an additional charge paid to the volunteers operating them – generally £1 a go but it was a long ride and was worth the cost to be transported back to my childhood. All the horses are intricately decorated and individually named. If you are lucky, like my husband, you might find one with your own name on it.

There was also a selection of children’s rides, dodgem cars (£2 a dodgem), cake walk and mini ghost ride. These operate if there are sufficient people and volunteers to run them on rotation following the carousel. The day we went only half the rides were running but the queues were tiny and it added to the fun (but be warned, it does add to the final cost of the day  particularly if you have multiple children.) The cake walk reminded me of the film Grease and was surprisingly difficult to walk along, though children appeared to have no problem, the dodgems were quite fast (no head on collisions) but the ghost ride was so quick and short, I barely took anything in.

It was quite a long journey for us but a great way to spend a couple of hours on a cold and gloomy day. Be aware that it is not that warm in the main buildings and a coat was needed, though the ballroom/café area were much better. There is also a gift shop at the entrance with more models to keep the children amused, including a flying chairs carousel filled with dolls.

The site is fully accessible to wheelchair users and mobility scooters and assistance dogs are permitted.

The site is mainly run by volunteers who fix, clean and operate all the machinery.  If you want to ensure that the rides are running, to avoid disappointment I would contact the collection prior to departure.

Scar house Reservoir and the lost village of Lodge

 HG3 5SW  

This month I am highlighting a lovely walk around a reservoir and area of outstanding natural beauty, situated below Little Whernside.

 Scar House Reservoir is the second of three reservoirs, north of Pately Bridge in Upper Nidderdale, North Yorkshire and was built to supply water to the Bradford Area in the early years of the 20th century.  It was the last reservoir to be built, begun in 1921 and opened 15 years later on completion. The stone used was quarried from Carle Fell with an inclined railway constructed to move the stone to the site of the dam. Over 1 million tonnes of stone was used.

The city of Bradford had grown quickly in the 1800s due to the industrial revolution and the thriving textile industry at the time, but the resulting pollution was causing problems with the drinking water supply and there was considerable worry about the supply of water needed to keep the ever growing number of mills functioning fully. The Angram and Scar House Reservoirs were the planned result, with the Scar House reservoir aiming to supply water via the Nidd Aqueduct without any pumping, thus using gravity alone. 

A much bigger workforce was needed for the Scar House Reservoir than the Angram one, so a temporary village was established for the workers and their families. Here they lived in relative luxury with spacious conditions, hot and cold running water and flushing toilets which was highly unusual at the time for the working classes. 43 semi detached bungalows were built, alongside 28 houses and 10 large hostels for the single men, who paid £1 a week for their board and lodging. The hostels housed 60 men and they were provided with 3 meals a day. 

There was also a school for 90 pupils, shops, a laundry, hairdresser, post office, bank, library and village hall – a whole community for those employed. A fire brigade of 18, a police constable and a hospital with resident doctor and nurse to care for the workers health needs completed this new community who even had their own football team! Working conditions were hard. Workers toiled from 7.30 till dusk with only half an hours break for lunch and for this they were paid just 6p an hour.

There is a circular walk which takes you around the Scar House Reservoir to the Angram Reservoir. It is approximately 4 miles and is fairly flat, with just a few short steep gradients, so will suit most abilities. There is a mixture of rough, uneven tracks, tarmac roads, and moorland paths and some sections can get muddy and boggy at wetter times of year. Sturdy boots, waterproofs and appropriate warm layers are recommended, as this is an exposed area where the weather can quickly change. At the eastern end is a free car park with picnic areas and toilets. There is also a very basic outdoor café but it has limited opening hours – mainly seasonal and weekends.  One side of the path is a flat surface suitable for pushchairs and wheel chairs. 

The walk takes about 2 - 3 hours and has stunning views of the Nidd Valley from the various viewing points, plus the dramatic arches of the neighbouring Angram Reservoir. The reservoir wall was completed by 1936 and at the time was the highest in Britain at 71 metres.  When filled, it has an estimated capacity of 2,200 million gallons, stored with a surface area of 70 hectares. It is an impressive sight.

There is little evidence of the old village which once housed 1250 villagers but some remains can be spotted to the left of the reservoir approach road and just below the car park. Foundations still exist and a structure, orginally built as an extension to the village hall as a projection room to allow the hall to double up as a 600 seat cinema, is still in existence. Throughout the walk, a very easy to follow route, there are numerous information boards explaining the history of the construction and the layout of the village which were very interesting.

The village of Lodge was a casualty of construction. Originally established in Medieval Times there was concern that although the village would not have been flooded with water, the settlement might have contaminated it.  The residents were subsequently bought off and persuaded to move. The remains of the 5 original dwellings can still be seen.

The Reservoir is surrounded by moorland which is being restored by the Yorkshire Peat Partnership, so some areas of the walk may be diverted at times. There is also a wide range of natural wild life, particularly birds, meaning much of the moorland is designated as a site of specific scientific interest. 

We had a fabulous day here with gorgeous weather and glorious sunshine. It was very quiet and peaceful and we were able to enjoy a picnic on our route round. The finding of the village remains and the information boards was an added bonus, but the spectacular views of the Nidd Valley, the Reservoir and the impressive architecture of the neighbouring Angram Reservoir were well worth the visit. For a free day out, a good walk, excellent scenery and the chance to take things at our own pace – Scar House Reservoir takes some beating. 

On the way in, along the approach road,  look out for a small home made cake stall. I’m not sure if it is there all year round, but there was a fabulous selection of home baked cakes to add a little extra treat to your visit – cash on purchase with an honesty box. I can highly recommend the rocky road!! 

The walk can be extended by picking up the Nidderdale Way and heading along the river or by following the trail south which takes you to Middlesmoor and the How Stean Gorge. Maps can be downloaded from the following link: http://www.gps-routes.co.uk/routes/home.nsf/RoutesLinksWalks/scar-house-reservoir-walking-route 

General Information:

To keep everyone happy and safe, please:

·        follow government guidance

·        don’t swim

·        take your litter home

·        stick to the path

·        keep your dog on a lead

·        clean up after your dog

·        don’t light fires or BBQs. 

The Harry Potter Studio Tour

Studio Tour Drive

Leavesden

WD25 7LR

www.wbstudiotour.co.uk

This place is amazing!  I’ve been twice now at different times of year and with a few years in between. I absolutely adored my first visit and could easily have spent several days there in my efforts not to miss anything. I didn’t think I would return but then I discovered that from mid-December to mid-January, they dress the sets for Christmas and scatter snow everywhere, so a return visit became a must. Be warned though, tickets are limited so if you want to see Hogwarts in the Snow, keep an eye on the website and book early. It has taken me two years to get a ticket!

If you want to ‘Walk in the footsteps of Harry Potter and explore the wonders of the wizarding world,’ an absolute must for Potter fans, then head to Leavesden. Tickets must be booked in advance and are not cheap - £51.50 for basic ticket, under 4s free.  There are various different options with souvenir programmes, afternoon teas etc, but they aren’t necessary.

Based in Leavesden at the Warner Bros studios, the Harry Potter Studio tour opened on 31st March 2012 and was an instant success.  Many of the sets, props and costumes from the Harry Potter films had been kept from the very start of the film franchise, just in case they were needed for the filming of the later books.  This created a treasure trove of thousands of intricate artefacts that were carefully preserved and safely stored. Such was the interest in the franchise, a decision was made to showcase many of these original items and cast and crew returned to reassemble sets as they were in the films and to record memories of their Harry Potter days.

A tour time is allocated and you are encouraged to turn up approximately half an hour before then. Tickets are checked by the car parking team but parking is included in the ticket price and  there is a short walk to the building itself.  Bags are searched on entry and only small bags are permitted - anything else must be stored in lockers.

On entry, visitors are herded through the waiting area filled with images and quotes from the films into a small room which introduces you to the tour and then into a small cinema where characters from the film talk about some of the special effects and their experiences. No photography is allowed in these areas or at green screen areas throughout the tour but elsewhere it is permitted.

From the cinema you are herded towards the huge doors leading into the Great Hall. These are kept firmly shut and usually a child celebrating a birthday is asked to come forward to push the doors open … and then the magic happens!  The Great Hall is just as it is in the films apart from the floating candle lights. The tables are set, there are costumes to see, special effects etc.  At Christmas, the tables are set with a full Christmas dinner and lit Christmas puddings, there are ice sculptures, costumes from the Yule Ball scene and decorated trees.  This was the key set for all the Potter films and has been recreated to the smallest detail.  There is limited time here which is a bit of a shame but they tend to rush you through ready for the next group to enter which seems to happen every half hour or so.  From then, you are free to explore the site at your own pace.

There are breath-taking sets: the Forbidden Forest is a new addition as is Professor Sprouts greenhouse where you can uproot your own mandrake and hear it squeal, Diagon Alley (decorated with snow during the festive season with magically appearing footprints), platform 9 3/4 complete with Hogwarts Express, Gringotts Bank, Ollivanders Wand shop, the inside of the Weasley’s house with magic knitting and self-stirring pots, the potions classroom, Dumbledore’s Office – the list goes on.

The details on the props are just incredible. In the potions classroom there are approximately 950 potion jars with unique props and individually written labels, there are 120 different products in Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes, the shop set up by Ron’s brothers, and in Professor Dolores Umbridge’s office, the only pink one in the Ministry, there are over 130 photographs of real kittens on a collection of plates. Many of the costumes from the film are on show and it is fascinating to see those worn by the main characters in film 1 to those they wore in the last film and to see how much they had grown. Examples show how they were aged to show fight damage, those worn at the start and end of the franchise, Quidditch uniforms and one of my favourites, Ron’s yule outfit which was created from old carpet fabric!

Other sections show some of the special effects secrets used including the Invisibility Cloak and the Whomping Willow.  There is also a section of Creature special effects demonstrating how the magical creatures were brought to life and the work done in the Art Department which includes technical drawings and scale models showing how favourite sets were created. There is way too much to see in one visit!

In the courtyard you can walk through 4 Privet Drive, the Dursley house, walk across the bridge an iconic image in several films, peer into the Knight Bus and see Hagrid’s motorbike and the Weasley car. There are plenty of photo opportunities – you can sit in the car and motorbike for example or pretend to push your trolley on platform 93/4, and there are several green screen sets where you can get a professional photograph taken (none of your own!) but these will add to the expense of the day. Then again, a film of you riding a broomstick during a Quidditch match or riding on the Hogwarts Express might be your dream come true!

There are cloakrooms, café’s, toilets, parent and baby room and plenty of shops filled with  Potter merchandise so be warned if you are going with children as it could turn out to be a horrendously expensive day. I can recommend trying the butterbeer in the courtyard, a mix of butterscotch and shortbread and a must for die hard fans.

There aren’t many places to sit but occasionally there is a bench to perch on for a while, necessary when you are there 6 hours plus!  The final masterpiece comes at the very end of the tour when you enter a darkened room and are met with Hogwarts School itself!  It is the gigantic model used for filming exterior scenes and it is spectacular.  Visitors walk around the outside to see it from every angle and the detail is unbelievable. At Christmas it is covered in snow which takes 5 days to remove at the end of the season, hence why the tour is shut towards the end of January. It took my breath away equally as much on my second visit as the first and to be honest, I would be happy to return again as there is bound to be something new or something I have missed.

This tour offers a unique opportunity to visit and explore 2 sound stages and a backlot from a film franchise that has been a phenomenal success. As a Potter fan, I was in my element and can highly recommend a visit despite the high cost involved. To me, it was worth every penny!!

The National Emergency Services Museum

West Bar

Sheffield

S3 8PT

www.visitnesm.org.uk

Telephone 0114 2491999

E-Mail: info@visitnesm.org.uk

I found this museum quite by chance when researching unusual museums in my local area. Although it was a little further than expected and I wasn’t quite sure what to expect, it turned out to be the perfect place to go on a rainy Sunday afternoon and had far more to offer than I originally anticipated.

The museum is set in what was originally a combined police, fire and ambulance station, first opened in July 1900. The fire service left in 1924 but the building remained in use by the South Yorkshire Police  until the 1960s. Details of the building’s history is shown throughout the museum on display boards and many original features remain.

The original Sheffield Fire Museum, begun in 1931, had been displayed in fire stations around South Yorkshire but in the early 1980s, the collection moved to the disused West Bar station and it has continued to grow since then. In 2014, it was relaunched as the National Emergency Services Museum.

The museum is housed on three floors and is packed with exhibitions, display boards, artefacts, vehicles and interactive activities relating to all aspects of the emergency services and covers 300 years of emergency service history. With around 40 vehicles on display, some of which you can climb into, it is easy to imagine what life must have been like for those early emergency workers and those they were trying to help. First ambulances were little more than taxis to transport patients to hospital, with staff having little or no medical knowledge, First Aid boxes provided only the very basic bandages and fire engines were drawn by horses and used buckets of water in their attempts to dowse fires. It is quite incredible how much the services have changed in as little as a century!

The museum is very child friendly with artefacts that can be handled, bundles of clothing to try on, helmets to wear, sirens to press, a police bike that you can pretend to ride and so on. It has recently won an award for being a family friendly museum and the children we saw seemed to be thoroughly enjoying the excitement of the various exhibits.

Alongside the vehicles (which include a 47-foot lifeboat in the backyard, which was rather unexpected!), there are original Victorian police cells with a crime scene for you to dissect and solve, a trench/field hospital exhibit, the stables, a Blitz exhibit, police gallery, coastguard display and Mountain Rescue too – all areas of the emergency services appear to be covered!

There is a small tea room with reasonably priced toasties and snacks and a selection of hot and cold drinks, toilet facilities and a small gift shop with typical children’s toys, some books and postcards. The staff were incredibly friendly and happy to give advice on where to go and it is possible to book a short ride in a fire engine at set points through the day at a small extra cost.

The Museum is open Wednesday to Sunday from 10am till 4pm and also on Bank Holiday Mondays.

Ticket prices are £9.50 for adults, concessions (60 years+) £8.50, children 3 – 15 years £7.50 and under 3 years free. There are also concessions for students and 999 staff in possession of valid ID. Tickets can be upgraded at no extra cost to an annual pass, allowing you to visit as many times as you like over the next 12 months for free.

Special events take place throughout the year including a Wartime Christmas special and details of these can be found on the What’s On page of the website.

Accessibility has improved over recent years with alterations to the building, and includes a lift, ramps and better toilet facilities. Visitors with sensory needs are warned that parts of the exhibition involve the use of lights, sounds, smoke and smells which they may find distressing.

I was pleasantly surprised by the size of the museum and what was on offer – far more than I had anticipated and so interesting. I learned loads! We parked in a very reasonably priced pay and display car park directly opposite the building and there was plenty of room. We had assumed that an hour or so would be sufficient but actually stayed for much longer as there was so much information to read. I can highly recommend the hot chocolate in the café – I was asked if I wanted it made with water or milk which was a first and the toasties arrived promptly and were delicious. My one note would be to wear warm clothing. It is a very old building with no heating apart from in the café. We went on a dull dismal winters day, wrapped in several layers, complete with gloves, and were still freezing! But it was well worth it and I achieved a first -  sitting astride a police motor cycle for the very first time!

Bletchley Park

Home of the World War Two code breakers.

Sherwood Drive

Milton Keynes

MK3 6EB

www.bletchleypark.org.uk

Bletchley Park is a unique place with a unique history. Once a 581-acre private estate in a quiet rural location owned by the Leon family it was to become the centre for The Government Code and Cypher School and play a vital part in the successful ending of World War Two. Very few people knew at the time what was going on there, such was the level of secrecy involved and this was to remain until relatively recently.

The school rapidly grew from a small gathering of highly intelligent specialists and mathematicians to an enormous intelligence factory, compiled of thousands of men and women whose brilliance led to the development and successful use of cutting-edge technology to decipher the codes used by enemy forces. Against all the odds, working in incredibly tough conditions and under immense pressure, these experts were able to provide vital intelligence and develop pioneering technology that would help determine the direction of the war and its final outcome.

As the war progressed, Bletchley Park site grew to accommodate the increasing numbers of people that would eventually be employed there. Wooden huts were built around the park estate and communications channels established. At the beginning of the war, around 180 people were working there, including mathematicians Alan Turing and Gordon Welchman, but this number grew rapidly until it employed about 9000 people at its peak.

Working alongside French and Polish codebreakers, Bletchley Park made their first break into an Enigma cipher in early 1940, and following the invasion of Norway in April of that year, work began round the clock, due to the massive increase in the amount of work that needed to be done. A new Enigma key introduced in April by the Germans, was successfully broken within 6 days, meaning that the Allies knew every move that the Germans were making or were going to make. Their work was to become globally recognised.

After remaining an official secret for almost 30 years, the story of Bletchley Park and its workers was finally revealed and in 1993 the site was opened to the public. Still developing and with plans to open further buildings, Bletchley soon became an internationally renowned heritage attraction, revealing its many secrets and stories about the people who worked there.

The site is fully accessible to wheelchairs, has limited free parking, a children’s play area, gift shop and café’s providing snacks and light lunches. Various blocks have been recreated to show how they would have looked during the height of war, with interesting accessories, such as a handbag filled with typical contents of the time, a war time knitting pattern and cardigans hanging over the backs of chairs, giving an insight into the lives of the people who worked there. There are numerous immersive films detailing the secrecy, conditions and tasks involved, interactive displays to entice you to have a go at code breaking yourself and collections of the various machines used for code breaking. There are vast amounts of information boards detailing how the code machines worked, so be prepared to spend several hours here. Suggested time is 3-4 hours, but we were there about 5 and still didn’t take in everything.

Huts 11 and 11A house a reproduction Bombe machine, developed by Alan Turing and Gordon Welchman, used to speed up the daily search for the Enigma cipher keys employed by the German military forces. There is also a recreation of Alan Turing’s office and there is an exhibition on ‘The Life and Works of Alan Turing’ in Block B which I found particularly interesting.

Tickets cost £24.50 for adults, £22.00 for concessions and £16 for those aged 12 to 17. Under 12s are free. Tickets can be reused at any point over the following twelve months and can be pre booked or bought on entry. People are welcome to bring picnics but no dogs are allowed. A free multi media guide gives further details on the outside of the site and a souvenir guidebook is available at £7 which was helpful in providing basic information on the various huts, things to specifically look out for and some extra background information.