We took a short Easter Monday run to Castle Howard garden centre avoiding the crowded A64. Through Stockton on Forest, Upper Helmsley, Sand Hutton, Howsham, Crambe, across the A64 through Welburn. It was full of people, healthy plants and a metal gazebo with a hefty price tag. I took shelter and relief here for my dicky back, while Sylvia looked round. A young chap with what I thought was a camera in his hand wandered by and I called him over to tell him about beautiful scenes we enjoyed on our journey from York. I thought, he was on his own, was probably a camera enthusiast and may want to go and take pictures. In fact, he was taking a rest from the ice-cream stall he brings from Bolton Abbey and was carrying his rolled up black apron, with a short strap in his hand. What I imagined was a camera! I still told him about the magical sights and he offered me an extra large ice-cream if I called at his stall on the way out. We did and it was good. He stands on the grass car park where the ‘Armada Oaks’ are. So called because they were planted at the time of the Armada about 500 years ago.

It was a lovely journey and I forgot my camera, so I will attempt to bring it to life for you and remind myself;
Flowers were open to the sun and the strong spring colours stood out against the growing greenery of fields and hedges and the brilliant blue, cloudless sky. Dominant were greens, whites and yellows. Structures, houses, buildings, birds and animals, us included, also looked better than they had for months. Beyond Stockton on Forest the green 9” corn crops and some trees and hedges were well into their new growth. Willows, horse chestnut sticky buds, hawthorn and blackthorn too. The different greens were fresh and sharp. The white blackthorn in the hedgerows was complimented by huge white areas of wild anemone among the trees, and there were a variety of yellows also. I have never seen so many celandines alongside the roads and the daffodils were making a last desperate effort along he whole trip. Most outstanding of all was the oilseed rape. Field after field, in full bloom and this in early April. In my working days, we had early May holidays abroad and the first rape flowers greeted our return.

Between Howsham and Crambe we ran alongside the river Derwent and saw primroses, then we looked across at Howsham School, an old imposing building which has been sold off now for development. Further on we waited for the signal man to open the railway crossing gates on the York to Scarborough line running alongside the river and had a chat. Near Crambe, there were six new born, black and white lambs with the ewes in a tiny field. Deciding not to go down to Kirkham Abbey, we crossed that road and continued up the hill on the other side to cross the crowded A64 and, opening the car window, talked to a couple who had walked from Welburn to Howsham and were on their way back. Close now to Castle Howard, we were shocked to see the fire engine which passed us in Welburn attending a head on crash between two cars on the main Stray road. The result of one of the blind hills on that road. Such a pity! The rest of the day was lovely, but for somebody it was an awful end to one which started well .