a trip to Masham

a lovely Masham house

so there I was on Saturday morning, frantically taking product photos whilst the sun shone (blazed actually but that's just being picky) and my other half says, fancy a night away?

I was fairly non-committal in that 'we haven't been getting on well this week and actually can't you see I'm really very busy?!' kind of way, and kept on with my snapping.

Fearby

About an hour later he was back suggesting a trip to Masham, by which time I'd warmed to the idea a little more (the picture taking was going great guns) and had actually warmed through myself - there's nothing like the warmth of sunshine on your skin to raise a girl's spirits.

beautiful gateway in Masham

Next thing I know, he's found a bargain B&B deal on late rooms and I now realise that it would, frankly, be churlish to say no and pass up a trip out on a day like that, to be, instead, sat indoors editing photos!
So that was it, night booked, stuff quickly chucked in an overnight bag, shades on, tunes blasting, roof down and away we went.

tree tunnel!

It was perfect! Just what we needed to shrug off the nowtiness of the previous week.
We stopped off on the way at a pub with one of the most fabulous beer gardens I have ever had the pleasure to sit in...a tiered affair down to a river view. Gorgeous!

what a glorious view

Next stop, Fearby...home of our, erm, home for the night and The Black Swan pub. Now if you happen to go there and then drive round the back to find a g't field full of caravans, fear not! They are very pleasant caravaners☼ creating a lovely, happy atmosphere in the beer garden and pub as you sup and scoff.
We got shown to Room 1 which was luverly and new and clean and biiiiig!

huge bed

We then oohed and aahed a bit before dumping our stuff and heading back out for a quick hour or so mosey around Masham.

What a delight!

Such a pretty, pretty village with beautiful homes and buildings, good pubs, a sweet shop, wine shop, butchers oh and, erm, a brewery or two.

The first visit was paid to The Gallery - with a fabulous exhibition currently showing called Impression: "An exhibition of work from 5 printmakers. Impression showcases extraordinary talent in different areas of printmaking as well as a range of striking images. Artists are: Hester Cox, Janis Goodman, Helen Peyton, Angie Rogers*, Catherine Sutcliffe Fuller"
*I was really very taken with Angie's work. Really.

The Gallery

The Gallery also have a regular stock of pieces, some of which by lovelies you may have heard of...Leigh Shepherd and Helen Russell (Mercury Arts) to name but two.

snicket

After perusing and drifting away into creative nirvana, I was quickly snapped back by the need for cash...the Co-op is the place to go!

full to bursting window box of joy

which quickly lead to us wandering down a snicket and ending up at Theakston's Brewery, with half a Lightfoot. Well, it would have been rude not to.

rusty old barrels

More wandering was the order of the afternoon along with another sunshiney beer garden and then it was back to The Black Swan for us.

There we sat in their beautifully scenic beer garden, reading (him the papers and me Mollie Makes), chatting and plotting & planning for our future before disappearing inside for a slap up meal before bed.

view from our spot in the Black Swan beer garden

A leisurely drive back the morning after, passing many vintage cars all out for the day, stopping off a Pateley Bridge & calling in to see rellies finished it off perfectly.

the market square, Masham, looking skyward

And then it was back to the photo editing, feeling happy and content and loved. I am a lucky bird.
x


PS ☼I have nothing against caravans or caravaners at all...it's just that, when you've booked a night in a remote pub and you tip up and find a (big) field full of caravans and motorhomes and not just the 12 en-suite rooms you'd heard of, well...it's a shock!