Very wet, Easter

Last year, my son Tom and Team London came to Yorkshire to enjoy Easter In The Country.  They saw lambs and ducklings and chickens and rabbits – all the kinds of creatures that the average London park is a little short of.

This year, they asked for more of the same.  Easter was early, so we knew that the ducklings probably wouldn’t appear.  We weren’t to know though that this year Easter would be very cold and extremely wet with hail slashing our cheeks, then sleet.

Tom and I did manage a walk up the lane to let William see the lambs.  That was when we got caught in a vicious hail storm.

Lambing time at Sleningford Hall.

As last year though, it was our friends Gill and Dave and their family who saved the season.  William stroked their dogs and cuddled their cat Marmite (who used to be ours, before we went to France).  Grandson Jack came round, and the two little boys bonded immediately, hunting for the eggs and chocolate treats the Easter Bunny had left (inside: no self-respecting Easter Bunny wants to get chilled to the bone hiding eggs in the garden).

Hunting for a final few eggs.

Then it was time to visit Reggie the Shetland pony and his new friend Maple.  They were saddled up, the boys were equipped with riding helmets, and off they went for a ride.  Well, Jack did.  He had first mounted a horse when he was six weeks old so now he’s a pro, trotting and everything.  William lasted about two minutes.  Sitting on Maple’s back was one thing: wobbling about when she moved off quite another.  William preferred walking alongside.

Then it was pay-back time.  William was put to work barrowing horse manure from stable to manure heap.  There were eggs to be collected – he only smashed one.  Finally, he had to feed the hens.  And he got to keep the eggs he’d found – scrambled eggs for tea!

Memorable moments for a city child.  Thank you Gill, Dave, Becky, Andrew and Carly … and of course Jack … for a very special morning.

Click on any image to see full size.

 

Author: margaret21

I'm retired and live in North Yorkshire, where I walk , write, volunteer and travel as often as I can.

25 thoughts on “Very wet, Easter”

  5. What lovely memories you will all have. Our Easter Bunny was able to deliver outside but we have it on good authority that one egg is lost. I blame the squirrel who made off with a bird feeder some years ago and it never turned up. If a dog finds it and eats it the evidence will be plain to see!

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  6. Happy to hear that your Easter turned out so well. Your saying, “Memorable moments for a city child,” made me think of an article which stated that many city children were unable to recognize common regional vegetables and fruits. How lovely for William and Jack to be able to know, touch, and get a taste of the land.

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  10. Sounds like a lovely family time. No good moaning, is it? 🙂 🙂 We went to Royal Armouries at Leeds. I did see that quite a few events were cancelled or postponed though. Shame for the organisers. Just great for the kids to get out of the city.

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  11. We used to love the Royal Armouries when my younger daughter (and friend of one of William’s Sunday riding instructors) was small and we lived in Leeds. All that jousting! Those birds of prey! She had no idea it was a war museum. I haven’t been in a while…… note to self: must go again.

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  14. What a wonderful Easter for everyone. In Sydney we have the Easter Show where ‘the country comes to the city’- the best exhibition features enormous country scenes made from crops or wool grown in that region. Mind you I did enjoy the Yorkshire Show a few years back.

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    1. Ah, your Easters must be very different from the lambs and ducklings of your childhood. I’m glad you were able to touch base with the Yorkshire Show a while back. It’s got so expensive though…

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