Country notes

Although we are not quite at the end of February today felt like spring was on the way. I was able to walk Molly without wearing a woolly hat (me not Molly!) and it was still light at half past five. The snowdrops in my wood are carpeting the ground and seem particularly good this year. It is hard to believe that only a few days ago they were covered with snow and frost.

I have a few aconites in flower too but try as I might I cannot get them to spread. I envy the large patches I see in a nearby wood, contrasting so beautifully with the snowdrops.

It is warmer too and the Rayburn, stoked with logs from a dead elm, is keeping the house warm without too much input from the oil boiler. Listening to it going always makes me think that it is like burning money.

Tomorrow I am fetching three new brown hens and hope this time to keep them from the fox. I have plenty of grain for them and they will have no excuse not to lay us lots of eggs.

I have had the trees which fell over winter - two or three - dealt with and logged up although the young men who enthusiastically carried out the work 'accidentally' cut down my lilac tree. I was not happy.

Molly is now asleep in her bed, whimpering as she dreams of who knows what! A dog's life is not a bad one.

Holiday cottages at Saltmarshe near Howden

Last night I was the speaker at the Laxton WI and had a very enjoyable time. The meeting was thrown open to any interested villagers and around 50 attended. I had gathered together around 150 old pictures of Laxton, Saltmarshe, Sandhall and Skelton and put them together into a Powerpoint presentation.

There was a mixture of scenery and familiar faces but of course the most popular were the old school pictures. The noise rose to a crescendo as those who were infants in 1955 saw themselves in short trousers or corduroy pinafores.

Afterwards we all ate butterfly buns and fruit loaf and cheese [the latter a traditional Yorkshire pairing]  and drank cups of tea.

I was talking to my neighbour who has two holiday cottages and provides bed and breakfast on the family farm. In fact she was a few minutes late as she was settling in some guests.

I met some  of her American guests last year who combined a UK holiday with researching their family history. It is only a short walk along the riverbank to where I live and I was able to find them some information on their family from my resources as well as suggesting what they should look for in the archives at Beverley and York.

I have added a link to Appletree Cottages and can recommend them to anyone wanting a peaceful break with stunning views of the River Ouse.

Here is a picture of the village shop in Front Street, Laxton which I showed last night.

Goole cricket history

I have recently been asked whether I have any information about when Goole cricket club was formed. I have some pictures but not much about the history of the club.

I am still searching but have come up with the newspaper clipping below which is from the Hull newspaper and describes a match in  August 1849 between a Howden team and a team from Reedness. At the bottom of the report is a mention of a possible match with the Goole Cricket club.

If anyone can add any more about the  early history of the club I should be grateful.

It is very cold today and there was a fall of snow, the first of this winter, on Saturday night. Unfortunately it was, for me 'the wrong sort of snow' as it managed to worm its way through the slates on the front part of the house roof  and collect in the loft. We only knew about it when it began to melt on Sunday morning.