Double Bubble

Today's blog is a double hatter, two stories for the price of one; a report on Cottingham Day yesterday 7 July and a visit to Burnby Hall Gardens in Pocklington, East Yorkshire today.

I had my stall with my partner in crime Linda in the Darby and Joan Hall in Cottingham for the Cottingham Day celebrations in East Yorkshire, a day celebrating the best of the village and what a fabulous day it was and the weather shone like high summer - well done Mother Nature for smiling on us just for one day! The day was fantastic and a huge success.

Our stall

I met two old school friends, neither of whom I have met for 39 years and many other friends came to say hello. I also met a friend who was in the Cottingham Dramatic Society with me a lot of years ago. We sold a bit on the stall and had a wander round the village centre and saw all sorts of stalls and events, vintage cars, a parade, Her Majesty the Queen look alike, music, games, food and fun. I was carrying quite a lot so didn't take my camera which is very unusual but I took some photo's on my phone which isn't quite the same, but here they are:

Someone's been busy polishing

Vintage and not so vintage motorcycles

Village green taken over to keep the kids happy

Vintage cars

Today I went with a friend to Burnby Hall Gardens in Pocklington, East Yorkshire, which I've been to in the dim and distant past,  to see the magnificent ponds with the nations collection of water lillies and a hungry shoals of hundreds and hundreds of huge koi carp set in beautiful gardens.

The gardens are run as a trust for the benefit of the community, left by the former owner Major Percy Marlborough Stewart who died in 1962. There is a very good modern visitors centre, a small museum and a lovely cafe. There is a small collection of birds in an aviary and hidden gardens. There's a children's play area and a Victorian garden. You can even buy some of the plants which can be found in the gardens. The prices are reasonable to get in and you should put at least two or three hours to go round everything. There are regular events, band concerts and displays for the public.

Just bear in mind the pictures show a tiny fraction of the lake and huge number of lillies (I don't know how many but there seems to be hundreds) in many acres of water. Here is an amazing bit of nonsense footage, but shows you the size, quality and voracious nature of the Koi carp in the lake:

Hope you've had a great weekend.

Chat soon.

Ta-ra