West Yorkshire

[Sundae]

Flying the sea eagle.

[Sundae]

And some dogs, to change things up.

This was Billy, whose owner was more interested in her mobile phone than noticing that her dog has his nose in everyone else's lunch. "Billy! No!" she said indulgently when she realised he was trying to scoff a little girl's crisps. And again when he nearly had someone's pate. And when he knocked over someone's drink. Not when he had my food though, because I was wise to his ways and kept it well out of reach.

It wasn't the dog - hey, I owned a food stealing cat - of course he was tempted.
It was the owner who was at fault; strangers shouldn't have to discipline your animal for you lady. He seemed an amiable enough little chap.


These two were well dressed against the wind, and well controlled.
Probably just as well, as the little red jacketed chap set off a volley of barking at just about everything that moved!
But cute, I admit.

[Sundae]

I wish I'd taken better photos of these two.

This one doesn't do justice to the enormous size of the dog, because it's on an incline. It really was the size of a small pony. Quite startling in real life. And very much under control. Good job as it looks like it could have had everyone's lunch.


And this photo was just a hurried snap in low light. It makes the poor thing look a little evil, whereas she was a jolly little lass.

[Sundae]

From the Horse and Donkey Sanctuary just down the road from me, which I keep promising myself I will go to.
They have a coffee shop on Boroughgate. I might make it that far at least.


And working donkeys, which seemed well cared for and happy.



Pity me that I am too old to ride them.

[xoxoxoBruce]

Just wear a skirt and whisper to the crew cut & tattoo dude you're not wearing knickers.

[Sundae]

Not too old to ride a zipwire though.
Yes I did.

Although I had to ask for a translation as the minimum and maximum weights were in kg, which I don't understand.
Turns out the maximum was well above my current weight (phew) although I would have exceeded it at one point.

It wasn't all that high, or that long, but it was my first time ever and I loved it.
I wish I'd had someone to take a photo, but if I'd abased myself enough to ask and they got a rubbish one it would have rankled.

[Sundae]

Competition Time!

Once again, I found myself questioning some of the judging decisions. But I don't know their parameters. The categories had changed, of course, but there was still a feast for the eyes.

Jelly in a pint glass.
Aesthetic judging only I assume, as none of them looked tasted.


We all love to look at other people's work.

[Sundae]

Don't worry hippies. The art of tye-dying is still alive and well in West Yorkshire.
I really liked these.


Way to make an amateur feel inadequate - photos of photos.
I'd have been proud to take any of these.

[Sundae]

The ever popular miniature gardens.
I'm not sure if they are designed to live for long, but I'd like one in every room.
A very English kind of bonsai.

This one made me want to shrink like Alice.


Flower arranging: a single bloom.
Didn't win (of course) but when I am rolling in money I shall track this person down and have them do all my floral displays - I found this breathtaking.

[Sundae]

And the category I disagreed most with last year.
Didn't disppoint.
I think I know a little about gift wrapping. And I know which of these I find more exciting.

Hint, it's not the winner.


There was a note by this one that I couldn't quite read.
I think it broke the rules in some way. Shame, because it was gorgeous.

[Sundae]

This seemed to be the only wooden category this year.
I liked all three, but especially the lighthouse.
(You thought it was going to be the cat boomerang, didn't you?)


I don't know if this was supposed to be a hare?
Looks like a doe with very long ears. But who would mount a doe? Apart from a stag I mean.


Now these look more like something you'd find chez Limey.
Although the combination of Father Christmas' beard and the word "stocking" did make me look twice to check what I was reading...

[Sundae]

ARGH!
It's the table of creepiness!!



Even the poor old Clanger wants to get away, "Save me, save me!"

[Sundae]

Contrasting shots of the food sellers.
I don't think they had a great year. At least not compared to last year.

Early on.


Later - this is more like it. Although the queues were short and moved quite quickly.


There were other independent stalls dotted about of course - burger bars, pastie sellers, tea and coffee stands, BBQ. Lots of sweet stalls and ice cream vans.

I felt most sorry for the people selling flavoured ice.
Had I not been worried about losing my hands if I exposed them to the wind I'd have had a cup. Shaved ice is very Japanese in my mind. But I had a cup of tea instead. Yorkshire Tea, so not at all Japanese.

[Sundae]

I'm concerned you've forgotten what I look like.

Two rescued animals in need of love and sweet charity.


This is Rio (named because he was found during the World Cup)
He smelled very ferretty, but I fell in love. He was friendly and lively.
I think the photo came out very well considering the charity worker I asked to take the photo confessed she was pants with cameras. Me too, I felt like saying.

She was very trusting - she turned her back on me completely, emptying a charity box and marking down the amount taken. Not that I would have waltzed out with Rio, but I was flattered that she was happy with the way I was wrangling him.

[Sundae]

Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce

Just wear a skirt and whisper to the crew cut & tattoo dude you're not wearing knickers.

A ride for a ride?

My plan was to wear a skirt actually. I even made sure I had my best pair of white knickers ready.
Ended up in my skinny jeans and very glad of them I was too.

White skirts and dresses are very Gatsby darling, but they're not best accessorised by goosepimples and mottled legs.