I'm back, Duckies!*
After two nights spent in the ancestral lands of the Derbyshire Dales for a solemn family matter, I'm safely back in Norfolk. Threats of apocalyptic snow storms and hurricanes the likes of which even Dennis Quaid and Jake Gyllenhaal couldn't navigate through didn't come to pass, thankfully, so we managed to get "oop" there and back with little drama.
The biggest drama occurred when I got back and discovered that I'd barely gone "oop" at all! I mean, there is a lot of going across, but very little "oop". In all these years, I always thought there was more "oop". I think all the going actually up - as in up hills etc - confused me. Cromer, according to Wikipedia, lies at 52.931° North, whereas my destination lies at 53.227°N - the bloody Midlands!**
Anyway, enough about that. Here are some photos from Sunday afternoon, taken shortly after arriving:
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| What's that in the distance? |
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| Red deer and... |
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| ... a river, and... |
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| ... oh, a big stately home! |
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| Yes, we've arrived at... |
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| Chatsworth House... |
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| ... resplendent in gold! |
* A Midlands term of endearment, uttered by my cousins (and the other natives), that always takes me a couple of days to expunge from my vocabulary after spending time with them.
** Oh, go on and laugh, Hound!
30.274375° N here.
ReplyDelete"Duchess of Devonshire"
Isn't that our own Miss Scarlet?
That's barely North at all!
DeletePerhaps we should be addressing Scarlet, Duchess of Devonshire, as Her Grace from now on?
Fuck! Chatsworth! We've always wanted to go there, but I fear we are afraid of nosebleeds if we venture that far into the Midlands [ha ha!]. Jx
ReplyDeletePS Dennis Quaid and Jake Gyllenhaal? Now there's a thought... Pass me a tissue, dear.
Who would have thought the Midlands could harbour something as grand as Chatsworth?
DeleteI would think Dennis and Jake would garner more than a tissue. A hand towel, perhaps?
I think if you can understand what they say, you haven't gone far enough.
ReplyDeleteThere was only one old man who I couldn't understand, but I think that was because he'd been at the sherry!
DeleteI think 'oop north' begins when the M1 runs out, doesn't it?
ReplyDeleteSx
Leeds? That would explain a lot, though...
DeleteI've stayed at the Chatsworth House Hotel in Llandudno, it was a right dump.
ReplyDeleteWear a rubber band on your wrist, when you hear yourself saying something northern give it a good hard twang.
I've been known to visibly wince when I hear the word 'pardon' when asked to repeat something, what, sorry, come again, come edd (only if you're scouse) or even yer whaaaa? in a northern accent is more preferable than the dreaded pardon. Maybe I should have a session with the Speakmans
Aaaargh! Mrs Speakman's scary. Jx
DeleteI know what you mean, it's her impressive underbite that makes her look scary. Better an underbite than a overbite I say, if she had the latter she wouldn't be able to fold towels properly.
DeleteI've twanged my wrist so much that it's gone all limp, Mitzi.
DeleteMrs Speakman looks almost like a very startled Janice from The Electric Mayhem (the Muppets).