God's Own County

Exceptional Dry Stone Walls

Posted on March 3, 2020 by Hortoris

Yorkshire and proud of the windows in this home from home. You need to shin up the tree to look at the roof to see if the sculpture is a solid cube. Made from Yorkshire grit I am sure it will be.

Sean Scully may be an Irish borne artist, brought up in London he regularly does the Yorkshire sculpture park proud with his large sculptures. This work made from 1000+ tons of Yorkshire stone, quarried from nearby Wakefield, is as impressive as the hollow it will make in the ground at YSP.

One of the better dry stone walls or should that be 4 dry stone walls and may be a roof? At the YSP last week it was so wet two fish swam in to a wall and one said to the other “dam”. When it comes to walls I will get over it.

The real thing – a pukka wall!

Posted in Yorkshire Arts & Music, Yorkshire Environment | Comments Off

Summat Abaht Paradise in Yorkshire

Posted on February 27, 2020 by Hortoris

Something about paradise is the current exhibition in the nave of the Yorkshire Sculpture Park’s historic chapel. British artist Saad Qureshi has created an ‘eclectic mix of architectural styles, from traditional temples and churches to modernist houses and palaces, nestled among panoramas of forests, deserts and fantastical geological formations’. It looks like a plaster of Paris cast including a number of Gates to Paradise.

A true Tyke may think this sculpture is a bit of overkill as the show is already in Yorkshire the paradise on your doorstep.

Worth a look see and a bit of contemplation after a walk in the grounds and a brunch in the restaurant.

Posted in Our Yorkshire, Yorkshire Arts & Music, Yorkshire Trips and Places | Comments Off

Environmental Bits

Posted on February 23, 2020 by Hortoris

Estuary English or Yorkshire Quotes?

‘Ouch’ -Issac Newton am urt t’core
New £50 notes do not grow on trees
Gona-mo or al-clowt-thi-iftha-dunt-giower dumpin dahn khazi.
Bubonic plagiarism
Dammit I’m Mad – palindromically
pppppp proper prior …..

Green Yorkshire Quips

Rubble trouble
Plastics are caused by plastic
Litterfest
96% of current statistics are made up and so are the other 4
Industrial environment slag heaps construction, destruction dilapidation
Inner city land usage creates barney rubble
Plogging is a Swedish portmanteau word, formed by combining ‘pick up’ and ‘run’. It describes an activity where you run along picking up rubbish.

Posted in Wit and Humour | Comments Off

Dour d’Yorkshire

Posted on February 14, 2020 by Hortoris

What Defines a Dour Yorkshireman

Yorkshire folk have a hard won but well deserved reputation of being on the right side of taciturn.
Some may think us curmudgeonly but that does a disservice to those grumps who really are.
At time we may seem laconic but we are intensely involved in our core interests and especially all that ‘gods county’ has to offer.
Dour is as dour does, but gruff we may sometimes seem. Generally we are self-contained self confident and well short of surly or sullen.
More inclined to be sardonic than sarcastic particularly when expressing the Yorkshire sense of humour.
Being thought to be ‘tight with brass’ is no skin off our nose as we aren’t overly concerned about the views of others.

Posted in Our Yorkshire | Comments Off

Old Amos Nowt but a Great Old Dalesman

Posted on February 14, 2020 by Hortoris

Nowt but Old Amos

It is better to ‘ave nowt than do nowt.
A laugh at your own expense costs nowt
He that knows nowt doubts nowt
Nowt but rain leaves us all soggy
Nowt is as desirable as summat you can’t ‘ave.

This is largely a rehash of a post from a couple of years back. Old Amos is nowt but 66 years old and still pensionless. Some of the priceless quotes of his wisdom come from the Dalesman book ‘More Yorkshire Wit and Wisdom’.

Legendary Yorkshireman Old Amos is 67 this year but regrettably there will be no pension for Old Amos because he was above pensionable age when he first appeared!

Old Amos has been a fixture at the Dalesman magazine since May 1953 although its first edition was published in 1939 under the original title of ‘The Yorkshire Dalesman: A Monthly Magazine of Dales’ Life and Industry’. Old Amos is still capable of dishing out words of wisdom in Yorkshire dialect.The wry humour of Dalesfolk is continued in current monthly issues of Dalesman now published from Skipton.Old Amos Biography

Born in Clapham at the Dalesman maternity unit in 1953. Mother unknown father Rowland Lindup cartoonist with a twist. He must have surprised the midwife by being born with a full white beard, old jacket and hat making him look quite rotund and ancient.
He was originally named ‘Owd Amos’ to differentiate him from the old testament version of Amos who I am sure his subsequent followers knew was one of the Twelve Minor Prophets in the Hebrew Bible and old testament.
Prior to publication he used deed poll to become the more familiar and avuncular ‘Old Amos’ using one aspect of the poll tax to good effect.
His first words were ‘A word of advice – nivver give it’.
Some of his later words were ‘Ah’ve always been too busy to grow old.’ ‘Old age is when it takes twice as long to rest and ‘alf as long to get tired.’ and ‘ It doesn’t matter how old you are but how you are old!
His other biography may be available in Amazon
Very Old Amos lived in the kingdom of Judah and is a prophet in the old testament

Posted in Wit and Humour, Yorkshire Folk | Comments Off

Was His Nibs a Yorkshire Man?

Posted on October 16, 2019 by Hortoris

Not all great phrases and sayings are Yorkshire-centric and ‘His Nibs’ is probably one created for the home counties elite. In one version of the meaning and derivation ‘His Nibs’ is ‘a mildly derisive mock title used to refer to a self-important man, especially one in authority’.

Nib of the Year Awards

God’s own counties nomination is ‘Sir’ Gary Verity the former Welcome to Yorkshire chief executive who was allowed to resign on health grounds. As the Yorkshire Post reported ‘ It has been revealed that £482,500 has been spent in connection to the costs of two independent inquiries ordered in the wake of Sir Gary’s resignation in March on health grounds following bullying and expenses allegations, with the figure also taking account of “termination” expenses’.

A recent report released by the new chief executive Peter Box reports welcome to Yorkshire spent a quarter of a million pounds on the Chelsea Flower Show whilst seeing the demise of the autumn flower show in Harrogate.

Welcome to Yorkshires contribution to cycling and the counties profile has been significant but so was Beryl Burton’s and many other cyclist and clubs.

Footnote

Another link to ‘his nibs’ is to its use the game of cribbage but in my scoring system it is ‘one for his nob’ not his nib.

Posted in Our Yorkshire, Yorkshire Sport and Pastimes | Comments Off

Hose Pipe Ban in 2020? Not Enough Rain

Posted on October 9, 2019 by Hortoris

Do you remember 1995 when Yorkshire Water excelled itself during that years drought and water shortages.Water rationing, bans and tankering fresh water supplies only partially alleviated the problem for the most hated water company in what Ofwat described as a “failure to deliver the standards required to consumers”. (If your memory fails seek out a super folk record by Peter Coe ‘The PR Man from Hell’ on his CD Long Company)

I predict it will be happening again after the recent light drizzle in late September and early October 2019.

Hose pipe bans will accompany the flood reparations in the dales.
Empty reservoirs will be created by the York flood defense work.
Bathing with a friend never really stopped in Yorkshire ‘cos we will save owt but once again it may become compulsory.
Yorkshire Tea and Harrogate water will be endangered products.
There will be no high water at our East Coast seaside.

Posted in Yorkshire Environment | Comments Off

Prix de l’Arc de Trinity

Posted on October 8, 2019 by Hortoris

Longchamp has nothing on Leeds where we put our ‘orses on pedestals. Our jockeys look like sacks of cloth and it looks like our animals pay through the nose.

Our top ‘orse is a skeleton of his former self but ‘Next’ is next in line to beat Enable. If he can’t beat her then he will take her to stud with the first offspring being named Waldnexist.

In the Trinity shopping mall you would think Leeds should have 3 horses but it looks like we have to be content with 2 next.

What are the odds on this load of garbage being first past any post. In blog speak it is an anti-post

Posted in Wit and Humour | Comments Off

Bookworms of Yorkshire

Posted on September 1, 2019 by Hortoris

You would expect a lot of good books to have been published about Yorkshire and God’s Own County and there are even many great books on our favourite subject and featured here is just one. A lyrical history of England’s greatest county is erudite, engrossing and quirky by weaving history, family stories, travelogue and ecology together.

Economic Tykes Tips for a Bookworm

As befits a thrifty Yorkshireman who would prefer to pay less than nowt, here are some tips on how to do that.
A good library will have many copies of ‘Yorkshire A lyrical history of England’s greatest county’ to borrow for several weeks at no cost. You can also renew several times even though this book will be in great demand.
Like me you can get the book given – it was a birthday gift.
Amazon have a Free with your Audible trial but its not a bookworms book if it’s a book substitute. I also assume you would miss out on the maps and pictures!
Not to be recommended but the book may be shoplifted.
Now getting to brass tacks or how little brass is needed – it is early to be seeing such a volume in a charity shop at 20p – £1 but keep your eves skinned.
It is unlikely to be remaindered but various retail & internet offer occur.
To offset your outgoings and reduce the cost below nowt you can try to rent it out – Southerners should be very grateful.
Lastly you can borrow my copy if and when I finish with it.

Posted in Books Club & Literary Work | Comments Off

Meditation in Yorkshire

Posted on June 4, 2019 by tejvan

Meditation is not the most traditional of Yorkshire past-times, but here at God’s Own County, we are receptive to new ideas and if something is worth doing, it’s worth doing well. So we have been looking into what meditation is, and how you can go about getting started.

Meditation is the art of silencing the mind and going beyond the frustrations of our thoughts. It’s like looking down at some litter on the footpath – usually this would make us frustrated. But – rather than get caught annoyed at the bad we can see down below – we can look up and see the vast beautiful landscape beyond. As soon as we look up, we change our perspective on life.

If we avoid getting caught up in the minor dramas and small frustrations of life – if we can silence the mind, then we can experience a much greater sense of peace and well-being – and it is this inner peace which is meditation.

Meditation reminds us we always have a choice – whether we want to pursue an internal dialogue with ourself – which doesn’t get anywhere – or whether we want to become concentrated on something beautiful, uplifting and fulfilling.

We could be walking in nature and perhaps unconsciously be meditating or at least clearing the mind. But, when we sit down to meditate, we make that conscious effort to dive deep within and discover a part of our being we are rarely in touch with. Continue reading →

Posted in activities | Comments Off