Dunnett Days.....

I know I quite often say I won't go to any more Dunnett events, and I don't go to many, but I do make an exception generally for the ones organised by my friend B from Lincoln, as she always puts together a really good program, has excellent speakers and usually arranges them  in interesting places.

 

This year the location was York, and that fitted in well, because the Canadian Contingent were going to England placed, as they had been, under a three line whip to attend the Significant Birthday of my son's mother-in-law at about the same time. So that fell nicely. The OH and I went to the DD event, which was Friday and Saturday, the CC came up that day  from a Centerparc where the in-laws had taken them for a few days, possibly to recover from the birthday party and we spent a week altogether, including Son No 2, in a very large and comfortable self catering flat just outside the city walls.

 

The Friday events took place at Grays Court, a beautiful old hotel whose gardens back onto the city walls. They have a gorgeous garden which some of us explored in our coffee breaks, since the weather was very kind indeed.

 

 

The morning speaker was Tracy Borman, talking about the research for her latest book, The Private Lives of the Tudors' Although there wasn't a lot new in what she said I was interested to hear her comments on Edward VI; it appears England may have had a lucky escape when he died young, as he had a foul temper and once went so far as to tear a live falcon to pieces because he was enraged by something his tutor said to him. And she was a fluent, likeable and well informed speaker.

 

After lunch we were entertained by Dante Ferrara, a musician who specialises in music of the Tudor and Stuart period. We had seen him before, and it was partly to see him again that the OH was so keen to go the event. I have to say that this time he was something of a disappointment, and his program wasn't to our taste. We had been warned that it wasn't for the faint hearted, but possibly the warning wasn't quite strong enough. That said he is still a versatile instrumentalist, here's the 'tree' he bring to hang his instruments on.

 

It's not the best of photos but gives some idea of how many he plays, and plays well.

The next day there was a coach trip to Shandy Hall, the home of Laurence Sterne, Vicar of Coxwold and author of The Life and Times of Tristram Shandy, and then on to Kilburn to visit the workshop and visitor centre devoted to Robert Thompson (The Mouseman)  who became famous for carving a small mouse into all the furniture he made as a trademark. I don't seem to have any photos of the Mouseman visit, but there are plenty of Shandy Hall. Sadly we were not allowed to take photographs inside the house which is understandable but a bit frustrating; there again SH is mostly famous for its gardens and you can take pictures there to your heart's content.

 

Not colourful exactly, but full of twists and turns and unexpected corners, it was a delight. As indeed was the house, which was small and higgledy piggledy but charming.

We were supposed to be dining with the group at Jamie Oliver's Italian Restaurant in York that evening but in the event we were far too tired so cried off. However we did both enjoy ourselves very much and it was lovely to catch up with old Dunnett friends who I generally only ever see on occasions like this.