Mayor Making Day

Last week (yes I'm a bit slow on the uptake here) was the annual mayor making day in our little west yorkshire village. Its a fun gathering, not entirely serious, although the mayor does work on behalf of the village when dealing with the local council. This year was the best so far, as I can compare since we've been here now for three years!

The curry tent, which was all vegetarian, was a big hit, as well as the homemade chili tent and the usual cakes and sweets. Then there was the ale drinking competition--which only one of the former mayors was able to complete in one go, karoake, charity auction, and usual pub mayhem that carries on into the evening.
The kids also enjoyed a large inflatable slide this year, which was hard to get them off. Overall it turned out to be a well organised event that catered to everyone and we even had sunshine this time!!

Musical Village

The wellies were donned en masse this weekend, but despite the rain and gales that descended upon the village, the first ever international music festival took place here, and was carried off very well. I of course, spent alot of my time chasing after my two year old daughter, rather than actually watching anything at all, but she did some dancing too, and there was a music creche set up for kids, which she really enjoyed.

The pub was packed out, and not just for the Uilean pipes! It was a very cosy place to escape the rain. Nevertheless, this is England and a little rain can't stop people from having a good time. My son probably enjoyed the chocolate fountain the best, as well as running amok with his friends and buying up every sweet he could get his hands on. Yesterday the pub hosted a bbq for those that helped out with organising and cleaning up, etc. after the festival, which we (well, hubby did) did, so that was great, with lots of veggie options too.

Sunny Monday

Summer seems to have arrived at last and I am hoping it remains as lovely as it has been this weekend. We had a great weekend at home! The kids enjoyed the annual village fayre, and we had a barbeque at a friends afterwards, and then yesterday in the park! Of course this meant we ended up feeding half the village kids, but we didn't mind, and they didn't seem to mind eating veggie burgers!

We set off yesterday for Shibden Park in Halifax, but couldn't get into the overflowing car park, so we ended up at Manor Heath also in Halifax, which I really like. The park has a great victorian paddling pool which unfortunately has not been filled so far this year, due to health and safety regs, which are really getting over the top and ruining much enjoyment in the process.

The kids did enjoy the indoor jungle experience (which is free, but sometimes boring), as the butterflies were a plenty, and the terrapins and fish were all making grand appearances. I really like this part of Halifax (Saville Park area) with its wide boulevards and victorian homes, it reminds me in some ways of areas of Chicago, that also have wide boulevards through the parks. And today, well the best part of today was that I passed my driving test! I am now the proud holder of a full UK driving license!! And the downside, my dd has a tummy bug that's been making the rounds!

Moving Along

Wild Garlic in the village

I feel as if I've been neglecting this blog a bit, as I find I sometimes don't have much to say. I seem to have alot to write about on my other blog, mainly because its one point of focus. We are also fairly broke which means there haven't been many days out, at least none that cost money, so I have nothing to report on that. There's a Big Green weekend happening soon in Hebden Bridge and also our own little village will be hosting an international music festival (which dh has been designing the logo and posters for), so June should be a bit more exciting!

However, things are moving along with my son's aspie/asd diagnosis as the next appointment with a Paediatrician is in the works and he has just seen the psych for his medicine.

We have agreed to a trail run of medication for the hyperactivity portion, but not Ritalin, something similar but more mild as there was some concern that the ritalin would make his tics worse. I've had to acquiesce on the medication side as I really don't agree with it, and I've heard all the arguments about if he had cancer etc, we wouldn't refuse treatment, and this is a medical condition, and yet I see it as not life-threatening and not within the same realm as cancer treatment. The psychiatrist was of the opinion that it might not help at all, and the school has to make accomodations, they have to work with the child, and yet the whole ethos of schools is to fit the square pegs into round holes.

If the medication makes my little guy feel better then I will be happy. If it makes him feel worse or nothing at all, then I will stop it. In any case, we will have to wait about a month for it to start to work.

I'm Back...

After three weeks of no internet service, we are at last back online. What an unbeliveably frustrating experience. Not so much living without the internet, which is hard at first, but like most addictions and habits, once you get past the initial withdrawal symptoms, its not so bad. Except that we didn't choose to live without it, we made the mistake of trying a new provider that couldn't provide. Talk Talk customer service has given us no end of headaches, and actually right now we are still with them, having finally received a replacement modem, but will be switching back to BT next week as another 18 months of unreliable customer service didn't sound appealing. Hopefully we won't have the same fiasco next week when the changeover happens!! Otherwise, that might just be the end of the Pennine Pen as I don't think we can handle any more frustration and it might all end up on the road outside.

Anyway, back in the virtual realm and there's loads of catching up to do. Many photo fridays have been missed, so I posted one here for last week. We also had Easter, and donkey's in the village and the Pace Egg Play, in the picture above. I love the traditions that still exist here, especially among the small villages.

The Pace Egg Play was originally an adult rebirth ceremony, welcoming in the spring and new season and might actually be the world's oldest drama, which can be traced back through English and European Mummers' plays to ancient Egypt and Syria. Its a strange mixture of a pagan rebirth ceremony with the later influences of Christianity and the Crusades. It's based around Saint George's (patron saint of England??) triumphs (like slaying the dragon), and throughout the play, three challengers try to defeat Saint George (Bold Slasher, Black Prince of Paradine and Hector). It is an all boys cast, due to the traditions of the play where local village boys would perform for coppers, or eggs, as it happens around Easter time. Our play is put on every year by the local high school players and two of the nearby villages of Heptonstall and Midgely also have the play performed.

I didn't know anything about the play or its history until moving here. It is fun to wander out of the house when you hear the shouting and music, calling villagers to the scene! And with no internet, we certainly have spent more time outside (sadly does it have to come to that to get us out???) and enjoying simple pleasures.

Local Babble

These here are the Mytholmroyd gorillas, the well-known, if not well-liked welcoming figures as you come into town from Hebden Bridge. It appears that one of the gorillas has been stolen, or decided it preferred Sowerby Bridge instead, as that is where it has been located. The funny thing is, these are 6 feet tall and heavy, I would think. Its not easy to stop a vehicle on the main road and hoist them into it, and Sowerby Bridge is fair good walk with a six foot gorilla in tow!!

The figures which are carved out of wood from felled trees from the area, have been in Mytholmroyd since about 2003 I think. Made by a local sculptor with the wood provided by the council. Vandalism seems to be on the rise in the area sadly, with our own nursery being hit by teenagers breaking up the toys left outside. I could get into a very long debate about the nature of the increase in vandals, but its far too depressing. Some folks though, don't want the gorilla to come back! So that's the local babble for now.

Photo Friday

Photo Friday

The snow comes at last

The snow has come at last to west yorkshire, although it may not last long, so we got out quickly!!

Photo Friday

Village Mayor Making

Last week was rather quiet on the writing front, as the kids went back to school, I somehow have gotten sucked into selling on Ebay (yet another addiction!), and my DD fell (threw herself off) from a chair and sliced her forehead, leaving me a nervous wreck for the next few days.





The weekend was slightly more interesting with drinks flowing in the afternoon and the village closed to traffic and filled with people. It was the annual 'mayor making' festivities in which a new village mayor was selected for the upcoming year. The outgoing mayor ---he's the goodfellas looking guy on the right, and the new mayor celebrated by dressing in the traditional garb, including a large medallion around the neck.
Apparently this is a tradition dating back to the 1800's where the village declared its undying independence from the neighboring 'big' town of Halifax. It is mostly a cermony done in jest, an excuse to have a big party, including duck races, games for the kids and food. The mayor does have some duties however, including representing the village interests when dealing with the local council, and securing things like more playground equipment and funding for the village.

27 Things

It was gloriously sunny this weekend, and although not that warm, spring was in the air. I frequently walk through our village graveyard, for some reason I am drawn to it and don't find it depressing, but rather grounding and peaceful. Its very much older than any 'cemetery' in America that I've been to and you can't drive through it. Its not at all flat, but very meandering. Its also not wide open and set apart from anything else. Its sheltered by thick beech trees, tall elegant pines, old wide holly bushes, and nestled within the surrounds of its village. When I'm walking slowly and meditatively, I also see something new each time.

The daffodils are coming up already, very early, and two flocks of geese passed over today. This weekend I also re-arranged, cleaned and cleared out the house. Despite the small size, there were still things to give away and throw out in preparation for spring. The cleaning and clearing was spurred on by feng shui. If you are in a rut, or just feel that your life needs a bit of a jump start, then (according to feng shui principles) move 27 things in your home that you haven't moved in the past year. At first I couldn't think of 27 things that I hadn't touched all year, I mean our home is small.. but once I got started, I was amazed how much doesn't move or get looked at, even in a small place.

Surprisingly I have felt very content over the past month, and this rearrangement seems to have breathed new life into my home. I'm no longer anxious to move, but can appreciate this small abode and its surroundings even more. What's even better is that I know the 'right' place will come along at the right time and until then I can happily live with what I've got. Knowing that spring is on its way, and the 27 things moving about, I'm sure idea seeds will start to bloom and life is going to pick up speed.