Thursday in Ripon

Thursday, the 1st of August, was Yorkshire Day. Of course we donned our flat caps, said Ey Up and Ee by gum all the time and had Yorkshire puddings with every meal.

And of course you don‘t believe that, and rightly so.

It had been raining during the night and part of the morning, but by the time we were ready to go out, it had stopped and the sun was back. It was another warm day at 25C, and nice to sit out in my mother-in-law‘s back garden for a chat late morning.

Bobby seemed to like having company.

For 1:00 pm, my sister and I had booked a table at Realitea, an Indian tearoom and restaurant we‘d not been to before. Our landlady had recommended it, and since we both love Indian food, we gave it a try.

The food was delicious and the staff friendly. The owner and chef, a young Indian lady, even came to our table to ask how we‘d liked the food. She said her recipes were family recipes passed down from her grandmother. We‘re certainly going to come here for a meal again next year.

A little afternoon nap came next, followed by coffee/tea and a biscuit on the sunny bench in front of the cottage. 

From 2023, we still had our museums pass for Ripon‘s three museums, valid for a year, running out the next day. We therefore went to visit the Workhouse Museum again; interesting and informative, but at the same time also a bit depressing. 

Back part of the former workhouse. Families were separated, women on the left, men on the right, children in the middle. Parents were allowed to see their children for one hour a day, unless they lost that privilege through some (minor) misdemeanour.

A stroll in the Spa gardens and a drink at the Royal Oak‘s beer garden made the world seem brighter again. 

Before we called it a day and retreated to the cottage for the evening, we walked to the Leper Chapel (St. Magdalen‘s), a place that has been featuring on my blog several times over the years.

Passing the cathedral on the way to the Leper Chapel

Front of the almshouses next to the chapel