Sue and Graham took us on a day trip to the Dales where, by special request, we had lunch with the locals at the Red Lion, a very special honeymoon stop for Richard and I, just 2 days after our wedding. It has not changed much since our stay in 1969, parts of it dating from 1600, with low ancient beams and a warm, dimly lit and cosy atmosphere. It was originally the Ferryman's Inn and is right on the wide banks of the River Wharfe.
After lunch, we took a long peaceful walk along the riverside in beautiful sunshine with pretty views of the Dales. We later discovered that this walk traverses the Dales for 80 miles, all the way to Bowness on Windermere in the Lake District where we had stayed with Alan and Chris a few days earlier, a trek that would be a great idea for a return visit. After home cooked cakes and tea back in the village cafe we drove back high over the fells, enjoying vistas of rocky crags and vast seas of purple moorland heather. We counted ourselves lucky to have totally clear weather, allowing us to see the views at their very best ever.
