A First 2023 Sit on The Top

 We could but don't heat the room at the top in winter, for obvious reasons these days.  Yesterday though the outdoor temperature was a seasonally balmy 12 degrees and the sun shone for much of the day, boosting that by quite a lot.  Towards evening it rained, then stopped and the skies to the west were spectacular.  I spent a delightful 90 minutes sitting and gently rocking  on the sofa on the viewing platform, eventually watching the comings and goings as the north and southbound 6pm trains came and went.  What's not to like?

It's Back

 In a modest sort of way:

Railway Horses

 Our tower was for a time used for stabling horses.   Indeed the tower is shown on a very early map of Settle station as 'stables'.

I have just found the following website which deals thoroughly with the subject of railway horses

https://discover.hubpages.com/games-hobbies/RITES-OF-PASSAGE-FOR-A-MODEL-RAILWAY-30-NON-LOCOMOTIVE-OPERATIONS-2-Horses-For-Courses

Here are a few pictures from that website:

The last  picture is inside a railway stable at St Pancras, London.  It looks very likely that this too was inside a Midland Railway water tower from the size and position of the window above the horse and the black wall to horse-height with white lime-wash above, exactly as our tower was.

Snow Falling on The Sidings and Pen y Ghent Getting Closer

 Took this snapshot last evening as snow was falling on the lorry turn-around at the end of The Sidings.  Even the wrong end of an industrial estate can be full of visual interest.  The viewpoint is the kitchen door at the south end of the new extension.

Meanwhile, from the north end we see Pen y Ghent, looking as though somebody has moved it nearer to Settle because of the weather conditions.  Local lore has it that the hills get nearer as the weather gets worse.  The viewpoint is the summerhouse / Terminal 3 doorway.  We really have got the best of all worlds here.

This closeness phenomenon is well illustrated in this picture of Southport looking towards Blackpool:

Snow all White

 For a couple of days the Met Office have been issuing amber warnings for snow and ice for the Yorkshire Dales and elsewhere, starting 1100 yesterday.  Come 1100 yesterday, no snow and throughout yesterday afternoon.  Overnight though it came, followed by clear blue skies and sunshine so it will not last long.

Here are a few pictures:

The next one is  a screen-grab from the Station drive -pointing camera on the roof:

North Garden Gets a Crew Cut

 12 years on from its planting, the now extensive shrubs had grown to the extent of inter-twining.  I was not looking forward to tackling the job myself because of the steep slope.  Then I happened on a Facebook posting by former police officer Martin Boyce who does gardening.  

Yesterday was the day.  My plea to Martin was for him to be brutal.  Here is an idea of how it was.  Straggly bushes, black summer house fast disappearing and pathway becoming impassable:

Now, we can see the back of the summer house and the old iron window fame alongside it.  

I shall shred the removed woody limbs for use as deep mulch between the now tamed shrubs.