Saturday 1 June 2013

To Market - on the bus.

They do things differently in Gargrave: they stick to the old ways. The passengers for the ten o'clock bus to Skipton this morning had formed a queue, two deep, facing the oncoming bus - as per the instructions that used to appear on old bus stop signs.
Saturday is one of four weekly market days in Skipton and the market fills both sides of the main street. It's a major attraction locally and on a fine summer's day I expected the bus to be busy. And so it was, I was one of half a dozen or more having to stand.
Old fashioned courtesies prevailed on board: young men gave up their seats to ladies and mothers offered their children's seats to old men (i e me). It was good to see rural bus travel thriving, even if most of us were travelling on free passes.

At Skipton I caught up with the crew of Marley's Drum and retrieved my sun hat left behind yesterday, did some shopping in the market, bought a present for Hilary to thank her for allowing me to spend so much time away from home on the boat and fitted in a pint of locally brewed Copper Dragon beer before getting the bus back.
I had a very lazy afternoon on the boat and this evening went for a walk along the towpath to the top of Bank Newton locks before returning to the village. Of Gargrave's two pubs the Old Swan was unwelcoming and best avoided but the Mason's Arms is cosy and friendly with a good range of cask ales.  Excuse me whilst I get another!

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