Nine million bicycles in West Yorkshire

Ok, I'm exaggerating, I don't think there were quite as many as nine million but there were a heck of alot of bicycles due to the Tour de France holding a couple of stages in Yorkshire.  I was certainly glad my friend was the one doing the driving on those narrow country lanes with all those cyclists about the place who wanted to say they had cycled the same route as the TdF.

The good people of Yorkshire really got behind the Tour de France coming to their county and all the small villages were decorated beautifully.  I was particularly impressed with all the yarn-bombed bicycles everywhere.  I am not a great cyclist myself - I live in an area called the Chiltern Hills which might give you a clue as to why not, but it was impossible not to get caught up in the fantastic atmosphere everywhere we went.

I met up with two friends I first met in Sydney over 30 years ago.  It was the first time for about 14 years we had all been together and the first time since forever without children in tow.

We had a wonderful time.  The sun shone.  We also managed to spend some time at a festival thanks to my friend's son putting us on the guest list - finally some payback for all those years of children round our ankles!

We started off in Leeds at the West Yorkshire 

Playhouse seeing a play called Beryl about a cyclist, Beryl Burton from Morley

The play was written by Maxine Peake and was a fabulous start to the trip.

You can't visit Yorkshire without taking in a waterfall or two

We saw the race from a hill called Buttertubs Pass 

which slowed down even the best of the cyclists

One farmer painted his entire flock of sheep yellow in honour of the TdF

Cheese Grommit?  Cheese tasting in Wensleydale was scrummy. 

We spent the late afternoon and evening at the festival at Broughton Hall

The sun shone and we watched the second stage of the TdF on the big screen 

before enjoying some live music on the big stage 

and a ceilidh in a small marquee with fabulous musicians

On the way home I had the chance to sleepover 

at an old school friend's in Chesterfield

I had missed the flea market on the Thursday but I managed

to visit the charity shops in town

Chesterfield is famous for the crooked wooden spire on the town church

I also managed a quick visit to Bolsover Castle with my friend

My dad used to work at Bolsover Castle many years ago

and it's the place I feel closest to him now as I always think I

must be looking at some of his work in the rooms somewhere 

as he worked there as a carpenter

On the style front, I think the least said about my style while I was away the better.

I never know what to take and the weather was undecided

In the end I had none of the right clothes and ended up one evening 

cobbling an outfit together from spare things my friend lent me, 

one of which she had been painting in

so I ended up looking like a painter/decorator who had just finished work

and gone straight out for the evening

On the plus side I have been looking for a kimono type garment for a while

and found this in Save the Children in Chesterfield

Dress, thrifted Per Una from a while ago

Not quite a kimono but I liked this Windsmoor long chiffony garment

Bit of pattern mixing which I have been meaning to try for ages

Thanks to Natalia for her advice on making sure one colour 

appears in both patterns for all to be well

I know you lovely style bloggers say if it feels right do it, but I need a few rules

to guide me down the right road!

Linking to Patti's fabulous Visible Monday with all the other lovely links.

Whenever I spend time with my friend from Yorkshire, 

my northern accent and way of talking always returns, 

so no one can understand me for a few days when I get back

The BBC have a handy glossary here which should smooth the process.

xx