Home Away From Home in Yorkshire and the North East
Jack and Irene McAfee have a passion for the history of Britain and their genealogical heritage, both Scottish and English. In 2002, Irene, now a retired preschool teacher, applied to participate in a one-year Fulbright exchange teaching program in England. In addition to their love of history and their genealogical connections, they chose England because language would not be a barrier for them. While they were there, they grew to love the people and love the land. Since their year abroad, they have returned every other year.
Even after raising children and becoming semi-retired, the year abroad changed their lives. For example, the McAfees learned in their exchange preparation training course that in Britain, everything is tiny and would be smaller than they think. Conversely, the British are told everything in America is BIG. The house the McAfees lived in was a very nice 2-story red brick home with 3 bedrooms totaling 950 square feet. They could vacuum the entire house without changing the plug. Many other things were smaller as well, such as the cars, refrigerators, and furniture. They were advised to not make comparisons. As a result, the McAfees realized that everything bigger is not always necessary better. They learned to enjoy the differences.
They discovered cultural misconceptions on both sides of the “pond.” When they were preparing to exchange homes as part of the program, they were surprised to hear the perspective of the woman who would be staying in their home in Houston. She asked how they keep the sand out of their homes in Houston. She thought all of Texas was in the Wild West desert! She was shocked to know that Houston has higher average rainfall than London. Conversely, the McAfees had misconceptions about the British, such as thinking that most Brits smoked. Irene was pleased to learn that the woman moving into their home in Houston was a non-smoker.
The McAfees grew to know and love the people. Marske-by-the-Sea is where they lived for a year, pronounced without the “r,” which lies on the northeast coast of England. North East England is one of twelve regions and has a history rooted in agriculture, mining and industry. But the North East region still maintains a rural feel. Irene taught at a catholic school where the children wore uniforms. She learned that the people there were more soft spoken and approached school much more formally than they did at the school where she had taught in the United States. They approached others in a way that was very polite, friendly, but unassuming compared to Americans. In short, the people there are delightful! The McAfees strived to be good ambassadors for their country.
The McAfees love hiking, visiting small villages, and finding the lesser known attractions that are more frequented by the British rather than by foreigners. They have traveled to the well known areas of the Cotswolds and the Lake District. But some of their favorite trips have been to Yorkshire in the North East. They learned to love England as if they were locals. When they first moved there, the McAfee’s new friends wanted to take them out for drives to other little villages. Irene’s impression was, “this is beautiful, the dry stone walls, the narrow roads, but every town looked like the next.” In her mind, Irene was checking off her list, “I’ve been there and done that.” But the British would say, “This little town has the best cup of tea.” Then later as they talked about another town, “That little town has the best cup of tea.” Irene didn’t understand it at first. Finally, Jack and Irene became like the British, where they would talk about the different cups of tea they had in different places. They learned to appreciate the nuances of each hamlet. They fell in love with the beautiful landscape. By the end of the year, they had returned to those little surrounding towns at least twenty more times. The repetition of going to places again and again changed their impression of the whole place.
Topophilia— “a strong sense of place, which often becomes mixed with the sense of cultural identity among certain people and a love of certain aspects of such a place.”
Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 18 June 2019. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Topophilia
Return Trips
When the McAfees return to England, they usually go to London first. Irene says, “If you tire of London you tire of life,” quoting Samuel Johnson. The McAfees love London and have spent so much time learning about that great city. During the year that they lived in England, they returned to London thirteen times. Kensington is their favorite area of London in which to stay. There are enough reasonable places to stay in the city center that it is not necessary to stay further out. A travel strategy the McAfees utilize, is to find economical accommodations. Spending a lot of money on a hotel room is not their “cup of tea,” according to Irene. They use their accommodation as simply a place to lay their heads between days of sightseeing. If they spend their money frugally, they can spend more days on vacation. One of the more interesting places they stayed in London was at the London School of Economics. Many universities rent out rooms when university is not in session.
Typically, after the McAfees visit London, they travel around England and Scotland and end the trip visiting old friends in Marske-by-the-Sea. They believe that those who only travel to London miss out on so much! Likewise, British people think that if they have seen New York City, Orlando or Los Angles, they understand the United States. They assume that every place in the United States is like one of those three places most often visited by Europeans. However, there is so much diversity throughout our country that many Europeans are only seeing a small part of our culture. Similarly, London is a must see of course, but the McAfees firmly believe a traveler should venture out.
Venturing out can include going underground. Jack and Irene subscribe to a magazine called the Yorkshire Dalesman, and through that publication, they discovered that the Bradford Pothole Club and the Craven Pothole Club open the Gaping Gill cavern to non-caving members of the public twice a year. To reach the Gaping Gill, they made a two hour hike, arriving near closing time. When Irene and Jack got to the ticket booth the clerk indicated that they were ready to close for the day. Hearing that the McAfees had come all the way from Texas, they graciously allowed them to be the last ones to go down the hole. The reward was to be lowered into a cavern that is taller than St. Paul’s Cathedral and twice the height of Niagara Falls. Each ticket holder approaches a scaffold where they wear raingear and are strapped to a chair and wenched to the floor of the cave. As the participant is lowered into the cave, a waterfall pounds on their heads. It was definitely a memorable experience.
Hiking is also a wonderful way to breathe-in rural England. In the national parks there are public paths across private land. Maps are available at tourist information. Hiking along the way you find quaint towns and pubs that are hundreds of years old. One may even stumble upon an “honesty box” where you pay for farm fresh eggs or produce. These are unattended roadside stands based on the honor system. Sometimes car park fees are paid using the “honesty box” system.
The above mentioned Gaping Gill cave is in the Yorkshire Dales National Park near the Ingleton Waterfall Trail. This trail has set opening hours and a minimal admission fee, but it is one of the McAfee’s favorite hikes. It is a 4.3 mile circular hike that is not strenuous. The walk takes you to seven different waterfalls. Thornton Force is the most famous of the seven, plunging fourteen meters, but others, such as the triple stream Beezley Falls, are just as beautiful. After the hike, one can explore the little town of Ingleton.
In the northeast, the McAfees lived near the North York Moors National Park. Jack actually volunteered at the park while they lived in England. At first, the McAfees were not sure that they could appreciate the moors, which is defined as a vast “wasteland” of hills. Just the opposite is true! The moors are covered in heather in August. Heather is a compact bush that has a beautiful purple color, but it is thick and prickly to walk through. Hiking through the heather is called “heather hopping.” They decided that they loved the moors in August and in every other season. According to Jack, March to April is lambing season. Near Farndale in the park, there are acres of wild daffodils. As you are hiking along through the daffodils, lambs are being born or “dropped.” “Take a picnic lunch to the fields of daffodils with these sheep and baby lambs all around you,” suggests Jack. It is a magical experience!
Jack also says that the Goathland Train Station in the North York Moors was featured as the Hogsmeade Station in the closing scene of the first Harry Potter movie. It is part of the North Yorkshire Moors Railway. The railway runs daily service from Whitby to Pickering, and passengers can stop along the way. There are also several annual events hosted by the railway, including the Railway in Wartime and the Steam Gala.
Jack also says that the Goathland Train Station in the North York Moors was featured as the Hogsmeade Station in the closing scene of the first Harry Potter movie. It is part of the North Yorkshire Moors Railway. The railway runs daily service from Whitby to Pickering, and passengers can stop along the way. There are also several annual events hosted by the railway, including the Railway in Wartime and the Steam Gala.
To find accommodations in the small villages of England, the McAfees sometimes use AirB&B or VRBO when they plan to stay for more than one night. However, they will often tentatively plan to stop in several towns and never make it to the last town because they have found something of interest along the way. Therefore, they like to be very flexible in their travels. The tourist information (TI) office cannot recommend a particular accommodation, but they do have an informational listing of lodging. Quite often the McAfees will use this resource to find a hotel, guesthouse, or bed and breakfast. When making reservations in advance, they usually make sure that the reservation can be cancelled up to 24 hours in advance.
The McAfees also love “weird and strange” when it comes to lodging. For example, in the Cotswolds, they stayed in a room called “The Broom Cupboard” at The Bell at Stow. When they asked the clerk why the room was so named, the clerk said that it was very small because it had been used as a broom closet, but it also has a private bath. The McAfees said, “book us,” they wanted the broom closet. It was on the third floor over a pub. They said that you could brush your teeth at the sink while you were sitting on your bed–it was wonderful.
Another time they stayed at Durham Castle, which is part of Durham University which rents rooms when the university is not in session. There was a wedding going on at the time of their visit. When the McAfees asked if there were rooms available, the clerk at the desk said, “I’m sorry, we only have one room left, and we don’t rent that one to Americans.” So, they politely asked why that was the practice. The desk clerk said that Americans hate it because you have to climb 156 steps in the castle keep. Of course, the McAfees said, “We’ll take it!” It was a dorm room with ten beds and a bathroom down the hall. This was one of their favorite places they’ve ever stayed. They wandered the castle at night. The next morning the wedding party was in the great hall for breakfast. They sat next to an older and very proper couple. They visited with them for an hour and a half having the most wonderful conversation. The gentleman had Parkinson’s and was unsteady with his fork. Finally, the man said to his wife, “Pardon me darling, would you mind licking this stuff off my lap?” They exploded with laughter. This couple actually invited the McAfees to visit them in Malta, and now in retrospect think that they should have taken the couple up on their offer. Jack mentions that they didn’t go, and Irene says “we should have!”
These are the experiences they love. Even when they are on the main touristy street of a town, they will politely ask a shop keeper where the locals go for a cup of coffee. One time when they did that, they met a British man whose passion is the American Civil War. Each year they have a reenactment in this little town, and he invited the McAfees to participate. They did not have time to stay and participate in the reenactment, but just to have the conversation with this man was a wonderful experience.
When asked to describe the perfect day in England, Irene said that it would be hiking the North York Moors. They would carry everything needed, boots, raingear, layers, maps and a picnic lunch. Hiking would include some hills, and some seaside or water. During the walk they would expect to experience hot weather, cold weather, and rain. The weather changes so much on the moors, but it never stops you. They would enjoy seeing how those conditions change the land, and in the end, they would feel accomplished and satisfied no matter the conditions. Irene says that she wants the wind and the weather–she wants it all. They would not be on a schedule, but instead would simply enjoy sharing the day together, stopping when the other needs to stop. There is a spiritual element to such a day.
The McAfee’s sense of adventure bloomed in England, and it has carried them across to many other travels around the globe. In 1997 the McAfees started most of their overseas journeys. They have now made up for lost time. Irene says, “travel improves their understanding of different cultures and has added a much cherished part of our lives.”
Resources:
North York Moors National Park
http://www.northyorkmoors.org.uk
North Yorkshire Moors Railway
My Yorkshire Dales
http://www.myyorkshiredales.co.uk/walks/clapdale-gaping-gill/
The Yorkshire Dales
http://www.yorkshire-dales.com/caves.html
Walks in Yorkshire
http://www.daleswalks.co.uk/walks/ingleborough_caves_from_clapham/
Ingleton Waterfalls Trail
http://www.ingletonwaterfallstrail.co.uk/interactive-route-map
