After a lovely weekend celebrating Sue`s early retirement (again) with dear old friends we had a trip out today. My eldest Katie and boyfriend Neil were keen to climb and walk in Yorkshire`s countryside. Well , they wanted to go to Betty`s and take in a short stroll on the way. As it happened the stroll was shorter than planned as the rain came and forced us to shelter with Betty`s finest afternoon teas earlier than expected. As reasonably priced as ever (yeah!) the sandwiches were plentiful (though would have doubled in size with the crusts left on!). Still nice to have a treat with your nearest and dearest - and anyway I`d accidentally forgotten my wallet!
What of Rombald? Well Neil and Katie were keen to know the history of the Cow and Calf - so called because of their staggering (not) resemblance to a cow and it`s calf. Of course I explained that it was caused by a giant but had to check it out at home. The story goes that the Calf was split from the Cow when the giant Rombald was fleeing an enemy, and stamped on the rock as he leapt across the valley. The enemy, it is said , was his angry wife. She dropped the stones held in her skirt to form the local rock formation The Skirtful of Stones.
Ah that it were true! The name of the giant Rombald is likely to be a retrovention, due to the name of the entire 'Rombald's Moor', which is most likely to derive its title from the de Rommilles, who held the honour of Skipton in the thirteenth century.
Still it allowed Katie and Neil the chance to do some serious climbing with Neil demonstrating his famous backwards descent. After climbing the main crag with ropes they then skydived to the ground.
