Day - 07: Tuesday, June 2, 2015
Starting Location: The Southampton Hilton Hotel, Southampton, England, UK
Interim Location: Leeds, Yorkshire & Keighley
Ending Location: The Southampton Hilton Hotel, Southampton, England, UK
The day started early as we were ready for our taxi at 0630. The ride to the airport from the hotel was about 10 minutes and once inside the terminal we were quickly checked-in and through security with about an hour and a half to spare. The airport is small and easy to navigate and well stocked with breakfast and bar locations. We headed to the second floor to await of flight.
As the day was rainy and windy we expected to be in for a bumpy ride to Leeds but didn't expect our aircraft to be so small.
Nonetheless our Jetstream-41 turbo-prop with 29 passengers was suitable for the job and by 0830 we were en-route to Yorkshire's airport. Within a minute or two of take-off we had ascended into the low clouds so there wasn't much to see from the air.
We landed in Leeds and quickly deplaned and met our guide Paul Creighton. Paul had no idea what he had been hired to do so was somewhat surprised when Sheila described the day's mission as driving and sightseeing the sights of Yorkshire and specifically Keighley, the old home.
Paul did his best to keep us interested in the area. Turns out he was a retiree from AMC, the bowling company, and had bought into and taken up driving about 10 years ago.
Paul explained how the Yorkshire area including Keighley had been transformed over the past 20-30 years. Today the once thriving mill towns and mining centers struggle to reinvent themselves much like industrial cities of the U.S.
Evidence of the coal fired lifestyle of many years is readily visible as the stained brownstones of many buildings still exist today.
With little to actually focus on in the town of Keighley we toured the area seemingly at a loss for what to do and where to go with seven hours to burn. Paul suggested visiting the small village of Hawton in what is considered to be Bronte (the writing family) country. The tourist section is high on a hill with narrow cobblestone streets, we walked briefly along the streets, had cookies or biscuits as they preferred to call them and in 30 minutes or so resumed our ride.
The next suggestion was a visit to Skipton castle and this was a good recommendation. The castle is owned privately by an Italian family of jewelers but much of it is available for tourists and visitors. The castle is a stereotypical castle of yesteryear, something out of the story books or Disney though nothing so elaborately adorned.
We made one last pass through Keighley and as we departed the area Paul pointed out a well kept mosque, a sign of the cultural transformation at Keighley
It's fair to say that I don't normally post photos of urinals but in this case I have, neither Paul nor I had ever seen let alone use a milk can but sure enough the Craven Heifer has brought creativity to the men's room. Good thing I'm as tall as I am, as milk cans are a "wee bit high" as a Brit might say.
By 4 PM we had returned to the Leeds/Bradford International Airport for our flight back to Southampton. As can be seen the skies had cleared, the rain was gone and other than a stiff breeze causing a few bumps the flight back was an easy one. Notable for the area and all of the U.K. for that matter was just how green everything looked, as can be seen from the sky.
We arrived on time into Southampton and returned by taxi to the hotel. We stopped in the hotel bar for drinks and a small pizza, a ham and pineapple pizza with thin crust. The pizza was good, the Hendrick's G&Ts and Kir Royales were soothing, the day was done.
Tomorrow would be embarkation day for the cruise.
The day started early as we were ready for our taxi at 0630. The ride to the airport from the hotel was about 10 minutes and once inside the terminal we were quickly checked-in and through security with about an hour and a half to spare. The airport is small and easy to navigate and well stocked with breakfast and bar locations. We headed to the second floor to await of flight.
As the day was rainy and windy we expected to be in for a bumpy ride to Leeds but didn't expect our aircraft to be so small. 
Nonetheless our Jetstream-41 turbo-prop with 29 passengers was suitable for the job and by 0830 we were en-route to Yorkshire's airport. Within a minute or two of take-off we had ascended into the low clouds so there wasn't much to see from the air.
We landed in Leeds and quickly deplaned and met our guide Paul Creighton. Paul had no idea what he had been hired to do so was somewhat surprised when Sheila described the day's mission as driving and sightseeing the sights of Yorkshire and specifically Keighley, the old home.
Paul did his best to keep us interested in the area. Turns out he was a retiree from AMC, the bowling company, and had bought into and taken up driving about 10 years ago.
Paul explained how the Yorkshire area including Keighley had been transformed over the past 20-30 years. Today the once thriving mill towns and mining centers struggle to reinvent themselves much like industrial cities of the U.S.
Evidence of the coal fired lifestyle of many years is readily visible as the stained brownstones of many buildings still exist today.
With little to actually focus on in the town of Keighley we toured the area seemingly at a loss for what to do and where to go with seven hours to burn. Paul suggested visiting the small village of Hawton in what is considered to be Bronte (the writing family) country. The tourist section is high on a hill with narrow cobblestone streets, we walked briefly along the streets, had cookies or biscuits as they preferred to call them and in 30 minutes or so resumed our ride. 
The next suggestion was a visit to Skipton castle and this was a good recommendation. The castle is owned privately by an Italian family of jewelers but much of it is available for tourists and visitors. The castle is a stereotypical castle of yesteryear, something out of the story books or Disney though nothing so elaborately adorned.
We made one last pass through Keighley and as we departed the area Paul pointed out a well kept mosque, a sign of the cultural transformation at Keighley
By early afternoon it was time for lunch, again with no specific goal in mind we drove by the Craven Heifer and decided that was our place. We went in and had to quickly order as the kitchen was to shut down in ten minutes at 2 PM. All three of us ordered bangers and mash and cleaned our plates. I selected a pint of Black Sheep to wash down the lunch.
It's fair to say that I don't normally post photos of urinals but in this case I have, neither Paul nor I had ever seen let alone use a milk can but sure enough the Craven Heifer has brought creativity to the men's room. Good thing I'm as tall as I am, as milk cans are a "wee bit high" as a Brit might say.
By 4 PM we had returned to the Leeds/Bradford International Airport for our flight back to Southampton. As can be seen the skies had cleared, the rain was gone and other than a stiff breeze causing a few bumps the flight back was an easy one. Notable for the area and all of the U.K. for that matter was just how green everything looked, as can be seen from the sky.
Tomorrow would be embarkation day for the cruise.
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