Grenoside part two

It's now Wednesday 20th July and we've already visited Oxford and are now in Cornwall. We have gotten behind with our blog so I had better get my act together and catch up. As indicated with our Grenoside part1 post there has to be a part 2 so here goes....

On our walks through the older and more interesting part of the village some things have changed and some are very much as they were almost 30 years ago when I was here last.... as mentioned on my FaceBook post.

https://www.facebook.com/malcfrost

Just to wrap up our visit to Grenoside. The main purpose of our return was to bring my parents (or their ashes anyway) home again. After extensive walks around the village and woods we decided on two places to scatter mum and dad together. The first was in the woods - accessed from Frostings Close where they lived for 30 years.....

(Photo above - Greno woods - Mum and dad are scattered just to the left of where Lizzie is standing with Roger and Chris Wood. They had walked this path m any times in their lives. It's at this spot that the path splits two ways, one leading up the woods and eventually to Woodhead Road and the other lower path leads eventually to Woodseats where dad was born. It's a lovely spot, with dappled light through the beach trees and the oaks.)

The second scattering site was at Jawbone Hill - also known as Whale Jaw Hill. There are 2 large stones set into the ground at the top of the hill and an information board giving.....well .....information, what else -  about the hill. It says that the hill got its name because, legend has it that, a whales jaw bone was unearthed here, but then goes on to say that there is no evidence to support this. However, I definitely remember seeing an old black and white photo of 2 men standing beneath the arch of a huge whales jawbone at the top of the hill with the road - or dirt track as it was back then - passing beneath it.
This place is over 800 feet above sea level and has expansive views across the valley towards Outerbridge and Bradfield.
It was a favourite place of mum and dad and of dad's parents George and Alice Frost. It just felt right to scatter their ashes here.
It was a time of laughter and of tears. Laughter because the first handful of ash blew straight back into my face - I couldn't help laugh at that and Lizzie seemed to find it amusing too. The tears came right at the end. I'd managed to hold it all together quite well until the very last handful of ashes and the next thing I knew my eyes were leaking again. I think it was the final letting go - of saying farewell to mum and dad.
I shall have to come back and visit them again soon - it can't wait another 27 years!

(Photo below - scattering the ashes on Jawbone Hill, Grenoside)

(photo above - Lizzie and me standing by the Viewpoint marker stone and the Birley Stone behind us on top of Jawbone Hill, Grenoside, after scattering mum and dads ashes - mission accomplished - time for lunch at the pub to cheer us both up.)

So we strolled back into the village, down skew hill lane, past what was once an old military munitions dump, then a transport depot - where I worked straight after I finished school - now its a Crematorium - and continued to the Cow and Calf public house.

Situated in what was once an old farm house, the Cow and Calf have been serving pints and meals since the 1980's.

We ordered a cider and a Sam Smiths beer (naturally brewed and tastes great) and sat outside in the courtyard. As it the way of the locals we were soon included in discussions about the weather and the state of the nation. Grenoside IS a friendly place.

Our food came out in no time at all. A pulled pork and cider pie with chips and salad for me and lambs liver and onions with mashed and scalloped potato with a kind of cheese sauce over it for Lizzie - a total of GB Pounds 20.45.  Lizzie says it's the most delicious potato dish that she's had. My pie was equally tasty - the pastry perfection.

The staff here were efficient and friendly and the locals made us feel a part of things, not on the outer. Highly recommended.

(Photos below - Cow and Calf pub, Grenoside - Courtyard area, Lizzie enjoying her Liver and Potato dish and a copy of the menu)