Out & About …

… on the North York Moors, or wherever I happen to be.

Tag: public house

  • Tiers of a Clown

    Tiers of a Clown

    Ah, one of the songs from my teenage years. In fact, it could be a contender for the Motown section of my desert island discs. The phrase is used to describe a person, traditionally Pierrot the sad clown, who appears cheerful and lively but, underneath the makeup, is emotionally distraught. Like the pun? Maybe I…

  • Chop Gate

    Chop Gate

    Woe betides anyone who pronounces this village with a hard ‘g’, in the same way as your garden gate. As every Yorkshireman will tell you it’s Chop Yat which is a mix of etymological roots. The Yat is Old Norse for a road and Chop comes from the Old English ‘ceap‘ for an itinerant peddler.…

  • The Royal Oak, Great Ayton

    The Royal Oak, Great Ayton

    An early morning view of the Royal Oak in the village. As it’s a Sunday there is an unusual lack of cars. I’ll admit this photo today is a little contrived to connect with today’s useless piece of trivia. Today is Royal Oak or Oak Apple Day when you are supposed to wear a sprig of oak leaves in…