The World’s Greatest Blog

The Newcastle University Alumni Service generously hosted a free wine and nibbles night at the Baltic in Newcastle last week. The “Gold Network” teamed up with One North East to deliver the “Live Local: Think Global” theme on Thursday 17th July 2008.
Joanna Berry Academic Director of Executive MBA Programmes, Newcastle University Business School, kicked off [...]

Wednesday 11th June was the annual North Riding Dales LVA Charity Bike Ride through Wensleydale which took place in characteristic spirit. The idea is to cycle between Leyburn and Hawes in order to raise money for good causes. The participants cycle updale and downdale on alternate years. This year was the more difficult uphill struggle [...]

Living in Wensleydale we see a lot of sheep. Behind our house there are some very tame texels meaning that we can get some fairly decent close-ups. The little lambs are taking it easy these days - the sheep equivalent of teenagers. Lazing around in the balmy sunshine - a welcome break after their introduction [...]

Rievaulx Abbey is hidden away between the North York Moors and Cleveland Hills near Sutton Bank. It is extortionate to get in so take some cash with you or plan to walk to the abbey. (£10.50 per car I seem to remember). We did get the audio tape tour to take with us though.
The abbey [...]

Aysgarth Falls in Wensleydale were the setting for this (poorly recorded) fight scene between Little John and Robin Hood in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. Visitors beware, the car park charges £2.20 for a visit but if you’re wily you can park in the village and walk down. There’s a visitor centre, toilets and a [...]

Whilst visiting Hardraw Waterfall behind the Green Dragon pub in Upper Wensleydale, we spotted some tawny owl chicks. I had whistled in an attempt to startle some sitting rabbits in a field nearby, because my little cousin couldn’t quite see them. However, the loud noise had the inadvertent effect of startling two adult tawny owls [...]

Middleham Castle was once known as the Windsor of the North as it housed King Richard III. English Heritage now owns it and arranges medieval re-enactments in addition to the ordinary opening hours. For more information on events telephone: 01969 623899. There are spectacular views of the Dale from the top of the spiral stone [...]

The World’s Greatest Blog is celebrating Earth Day and supporting Freecycle by offering a FREE static caravan to anyone who is able to take it away.
The spacious static caravan has a bathroom, kitchenette, double bedroom, built-in wardrobes, living room and built in gas fire. Plus you get the twin gas bottles included!
The caravan is available [...]

Here’s the view from the bottom of Wensleydale - Canada geese in the warm green fields along with sheep, against a backdrop of snowy hills. This was taken whilst on a run from West Witton to Wensley through the Bolton Estate over Lord’s Bridge. The beauty of this route is that it almost entirely off-road [...]

Watch this great optical illusion!
This is a good example of how weird our brains are. If you follow the pink moving dot around with your eyes, all the dots stay pink.

But, if you stare at the cross in the middle, the moving dot turns green, and all the other dots slowly fade away.
Strange, but true. [...]