in Yorkshire this weekend? A few ideas to herald the arrival of Spring

Big changes are afoot in Mother Nature, or so it seemed yesterday. Mild, and even sunny weather, we spent the day outside. The snowdrops and crocuses are out in full force, suddenly it feels like Spring. I know that we shouldn’t take it for granted as the chances are we’ll be back to snow in a few days, but walking through York, everybody was full of smiles (or was this because they knew it was the last day of half-term and relieved that their offspring would be back at school next week?). We sat outside by the river and enjoyed a couple of afternoon drinks. Lovely.

There are reports on Twitter of lambs in fields, beautiful sunsets and blankets of spring flowers, if you know where to look. I’m staying in York this weekend, I’ve got one of my best friends visiting from London so we’ll probably spend most of it nattering and catching up, maybe take in the odd Viking Battle. But, here are a few ideas for taking in the sights, sounds and smells of Spring in Yorkshire.

1. See the snowdrops, at their best now and for the next week or so. Two splendid places to see them are Burton Agnes, a magnificent Elizabethan country house near Driffield and Fountains Abbey & Studland Royal near Ripon.

2. Go to the Yorkshire Dales on the look-out for newborn lambs. Masham is a lovely town to visit; foodie heaven with lots of individual shops to discover as well as the Black Sheep Brewery. In the area I also highly recommend lunch at the Blue Lion in East Whitton.

3. Visit the seaside. Scarborough, Bridlington and Filey for townies or Robin Hoods Bay, Sandsend and Runswick Bay for nature lovers.

4. Have an alfresco lunch. In York, City Screen is  a good choice. In Leeds,  Lounge Bar & Grill has heaters and yummy food.

5. Get active. Hire bikes for the whole family in Dalby Forest and enjoy the sight of Spring in the forest.