Wet. Wet. Wet..........

In conditions best described as monsoon like, 'The Raleigh' 8806 and I splashed our way round the Co. Down roads last night, and I enjoyed every second of it.
Now, in the past I might have briefly questioned my sanity whilst dreaming of a hot mug of Bovril, but now I was just savouring every drop of rain that fell on my helmet covered noggin.
I think it all stems (no pun intended) from coming out the other side of OHS and thus having a finer appreciation of the simple things in life.
Things like the rain, the wind, the bird's singing, good old fresh air and last but by no means least, the humble Kit Kat chocolate bar.
What I suppose amounts to life saving/changing surgery has the tendency to do that to a person, and things that seemed important beforehand just don't seem quite as important now.
There's a saying that 'life is for living' and it really is true.
If all this sounds a bit sentimental or has anyone reaching for the bucket that's ok and perhaps understandable, but alas I can make no apology, because as Bruce Hornsby would say.....
'that's just the way it is.'

If Walls Could Talk.

The quaint townland of Ashfield near Dromore was a recent destination during a 'run' on The Raleigh.

Tucked in amongst the trees behind the Team Corsa at Killysorrell, is the rather lovely Ashfield House with the adjoining outbuildings, which saw action during the days of the once thriving Linen Industry.

An 18th Century, Three-Bay Two-Storey 'Gentleman's Residence', Ashfield House is the oldest surviving house of the Lindsay family of Tullyhenan and was built by Maurice Lindsay in the 1760's.

His son David set-up and established a manufacturing business in 1828 for weaving heavy fabrics by hand loom, and by 1839 he employed 950 weavers (mostly working in their own homes with materials supplied by the Lindsays) in the manufacture of linens, unions and cottons.

Prior to this, David bought his linens at country markets and had them bleached, with commission being charged on over half his products by selling agents at The Linen Hall in Dublin at over 3%, manufacturing his own linen proved to be a more profitable enterprise for David.

After David Lindsay's death in 1859, the business was carried on by his son Maurice who sadly died at a young age (35), and Ashfield House, Ashfield Village (21 houses) and Lands were sold at auction at 2pm on 26th March 1878 in the Downshire Arms Hotel in Banbridge.

The house is still occupied to this day and the property is a beautiful place of quiet solitude.