The Beach House on Hatfield Road - Nova Scotia Cottage/Beach House Rental property

Vincent Walsh will be offering painting workshops in the spring at the Beach House. The workshops will include oil or watercolour instruction, all supplies, accomodation and meals. Watch this space for more information, or contact liz at liz@lizyorke.com.

One day in August 2000, Tom Yorke of Dallas, Texas, was using search engines to trace his family history, when a link to Captain Edward Yorke and Yorke Settlement in Nova Scotia popped up. The end result of this search was Tom and Sharon Yorke, along with Tom's brother Ed, his wife Kathe, their son Eddie and their daughter Caitlin, visiting Nova Scotia and staying at the Beach House for a week in August. Tom Yorke and Liz Yorke organized, solely by e-mail and never having met in person, an absolutely wonderful day to celebrate the Texas Yorkes meeting the Nova Scotia Yorkes.

The day started with everyone gathering on the front lawn of the Beach House it was a perfect summer day at the beach, warm and sunny with enough wind for gorgeous whitecaps on the Bay of Fundy. Cumberland South MLA and Speaker of the House Murray Scott brought official greetings from the Government of Nova Scotia and inducted the 6 US Yorkes into Nova Scotia's Order of Good Time. Mr. Scott also read MP Bill Casey's formal welcome on behalf of the Government of Canada, as Mr. Casey was required to be out of the province on government business. Ratchford Merriam, local council member for the Municipality of the County of Cumberland, gave an official welcome on behalf of the County, and Lyle Yorke, deputy mayor of the town of Parrsboro brought greetings on behalf of the Town. Andrew Wagstaff covered the event for The Citizen many thanks to The Citizen for permission to reprint this article

Tom and Sharon organized the next part of the day. All the Yorkes, local Yorkes, Linda and Murray Scott, Ratchford Merriam and Lyle Yorke moved into the Beach House, and toasted Texas and Nova Scotia with Fall Creek Texas chardonnay which Tom and Sharon had brought with them from Dallas. Tom and Sharon also brought Stars & Stripes paper plates and napkins to serve the most delicious warm lobster tacos with yellow tomato salsa and jicama salad, the house specialty at one of their favourite restaurants - The Mansion on Turtle Creek in Dallas. ( www.mansiononturtlecreek.com )

The dining room in the Beach House looked terrific with the stars & stripes plates and napkins, and all the Nova Scotia Yorkes felt right at home, as they have close links with the US through their ancestor Captain Edward Yorke, an American, who sailed up the Bay of Fundy to Nova Scotia and who settled in Yorke Settlement.

After enjoying the chardonnay and the warm lobster tacos, the guests drove to Yorke Settlement, to see where the Yorkes originally settled, to toast the ancestors with champagne and to enjoy blueberry pie, home made by Linda Willigar of The Whole Enchilada. Jeff Morris and Wannetta Yorke Tanner had helped Liz set up the table beside one of the old house cellars on Liz's blueberry field, so that the guests could experience what it would have been like to live in the Settlement. All agreed that sipping champagne in the sun was probably quite different from the way the Yorke settlers spent summer afternoons.

Liz organizing the champagne it was rather windy in the Settlement - the empty flutes had to be put on their sides.

Harriet Yorke McCready, who researched and wrote the Yorke Family History, proposed a toast to the Yorke ancestors. Harriet talked about her sense that the Yorkes were positive, adventurous and resourceful people.

All in all, it was a wonderful and memorable day, a good start for the Yorke visit to Nova Scotia and the beginning of a Texas/Nova Scotia friendship. All the Yorkes enjoyed the rest of their vacation,

Tom Yorke said Because of your web site, we came to Canada to research Yorke family history and to enjoy your spectacular Beach House. On the Saturday of our visit, Sharon and I celebrated our 28th wedding anniversary and Ed and Kathe celebrated their 17^th. Our gracious thanks again for the many arrangements you made to make our stay absolutely exceptional. We are delighted to have found a family history, met so many other Yorkes and made new friends. This vacation has vastly exceeded our expectations.

Ed Yorke commented Liz Yorke's magnificent Parrsboro Beach House made our Nova Scotia vacation on the beautiful Bay of Fundy an outstanding experience for me and my family.

Arlene Collins lives and paints in the magical and historical Yorke Settlement, just a few minutes drive or a short bike ride from The Beach House on Hatfield Road. Every time Liz goes to her berry field in the Settlement, she passes by Arlene's place and always thinks what a peaceful and inspiring location she lives in, in the company of the spirits and friendly ghosts of the early settlers in Nova Scotia.

Arlene has always used her creative abilities. As a child, she sketched and painted scenes of the beautiful wildlife and countryside that surrounded her. Although she now uses oils, still enjoys the natural wonders that surround her home and studio.

Arlene is a member of Visual Arts Nova Scotia - her work has been shown in Tatamagouche and is also on Visual Arts' web site. Her work can also be seen at the Fundy Geological Museum in Parrsboro, where she painted the backdrops for their fossil exhibit. In addition to her paintings found in many Canadian and US private collections, her work can also be found in Wolfville at the Carriage House Art Gallery and in Halifax at the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia.

Arlene now paints both themes and visages that are of interest and speak to her and commissioned work. Much of her commissioned work is detailed recreations of beloved pets, homesteads and memories. In recent years, interest in her work has escalated. Her work can be seen at her studio/gallery in Yorke Settlement and at Shaw Country Market in Port Greville; print productions are available from Carsand-Mosher Photographic in Halifax and in Truro.

Fall, winter and spring weekend and mid-week visits have started at the Beach House. Sandi and Peter Fres from New Brunswick celebrated their 10^th wedding anniversary over the Canadian Thanksgiving weekend in October. This is what Sandi had to say about their visit:

Well we returned early this afternoon from the BH and you certainly were right. NO Disappointments. It's probably one of the most beautiful places we have been. We did end up taking the girls along it was such a special weekend for them as well. Sarah called it her new home and Jessica was so taken back by the beach, collecting driftwood and lots of pretty rocks. I think our favourite room was the upstairs sunroom, although I kept going from room to room, it was all so beautiful and I enjoyed all your beautiful dishes and supplies in the house; cooking was a pleasure and serving even more fun the table was beautiful each meal.

The folks of that area were especially nice too. Thank-you for all of your help and for allowing us to experience a weekend we shall hold as a very special memory for a very long time. I am very sure that in the future we will visit again, you should be very proud of your Beach House. I feel s though I've made a new friend and it was nice putting a face to your e-mails upon arriving to the BH.

Maple Products

One of the special delights of spring is eating all sorts of maple products. Visitors to the area often enjoy the maple products produced by Stephen Erb and his family. Contact Liz at liz@lizyorke.com if you'd like more details.

The sea, the beach and nature in winter are relaxing and rejuvenating and give you something special during the fall and winter seasons. The recipe for succeeding at leisure, either during a getaway for yourself, with friends or as a family, is to enjoy both the outdoors and the many creature comforts in the Beach House Snowman Getaways with your kids will give them memories that will last forever.

Walks on the beach are an entirely different experience than summer walks, and are just as much fine. You'll be surprised at what you might find that the tide has brought in shells, buoys, driftwood. .

If you're like Liz and love the wind, you might be lucky and be in the community when the wind is blowing and the waves are high. At the same time, the trees provide enough shelter for you to cross-country ski from the front door, and then return home to the Beach House for a nice fondue or bottle of wine and to warm yourself in front of a big fire in the fireplace.

Contact Liz at liz@lizyorke.com to discuss special rates and to customize your fall, winter or spring vacation.

Destinations for Women Travellers

The communities of Fox River, Port Greville and Wards Brook are ideal destinations for women travellers either individually or in a group. The house is big enough for lots of privacy, yet will accommodate several women who want to vacation together. Liz has stayed many times by herself at the house, and has always felt perfectly safe. When there on her own, she often walks to the village at night and comforting memories while in Toronto include crunchy walks on new snow with a clear sky and bright stars for company on one lucky late night walk last spring, Liz saw a family of baby foxes and their mother playing on the road. Local, reliable and trusted contacts in the community always know who is visiting at the Beach House and are available 24/7 to answer questions and to deal with any concerns.

Women have already started to use the house and the community as a special place to relax, to celebrate and to rejuvenate - the Girls' Book Club from Halifax had a weekend by the sea & four friends from various parts of the US enjoyed a week together in mid-September. If you'd like more information about the Beach House as a destination for women, contact Liz at liz@lizyorke.com to discuss your ideas and questions.

The Beach House on Hatfield Road Supports Queen Elizabeth II Hospital Foundation

Head for the Hills 2002 is raising funds for the QE II's Patient Care Enrichment Fund to assist with the purchase of an Echocardiography system which provides harmless and extensive insight to many heart conditions. Head for the Hills is a fun day of skiing at Ski Martock and an Après Ski Party at the Westin Nova Scotia in Halifax, which includes dinner, a silent auction, awards presentations and dancing.

Liz Yorke is a member of the Auction Sub-Committee, and has carried out all her volunteer work from Toronto by phone and e-mail. People on the Parrsboro Shore have been very generous in their support for this year's Head for the Hills Ski Challenge, and donations include:

Birthday party, with a dinosaur theme, for 10 kids Fundy Geological Museum and a kite-building workshop from Kiss the Sky Kites
One day of blueberry picking Stephen Erb and the Erb Family
One homemade blueberry pie The Whole Enchilida
Gift certificate Sweet Brier Boutique
Theatre tickets Ship's Company Theatre in Parrsboro
Visitor accommodations Ebbtide II; Riverview Cottages; Tidal River Ridge Retreat; The Beach House on Hatfield

Head for the Hills is a great opportunity to support tertiary health care and for Nova Scotians living outside the province to go home, visit relatives & friends and participate in a spirited all- day event. If you'd like more information about Head for the Hills, contact Liz at liz@lizyorke.com or Doralin Fredericks at 902-473-3307, or at fndtcm@qe2-hsc.ns.ca and tell her you found out about Head for the Hills from the web site for The Beach House on Hatfield Road.

The Beach House on Hatfield Road is listed in Fodor's most recent guide to the Maritime provinces (take a look at page 52). The guide book is filled with lots of suggestions for things to do and see, and places to stay. A big thank-you to Fodor's for including The Beach House on Hatfield Road.

2002 Dreamers and Doers Guide, Nova Scotia's Complete Guide for Doers and Dreamers 2002 is now available by calling Check In Nova Scotia at 1-800-565-0000 (toll-free in North America) or by visiting Nova Scotia's tourism web site www.novascotia.com. The 2002 French Travel Guide, Du reve a l'aventure, will be available March 15, 2002.

Money.com, a web site created by the editors of CNN and Money Magazine, described Nova Scotia as one of the 12 perfect places in North America to spend your summer holidays.

Dinnertainment opens in Oxford, Cumberland County in April 2002. Dinnertainment is about a 45 minute drive from the Beach House.

This new entertainment complex includes an intrging mixture of restrauant services and live entertainment. Some of their special features and shows include: