A lifestyle blog
We love exploring, either close to home on an afternoon out, slightly further afield on a weekend away, or to a far flung destination picked because it happened to be on page 83 of the travel guide and we were asked to pick a number between 1 and 230.
It is easy to think “how hard can it be?” or “it’s fine, the owners will tell us what to do” when booking narrow boat holidays but for beginners there are some things you should seriously consider before heading out on the water for the first time. We did our first trip last weekend, alongside my parents who have been doing it for years, and it really brought it home
You might think with a name like the Moonraker this hotel would be some dodgy James Bond, space themed hotel designed to attract American tourists, nothing could be further from the truth. Moonraker is actually a colloquial term for people from Wiltshire (or a slang term hurled at supporters of Swindon Town Football Club) stemming from the 1700s. Legend has it that French Brandy and Dutch Gin were smuggled up
I have always loved looking at restaurant menus. I am straight on a restaurant’s website looking at a menu as soon as the booking is made, even if it is weeks in advance. Daily specials when we arrive pass me by because I made my decision a fortnight before, and I make no apology for that. I love planning what I am going to be eating and I didn’t realise
AD — Gifted tickets Just off the M40 might not be your first thought for where to find Lap Land this year, but if 2020 has taught us anything, it’s to expect the unexpected. And so off we went in early December, to a perfectly socially-distanced-doesnt-matter-if-its-raining event that the whole family can enjoy. In the comfort and safety of their own cars, visitors will drive on the iconic
We visited the Henrhyd Waterfall when we were staying at the Glanusk Estate in the Brecon Becons recently because we had heard that the scenery was stunning and that it was a must see when you’re in the area. The waterfall is the tallest in Wales and situated just outside the tiny village of Coelbren. To be honest you might not have heard of it but if you
It’s up a lane, behind the church and you would never know the Oak Retreat on the Glanusk Estate was there unless you knew where to look. Thankfully Harry, whose family own the estate, was on hand when we arrived at teatime one Saturday to show us where to go, and. to hand us our keys to this little woodland haven. The Oak Retreat is a wooden hideaway that sleeps
Exbury Gardens was the destination for a much needed socially distanced mooch with my pal, Annie recently. We hadn’t met up in months and I think both of us were feeling the social distance living at opposite ends of the M3 so with the weather looking good for a morning’s mooch we headed off last week. I hadn’t been before but Annie lives locally so has annual pass and knows
Drive-in cinemas need to stay please! Drive-in cinemas in the US have been a thing since the 1930s and within thirty years there over 4000, but still there are very few here in the UK. That was until lockdown, or rather the easing of lockdown. With cinemas and theatres still closed, or with regular customers nervous about sitting near strangers for a few hours, drive-in cinemas have popped
How to plan a day out with elderly relatives Now that the weather is warming up and some of the recent restrictions have been lifted you might be thinking about planning a day out as a family, so here are my 5 top tips for a day out with elderly relatives. Consider the terrain What might feel like an easy place for us to walk around can be much harder
Outdoor Adventures you need to plan now! it is safe to say that 2020 has been a very strange year. Many of us have had cancelled foreign holidays cancelled or moved to next year and so might be looking to have a break in the UK. I am not a fan of the word staycation, but it does seem quite apt doesn’t it? We should have been heading off to
I know we can’t visit National Trust properties at the moment but we went to Basildon Park a few months ago so I have finally got around to sharing the photos for Window Wednesday in the hope you can add it to your list of places to go when we are able to travel again Basildon Park is one of the most modern properties we have visited because although it
Rainbows and children’s art in windows and on pavements Window Wednesday has been paused of late because we haven’t done an awful lot that has offered me the opportunity to post a photo of a window (and if you are new to Window Wednesday here is a little more about it) I am not sure where the idea came from but as the lockdown came into force children all over