Christmas Charm & Historic Halls #2 :: Upton House & Gardens

Hi there everyone 😀

Our jaunt out for my 61st birthday took us on our 2nd National Trust visit of the week before we headed off for our week in York.

It was another property we hadn’t been to before and it was the first this year that we’d visited that was all decked out for the festive season.

We were off to see Christmas at Upton House and Gardens, near Banbury. It was a bit of a drive but it was somewhere we’d seen signs for, when passing, a number of times … and it seemed the perfect option for a birthday treat.

The theme for the Christmas displays this year was Aesop’s fables, with the house being decorated with enchanting displays inspired the 18th century fable candlesticks in Upton’s collection. The candlesticks themselves were absolutely stunning but, as they were behind glass, I didn’t manage to get a decent photograph … though you can find lots of images on line.

From the story of the fox that cried ‘sour grapes’ to the vain jackdaw who pretended to be a peacock … each display is inspired by one of the 18th-century fable candlesticks

The first thing we saw when entering the front door was this very impressive hand woven tapestry of the tiger from one of the fables. It had been made especially for the event and was absolutely stunning …

This was the fox crying sour grapes …

… and the vain jackdaw …

I didn’t capture which fables all of the displays were representing but they were all really fabulous …

After getting into the Christmas spirit we headed outside for a bit of a wander in the sunshine …

The gardeners had been hard at work getting ready for spring …

Because of the time of year there wasn’t loads to see in the gardens but they would definitely be impressive in the spring or summer …

We didn’t go right down to the bottom but the views across the garden and the open countryside were amazing … the views back up to the house really showed just how impressive a home it must have been …

From the house, looking across the ha-ha you wouldn’t even know the garden was there. 

We had a quick wander across the terrace before heading for the restaurant for a warm up and a bit of a pitstop …

We’d had a really good visit. We’d been lucky with the weather and it was great to have seen another new property and decorated for Christmas too 🎄🎄🎄

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Lodge Life :: August 2025

Hi there everyone 😀

We began August still in the midst of our three-week stay at the lodge.

With David, Alison and Bobby having come and gone, we had a few quiet days to do a swift ‘changeover’ before Jackie and Phil arrived for a long weekend. Those in-between days were very relaxed …  although we did make it out to The Gallery in Llanbedrog for lunch, using a voucher I’d been given by friends for my birthday back in November …

Once Jackie and Phil arrived, the pace picked up again with another jam-packed itinerary of outings and adventures. After four full days of fun, we waved them off and settled back into lodge life for the final few days of our break.

One of our last outings was to the airport café at Caernarfon, where we happily timed it with ‘Pizza Friday’ … the perfect treat …

We were also spoiled with plenty of airport activity while we ate, and the highlight was definitely watching the coastguard helicopter take off right in front of us …

We rounded off our summer stay with a quick stop at Caffi Prysor in Trawsfynydd, where we enjoyed lunch with a lovely view … the perfect way to end our time away …

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Christmas Charm & Historic Halls #1 :: Charterhouse, Coventry

Hi there everyone 😀

We are just back from the most lovely, very full and festive, pre-Christmas week spent exploring in and around York.

In the week before we went we definitely made the most of our National Trust membership … visiting three different properties. Two were for the first time and two were decked out for Christmas.

Charterhouse - Coventry
The Charterhouse is a medieval monastic house surrounded by acres of tranquil green space. This Grade I listed, 14th century building has quite the story to share. Founded in 1381, Coventry Charterhouse has served many different purposes. From a 14th century monastery to a family home and later as a garden that produced exotic fruit for wealthy locals. Former notable inhabitants include Robert Dudley, famous favourite of Queen Elizabeth I, and John Whittingham who cultivated the nursery and walled garden for food production. In more recent years, the house has a whole new tale to tell, with tenacious members of the community coming together to save the building from sale and possible demolition.

It was our first visit to Charterhouse and we had no idea what to expect. It really was a bit of an oasis of calm.

The property is a lovely building, with the key interest inside being the ancient wall paintings …

For me the garden was of much more interest, even at this time of year when there isn’t really that much to see …

There was still a bit of colour in the rose garden …

… and the vegetable beds …

The building in the corner is the old Apple Store …

The area around the fountain was particularly tranquil …

We spent a while in the cafe where the food looked delicious. We didn’t have lunch on this visit but it was definitely a lovely spot and somewhere we would want to try out.

Back outside and It all looked very pretty in the winter sunshine …

Upon the recommendations of the NT staff we had a walk over to the London Road Cemetery and Paxton’s arboretum …

We had been given a leaflet which detailed a number of the residents resting places … as well as some impressive tree specimens …

We had a good wander and found reading about the people who were buried there really interesting …

It really was a lovely wander in the autumn sunshine. Not something we were expecting to do but really enjoyable all the same …

I’m really glad we visited. We really enjoyed it. There isn’t loads to do there but I’m sure we will make another trip when there is a bit more to see in the garden … and to take advantage of the cafe 😋

I will tell you about our visits to Upton House and Hardwick Hall in my next posts 😀

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Nearly 61

Hi there everyone 😀

I can’t believe it’s been nearly a year since I wrote about turning 60 … yet next week my 60th year will officially be over and I will be 61 …

So … what felt different about being 60? To be honest … not an awful lot.

There have been a few benefits on the health side …

I’ve saved money on prescriptions as they are now free and I’ve had my first free eye test. 

I have also had the pleasure of a flu vaccination and the real treat … free bowel screening 😲

On a bit more of a positive note I now get 10% off at Iceland on a Tuesday and at our local garden centre on a Wednesday

I also fall into the ‘concession’ category when visiting certain touristy venues and events. In fact I get most perturbed now when I see that discounts are not available until I am 65 … though I don’t want to be wishing my life away.

I remember when I was younger I used to think that 60 was absolutely ancient but now … other than a few twinges here and there and being heavier, I don’t really feel any different to how I did when I was 40.

So … next week I will be 61 and I am looking forward to a chilled out afternoon tea with a very lovely lady I used to work with …

… and a day out with Martin visiting a new National Trust place … oh yes … I forgot the over 60s National Trust membership discount.

We are then off to Husthwaite in Yorkshire with Jackie and Phil for a week with lots of pre-Christmas activities on the agenda so I’m sure I will be coming back with plenty more tales to tell …

Until then I will relish in my last few days of being 60 😜

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