Blowing the Cobwebs away

Hi there everyone 😀

Over the last few weeks we have managed to take a bit of a break from the grip of the January lethargy and have ventured out a couple of times for a fresh air and a bit of an amble.

Our first outing was in between Christmas and New Year when we met up with some of the family at Calke Abbey, a local National Trust property that we have visited several times before.

There wasn’t that much occurring as the house and formal gardens were both closed and none of fancied a yomp over the wet and muddy parkland but we did have a good wander round the stable area, where there are lots of little open doors with interesting bits and pieces to peek in at.

Whilst the little man wasn’t that keen on looking in dark and dusty places he did enjoy playing in one of the Humankind Landscape rooms ...

... and allowed a very short photocall in front of the Christmas tree ...

After a bit of a wander there may just have been a stop in the cafe for breakfast, which was followed by a visit to the the play park for the little man ...

We were only there an hour or so but it was just what we needed after being cooped up inside over Christmas and it was good to give the legs a bit of a stretch and breath in some crisp fresh air.

Our second trip out found us at another local spot ... The National Memorial Arboretum, where the plan was to have a look at a part of the site that we hadn’t seen before and maybe treat ourselves to a nice hot bowl of soup for lunch.

As we headed to our unexplored spot we stumbled across The Stickman Trail and decided to follow it and see what we could find ...

It was a little haphazard as we had no information sheet but it was fairly simple to work out which way we needed to go.

We both love the Arboretum. Everything means something and there is so much to see.

We were fascinated by this area of memorial tree planting ... straight lines in every direction ...

The site isn’t just about the armed forces there are memorials to all kinds of groups ... 

... and private memorials to individuals ...

We always sit for a moment of reflection under the memorial tree where metal leaves have been added in memory of lost children ... It's always a really peaceful spot ...

We really loved the Every Which Way memorial, which through the deliberate distortion of the figures, which did take a while to sink in ... reversed hands and some torsos twisted 180 degrees, is intended to convey some of the anxiety and confusion the child evacuees of WWII ...

Though it was a pretty grey day there were plenty of pops of colour dotted around ...

There is a good mixture of elaborate and formal memorials ...

... and those of a lot more personal and simple nature ...

It’s an ever changing site and looks different with the seasons so it's always a good spot for a bit of a contemplative wander.

We only explored a tiny part of the site this time and were soon tucked up in the welcome warmth of the cafe where hot home made soup went down a treat. We were both very tempted by the lasagne but maintained our resolve to be good ... and there was definitely no cake.

Although we’ve visited a couple of times we’ve never actually looked at the indoor exhibition ... we did this time and really enjoyed it. It was well laid out, interesting and quite poignant at times.

As we wandered back to the car and spotted the sign for the Sumatra railway, which was one of the things we had been wanting to see ... oh well ... we will just have to visit again 😀

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And it's good bye to 2019 ... Joy in the Everyday Ordinary - December, 22-31

Hi there everyone 😀

Welcome to the last Joy of the Everyday Ordinary for 2019.

Like this time for the last two years I'm currently feeling a bit 'bleurgh' ... if that's even a word. It seems to take a little while for us to get into the swing of a New Year and for us to build some enthusiasm for getting cracking and making new plans and goals.

Along with washing and ironing, I've got blog posts backing up at a rate of knots and it is all starting to feel just a little overwhelming. We always have a really busy November and December and I think that once it's all over, we seriously wind down and get filled with a great lethargy that seems to quickly become routine.

Last year we made the conscious decision not to worry about this too much and to just embrace the lethargy ... making the most of late nights watching TV, followed by lazy mornings, afternoons curled up in the chair reading or getting lost in social media, only leaving the house we really have to, working our way through the Christmas chocolate and just generally slobbing about.

I think I'm starting to get a bit bored of it now though and conversations are starting to creep in about what we want to do in the garden, where we are going on holiday and there was even a de-cluttering of the wardrobe session undergone this week.

We've got just one Terry's chocolate orange left lingering and I've bought a new Slimming World cookbook so I think it's definitely time for my 56th new start. We are off to Warner Brothers studios later this week with mum and dad ... it's our second visit, but I really want to see Gringotts Bank, so I'm really looking forward to that.

Martin is back at work, following a four week break, on Monday, so I think I will give myself till then to get a grip and get back on it, but for now, here's the rest of our 2019 ...

Day 22 - Today was our second early Christmas get together. This time we met up with Jo, Steve, Hannah (and James), and Meg for our annual Christmas meal out. It's always lovely to get together and there's always plenty of entertaining chat to be had.

Day 23 - I have been a bit rubbish at taking photos for this post and this photo is from the evening we had out with good friends earlier on in the month. Today I spent the afternoon volunteering at the foodbank and it was crazy busy, but so nice to be able to help so many people and to feel so appreciated ... it was a very humbling experience.

Day 24 - My job for the day was to knock up my Christmas Day lunch contribution and I am so pleased with how it turned out. We spent the evening with our very good friends Jackie and Phil having our last pre-Christmas catch up of the season.

Day 25 - We had the loveliest of Christmas Days, spent with all the family. The little man was an absolute delight and has definitely lost any reticence about what to do when presented with a gift to open and it was lovely to get to spend some time all together as a family. Once back home there was no need for tea, but the Christmas chocs came out whilst curled up on the sofa catching up on some TV. A lovely way to end a lovely day.

Day 26 - Boxing Day and another day with no photo taken. It's become a bit of a tradition that we spend it with this lovely lot (and Auntie Dot) eating a turkey and chip buffet ... one of the best meals of the year and the leftover cheesecake went down very well.

Day 27 - I was full of cold and ready for a rest day. We did a bit of shopping and not very much else at all. Martin bought me this William Morris teapot, cup and saucer for Christmas and I do need to find the right spot for it but I love it and am looking forward to curling up with a good book and cup of Earl Grey on a cold and wet afternoon when I am supposed to be ironing.

Day 28 - It was definitely time for a bit of fresh air and gentle exercise today and we met up with Mum, Dad, David, Alison and this little monkey, who is just too cute for words, at Calke Abbey for a bit of a wander.

Day 29 - We responded to a cry for help from my youngest God Daughter today, who asked us if we could provide sanctuary to her cactus collection in the birdcage. Well, as a few of ours had given up the ghost we were happy to find room for them.

Day 30 - At a bit of a loose end and feeling creative we finally had a go at making new candles from the old candle ends we'd been saving for ages. We didn't really know what we were doing but all seemed to work out well and the kitchen smelled amazing.

Day 31 - If we are not away for New Year we always spend it with our good friends Jackie & Phil and this year was no exception. Walking distance, lots of good food, plenty to drink, lots of chat and fireworks on the TV ... It's the best way to bring in the New Year, before wandering home.

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So, that's another year gone ... and oh so quickly.

Like last year I think I will have a break from my Everyday Ordinary posts for a a month or two, to give me chance to catch up with a bit of a blogging bottleneck and to share some new themes with you, as well as doing a bit of an update on where I am with the 50 things I want to do before I'm 60 ... so still plenty to write about.

Thank you all so much for allowing me to share our adventures with you, dull as they may be for most of the time. I really hope you all continue to drop in and follow what we get up to in 2020.

Happy New Year everyone!

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A Festive Joy in the Everyday Ordinary - December, 11-21

Hi there everyone 😁

In just a few days it will be Christmas Day and we will be spending the day with family ... eating far too much, and promising that we will eat more healthily after the festivities have passed ... and who knows ... maybe we will.

It's been tricky knowing quite what to post today ... I've still got lots of our Isle of Wight holiday to share with you and there's still a week of exploring in the Peak District. I kind of felt I wanted something a bit festive and was planning on sharing our visit to the Chatsworth at Christmas event, but the photos are still all on my phone and I couldn't face sorting through and transferring them ... sorry 😧

I'm writing this post in a small gap in between running errands and social engagements and needed something a bit quick so apologies that I've gone for the easy option. I'm not even sure there will be anything festive about the moments that I share but do be sure that I do wish you all the most peaceful of the festive seasons and thank you so much for showing an interest and letting me continue to share our 'ordinary' adventures with you ...

Day 11 - The picture is nothing at all to do with what made me smile today, but it is festive 🎄 I did my second volunteering shift at our local foodback today and boy was it busy. I came home absolutely shattered but feeling very grateful for all that we have and how 'easy' we have it ... it's not the same for everyone.

Day 12 - Today I went to make my mark. It's not something that I always do but I do very much appreciate the fact that others went a long way to make sure that I have the right to do so.

Day 13 - And finally ... the wreath is up!

Day 14 - We had a wander round a local Victorian Christmas market in the Castle grounds. It was late afternoon and the sun on the castle was just beautiful.

Day 15 - Not very festive and not that exciting but to me ... a defrosted freezer has been so long overdue 😁

Day 16 - A friend popped round to collect some bits and came bearing gifts. I've seen lots of comments about Jayne's bread pudding on Facebook and now I can confirm that they are all true ... it was delicious 💜

Day 17 - Martin's duck curry 😋

Day 18 - After consultation with the Neff engineer the problem of our very odd shaped Yorkshire puddings is resolved 😁
Forget the fan setting, it's top and bottom heat all the way from now. 

Day 19 - Home made turkey breakfast patties with mushrooms and poached eggs for breakfast 😋

Day 20 - Our first go at slow cooked red cabbage - definitely a success!

Day 21 - Fabulous night out celebrating Christmas with fabulous food and the very best of friends 💜💜💜

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Willow Cottage - Ashford-in-the-Water, The Peak District

Hi there everyone 😀

I know I still have lots to share with you about our break on the Isle of Wight back in September, but thought I'd have a bit of a change today and tell you about the cottage that we stayed in recently when we spent a week a bit closer to home, in the very lovely Peak District in Derbyshire.

When did we visit?

16-23 November 2019

How many does it sleep?

6 - in two nice size double rooms and one twin

How much was it?

£474

Who did we book with?

Sykes Holiday Cottages

We always look forward to our November break ... we never go too far and it’s always a good opportunity to take a bit of time out before the Christmas season gets under way in earnest.

For the last few years we’ve tried to do something ‘Christmassy’ ... last year it was the Longleat festival of light, the year before it was Castle Howard for Christmas. This year we had Chatsworth and their Christmas Markets on the cards.

We were staying in Willow Cottage in Ashford in the Water and had been watching the flood warnings closely the week before we went. The cottage is right on the River Wye and we watched the warnings move from red to amber, back to red and then amber again.

Having spoken to the owner we were reassured that flooding was very unlikely as the property had never flooded before and though the cottage was very close to the river there were plenty of other places for the water to go.

Our journey up was fairly uneventful, with the heavy flooding of the previous week having all but receded, and we made a couple of stop offs on the way ... Chatsworth garden centre for lunch and a quick mooch round the Peak Shopping Village at Rowsley.

We arrived bang on time at 3pm and yes, the cottage was very close to the river, which was pretty high and flowing very rapidly ... as was the parking spot for the car ... but the weather forecast didn’t look too bad.

I have to say that it’s the first time we have stayed in a cottage where we were greeted by sandbags at the front and back doors ... which certainly gave us food for thought.

The cottage is in a lovely spot though, in the heart of the village but tucked away at the end of a lane with nowhere to go past it to ... other than the river. So we expected it would be a nice quiet spot, which was just what we wanted. It was well within walking distance of the village pubs, cafe and shop and we were both looking forward to spending some time reacquainting ourselves with the village.

There was nothing to be disappointed about inside the cottage. There was plenty of room, but it had a real cosy feel to it and it looked spotlessly clean.

Whilst I do have a few photos of the inside of the cottage to share with you I must apologise for the poor quality ... I'm blaming it on the time of year and the light levels. Hopefully they are good enough for you to get an idea of what it was like.

The front door opened into a nice big country style kitchen, with plenty of storage, a dining table and chairs and a downstairs loo off it ...
The cosy lounge was through the kitchen at the back of the property ...
From the lounge window you could really see just how close, and how high, the river was ...

The stairs lead off the lounge to three bedrooms, two doubles and a twin. The twin was a little tight but the two doubles were nice and roomy, again with plenty of storage ...

... and another great view of the river from the double at the back ...

The bathroom, again was very roomy, with a bath and separate shower cubicle ...

Before unpacking we did have a quick wander down to the deck in the garden, next to the river. This is the view looking towards the Sheepwash Bridge. Hard to imagine that some visitors earlier in the year had written in the visitors' book about swimming in the river ...
This is the view of the back of the house from the bottom of the garden ... looking a little bleak at the moment, but the pictures on the Sykes' website taken with plenty of summer blooms looked just lovely ...

We were soon unpacked, showered and settled down in front of the TV for a cosy Saturday night in with a bit of Strictly.

Our likes over the course of our stay ...

• The location of the cottage was perfect for us, both in the fact that it was in the heart of the village and the situation of the village within The Peak District. It was very easy to get out about and there were lots of interesting places to visit without going very far.
• The space ... for just the two of us the cottage was very spacious. There was plenty of room and plenty of storage space, which is always useful as it's good to be able to stow all your bits and pieces away.
• It was lovely and clean ... no nasty or grubby spots at all.
• The kitchen had plenty of everything that we needed and was well set out and good for cooking in.
• Lovely cosy and comfy beds.
• Nice reliable Wifi.
• The heating was very easy to control ... and nice and quick to warm up.

Anything that could have made it better ...

• It would have been good to have been able to come in and out of the cottage via the back door, where there was a bit of a porch, so muddy walking boots could have been taken off before getting fully in, but both garden gates were padlocked so this wasn't possible during our stay.
• A log burner would have been a real treat.

Would we recommend this property to our friends and family?

Most certainly

Would we stay in this cottage again?

I think there is every likelihood that we would stay here again. It was a lovely cottage in the perfect spot for exploring that higher part of The Peak District ... somewhere that we are never likely to tire of 😀

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