Today was my birthday so I enjoyed a cup of tea in bed whilst opening prezzies. Breakfast was much as I remembered it although now it is completely self service whereas on our previous visit some of the breakfast items such as eggs were cooked fresh to order.

After breakfast we walked through misty Harrogate to Valley Gardens then through the Pinewoods to the RHS Harlow Carr.

By the entrance to the pinewoods, I stopped to take a photo of the beautiful autumn trees. A gentleman saw me and asked if Mr C and I would like him to take a photo of us together; he had also seen the photographic scene. After he had kindly taken the photo, we got chatting to him and his wife. They told us of a potential walk near Knaresborough where the trees are spectacular at this time of year.

It was mizzley and misty as we walked but by the time we had arrived at the garden the mist lifted to reveal brilliant sunshine. We enjoyed our early lunch of poached salmon and prawn sandwiches in a window seat in Betty’s where we enjoyed looking at the garden lit up by the sun.

Rather than follow our sandwich with a cake, we decided to take advantage of the sunny weather to enjoy the gardens at their best. The autumnal colours were spectacular. The sun graced us with its presence until we left the gardens through the shop and made a return visit to Betty’s for the cake we had promised ourselves.

The weather had become overcast as we walked back to town, with a lite sprinkling of rain. I had also been rather forgetful after my recent visit to Cardiff and had not recharged my second camera battery! So, part way through the return walk, I had to resort to plan B, my mobile phone camera.

Back in town Mr C took me to the board game shop, Gamers Crusade and bought me an extra birthday present, Kelp, the game that caught my eye the previous day.  Back in the hotel room we weren’t able to crack it open and play it. Although the room was large there was no table to play it on.

Later we dined in the hotel restaurant, The Pickled Sprout. Before dining we had an aperitif in the bar, once again perched on high stools which I found difficult to navigate in a skirt. When it was time to dine, we relocated to more comfortable seating in the restaurant. The lighting was rather dim making it difficult to read the menu (the couple next to us resorted to their mobile phone torches). I chose fish and chips; the fish melted in my mouth but the meal portion was enormous! Mr C chose salmon which was slightly overcooked accompanied by undercooked stringy beans. Perhaps not quite the gourmet experience for a ‘special’ birthday meal.

Before returning to our room we rounded off the evening with a nightcap in the bar where, thankfully, there was room to sit on the more comfortable lower-level seats.

Feeling refreshed after a good night’s sleep in the bed that was as comfortable as it looked, it was time for breakfast. There were interesting and unusual options on the menu. I opted for the American style pancakes with fruit compote and when it arrived the portion was huge. As other dishes were delivered to nearby tables I noticed that the other choices were also huge.

We had a few hours available before our ‘Afternoon Seas’ lunch, which was part of Mr C’s ’special birthday’ present in 2024. Circumstances got in the way so we only managed to enjoy the present just – before his next birthday. The ’special lunch’ was in the Assembly House which is why we chose to stay there.

We walked into town to find the lovely art shop that is part of the Jarrold’s department store. There were a lot of things to tempt me but I have enough colouring pencils and resisted the urge to add a new make of pencils to my collection. I bought a few smaller (useful) items that will enhance the enjoyment of what I already have.

There is currently a GoGoSafari animal trail around Norwich and I took the opportunity to photograph the sculptures that we saw on our morning walk. Our walk took us past the colourful market stalls where Mr C bought his first Christmas present when he saw the perfect present of 2025 for one of his friends. Our walk took us past the model shop where on our previous visit Mr C had made a purchase. He didn’t need anything new this time but couldn’t resist going inside because we knew they stock a few board games.

I saw Castle Combo which looked interesting but rather than impulse buy I researched it on the Board Game Geek whilst having an Elderflower Presse in a nearby café. The game had a favourable write up so I purchased it before we returned to the billet to freshen up for the main event of the day, the long awaited ‘Afternoon Seas’.

The ‘Afternoon Seas’ lived up to our expectation, the service was impeccable and the food was both delicious and beautifully presented. After our indulgent lunch we chilled out on the patio next to our room before walking back into town to visit the Cathedral.

It was good to see the Cathedral without the scaffolding that had surrounded the organ on our previous visit. Now the building felt complete rather than split into two halves and I was able to feel and enjoy the atmosphere of the space within.

We then returned to the billet where I had a refreshing shower to wash away the afternoon heat before another lazy chill out on the patio. Well, a chill out was the intention but it was interrupted by a rather noisy demonstration in the nearby square.

Our evening meal was in the Gem of Norwich which serves Turkish cuisine. Mr C had miscalculated how far the restaurant was in relation to where we were staying. It was a long walk… The menu was extensive, I chose chicken salad which I thought would be a light option. I was wrong, the portion could easily have fed two people and the dish Mr C chose was just as large which, unusually, left him over faced by his portion. From where I was sitting, I could see most people were going home with doggy bags. The food quality was excellent but for me it wasn’t the best dining experience due to the enormous portions.

On the way back to our billet we returned to the Murderers Arms for a nightcap which we enjoyed sitting outside in the warm evening air.

or… was it just a welcome time to chill out

I walk to my Thursday volunteering session at my local school whatever the weather. Usually the weather is kind to me but today it was a little damp.

Later in the day we dined out at the Bear Inn, Hodnet for a birthday celebration.

After a good night’s sleep, it was time to find out what was on offer for breakfast. Cold buffet options were on display but hot food was cooked to order. I was pleasantly surprised to see that my favourite breakfast options; tomatoes on toast, mushrooms on toast, egg on toast were listed as options on the menu rather than me having to pick the items from the full English breakfast choice.

The weather was perfect (hot and sunny) for our planned visit to Slimbridge wetlands centre for Mr C’s birthday.

Slimbridge was every bit as good as I remembered it from my childhood visits. There is an abundance of birds to see and most of them were out on display rather than hiding. With the help of volunteers and local enthusiasts we were introduced to wildlife and fascinating conservation tales that we would not have discovered without their enthusiasm to share information.

Amongst other things we learned about how Peter Scott rescued the nēnē goose from the brink of extinction and were shown a large number of cranes congregating on the Severn estuary.  We didn’t see the advertised pelicans but enjoyed seeing all six species of flamingo.

Despite my declaration that I wouldn’t be buying anything from the shop, I came away with two books…

Back at the hotel we chilled out with a cup of tea in our room before a pre-dinner Prosecco on the hotel terrace. After dining we returned to the hotel terrace and watched the sun setting over the Gloucestershire countryside.

PS: Mr C was with us

The day when I should have been packing for my twice (due to lockdowns) postponed holiday in celebration of my significant birthday last November was busier than planned.

In the morning I attended one of my former WW leaders’ coaching sessions. After being made redundant in late 2020 she has set up her own business as a weight loss coach. On the way home I called in at a local garden centre for an anniversary card but ended up with a new pair of shoes for my holiday.

This holiday was now due to coincide with our anniversary and we had extended it from four to seven nights. I had not dared to look forward to the holiday in case it was postponed again so I was totally disorganised and without a plan for what I needed to pack. I managed to get everything organised but not entirely packed before it was time for a late afternoon visit to my in laws to celebrate our anniversary with them.

Later we were invited to dinner in a local eatery by a couple of family members for a belated birthday meal. This celebratory meal meant that now I had officially reached the age of my significant birthday. We had an evening of laughter and I ordered what turned out to be a whale of a cod.

When we returned home we had a nightcap on the patio looking forward to our holiday as the sun set.

Mr C woke up at 7.17, precisely two minutes after the alarm was due to go off! When we opened the curtains sunshine blazed through the windows and the Malvern hills were layered in soft mist. Breakfast was freshly cooked to order and lived up to our expectations.

We settled our bill and, before departing took a walk around the hotel’s garden which was delightful in the sunshine. We had hoped to visit the nearby Grade I listed St. Leonard’s Church to see the frescoes. However when we arrived the church was closed and there was no indication of opening times. So we headed off in the direction of Croome where the Shutterchance meetup was taking place later in the day.

On the way, we stopped off at a viewpoint showing the positions of the the armies during the battle of Worcester. Trees were obscuring some of the locations making them difficult to see. We got to Croome early so we took a slight detour down country lanes to Defford before returning.

At Croome our first port of call was a drink in the cafe before venturing into the grounds. The sunny weather showed off the grounds in a favourable light unlike our previous visit when it poured down. The field in front of the house contained several large hay bales which enhanced the scene.

We returned to the cafe for lunch and to find some of the Shutterchancers had arrived so we joined them for a chat until the rest of the group arrived. We all headed off into the grounds, cameras at the ready.

At the house we were able to join one of the attic guided tours which was very interesting because the attic is being used to store items until the property’s various rooms are sufficiently restored to be able to display them. We were shown paintings of former owners and residents of the house and given a brief history about them. Some of the rooms also held restored and partially restored furniture.

In one of the rooms the guide pointed out some markings on the floor that had mostly been covered over with shelving (for now) partially protecting them. The guide advised that this was the place where exorcisms took place when the hall was the headquarters for The International Society for Krishna Consciousness in the late 70s and early 80s.

After the tour, we made our way back to the cafe where everyone was congregating to celebrate a 70th birthday. Yes, there was cake and very colourful it was too. All too soon it was time for us to begin our journey home.

I have just come inside from watching the stars and planets twinkling and rotating above my garden. The heavenly bodies were accompanied by a bat flitting about catching insects in the twilight. It was a perfect end to a perfect day.

It was Mr C’s birthday and we spent the day at Chester Zoo. The weather was perfect (glorious sunshine) which meant that some of the animals were more sensible that us humans, they were hiding in the shady parts of their domain. One of the animals that I was privileged to see was a newly born Zebra foal. I had no idea it was so young and wondered why there was a camera crew in front of the enclosure as we wandered past. Then Mr C overheard a comment about the lovely young Zebra being one day old.

After our day out we considered stopping off for dinner on the way home but dismissed that thought and decided ‘fine dining’ on the patio would be a more enjoyable option. It led to planets, stars and the occasional bat

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