I continued to sample the various breakfast options choosing different items from the hot cooked buffet selection. It was only after I had made my selection that I noticed crusty bread was on offer to accompany the continental breakfast options, unlike the previous days.

After breakfast we took a leisurely walk through town in the direction of the Railway station here the BBC studios are located, we had a tour booked. Our walk took us through shopping arcades where most of the outlet brands were unfamiliar to me. The most familiar brand we noticed was John Lewis where we both enjoyed a mooch around the gift section and Mr C had to check out the cookshop for something we might just need in the kitchen.

We arrived at the BBC studios earlier than our scheduled tour so we retraced our stops the arcade, and the Costa Coffee shop where we could put our feet up and wait for our timeslot.

We still had to wait outside the BBC studios until 15 minutes before our timeslot. We had to go through airport-style security before the tour took place. The tour was excellent and it shed the light on BBC documentary and news broadcasting. We were even able to see a live broadcast, a BBC Cymru news bulletin, whilst standing to one side hidden from the cameras.

The secrets of green screen recording were explained. What you see on screen for broadcasts is quite often not actually in the studio but added in digitally. We also went in a “dead room”, where radio drama is recorded and all sound is deadened to prevent echoes and ensure perfect sound quality in each recording.

We glimpsed the Tardis and a Dalek on our way to learn about how programmes queued up and how the voiceovers linking one programme finishing and the next one started are prepared and broadcast.

By the time the tour had finished it was time for a late lunch. We opted to dine in Pret a Manger, next to the BBC studio, after which we walked back into town through the shopping arcades. Back in town we returned to the Castle Arcade where we had another mooch around the board game shop. This time we came away with a game called Viticulture, a game about cultivating and harvesting grape vines for winemaking.

I thought we were going to sit in the lovely café that we had enjoyed on our previous visit to the arcade, but instead Mr C took us to the nearby Blue Bell pub instead. Rather than the apple juice I had in mind from the café I opted for a glass of wine which turned out to be quite bland compared to other wines that I had sampled during our stay in Wales.

We chilled out in our room before walking to the Parkgate Hotel, which was further away than Mr C had expected leading us to route march through town to arrive in time. The receptionist who showed us to our table was a bit stuffy and slightly unwelcoming rushing us to sit down.

Next, we were welcomed by a lady who brought us menus and later our wine selection. We were subsequently served by a delightful waiter, Mo who was courteous and attentive to our needs. The food was beautifully presented and delicious making this dining experience to be a perfect last meal to our holiday.

Before returning to the hotel for the evening we paid a return visit to The Cottage for a nightcap where once again we watched a silent film highlighting locations in Wales. After watching it for the second time we still weren’t able to identify all of them.

On Bank Holiday Monday we drove to Liverpool to visit the Doctor Who Worlds of Wonder exhibition. The exhibition, which is housed in The World Museum; explores the science behind the Doctor Who TV series that first aired in 1963. As well as exploring the science, the exhibition also explores how some of the aliens were inspired by nature and some of the alien worlds where Doctor Who episodes were set.

We arrived in Liverpool and found the perfect parking spot, leaving us plenty of time to get to the museum for the time we had booked our tickets. However, we could not find signs to the museum so we entered the nearest museum to ask for directions. The lady we spoke gave us detailed directions and told us it was 20 minutes walk away. Mr C opted to drive rather than walk. The new carpark only allowed payment by phone app. Twenty minutes later the app had still not allowed payment; the payment procedure kept going around in a loop. During this frustrating process Mr C managed to drop his phone and damage it. This was even more frustrating because it was a new phone just a few days old.

We had to move the car yet again to a car park that allowed more conventional payment methods. We walked to the museum and had lunch before entering the exhibition an hour and half late! The exhibition was excellent, although we would have liked a bit more of Doctor Who himself. Afterwards, we explored other exhibit halls in the museum, particularly enjoying the Egyptian display.

On our way home, Mr C said he wanted a cup of tea so we stopped at Cheshire Oaks. I think he secretly had some shops in mind too. The place was heaving and for me it was a living hell but luckily I was able to find the perfect seat in an oasis of calm that allowed me to watch the madness swirl around me. A merry band of starlings were searching for crumbs under the tables and around our feet. They were delightful to see so close up. One hopped up from the floor, then onto the bench next to Mr C before hopping onto our table. Only now realising that we were there, it launched itself into  a skiddy upward flight accompanied by an alarmed squeaky chirp.