The Weekend | Pubs, Sleep Deprivation & Back To The Old Hall For Sunday Roast

Sleep, or lack thereof, has really taken a turn for the worse in the last week. And it was pretty shit to begin with. So, we woke up with no plans or energy on Saturday. We being myself and Gary that is; baby boy has enough energy to power the national grid and had plans to throw his toys around with as much force as possible. But then my parents called and asked if we fancied going out for a pub lunch. We never say no to a pub lunch. 

We went to a pub called Five Miles From Anywhere which is close to our nearest (and one of our favourite) National Trust Places, Wicken Fen. The pub is a bit unassuming on the outside but it is located right on the river, so the garden is a gorgeous spot to sit for some lunch. And yes, we were sat outside which is weird in November, but I’m casually brushing over that alarming fact because this is a nice weekend recap and not an insight into my existential terror over climate change. 

Once I had a belly full of pie and chips, we made our way into the Wicken Fen nature reserve which was absolutely stunning with the big skies and low sun. There were so many gorgeous views, our little boy giggling on daddy’s shoulders, a hazelnut hot chocolate that tasted like Ferrero Rocher chocolates and a stunning sunset. 

On Sunday, after – you guessed it – another shit night’s sleep, we woke up again with no energy but this time, we did have pre-arranged plans. Pre-arranged plans that even severe sleep deprivation wasn’t going to deter me from. Sunday roast! 

After such a lovely anniversary dinner at The Old Hall back in June, we were easily persuaded to go back when we saw that they were offering Sunday roasts. We’ve still not really mastered the organisation required post-baby to have regular date nights yet (working on it) so heck, call this a few months’ worth of date nights. We even managed to talk about things other than our baby which I’d say is a win.

Can confirm that a roast lunch at The Old Hall was just as good an experience as dinner, and the views particularly beautiful with added autumnal colours. I started with the mushroom tagliatelle (I usually avoid mushrooms, but I just knew this would be good), then moved onto the roast beef, complete with roasties, yorkshire pudding and cauliflower cheese, and finished with the chocolate & hazelnut sponge with mocha anglaise. It. Was. So. Bloody. Good. Also had a gorgeous glass of wine which I sipped very slowly, partly to savour because I could not justify the cost of another and partly because after nearly two years of minimal drinking, I am the world’s biggest light weight these days. We finished with hot chocolate by the open fire which was so cosy and calming. 

When we went back to my parents to pick up our bubba, we found they were still out for a walk, so the weekend ended with us both taking an unexpected nap in my parents’ living room which was a glorious treat.