17 Nov 2022
The Weekend | Pubs, Sleep Deprivation & Back To The Old Hall For Sunday Roast
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.
24 Oct 2022
How To Spend A Day In Whitby, Yorkshire
We were holidaying along the Yorkshire coast and headed to Whitby for a day out, and from the moment we arrived to the moment we left, it was all glorious.
Start in Sandsend for lunch - Sandsend is a small fishing village about a mile from Whitby and it is very beautiful. There is a cafe on the edge, overlooking the beach, with panoramic views from the terrace. The food is relatively basic but on a sunny day, it was a particularly gorgeous spot.
Walk along the spectacular beach to Whitby itself - a bit of a stomp, but it was totally worth it. You can walk the entire length of the sprawling beach, past pretty multi-coloured beach huts with the lighthouse and the abbey drawing closer and closer. The views on that beach are just gorgeous. Eventually, we turned a corner and Whitby revealed herself, nestled into the valley and looking every inch the kind of place a gothic novel would be set.
Stop at Sanders Yard for delicious tart - my aunt recommended this place in the old town for coffee and cake as it was slightly off the tourist track. And what a recommendation! Tucked down a little cobbled lane, with fairylights strewn above pretty tables, this place does an incredible range of delicious tarts - treacle & orange, curd, Mississippi mud pie, white chocolate, peanut butter, crunchie baked cheesecake… to name a few! The treacle & orange was the kind of food that you still remember months down the line, and we had a very pleasant time sitting in that little spot munching on pie.
Have a little nose around the old town - cobbled streets, cute shop, ye olde pubs. What’s not to like? If you’re a book lover, check out The Whitby Bookshop which is very cute with a big curving staircase, pretty decorations and about a hundred different editions of Dracula.
Climb the famous 199 steps to the abbey - because have you even been to Whitby if you've not climbed the steps?! Also, the views are spectacular so it's a must. You do have to pay to go into the abbey but if you don't want to (like us), you still get a good view of it from close up once you're up there.
Have a drink at Whitby Brewery - a tour bus drew up to the abbey with an advert for Whitby brewery on it and before anyone could say 'beer', my husband (with baby attached) and step-dad were hot-footing it off into the distance. So what choice did my mum and I have but to follow? Set in the shadow of the abbey with a very nice local gin on offer (if you're not a beer drinker), this is an excellent spot for a drink in the sunshine and I would highly recommend.
Walk along the East Pier - back at sea level, we walked along the east pier to check out the lighthouse and the views of Whitby. Admittedly, bits of this did feel a tad precarious - a bridge that creaked ominously and boardwalk that felt very, ahem, hole-y - but when I was on the more solid stone section, I loved the sweeping views.
Get fish & chips from The Magpie - another recommendation from my aunt. Pricey but delicious fish and chips that we ate on a bench on the west pier as the sun began to cast a golden glow across the town.
Walk back along the coast - don't forget to duck through the famous whalebone arch on your way out of town as you walk back to the car along the seafront. If you're lucky like we were, you'll be treated to the most gorgeous sunset over the dramatic coastline. I cannot tell you how beautiful it was.
Whitby, you were the most pleasant surprise.
19 Oct 2022
Autumn Colours @ Chippenham Park Gardens, Ely
7 Oct 2022
Five Highlights From September
Delving back into these ‘five highlights’ post because I’ve missed capturing the monthly good stuff. Here’s the best bits from September:
Dining al fresco - we kicked off the month with our final outside dinner of the year. My sister & her partner were visiting and, along with my parents, we had curry, samosas, onion bhajis & naans out in the garden (post baby bedtime) and chatted until darkness fell and the candle burned low.
A holiday in Yorkshire – we spent eight nights on the Yorkshire coast, exploring Scarborough, Whitby and Robin Hood’s Bay and had an excellent time. Will be delving more into it in future posts but shout out to Whitby which we unexpectedly loved.
Garden centre trip – we met up with our friends Claire & Becca at a garden centre roughly halfway between us, which was in a very cute village with thatched cottages and a country pub. We had a lovely catch-up, walk in the countryside and collectively agreed that the garden centre was excellent. 30 going on 60.
Extra bank holiday – we are not royalists by any means but even we could acknowledge the historic significance of the queen dying. As two very tired parents though, we were mostly grateful for an extra day off, particularly as that Sunday night was brutal. We ended up having the slowest of days including all three us of taking a nap and a very gentle walk into town and stopping off at Starbucks (rebelliously still open) for a takeaway coconut hot chocolate.
Catching up with my girl Beth who, excitingly, has recently moved to the area to start her PhD. V excited to have her so close and looking forward to seeing what kind of chaos our two boys are going to create together in the next few years.
And one more for luck – we found a blackberry bush at the end of our road towards the beginning of the month, full of plump little berries. So, we went a picked a couple of handfuls and they were in a crumble by teatime. Stuff like this always gives me that warm glow feeling.
Hope you had a good month, dear reader.
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