A Much Needed Break - Part Two

I took two books away with me, but just about managed to get through this one, it was a really good read and I really enjoyed it. 

It was the perfect holiday book in fact.

While I read my book Alan sat and soaked up the rays, or read through the three newspapers he bought.  It's funny, but the only time he buys newspapers is when we are on holiday.

Sundays afternoon entertainment was a Westlife tribute act.  Although I was never really that into Westlife, they did sing the songs really well and sounded very authentic.

After a little bit more outside time it was time to go and get changed for the evening meal and the evening entertainment.

On Sunday night it was a Spice Girls tribute act.  They weren't bad, but they were possibly the worst of all the tribute acts we saw over the weekend.

Then it was time to retire, and have a final night in our lovely spacious, air-conditioned room.

Now that we are home, it's time to get our current house tidied, sorted and all ready to be photographed for going on the market at the start of next month.  We have managed to get through virtually all of our savings doing the work that we have done already on the bungalow, so it's imperative that we try and get a quick sale and replenish the coffers.

As always after a holiday of any length, I am so glad to be back home, in my own bed, with my own things all around me ... even if I do have to cook and wash pots.  😄

Sue xx

 

A Much Needed Break

Heythrop Park Hotel

Cotswolds, UK

A relaxing and much needed destination for a weekend away as we reach the halfway stage in the renovations at the bungalow. 

 We had a quick pit stop on the way, to have a much needed coffee each and share a tuna, sweetcorn and pasta salad.  It was a five hour, but relatively easy journey from home to the Cotswolds.  SatNavs are brilliant things. 😀

When we arrived we settled into our room and then a had a lovely meal before settling down for our 'Tribute Acts' weekend. 

The first night's entertainment was a Bryan Adams tribute  ... Bein' Adams.  He sounded just like the real thing according to Alan who is a big Adams fan.

After a multi-course breakfast on Saturday we had a lovely lazy day.  Exploring the hotel, reading,  drinking coffee and just generally unwinding.   Alan has needed this time-out for a while.

After a very lazy morning we both enjoyed the Kylie Minogue tribute 'Kylie Fied' in the afternoon. 

Followed by the Madonna tribute in the evening, before the masses piled into the theatre venue to watch the England world cup match live on the big screen. 

 We retired to our room, where I fell asleep instantly and Alan managed to stay awake long enough to see the first half.  Neither of us are football fans ... sorry.  😄

Meanwhile, back at home Ginger is very happy with Uncle Jason, who has been busy watering the garden for me and relaxing himself. 

I'm sure he was tuned into the football match, he's much more of a footie fan than us. ⚽️

Sue xx

 

Cash, Food ... and Cheap Holidays

 

This is the last of my cash until my pension hits my bank account, which will be soon I hope as I was down to £31.31 at the start of the week, and it's even less now that I've been tempted to buy a few things.  

I spent £10.39 in Sainsbury's the other day, all on things that I had either on a Nectar price or a personal offer, so it was worth getting them while they were cheaper.  Even if that does mean that I now have just £20.92 left in the kitty.

I really did fancy some ice-cream for the bank holiday weekend, so even if that was the only thing not on an offer, it was well worth the £3.25 it cost me.

This morning we went to Morecambe for breakfast and it was going to be a walk on the prom, but it was so chilly with a really low lying sea mist and a cold breeze, we didn't stay for long.

Before we left though I picked up my unused sugar packs from the café, and then we went into the animal charity shop for a quick browse.  Alan bought me this tiny little cup, which will be adorning my Christmas tree along with my other miniature china pieces later this year.

On the way home Alan wanted to stop at the big Sainsbury's to get a pack of steaks for his tea, so we called in.  The 'Bake at Home' baguettes were £2 a pack or 2 packs for £3.  So Alan gave me one of the packs along with the promise of half his cucumber and a carton of orange juice. 

 Who said romance was dead.  😄 

In other news ... my bus pass arrived this morning, so there has been much teasing and planning being done by Alan.  He fancies some holidays around England being done via bus routes and bed and breakfasts, it should work out a very cheap way to do things.  We'll see. 

Sue xx

Appreciating What You Already Have

 

After sitting looking at the soil and rock pile at our new bungalow the other day, shown on Thursday's post, I came home and appreciated what we have here all the more.

Having no money at all to spend on the garden this year is setting me a nice little challenge, making the most of what I already have.  The little tin bath at my front door has been refreshed with the free rockery plant that I got from the garden centre as their April freebie for card holders ... along with the usual two free coffees.

The forget-me-not seeds that we got off the vets after Suky was cremated appear each year, (both Suky's and Mavis' ashes are in this little tin bath, so they will always be with us).  The tall twiggy plant at the back grew from sticks that were in a bouquet of flowers that Alan bought me a few years ago, I just pushed them into the soil et voila.  💖

The little vegetable bed at the end of the back garden had this years veggie seeds sown yesterday.  

There are just rocket, radish and three types of salad leaves in there for now, along with the perennial chives and thyme plants.  Seemingly there's also a random potato plant, which I didn't have the heart to pull up, but I will have to won't I ... maybe I'll try to transplant it.  😀

I was also going to sow some spring onion seeds, but I have none.  Also, much to my dismay I have absolutely NO tomato seeds.  How did that happen?  I was so upset going through my seeds tin and finding it devoid of tomato seeds that Alan asked what sort I had wanted to sow.  I told him that I was simply going to have a couple of hanging baskets of 'Tumbling Toms' this year, so he said that he will buy me a couple of plants when we next go to a garden centre.  Which I think will be very soon with a Bank Holiday Weekend upon us and two free coffees available at two of our favourite ones

Across from the vegetable bed the rhubarb is looking brilliant already and will soon start to be picked, and the apple tree is having a very leafy and blossomy time.  As are the blueberry bushes, two are full of little flowers and the third is the one that always blooms a bit later anyway.

As you may have spotted on the new header photo, we also have a little bit more colour appearing now that the daffodils have all gone over.  

I'm putting the photo here as well as one day in possibly the not too distant future, the header will change and then later readers will not know what on earth I was on about. 😄

Ginger in the garden first thing yesterday morning. 🐱

I hope he's still with us when we move, and that we can make him a new garden to explore and play in.

I hope you have a wonderful Bank Holiday Weekend, if it is one where you are.

Sue xx

Happy Thanksgiving

 

Happy Thanksgiving to all my readers who live in the countries that celebrate this day.  

I hope you have a lovely day with family, friends, or by simply choosing to mark the day in the way that suits you best.

'Reading by the Firelight' ... Unknown Artist

Sue xx

Studley Castle Hotel, and Stratford Upon Avon

Although the skies looked grey when we arrived it was such a relief to see the hotel when we pulled up.

  The journey on the last Bank Holiday of the year before Christmas had been horrendous.  What should have been a three hour drive ... with perhaps a stop for lunch ... had turned out to be an almost six hour drive with a much needed break at the services.  We had to queue in the car just to get into the motorway services, so you can imagine the hordes of people in there!!

We don't normally go away, or even have a day trip on a Bank Holiday, but we had to take advantage of Jason and Tash, their one week holiday off work and their need of a break at our house to be able to leave Ginger in good hands.  Although he still looks good in photos he is actually a frail old boy these days, and he has to come first.

 

The view from our patio at the back of the hotel.  

I sat out here every morning.  I rise early and Alan rises late, so it was the perfect place to listen to the birdsong, watch the sheep in the fields, drink coffee and read my book without disturbing Alan.

The coffee and 'afternoon tea' lounge.

We had coffee in there just the once as it made no sense to pay for a coffee when we had such good brewing up facilities in our room.

Where we sat.

We had a mooch about the hotel on our third day, this is the main staircase.

Alan lay on the floor to get me a photograph of the stained glass shields at the top of the tower.  So I dropped my bag down on him and filmed a little clip for Instagram. He enjoyed the little lie down.  😄

The photo he got, slightly wonky ... but then so is my man.  😁

Looking down from the gallery where we were, Well I looked down, Alan is afraid of heights and this was just too high for him.

A typical start to breakfast.

Usually followed by a full 'English' for Alan and fried bread with fried eggs for me.

A typical evening meal main course chosen from the buffet.

We had three courses most nights, although my only choice for a dessert was the vegan salted caramel ice-cream or a face pullingly tangy lemon sorbet, slightly disappointing.

Tuesday was the highlight of the week, we went on the coach trip to Stratford Upon Avon, the birthplace of William Shakespeare.

It was so busy along the main street, with hoards of overseas visitors clustered around their tour guides. We kept it simple and strolled along the street admiring the wonderful architecture as we went.

William Shakespeare's birthplace, way back in 1564, now a museum.  

We didn't go in, there were huge queues and it was far too hot to be indoors with a large throng of people.  We sat outside the café opposite and drank coffee and ate chips with mayonnaise.

We made our way to the end of the main high street to the river, or is this part the canal?  We had no idea, but a tourist carrying wide-beam went into the lock, so I suspect it's the canal that leads to the river.

We sat for quite a while in the sun listening to possibly one of the poshest buskers ever on his baby grand piano.  (I did once see a cello and violin playing pair in  Oxford.)

His repertoire was amazing, but how he coped in the heat I really don't know.

More swans, gorgeous bridges.

A lovely memorial.

We walked back down the high street after a hour or so and went into M&S for a coffee, and to buy me a pair of jeans.  I had forgotten to bring my second pair, so I had one pair of jeans to my name and for some reason Alan had brought THREE pairs of trainers with him.

Our packing for holidays obviously needs improving!!

Words carved into the pavements.

This is a library I would love to be a member of.  💖

The final nights entertainment back at the hotel was a Burlesque and comedy show, and it was really good.  Although with an average age of about 70 in the audience I was hoping the guys had all taken their blood pressure medication!!

With the week over I got together all our saved freebies, it was quite a stash but I did leave behind a lot of the coffees, just tipping some of them into my little jar that travels on all holidays with me ... did I mention that I am a Nescafe addict!!  There are so many biscuits there as they all contained milk so I couldn't eat any of them.  Alan will be eating them up over the course of this week for his elevenses.

So that was our holiday to Studley Castle in Warwickshire, our third Warner Leisure Hotel in the last three years.  

Thanks to all of you who asked to see the photos, and apologies to any of you who like me feel like going to sleep over other peoples holiday snaps.  😄

Sue xx

A New Beginning

 

September 

- from my Lucy Almey-Bird calendar.

A new month, a new season and a new beginning.

Well that's how it always feels for me at the start of Autumn.  For all the people that love the Summer, I am instead one of the fewer number that love Autumn rolling in with all it's 'mists and mellow fruitfulness'.  

Coming back off our holiday where we had had a week of sunshine and warmth, to the heavy rain of Saturday and the much cooler temperatures of today, made the first day of Autumn even more special somehow.

  I went on holiday knowing that I would be using it as a reset to a lot more than just the weather.  As you all know I have been running down the cupboards and the freezer, using up all the foods that I wasn't really wanting to carry on eating.  I had drunk all the wine that I had in the Lodge, not all in one go I hasten to add!!  😄 

But over the last couple of weeks it had all been drunk and enjoyed.  When Alan reached to pick up a couple of bottles last time we were in Aldi together I told him firmly to 'put them back'.  Don't worry, I wasn't banning him as he rarely drinks wine, but he has the habit of always having bottles in his fridge and cupboard to offer to me when I'm at his in the evening.

So the last evening of our holiday was my last day drinking any alcohol, at least until Christmas, or I may just have a single glass on our wedding anniversary in December, but none until then at the very least.  I have done well eating my way through the the freezer, although it's now messy, as is my inventory, and both need sorting out.  The fridge is looking sparse and sparkly white now that I am back home and cooking for myself, and I am about to really start to make inroads into the cupboard store of food, especially all the out of date and things dated for this year in the top section.

Today though is all about making my home look, and hopefully feel a bit cosier, taking a smidge of inspiration from the picture above my desk.  It's very chilly at the moment, and while the heating hasn't been switched on yet, I have dug out a jumper to wear over my t-shirt and the immediate cosiness feels very welcome.  

So today, after a warming cup of coffee and a trip around blogland, my little vignettes on the sideboard and radiator shelf will be changed slightly, highlighting books in different colours and taking away some of the cooling look that has been in place over the Summer months.

I haven't shared any of my holiday photos as I'm not sure if you would like to see them, and those of you on Instagram have already been bombarded!   Sometime other peoples holiday snaps can be slightly wearisome, if however, you would like to see a few images of our hotel and some photos of Stratford Upon Avon let me know in the comments and I will happily oblige later in the week.

Sue xx

Menus ... and Holidays

 

My menu planning from the freezer is going really well, with lots of things now being used up nicely and giving me back some space in there.   Here is last weeks menu, and as you can see all but one of the meals was eaten as planned, and all of them contained at least something from the freezer.

This weeks menu looks very different.

That's because we are off to this magnificent looking castle for our holidays.

It's a Warner Leisure Hotel called Studley Castle Hotel and it's in Warwickshire.  This will be our third holiday with them all in different venues.  We stayed at Alvaston Hall in Cheshire back in September 2022 and then Holme Lacey House in Hereford in May 2023.  Hopefully this holiday will be just as fantastic as they were, although none will ever be as memorable as the 2022 one. ❤

Alan wants it to be our mission to visit them all, we'll have to see about that.  😄

Anyway knowing that we would be away all week there really was minimal shopping to be done, so it was a few real necessities for me and Ginger, bananas for the journey, and a couple of boxes of fish fillets to restock the freezer ever so slightly.

The first thing that I got organised was my holiday reading, and I decided to take these two books off my 'to be read' pile.  Looking at the titles I do hope I don't become the Missing Wife ... or have to Walk Home!!  😁

Don't worry about Ginger, he and the houses are going to be in the capable hands of Jason and Tash, who are holidaying in our home as a change from living as they do, in the holiday capital of the North West ... Blackpool.

There will still be posts each day next week, as I have been a busy bee double blogging all week to give  you something to peruse in my absence, although I may not be answering comments, sorry.  I will tell you all about our holiday when we return next week, unless you are on Instagram then there may be a few little reels and posts.

Sue xx