Trip to Oswaldtwistle - Day 3

On the Monday of our trip we went on a magical mystery tour! Jacqui told us to be ready to leave at 11am. I was ready but then my mum rang me so it was 11.15 by the time we left. We set off in my car though, heading towards an antiques place.

When we got there Jacqui gave us each a fiver and told us we had to buy the 'best' thing for a fiver and she would be the judge of it. It was a fun game! There were plenty of treasures in the shop, which was huge, but I went for the Sound of Music soundtrack on 12" vinyl. I also bought myself some lapis lazuli earrings which are really lovely. Sadly I didn't win the game - Hilary did with her ceramic port dispenser that was just £4! 

Our next stop was a reservoir, we couldn't actually get to the one we first planned because the only road appeared to be one that said 'private road, no access to reservoir'. But there was another one just a bit further down so I parked on the side of the road and we walked down a little bit. We took some photos including a selfie of five of us. It was a lovely day - much better than the weather forecast had predicted. We stayed there for a little while then drove to Dolly's Tea Room in Darwen. 

Jacqui had booked afternoon tea as a surprise for us, but there was a bit of confusion because they thought there was only three of us, and then they weren't sure if they could accomadate a vegetarian because they weren't sure if the cakes were vegetarian. No love that's vegan you're thinking of, and I'm not one of them. But we got seated and were soon served with cups of soup as part of the afternoon tea. It was cauliflower and broccoli and tasted delicious! 

The afternoon tea had four sandwiches, vegetarian for me included carrot and hummus, egg, cheese and chutney and something else. Then there was a cheese and onion pie and coleslaw, and then a huge scone with jam and cream, and a mini chocolate eclair. It was all nice, as was my hot chocolate, but the service was a little strange and the owner just bizarre. We were all bemused. But it was nice food. 

We went back to the manor house and chilled out. Sam and Jac and I went in the hot tub again and then I showered in Sam's bathroom afterwards. In the evening we had party leftovers to eat.

Sam and Jac and I were all wearing dresses from Carolina Dress Room! Mine was new and has Schitt's Creek on it, I love it but I wish it had Johnny on it! 

I took this photo first thing from one of the lounge windows in the house 

Hilary took this photo of all five of us at the reservoir, I think it's lovely!

Sam took this of all four of us from down on the shore

And this one featuring herself too

I took this, the reservoir was completely still and beautiful

And this of Sam and Jac

Gorgeous!

I made everyone do round the table selfies as I do sometimes. I'm wearing contact lenses again, it was nice to be able to keep popping my sunglasses on and off

Dani and Sam

Dani and Jac

Jac and Hilary

Hilary and me!

Soup to start with, everyone enjoyed it 

My very overloaded hot chocolate

Afternoon tea

The sandwiches were secured with this very cute heart cocktail stick

Pie and a sandwich

Scone with cream and jam

In our Carolina Dress Room dresses!

The garden later on

Hot tub time again!

Jac and me

And with Sam included

I made us a cocktail - passoa and vodka and lemonade - it was yummy!

Trip to Oswaldtwistle - Day 2

On Sunday morning of our trip, I had a little lie in as I hadn't slept well at all. Then when I did get up, I kept my pyjamas on because I knew everyone else would still be in theirs. Sam and Jacqui made a Sunday dinner quite early; it was delicious! I had Richmond veggie sausages with mine. It was Jacqui's birthday and also Hilary's so they both opened their presents. 

I had taken my cross stitch with me but when I picked up my bag on Sunday morning to pull it out, I couldn't find the needle. I took everything out and looked really carefully, but could NOT find the needle. I was gutted as I didn't have another one with me. I read instead but I'd really like to have had that time to stitch! What's more annoying is that when I got home I opened the bag and the needle was right there in the middle of it! It must have been caught in a seam or something, but I thought I had been so careful in looking for it. Oh well!

I watched Jac and Dani play snooker and then I played too for a bit. At about 4pm Sam and Jac and I went in the hot tub. It was really hot and lovely - I'd love to have one but I couldn't fit one in my tiny garden! It's so nice on my joints. 

We eventually got out and then I went in the bath. I rarely have baths but this one was really big and had jacuzzi jets so I thought I'd give it a go. I added lots of bubble bath and it was so lovely. I wallowed and read for a bit before I got out. I had to be ready by 7.30 because it was time for.... school disco!

Jac had gone all out in decorating the games room and we had a disco ball to go with the music that we had all contributed tracks to. There were tons of pictures of people from the 90s and we all had to wear school stuff/what we wore in the 90s. Now I spent most of the 90s in a band t-shirt and baggy jeans (I was quite a gothic mosher type) but I didn't have either of those so I wore my pleather pleated skirt and a white top, and a pink and black striped tie that I used to wear to gigs in the mid 00s. I put a bit of make up on but then borrowed Sam's eyeliner because I wore a LOT of eyeliner in the 90s. I reckon I look like I've joined the Horrors, but no matter. We danced and chatted and laughed, it was so much fun. Jac and Sam had made a buffet which was lovely. We also cut Jac's cake - it was delicious! We finally went to bed about midnight; I was knackered!

Sunday dinner - I'm not usually a fan of cabbage and sprouts but it was so good!

Playing snooker 

Can you see the 90s pictures already up above the door?

Hot tub time!

With me and Sam and Jac in it

Bath rime!

My legs were folded in front of me, proving how big this bath was

Nearly ready for a school disco

Jac made us all bracelets with dummies on  - did you collect those in the 90s?

Ah that's better, with a ton of eyeliner

Here's a photo of me wearing a tiara and carrying a wand on my last day of school in 2000

Oh god Jac bought us each a LITRE bottle of Hooch - I never actually drank it as a teenager. I preferred Smirnoff Ice or vodka, lime and lemonade. My mum loved Hooch though! 

We had one hundred glowsticks between us! I made a flower

And so did Dani! 

We managed to get the timer working to take a photo of all five of us. Sam is wearing her actual school shirt! I put my Dr Marten shoes on too because I definitely wore them to school in the 90s

The lovely buffet and the disco ball lighting

Sam made everyone's name in glowsticks

And finally here's me and Sam and Jac <3

Trip to Oswaldtwistle - Day 1

My friend Jacqui was forty last September and wanted a bunch of her friends to go away with her, but thanks to Covid it had to be cancelled, so we rescheduled for this year. Thankfully everyone tested negative so we were able to go. There was me, Sam, Jac, Hilary and Dani. Hilary is Jac's housemate, and Dani is Jac's friend from South Wales; I've not met her before. Jacqui had chosen an old manor house near Accrington to go to - it had six bedrooms and five bathrooms so everyone was able to have a bedroom and a bathroom each. I snagged the downstairs bedroom which was far better for me. 

We couldn't check in until 5pm so I made plans to pick Sam up at 3pm. Jacqui and Hilary came to mine to put some stuff in my car because they had to pick Dani up and just didn't have room. Fortunately my car had plenty of space! Lee and I went to the pub for some lunch and then I set off for Sam's. We popped into Sainsbury's on the way, and reached the manor house at just after 5pm. 

It was huge! At one end was a huge, well equipped kitchen, with a big dining table. My bedroom and bathroom were next, and then two living rooms, a big hallway, a games room with snooker table, and a conservatory. Upstairs were five bedrooms, three ensuite and two sharing a bathroom. Then outside there was a hot tub and I had made sure to take my swimming costume!

We unpacked everything - the fridge was very full with alcohol - and then I made fajitas for tea. Sam helped; she cut up the chicken for me because since going veggie I'm a bit squeamish about that. I had halloumi fajitas which were so good. There was a big range cooker but we didn't get that going, so there was an induction hob to use which took us a minute to work out. 

After tea we just sat around chatting which was nice! I was wearing this lips t-shirt from Simply Be forever ago, and a new skirt from Carolina Dress Room. I bought it cheap in a lucky dip and when it arrived it was a Size 3 not a Size 4. It fits me, but I was a bit unsure about the length... But decided to wear it anyway. And I think it looks fine so I just need to get over it! I like the pattern on it, it's cute. 

This picture proves just how full Lee's car was! 

Me and Sam on our way! 

The huge dining room and kitchen 

My bedroom, the window looked out on to the hot tub

My bathroom with jacuzzi bath

I ordered Jac a cake and despite being really careful with it in the car, it didn't survive the journey intact. But it still looked cute and it tasted good!

The fridge - I must point out that the lager was there when we arrived, but yes that was a lot of bottles of wine...

And finally my outfit!