Easter 2026 - Day 2

On Easter Saturday we had a lazy morning with my cousin Peter, had some lunch at home made up of god knows what found in the fridge and cupboards, and then headed into Barnsley. I had booked us a game of bowling at the new Superbowl that is in the regenerated town centre near where the main library is. I haven't been in there before so didn't realise it's like a whole arcade up there. I will say that getting up to the bowling was annoying - there's a lift but it requires a member of staff/key to make it work, and he wasn't downstairs when we got there so my cousin went upstairs to ask him to bring the lift down. That's fine if you're with someone able bodied but if you're not, what then? 

We played our bowling game first. If I score over hundred I think I've done well and I did! Plus I relaly enjoyed it. I should have booked two games really but not to worry. Lee won of course but Peter and I were really close to each other. Then we played some of the other arcade games - air hockey (which I won at because I always do) and then one of those basketball games. I had a go first and did way better than I thought I would, but then I did play basketball for my school back when I was fourteen ish. Then Peter had a go and did way better than me, oh well! 

We left Barnsley and went to the Toby Carvery near where we used to live for tea. Lee would go there all the time but I have to be in the mood but when he suggested it I agreed and Peter did too of course. I don't get any vegetarian mains, I just get Yorkshire pudding and all the vegetables and it's plenty for me. The man serving insisted I had two Yorkshire puddings so I didn't complain! 

When we got home I sorted out some things that we had brought back from my mum's attics. I found my pink tiara which I have had for almost thirty years and which I wore to death in my teens because I was a fucking Manics fan and we all did it. I also found this gorgeous photo of me, Stacey, Gemma and Helen on the day we left school back in 2000. Stacey and I went to sixth form together but lost touch until we were 24, we've been friends ever since. We got back in touch with Gemma when Facebook happened and I've met up with her a ton of times since, but I haven't been in touch with Helen since I left school. It's weird how life happens isn't it? 

Anyway I love this photo - we all look so young and beautiful and vibrant and full of life. As someone said when I posted this on Instagram, it's giving Derry Girls. Too cute. 

When we had sorted some things out Lee and Peter put them in the attic. Oh actually I think earlier in the day they had worked together to put a couple of shelves up in the attic, which was so helpful and I'm so glad Peter helped because I really couldn't have done! 

Lee is quite good at bowling - we all did better with the barriers up though

Here's Peter going as well

I put Lee and I in as Bee and Lee so then had to add Peter as Pee which he wasn't too happy about haha

Peter on the basketball game thing

Carvery! So much deliciousness!

Wearing my ridiculous tiara from when I was a teenager

And finally the photo of all four of us, so cute!

Easter 2026 - Day 1

My cousin Peter came to stay with us for Easter, which was lovely. As at New Year, we didn't do tons of things, but we did enough and had fun! He arrived about 5pm on the Thursday afternoon, having taken the afternoon off work, and we made some tea and gave him some Easter eggs and watched films for the evening. 

On Good Friday we went to Yummy Yorkshire for brunch. I had only booked it the day before so the only tables available were outside, which are little wooden booths and which have heaters, so I thought it would be okay. We turned up and got seated and ordered hot drinks. The waitress offered us blankets as well as the heater, which were welcome because it was incredibly windy which was making it cold! 

I went for a vegetarian breakfast which came with halloumi, which was nice. Then for ice cream I had chocolate something and mint choc chip, with a fudge stick. Peter and Lee enjoyed their food too. I haven't been there in ages and we had been dithering about where to go for days so I'm glad I thought of there. 

After brunch we headed off to Dunelm to buy paint which I'm sure they used to sell but they don't anymore? So that was annoying. We did pop into Tesco to get tea for me and Peter, as Lee was off to a gig. Then we headed to Wickes where we did manage to buy paint. It's a dark teal colour and it's for Lee's office which he has wanted to paint ever since we moved in. I've kind of got used to all the cream in the new house and don't mind it, but he does. 

Then we came home. Lee headed out later to a gig, so Peter and I made some Easter nests and had some tea. By this time I was feeling really crap - a flare up of my fibromyalgia I think - so I'm not sure I was very good company but Peter and I watched two films anyway. We watched The Aristocats and The Wedding Singer which are two films I really love! 

I had been wearing one of my pairs of ice cream earrings for going to Yummy Yorkshire for ice cream, aren't they cute? 

Oh yes, this is the new patio that was laid just before Easter! We're buying a catio so all the cats can go outside, too, and I want a table and chairs for this area too. There's already a bench on the right hand side which was left by the previous owner

Peter's hot chocolate was absolutely huge

We got a cute photo of all of us

My veggie breakfast, the green stuff is guacamole not peas

My ice cream - I prefer tubs to cones 

Peter and his ice cream

A few cute Easter nests that we made, we did make a few more

And finally my ice cream earrings!

Lunch Out with Chloe and Laura

On the first of April I headed to Meadowhall to meet Chloe and Laura and Franklin. I had a work meeting in the morning so it was past noon by the time that I could set off, so I didn't get to do any shopping beforehand. Never mind! I met up with the others outside Maki and Ramen. Laura and I had been there together and separately a few times, and we thought Chloe would love it so we wanted to take her. 

I can't remember what she chose but she was very excited about it, so that's good. I had some sushi and a vegan bacon noodle thing, it was fine but I'm not sure I'd get it again. I had a mocktail too which was lovely, they have nice ones in there. 

After we had eaten we went to Hotel Chocolat for drinks, I'm pretty sure I had a mint milkshake which was nice as always. Once we had done in there we took a photo outside (thanks Franklin!) and then Chloe went home and Laura and I headed to Yours Clothing. I needed some new leggings and some trousers to wear to the gym, so nothing exciting but I managed to get some. We had a look in a couple of other shops but again nothing too exciting. 

I headed home not too long after, so didn't get chance to look round all of Meadowhall at all, but I'm sure I can some other time. I was wearing my Nineties print Topsy Curvy dress which was comfy, and a checked cardigan. When I got home there was a man laying a new patio for us - he did a brilliant job and I really like it and can't wait to get out there in the summer! Anyway he liked my dress too, haha. 

My lunch, it was really good

Chloe has designed me some stickers and I LOVE them. I will be selling them at zine fairs and so on, along with some prints that I've made

Finally here we are outside Hotel Chocolat looking lovely!

Afternoon Out with Sam and Jac

At the end of March I went to Leeds to meet up with Sam and Jac for a bottomless brunch and drink and chat and catch up, all of that good stuff. We went over a number of bottomless brunch options and finally decided on Neighbourhood on Greek Street, which I haven't been to before and I don't think Sam or Jac had either. We met about 11.45 which meant we got the early bird brunch which was a bit cheaper!

There were a few drink options to choose from but we all started with pink prosecco and then more. The waiters were really quick at offering more drinks, which I always appreciate in a bottomless brunch. I went for shakshuka which came with bread and then I ordered some tater tots on the side. 

We were sitting on high seats but they were kind of okay except my legs were dangling a bit which did get uncomfortable for me. But it was a good brunch! When we had finished we went to Slug and Lettuce where we had reserved a table which was just as well as it was extremely busy. It was full of hen parties and stuff! 

We had quiiiite a few more drinks and chatted a lot of nonsense. We drank some blue shit, of course. We did some shots, which is always is a terrible idea. It was a lot of fun and I was wearing a Scarlett and Jo dress that I didn't get a picture of. I got the train back to Barnsley and Lee picked me up and then I went and laid down for a couple of hours until I felt less drunk! 

A picture when we arrived in Neighbourhood, and to prove I had put some make up on for the first time in forever 

Shakshuka and toast

And delicious tater tots 

Me and Jac

And Sam with one of her many drinks

I of course had to have a Baby Guinness

2 for 1 cocktails in Slug and Lettcue and some blue shots, no idea what those were

And tequila rose, which I'm not sure I even like but will definitely drink

Here we all are looking cute!

Tidying My Mum's Attics and a Spa Day

Towards the end of March we went to my mum's house two days in a row to tidy out her attics. She had been threatening this for years but then waited until we moved house so that we have a loft of our own to put our stuff in rather than hers. My uncle Neil then offered to come and help us, as neither me nor my stepdad can climb the ladders into the attics. It was nice of him to help and he was so useful! He arrived at my mum's on the Tuesday afternoon, and we went over there on Wednesday morning. Lee took three days off work, so we had the time to do it. 

There are two attics in the house because it's extended. One is the ordinary common or garden attic, kind of boarded out and all dark and shadowy. The other one is in the extension and it was my 'chill out' space when I was a teenager. It's pretty small and set in the eaves, but it's properly boarded with a nice floor (that I painted purple) and a window. I LOVED it up there when I lived there - it was a cool space and I had cool furnishings and stuff. Since my stepdad moved in fifteen years ago he and my mum have used it just to store stuff. It was definitely in need of sorting, as was the other one!

It was actually snowing in the morning; Kiki and I were not impressed with this! Penistone really is its own micro climate. We got stuck into sorting things out at my mum's - where it wasn't snowing - and did well. I sat on the landing looking at a load of old stuff that was mine, and a load of stuff that was my dad's. We broke for lunch and then went again, and got stuff sorted into lots of piles, including lots of stuff to take to charity and lots of stuff to take to the tip. Lee and my uncle did a tip run late on and then we gave up, and had a nice night instead. 

My mum made sausage casserole (veggie for me and Lee) and she had got puddings from where I work, so I had apple crumble which was lovely. We had a few drinks and chatted for a bit, then Lee and I headed home to see the cats and go to bed!

Thursday was very much the same, only there was less of my stuff now because they were in the extension loft and that wasn't as much my stuff. I did go through a lot of my dad's stuff, including all of his school exercise books. Funnily, one of them was filled with football scores of a local team that he was friends with. I found loads of funny things and loads of touching things, too. My mum and uncle had taken a load of stuff to the charity shop first thing, and then Lee and Neil did another tip run just before it closed. There were still boxes of my stepdad's stuff for him to go through - a lot belonging to my stepsister, who doesn't speak to us anymore - but nothing for me or Lee to do. 

We had fajitas for tea and more pudding - jam sponge this time for me! - and played games and had some more drinks. We got  home late again so we weren't that early getting up the next morning. I was given a voucher by a friend which was for use of the spa facilities and afternoon tea at the Mercure Hotel in Sheffield City Centre. I had heard that the spa isn't great but we headed off anyway, of course. We got there about 11.30 and into the spa. 

There's a swimming pool and a sauna and a steam room, but no hot tub, and as it's all in the basement it's pretty dark and a bit dingy. But we had a nice swim and sat for a bit, and then swam some more. We went up to the hotel lobby for afternoon tea which was right next to the Winter Gardens. It was actually lovely food and we both enjoyed it! We headed back downstairs and I went into the steam room, which was lovely, for a bit, and then went for another swim. We didn't stay way long into the afternoon but we had enjoyed ourselves.

We went into Caffe Nero for a drink and took it up to Lee's office so he could show it to me. He works near the car park that looks like a cheese grater, if you know Sheffield. His office is on the top floor so we went up and he showed me his desk and the board rooms and stuff like that. There was only one person in! We went out on to the roof terrace which has a lovely view over the station and Park Hill. 

Then we came home! It had been a busy week! 

Kiki looking disbelievingly at the snow falling from the sky

This was given to me on my first Christmas, when I was nearly one, and was signed by my dad - adorable 

Bottom right is the first record I ever bought, when I was about eight years old. The others were definitely mine, haha

A wedding photo of my parents! My mum made her own dress, isn't it gorgeous? 

This was a folder I decorated in Year 10. All my folders looked like this

And the back of it, lol

Neil said he needed counselling over the number of baby dolls he found in both attics, haha. This one was my grandma's, so she's almost a hundred years old, and she's very fancy. Her head has been loose ever since I was a little girl, and it's now come off entirely. We did have it, though, so I am going to look into getting her mended and getting her clothes back in good condition too! She did look a bit terrifying sitting here with no head, though

Here we are playing Skyjo and having a drink

The afternoon tea in the hotel, which was lovely, the scone especially

I finished this cross stitch on Friday night I think!

Weekend in Durham - Day 2

On the Sunday of our little trip to Durham we went to Beamish! I've only been once, when I was a teenager on a school trip, and Lee hasn't been since he was a kid either. Lee's dad lives quite close to it now so we wanted to go. Lee's dad went off to see the football - a Newcastle/Sunderland derby - so I didn't actually see him, but I had some breakfast and talked to Lee's stepmam before we set off. 

We got there and met some friends of mine which was nice. We had prebooked tickets so we could get in quite quickly and because the match we a derby there weren't as many people around as there might otherwise have been on a nice Sunday in March. My friends have been a lot so they knew all the crack about it, so we followed their directions really. We got on a tram - a Sheffield tram! - and went all the way round the park to where the steam engine goes a little way up the track because my friends' little boy loves trains. I do too and it was really fun even though it doesn't go very far. 

We got back on the tram, going the other way, and went down to the 1950s town which is all I remember of the place from before. We wandered around a bit and went into the bakery where we bought goodies for later. Then we went to the fish and chip shop to get lunch, and sat on a picnic bench to eat them. They were good and thankfully the weather meant we could sit outside!

We went back across to the 1950s town and went into some of the old houses. One belongs to a local artist and that was really cool. We went into a few of the shops but didn't queue for the sweet shop as the queue was huge! I was really tired as we had walked a long way the day before - and as a reminder, I have fibromyalgia - so we could have seen more but weren't completely up for it. But we can go back for free on the tickets we bought, so we will probably do that within the year and see bits we didn't get to this time! 

We got ice creams from the stand and sat in the park to eat them before getting a bus back to the top and to the gift shop where I bought some sugar mice. We said goodbye to our friends and got back on the road as Lee's mam wasn't free because of the match. Not to worry as that meant we were home early enough to relax for the evening which was good before another week started! 

I love old advertisements so took this photo just into the park

On a Sheffield tram!

Looking at the 1950s town

And again

And a tram coming towards us!

Inside the bakery

More old adverts outside the fish and chip shop

Old bikes inside one of the shops

I LOVE old sewing machines and this Singer was a beautiful example in the artist's house

My mum still has this roasting tin and uses it often

More old adverts!

A car that looked a lot like Brum in the garage

We used to have a shop called Eagle Press in Wakefield that sold stationery and did printing, so I wondered if this one was related to it

Looking further up the street - those are the terraced houses we went in on the left

Sheffield cutlery!

Chocolate ice cream

Signs of spring in the grounds!

And here's what I was wearing. This is a Yours dress I've had forever and I love it in the summer, but I pulled it out in March and wore it with a cardigan and footless tights