Afternoon with the Family

On the 24th of September my family got together to scatter some of my grandma's ashes. Unfortunately Lee was still unwell so couldn't join us, so I went alone. I also had an appointment for my Covid booster at 11am so I got up and showered and went to the other side of Barnsley for that. It's where I've had most of my jabs - I think all except my first one, which I had at the doctors surgery in my village. It was working really well; I barely had to queue and was in and out in no time. My arm really hurts after the vaccine but that's the most after effects I've ever had with my previous ones so I'm sure I'll be fine. 

I drove then to the New Inn in Walton where I was meeting up with family for lunch first. I was really early so I popped into the shop first and then sat in the car listening to a podcast for a while. The pub opened at twelve so I went in and got seated upstairs at this ridiculous big table. I ordered a coffee - which was delicious - and my mum and stepdad arrived not long after. The rest of the family arrived at about 12.30. They were all on holiday in Derbyshire - my aunt, uncle, both my cousins, and their wives, and Rob and Beth's new baby, Theo, who I haven't met yet! It was an absolute pleasure to meet him. He let me cuddle him for a long time and he was smiling and laughing at me. He's such a cutie! 

We ordered lunch. I went for the vegetarian Sunday dinner which was Quorn sausages with mashed potato, roast potatoes, roast carrot, a stuffing ball, a huge Yorkshire pudding and really delicious red wine gravy. It came with vegetables too and my mum and I also shared a side of cauliflower cheese. Everyone seemed to enjoy their main courses. I had chocolate fudge cake for pudding which I thought was fine but other people didn't enjoy their desserts as much. But generally it was a nice pub and I would go back.

We then drove to Nostell Priory. My grandma was a National Trust guide there for over thirty years - friends of mine would tell me they had seen her inside the house when they visited! We thought she would like some of her ashes scattering there. We walked past the house and settled on a big sycamore tree. I video called Lee so he could see us scatter her ashes, although we did have some hilarity because we couldn't open the tube. Neil ended up having to pop it open with a Swiss army knife! 

It was nice to all be together to scatter her ashes in a place she loved. Afterwards we went back to my mum's for a little bit (and more baby cuddles for me!) before they headed back to their holiday just south of Hathersage and I went home to check on the invalid. 

This is the ridiculous table we had - there were nine adults and one baby and we had plenty of space so I would recommend for bigger groups

My coffee as I was waiting

The wall had this ridiculous set up on it 

Me and my cousin Peter and his wife Beth, it was so nice to see them

Baby Theo! He's such a cutie

My lunch. The mashed potato wasn't great but I'm really fussy about mashed potato and I enjoyed the rest of it

Chocolate fudge cake and ice cream

This was near the car park at Nostell Priory, and there were tons of cows moving across the grassland

Looking up at the house, which my grandma would have been able to tell you the history of

As we walked back across after scattering her ashes