Weekend in Cirencester

At the end of August we went away with all my family to Cirencester, in the Cotswolds, for a long weekend. In previous years we have gone camping with my family at least one weekend in the summer, but thanks to Covid we decided to hire two cottages instead so we could all go together but separately. When we then tried to look for cottages, they were all booked up or really expensive, so we decided to go on a holiday park in the Cotswolds. We were in a three bedroomed chalet and my aunt and her family were in a three bedroomed static caravan. This then meant we were able to invite my grandma. I felt quite bad for her as she's been alone over the last few months, but she didn't really seem to enjoy herself so I'm not sure if it was worth taking her or not. 

Lee and I decided to set off on the Thursday so booked an extra night and offered to take my grandma with us. So we set off then with her. We arrived around 5pm and looked around the chalet and unpacked and stuff. Then Lee and I went out for tea - I thought my grandma would come but she decided she would stay in the chalet. We struggled to find somewhere as everywhere needed a booking, but rang up a Thai restaurant which had a table, so we went there. It was so good! I had vegetable satay which was great, and then Pad Thai which was nice. When we got back to the chalet my mum and stepdad had arrived, as they'd been able to set off earlier, so that was nice. 

On Friday morning Lee and I made the lasagnes we were going to eat later on. We made a meat one and a vegetarian one which was good. Then my mum and Lee and I went to a fabric shop nearby where I managed to get the material for the attic curtains in our house, which is great! We then drove into Cirencester and went into a couple of shops and had a coffee, which was nice. On the way there we had been past this airfield where there were loads of old planes parked. So then we drove back there with my stepdad so he could take photos. It was pretty weird but cool to see!

When we got back my aunt, uncle, and one of my cousins had arrived. We started getting tea ready and then my other cousin and his wife arrived. The lasagne was so good - I dunno what we did differently but it was really nice. 

On Saturday we headed over to my aunt's caravan to see what it was like. The park was pretty big and they were on the side of a lake which was nice. The caravan was really nicely decorated but kind of small for six or eight people, so we were glad we had our chalet with a bigger living area for everyone to sit in. We left my grandma there for lunch as she was going with my aunt and co to a local arboretum. My cousin Peter came out with Lee and I for a little bit. We drove around, saw some other lakes, got some ice cream, and got back. It was a peaceful day.

My mum made hunter's chicken for tea, which for me was Quorn chicken with fake bacon - and it was delicious! I haven't had that a vegetarian but I'll definitely make it for myself as it was just so nice. My cousin Rob had made a tres leches cake, which I enjoyed tasting but didn't love, so I wouldn't choose it again. We played games after tea.

On Sunday morning Caroline and Neil and Rob went swimming. There were two pools on site and you had to have a pass - which we didn't have, so we hadn't brought our swimming stuff. But Caroline DID have them and weren't using them all, so Lee and I went into the pool area and sat on the side with our feet in the water. It was lovely - it wasn't boiling weather but warm enough for the water to feel refreshing. We were there just under and hour. In the afternoon I showed everyone how to make envelopes. It's something I do a lot for my penpal letters - I use old maps, photos from books, scrapbooking paper, wallpaper. Basically anything that I think will make a nice envelope! I have a bunch of templates and also a punch board that's really easy to use, so pretty much everyone made at leats one envelope! My cousin Peter made a few for his girlfriend, and Beth made a ton - she got really into it. It was a nice, easy craft for everyone to join in with. 

In the evening my aunt and uncle made a deconstructed salad nicoise to eat, with chickpeas instead of tuna for me. It was SO nice! Then for dessert they made sticky toffee pudding which was so good! 

On Monday we just had to pack up and come home. Lee and I got home around lunchtime and were really glad to get home and see the kittens! We had missed them. It was a really lovely weekend, though, and I'm so glad we went. 

Tempura vegetables with satay sauce

Pad Thai

Cooking the lasagnes on Friday morning!

Saturday was a bit rainy and at this point it was absolutely bouncing it down

Looking out from Caroline's caravan's deck

One of the places Lee and Peter and I went

Lee and I :) 

Me and Peter

We were in the hide when I took this, we wished we had some binoculars to look at the birds properly

This was a waterskiing lake

Ice cream with sprinkles!

We stopped here for a bit too, there were people paddle boarding but I liked these swans too

The cygnets were nearly full grown but still grey

I finished my previous book so this was my new one

In the pool on Sunday morning! The lifeguard was happy for us to just sit on the side, which was really good

Caroline and Neil and Rob swimming

Me while in the pool

This lake was just behind the pool

In the afternoon we played boules (well I just watched to be honest)

And again

Ann the envelopes we made! Mine are to the left

Deconstructed salad nicoise! This was so nice, Lee and I will have to do something similar

And the gorgeous sticky toffee pudding

We went outside to take photos of all of us together, and the sky was really gorgeous

The lighting wasn't great for a team photo, but we managed it!

This was the cabin! It was so cute

Rob took these photos - this is his wife Beth

And the other side

And finally last thing at night, the moon was peeking through the clouds and I took this lovely photo

Lee's Birthday 21st August

It was Lee's 38th birthday in August. When he and I first got together, he was about to celebrate his 18th birthday. His mam bought him a huge chocolate fudge cake and he ate three quarters of it, I swear. We've had loads of nice times on his birthday since. We often go away but we decided not to this year as we were going away the week after (which I'll blog, obviously!). Lee only told me a few things to buy so I bought him those and then some aftershave and some chocolate too, which he always likes. The aftershave is Davidoff Cool Water, which I LOVE on him. 

Lee decided he would like to go swimming. We had been looking at going to Hathersage lido, but their swimming times go for sale at 6am each morning and are always sold out by the time I get to look! So we decided we would go to Barnsley Metrodome. It's a big leisure pool and when we looked, you had to book an arrival time and then you got 90 minutes to swim, which seemed fine to us. So we booked for 10am, meaning we basically just got up, fed the cats, and went into town. You were supposed to arrive "beach ready" meaning with your costume on, so we just stripped and got into the pool.

It wasn't too busy and it was SO LOVELY to be in a swimming pool. We hadn't been since the end of February and MISS swimming so much. We usually go to the gym at least once a week and usually book holidays with pools, so we've really missed it. It was so lovely to launch myself into water. There's a big leisure pool with a wave machine so we got to play in the waves a few times, and there's a lane pool, so we went in there to swim down to the deep end a couple of times. They're connected with a shallow area that has bubble jets in it, so we sat there for a bit too. It was SO much fun. But I knew that my body would really hurt afterwards and indeed it did.

We got into the car still wet, sitting on towels and plastic bags to stop the car from getting wet. We went home, where the cats wanted to eat us (what is it about chlorine), had showers, and headed back out again to the White Rose Centre where we were meeting my mum and stepdad for lunch.

They haven't been inside a restaurant since before lockdown. My stepdad would probably get Covid really badly and as my mum has still been working 3 days a week, they've really limited their exposure by just staying at home even as lockdown has eased. We had talked about eating outside, but none of the restaurants in the White Rose were doing that (even though some of them in "The Village" have tabled outside? So they could!). But Wagamama wasn't very busy and we were able to get a table by the door which my mum and stepdad were happy with. We were far away from others, so they were happy. 

My mum has been to Wagamama before, a couple of years ago with me, but my stepdad never had. I knew they would like some of it, though. I recommended they try the steamed buns and the gyoza, because they're delicious and people tend to enjoy them. They went for other stuff too and they LOVED it. My stepdad got katsu curry and said it was really delicious, he was really happy to try it and said he wanted to go back and try some other things in there. 

I went for bang bang cauliflower (one of my favourite dishes ANYWHERE), the steamed vegan buns, and the avant gard'n which I've had before. It's a vegan bowl with an "egg", rice, sticky seitan, edamame beans and more. I thoroughly enjoyed it. My mum wanted to make a couple of alterations to her food and the staff were very willing to do that, which is good. 

We even had dessert! I wouldn't normally in there but it was a special occasion after all. I had salted caramel ice cream which was really nice. We weren't rushed out of the table and by the end there was only us and a couple of other tables in there, so it was lovely.

My mum bought Lee a new WOK! This is very exciting! We haven't had one for ages and usually use a frying pan for everything, but since I went veggie I've been thinking we could do with a wok again. 

Lee and I had said we might go shopping after lunch, but it was after 3pm and we were both knackered, so we decided to just go home. The kittens were obviously happy to see us, and I had a little nap as I was very tired. I'd been going through some health stuff and not feeling well.

We watched a film together later and then Lee wanted to play one of his new video games, so that was fine! A low key birthday but still a nice one I hope.

I was wearing my Lindy Bop blue polka dotted dress which I love. My photo is featuring Jasmine! 

I took this just after swimming, to share on Instagram that I felt restored to life thanks to putting my body in water!

My nail polish was a Bourjois orangey neon one that I bought recently. It's nice but not very long lasting

Avant Gard'n bowl 

And my mushroom and aubergine steamed buns. I love these!

Salted caramel ice cream! It was really nice

Blue Lindy Bop dress and gorgeous Jasmine

Day Out to Scammonden and Holmfirth

On one of Lee's days off in August we headed to Scammonden reservoir for a picnic. The weather wasnt' great but it managed to stay dry long enough for us to eat overlooking the water (and the M62! which forms part of the dam), which was nice. We got in the car just as it started raining and drove across the moors to Delph, where we then turned on to Saddleworth Moor to drive across to Holmfirth. We stopped a couple of times to take in the view, which was lovely. There were rainclouds but it was moving fast, and by the time we arrived in Holmfirth it was nice and sunny.

We decided to go get a drink and a piece of cake in Sid's cafe, which starred in Last of the Summer Wine, if you remember that. It's almost ten years to the day since I was last in there - I had an American friend visiting and my mum and grandma and I took her to Holmfirth to show her the sights. 

We went in a couple of charity shops and then came home, back to hungry kittens! We're not used to how much they eat and how much they need to be fed, I'm sorry girls! 

Since Blogger "upgraded" it's absolutely terrible, I can't get the photos to go in chronological order so here, have them backwards instead.

I bought this wax burner in a charity shop, it was only £1.49! And you know me, I love burning wax melts

My ridiculous hot chocolate in the cafe. The menus were on the table under glass, which worked quite well I thought

Refrigerator cake - basically tiffin!

The river through Holmfirth

The bridge and beyond - Sid's cafe is in that alleyway between the church and the ironmongers

Looking down from Saddleworth Moor

Look at all that gorgeous heather

Not entirely sure what this reservoir was called. It was just below a look out point and I walked a little way down. The ground was really spongy!

A flock of birds over Scammonden

Why are big bags of Hula Hoops also full of BIG hula hoops? It blew my mind. Also yep, these are vegetarian

Scammonden water

It is very pretty