Category Archives: Days Out

Afternoon Tea At Hanbury Manor

I recently treated my wonderful MIL to Afternoon Tea at Hanbury Manor for an afternoon of relaxation and girly chit chat.

Am I the BEST daughter-in-law ever or what??

The grounds at Hanbury Manor are breath-taking, This stately 17th century Jacobean style country house, set in 200 acres of spectacular Hertfordshire countryside, is the perfect location for a girly lunch or family celebration.

The food was amazing. The cucumber sandwiches were served on a bread infused basil (which I could have eaten 100 times over), and the scones were served warm with the most deliciously sweet jam. I was in ‘lady that lunches’ heaven.

The staff were attentive, yet not over the top. We both felt very comfortable, relaxed and throughly enjoyed our afternoon. We spent most of the time plotting reasons to return.

Post indulgence we couldn’t resist a little sneaky peek around the hotel and spa, it certainly lived up to exceptions.

I think I may have to return sooner rather than later to try out the treatment rooms. For, like, blogging purposes of course.

The things I do for my readers! *cough*

A Visit To Flatford Bridge Cottage and Flatford Mill

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It was over 2nd wedding anniversary last week and we decided to treat ourselves to a child-free break to celebrate. We stayed in The Pier Hotel, Hariwch the night before and then enjoyed the day together in Frinton, Flatford and Dedham. I had a wonderful time with a wonderful man, I’m a very lucky girl.

I have already blogged about our stay at The Pier and our morning walk in Frinton, now here is the next part of our adventures…

Whenever we go away I like to try to make use of our National Trust membership. For a while now I had been wanting to visit Flatford as people kept telling me how much I would love it, so staying so close by the night before it seamed silly not to go.

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From the moment we arrived and walked down towards the river I was in love. It’s just so beautiful. We first had a look round the John Constable exhibition and then took a stroll down to Flatford Mill to see the location of his famous painting, The Hay Wain.

Making sure we are in the right spot…

The scene of The Hay Wain

I had heard rumor of a tearoom located back up by the visitor centre so we headed off to find it.

It was set on the river, overlooking a pontoon where cute rowing boats can be hired. Being the silly people that we are we didn’t have any cash on us to hire a boat, but in a way I was glad as this is now a good excuse to go back and visit again with the children.

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We had such a lovely time walking around together chatting and enjoying each others company, I really do love spending some one on one time with my darling man.

For more information on Flatford Bridge Cottage and Flatford Mill visit the National Trust website.

The Pier, Harwich – A Review

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It was our 2nd wedding anniversary last week and we decided to treat ourselves to a child-free break to celebrate. We stayed in The Pier Hotel, Hariwch the night before and then enjoyed the day together in Frinton, Flatford and Dedham. I had a wonderful time with a wonderful man, I’m a very lucky girl.

Here is the first part of our adventures…

The first part of our wedding anniversary break was spent at The Pier in Harwich. I love the Milsons Hotel group, we have stayed with then in the past at their other properties and always had a wonderful time.

The Pier Hotel is set right on the waterfront at the very British seaside town of Harwich. Harwich is a place that holds very happy memories for me. It is where my beloved aunt and uncle live and where both my girls have had their first feel of sand between their toes. Being so close to Walton and Frinton it often gets overlooked, but I think people don’t know what they are missing.

The town is a real working port. With ferries and cruise-liners leaving many times a day I never fail to be amazed by the size of the ships that go past. It is also one of the best places to go for fresh fish, you couldn’t get restaurants closer to where the fish is landed if you tried!

The hotel its self is as part of the coastline as the Ha’Penny Pier and docks, composed of two listed buildings loving restored by Milsoms to their former glory.

Our room was great; very spacious, with the most comfortable bed and a view that took my breath away.

The view from our bedroom window at sunset

Before dinner we popped round the corner to meet my Aunt and Uncle for a quick drink in The Alma, a very quaint local pub that I have become extremely fond of over the years and one I certainly recommend trying out if you are ever in the area.

After a quick catch up over a couple of G&Ts we headed back to The Pier to have dinner. We ate in the downstairs Bistro as the upstairs restaurant is closed on Monday and Tuesday evening. It’s a lovely relaxed dining area with wonderful views over the water and very attentive staff.

Spanish Omelet

I had a Spanish omelet to start and a spiced aubergine dish for my main while Rob had a 70′s style prawn cocktail followed by a fully loaded burger. The food, as I have come to expect from any Milsons restaurant, was fantastic. I could have eaten my starter about ten times over.

Spiced Aubergine and Chapati

For dessert I had a chocolate pot with warm cookies and marshmallows. It was divine, a melt in your mouth taste explosion.

After dinner we took the rest of wine up to our room and, as it was almost midnight, opened our cards and reminisced about all the amazing things that have happened in our first two years of marriage.

It was the perfect way to start our anniversary.

If you would like to find out more about staying at The Pier, Harwich visit www.milsomhotels.com

Disclaimer – we were given the stay free of charge for the purpose of this review but the views expressed are all my own.

Has Spring Finally Sprung?

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The sun has been shining. It was long overdue. After all the snow and rain I was worried it may never shine again.

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Last Wednesday we spent all day in the park on a play-date. It was only going to be a quick visit, but we stayed so long that I had to make a quick dash to the shops to pick up picnic bits mid way though the afternoon.

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It was Orlaith’s first time in the park since finally learning to walk. She loved the new-found freedom that had been acquired. Although I had forgotten how many eyes are needed in the back of your head with a toddler on the move.

After all this fresh air dinner was devoured and bed was calling them by 6pm, now that’s a benefit that could help sell the ‘active childhood’ agenda.

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After a such a wonderful day, would I be getting totally ahead of myself in wondering ‘has Spring finally sprung?’

26.2 miles…..

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I think my husband is all kinds of awesome. 26 miles he ran this weekend, thats one thing ticked off the bucket list.

He is quite simply amazing, a hero in the eyes of me and my girls.

We saw him three times along the route and welled up each time.

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When he called to say he had finished I couldn’t help the tears from falling. I was so relieved it was over, and so proud of all he had achieved.

We had a wonderful day in London with our friends, my darling girls were little angels (baby Essex even had an hours nap at the side of the road) and Scarlett was jumping up and down with joy each time she saw her Daddy ran past.

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London did itself proud this weekend. Once sign I saw along the route summed it up perfectly for me…

Run if you can, walk if you must, but finish for Boston

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26.2 miles – rather him than me!!

Date Night – Miller and Carter Harlow

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I love a good date night.

Now, for an evening out to qualify as a ‘date night’ I have some rules. We have to leave the house in reasonably smart clothes, minus 2 small people, and be out for at least 4 hours. We also have to return to a child free house and lie in the next day till until 8.30am the earliest.

High Maintenance? Me? Never!

Recently Miller and Carter Harlow have re-opened their doors after an extensive refurbishment. I was invited to the opening party but couldn’t make it. It was a shame really as it was hosted by Heart Essex and sounded like a lot of fun. To make up for this they offered to treat the Essex Husband and I to a rather lovely dinner a few weeks later instead.

Hard life isnt it?

So last week we got dressed up, dropped off the children to their grandparents and went out for dinner.

I was impressed with this Harlow branch of Miller and Carter. Firstly the new design was gorgeous. Very imitate for such a large space and, even with the large amount of covers they cater for, it didn’t feel cramped at all. Secondly there was the impeccable service. Which, after having to complain a few weeks earlier about the horrendous service at the Chelmsford restaurant, pleased us no end.

Our food was delicious (as I always find it is with the Miller and Carter brand). I was a little gutted to hear my favourite pasta dish was being taken off the menu when the new spring dishes are released, but I’m sure I will find something equally as lovely to replace it with next time. The Essex Husband had a steak which he thoroughly enjoyed. We shared their warm chocolate brownies for dessert, although if I’m honest the ‘sharing’ was more 70/30 in my favour, and enjoyed a coffee and a quick chat with Rob, the lovely general manager, before heading back out into the cold.

Rob Bryon (GM) and his team

Rob was such a friendly guy, and so passionate about making his restaurant the best it could be. I noticed throughout the evening that he was addressing customers by name, and clearly had a great relationship with his regular diners. I would highly recommend giving the Harlow Miller and Carter a visit, if only to be greeted by such friendly staff, they really did make the visit what it was. Wonderful.

We returned home to an empty house and slept till 9am the next day…..

Perfect date night with my perfect man – what a lucky girl I am!

Miller & Carter Harlow, London Road, Harlow, CM17 9NG Tel: 01279 424495

Disclaimer – we received a two course meal FOC for the purpose of this review but the views are all my own.

Legoland Windsor – A Fun Family Day Out

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One of the things I was most looking forward to about becoming a parent was having fun. Going on days out and making amazing memories. Going to places that as an adult you can only go with children. Legoland was one such place.

We are very lucky that the girls have an uncle who works for the Tussauds group, and even luckier to land a friends and family day pass prior to the opening of the park for 2013.

Legoland in March has its issues, firstly it was FREEZING and secondly not all attractions were ready (some don’t open till May) but we still had an amazing day.

What I loved most was how geared up it was for little people. There were only a handful of rides that The Little Lady couldn’t go on at her height of 1m tall. Baby Essex was also able to come on some rides with us too (not that she was that impressed by this judging from the tears).

There are toilets dotted all over the park, another plus point when out for a day with the children,

As we walked from one part of the park to another there was hours of fun to be had looking for the lego man and animals hidden in the bushes and by the ponds.

Food, as you would expect, was a little on the pricey side. However we took a packed lunch with us and then just bought a hot drink and some chips at lunch time (which come in the shape of lego pieces, totally worth the £2.70 a portion).

I would struggle to pick a favourite attraction. The Lego Legends of Chima 4D movie was great (be prepared to get a little wet), the Atlantis Submarine Voyage was educational yet so much fun and The Little Lady loved driving school complete with her own driving license.

We also popped into the Legoland Hotel to have a look around. I was very impressed and will certainly be planning a summer visit to stay there. As the weather was so cold we couldn’t do any of the water rides in the park, so that a good enough excuse for me to go back! I also really want to take Baby Essex back to explore the Duplo Valley Splash and Play area that opens in May.

We all had such a wonderful day, The Little Lady hasn’t stopped talking about it since we got back, and for me it will always be the day I got to take my big girl on the Waltzers for the first time, I will remember her laughter and squeals of ‘I’m getting fizzy’ for the rest of my life