I spent the days leading up to my birthday with absolutely no idea what I would actually be doing, aside from that I would be seeing my parents at some point, so packing was pretty tricky! Dad had been winding me up saying I might need wet weather gear, whilst The Boy was telling me I'd need some more dressy bits, so I had spent most evenings packing my case for every eventuality.
My parents arrived on Thursday evening and we settled in with a takeaway and some champagne to kick start the celebrations. With me still having no clue where we would be headed come morning.
My birthday began with a pre-breakfast run, followed by scrambled eggs and smoked salmon and a spot of present opening - which took quite some time! My friends and family were so generous that I really didn't know where to begin.
We then jumped in the car and headed North.
We started our weekend in Derby, visiting a pub we'd been to as a family many years before, followed by a trip into town for a spot of shopping (Derby has a Westfield, who knew?!). I adored the gorgeous red brick cottages near the station and couldn't resist stopping to take a picture.
Mum and I stopped at this great little place in Derby call the Book Cafe and treated ourselves to herbal teas and sandwiches - if you can't treat yourself on your birthday, when can you?
Following an afternoon of sightseeing and shopping we hopped back in the car and headed to the Hardinge Arms in King's Newton, which was to be our base for the weekend. This gorgeous little country pub was my idea of heaven; a relaxing and welcoming atmosphere, delicious food and a good selection of beers (to keep Dad and The Boy happy).
Following a quick change we headed to the bar for some birthday drinks with the locals before dinner, only to be surprised whilst on the phone to Grandad by the arrival of my brother and his friend Matt who had come to join us for dinner. It was the perfect end to an already wonderful day, made even better by scrummy garlic mushrooms, followed by steak with stilton sauce, and a chocolate brownie.
Dinner was simply delicious and the company was great. We laughed into the night in the restaurant before heading into the bar for a nightcap. A journey home of ten paces to our very own stable cottage was the perfect end to a wonderful day.
My birthday was everything I could have wanted and more, and there was still another day to go.
On Saturday morning we ate breakfast at the pub before taking a trip to the nearby village of Melbourne for a wander around.
The houses in this village were gorgeous and I stopped at almost every estate agents window to try and persuade Dad to buy me a cottage for my birthday (alas, no luck).
We strolled down to the lake and made friends with the local wildlife before heading off for my next birthday treat.
For this we headed to Calke Abbey which, hands down, is my favourite National Trust property.
I have been going on and on about visiting Calke for the past few years. It's a place I visited as a child but was probably too young to really appreciate this amazing location, and I knew it was somewhere that The Boy would be equally fascinated by.
The rooms at Calke have been allowed to remain almost exactly as they were discovered, rather than be restored, which gives the whole building an eerie abandoned feel. The peeling paintwork, crumbling cornices, dust and cobwebs portray a period in time where numerous country houses and estates did not survive to tell their story, and it's a wonderful place to spend an afternoon.
We spent a few hours at Calke, exploring the house and stables, getting close to the deer and stopping for tea and cake before driving on to Nottingham.
Mum and I explored the old town, stopping in various shops to pick up some souvenirs whilst The Boy and Dad visited some pubs. It was another lovely day, finished off watching the sun set on our journey back to the pub, where we enjoyed another delicious meal (this time, risotto).
I had such a lovely weekend that I didn't want it to end and as we drove home on Sunday I couldn't help but feel saddened that I had to go back to reality, even if it is only for a few days.
Apologies, picture heavy post!
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