Guest Post – Must-See Attractions in London

Posted on July 31, 2012 by Abi

I love going on a day trip to London, although being such a large city can make the choice of activities overwhelming, so today’s guest post hopes to point you in the direction of a fabulously British day out!

Finding things to do in London means choosing between loads of activities. Visitors can start by strolling along the same pathways as the royal family. As 2012 is the year of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and also the Olympics, it’s a great time to experience a typically British afternoon along with ‘Mum’ and her faithful corgis.

St Paul’s Cathedral

The tour goes through the exquisite cathedral and up towards the heavens, with a dizzying 360-degree view of London in the dome. Walk down the same aisle as Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer, when they had a fairy-tale wedding in 1981. Then go below ground to the crypt.

The resting place for many famous historical figures like Lord Admiral Nelson and the Duke of Wellington, St Paul’s is well worth the trip out to London’s Square Mile. Visitors can continue the British theme with an exceptional afternoon tea service at a restaurant in the area. Take your pick from dainty sandwiches, cakes, scones, jam, Cornish clotted cream and loose tea of the highest quality.

Buckingham Palace

The doors of the state rooms in Buckingham Palace are flung open to the public during summer until the 7th of October. These parts of the palace are used by the Royal Family for entertaining and ceremonies. Ogle the lavish decorations including paintings by Vermeer, Rembrandt, Rubens and more.

There is a vast collection of some of the most exquisite French and English furniture in the world. Outside of the palace, wander through 29 acres of gardens with a 17th Century ornamental lake and thriving wildlife.

Following in the footsteps of royalty may not give visitors the Midas touch but you may experience a sumptuous slice of royal life and enjoy the afternoon tea. All in all, it’s the recipe for a breezy and relaxed British afternoon.

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Finding Hidden Treasures in the Peak District

Posted on August 11, 2011 by Abi

On a recent day trip to Eyam in the Derbyshire Peak District we came across a hidden gem in the form of Hassop Station near Bakewell. With a cafe, bookshop, gift shop, and cycle hire I couldn’t believe that we hadn’t found this wondrous place before.

Situated on the side of the beautiful Monsal Trail (a walking, cycling and riding route) it makes the perfect pit-stop during the summer holidays.

This area seems to be undergoing a period of change at present. Hassop Station has only been open a year and the Monsal Trail has undergone safety renovations to it’s famous tunnels. These were officially opened in May 2011 and makes the whole trail far more user friendly (and interesting).

We were rather more concerned with coffee and cake on this occasion. Hassop Station even has a play area for the kids, so all members of the family are equally happy.But if we had been feeling energetic we could have hired a bike or two, there were even electric bikes for hire (much more my speed).

We finished our day with some of the yummiest ice-creams I’ve had since our last trip to Italy. Hope Valley sell many gorgeous flavours, we tucked into Rosemary’s Raspberry Pavlova and Gertrude’s whisky and Ginger 🙂 A very successful and yummy day out!

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Happy Easter Everyone!

Posted on April 23, 2011 by Abi

A bit late posting this week, like many of you I have little people at home who need activities and attention. We’ve been lucky and have been enjoying some fabulous weather which has helped. I did prebook all three into a workshop run by the local council and held at a Georgian Townhouse in Derby called Pickfords House. The children all love Pickfords and have visited before with their school. It has a room full of puppets and miniature theatres, as well as a garden full of homes for bugs and statues of children playing. But on Thursday we visited the bottom floor and got covered in paint, glue and some very stubborn sequins that were insistent about sticking to our hands rather than our work. The kids all decorated an egg cup and egg without adult help (other than a bit of paintbrush washing). We took them outside to the garden to dry and enjoyed some time in the sun. I hope you are all enjoying the weather wherever you are and don’t eat too many chocolate eggs this weekend 😉 Happy Easter everyone!