this weekend boyfriend and i were lucky enough to get out of town, thanks to a generous offer from bex and her amazing family... an offer to have a weekend away in the country! we three met up at paddington after work, sorted our tickets and patiently waited for our platform to be called then ran to beat the hoards of weekend commuters trying to board the same train as us. *super lucky for us*, we scored some pretty good seats - right next to some rich toffs from the city who did nothing but talk about their gaaap yeaaahs in fraahnce and what lovvvely blokes their bank managers are, the entire journey. thankfully bex's aunt helen was there to save us at the other end with a warm hug and even warmer car, for the half hour trip back to their beautiful cottage in northleach.
we arrived to the smell of charcoaled sausages and the promise of a bottle glass of pink wine, while we caught up and warmed up while dinner was re-cooked. the best part about weekends with helen and her beautiful girls (boo and g) is their amazing hospitality, and in particular, how well-fed h keeps us. later, with sausage and mash, a bottle of wine, and 5 hours of chatting under our belts, boyfriend and i headed up to the loft; our home for the weekend.
after a scattered night's sleep in the massive cloud of a bed, we woke to some amazing sunlight streaming into the house. deceptive, naturally, as it was fruuuheeezing cold out. after a quick breakfast and stop at the shop to pick up a toothbrush (boyfriend forgot to pack ours...), we headed to the church of st. peter and paul then did some general sightseeing of the area. we stopped at the local playground for a lark about (got stuck on the slide and the swing, before heading back to the house where we picked up the others and headed into bourton-on-the-water for some lunch (and to drop boyfriend at a pub with sky so he could watch his precious football game). we wandered about, mocking some grammatically incorrect store names before settling in at mulberries for a spot of afternoon tea. ommmnommmm, scones are my fave.
once we'd dropped boo and g back at the house, the four of us headed out to bibury to wander the grounds, pretend to be posh in their fancy sitting room, steal some 8 ply embossed hand towels and play pooh sticks in the bubbling brook. wonderful fun!
after a scattered night's sleep in the massive cloud of a bed, we woke to some amazing sunlight streaming into the house. deceptive, naturally, as it was fruuuheeezing cold out. after a quick breakfast and stop at the shop to pick up a toothbrush (boyfriend forgot to pack ours...), we headed to the church of st. peter and paul then did some general sightseeing of the area. we stopped at the local playground for a lark about (got stuck on the slide and the swing, before heading back to the house where we picked up the others and headed into bourton-on-the-water for some lunch (and to drop boyfriend at a pub with sky so he could watch his precious football game). we wandered about, mocking some grammatically incorrect store names before settling in at mulberries for a spot of afternoon tea. ommmnommmm, scones are my fave.
once we'd dropped boo and g back at the house, the four of us headed out to bibury to wander the grounds, pretend to be posh in their fancy sitting room, steal some 8 ply embossed hand towels and play pooh sticks in the bubbling brook. wonderful fun!
that night we had planned to find a local bonfire and firework display to celebrate guy fawkes, so rugged up in many, many layers before setting out again. it started to lightly drizzle on the way, which was hardly an indication of things to come. first of all, we couldn't find the right turn off to naunton. then, after driving down what can only be described as 'a one-way road to a horror movie', we got to the end only to note there was a ford blocking the road, which was too full to cross. so, out boyfriend got to try and help h perform a 19-point turn in the dead of night (really only about 6:30pm, but super dark), while i jumped out to both lighten the load in the back of the car so as to not drown in the ford, and also void my bladder from sheer terror at being stranded in the rain, in the dark, down a dark road, in the middle of nowhere. thank god for that earlier stolen 8-ply hand towel.
once we were back on the road, we followed the billows of smoke on the darkened horizon until we finally found our way into naunton. just as we'd parked the car and got our umbrellas out, small bits of hail started to come down with the rain. we were absolutely freezing, but we powered on - desperate to get to the bonfire so we could warm ourselves and get some foooood. there were a couple hundred people there as we arrived to the field, and a couple men struggling to get the fire going. the frame for the bonfire was huge, and was almost like a teepee in shape, but filled with brush to keep it burning. we got in line for food and drink and as we did, we watched the progress of the fire. slowly but surely, it light up and a huge flame errupted out the top of the structure while the insides crackled around and caught on fire themselves. we stood as close as possible to t he flame without burning ourselves, and just enjoyed the incredible warmth from it as the fireworks began. ot
not a minute passed before the sky literally opened up, and it hailed - proper chunks of ice, for the next 10 minutes straight. the ice was settling on the ground like snow, and melting only from the heat of the fire. the firework display was dismal, fighting against the storm, and to be honest, people were more interested in the phenomenal weather anyway. with our backs to the fire and our umbrellas collecting snow, it was an incredible situation we found ourselves in! after the washed out display, we headed to the village hall after being told there would be live music, clean loos and heaters. there was all three, and alcohol, which made us happy. for the next half hour or so we sat in the warm hall singing along to some poorly performed hits with the naunton locals. h, bex and i enjoyed a hand jive or two while boyfriend looked on in horror. we left shortly after, and after x factor and some jonathan ross headed to bed after an eventful day.
not a minute passed before the sky literally opened up, and it hailed - proper chunks of ice, for the next 10 minutes straight. the ice was settling on the ground like snow, and melting only from the heat of the fire. the firework display was dismal, fighting against the storm, and to be honest, people were more interested in the phenomenal weather anyway. with our backs to the fire and our umbrellas collecting snow, it was an incredible situation we found ourselves in! after the washed out display, we headed to the village hall after being told there would be live music, clean loos and heaters. there was all three, and alcohol, which made us happy. for the next half hour or so we sat in the warm hall singing along to some poorly performed hits with the naunton locals. h, bex and i enjoyed a hand jive or two while boyfriend looked on in horror. we left shortly after, and after x factor and some jonathan ross headed to bed after an eventful day.
sunday morning we slept late, woke to snow and spent the miserable day on the couch eating helen's homemade scones while we waited for norman to return. the train home was uneventful, as were my crumpets for dinner. the x factor result wasn't even a shock (#teamrylan), so here i find myself crying as a i watch a man jump from a balloon in space, and then as derren brown changes a man's life.
i can't wait to go back to the country... sometimes my life is dull. haha!
