Things I’m Loving This Week 13th – 19th September
It has been a busy week, with a lot going on for my birthday and a few blog collaborations. This post is coming to you while I’m down in Teesdale near Barnard Castle (insert appropriate joke here) for a glamping weekend with Kieran and some friends. We’ve had a great time with a walk to High Force Waterfall, a pretty ‘crispy’ BBQ in the sunshine and a lot of wine last night over a steak dinner. After today it’s back to Newcastle for the next sort of lockdown so we’ve been making the most of it. Here’s what I’ve been loving this week.
I thoroughly enjoyed my day last Sunday, it was a great start to the week with a visit to Close House for Sunday dinner, and a look around some of the accommodation options they have there. I didn’t realise they still offer luxury hotel suites, and private lodges as I thought they moved towards a golf and members only facility a few years ago when Close House itself became a private residence.
I was wrong though and Kieran and I had one of the best Sunday dinners we’ve had in a long time in the club house, that is always open as a bar and restaurant to the public. It was really good food. You can read more about the Sunday lunch and the accommodation options in my Close House blog post that went up at the start of the week. Don’t be put off by it’s golf reputation, it’s all available to non members.
I had a quiet couple of days on Monday and Tuesday, enjoying the little run of warm weather in the garden and getting prepared for my birthday and our weekend away. I also shared a blog post on where we stayed in the Lake District, Mirefoot Cottages. I can’t recommend this place enough for a Lake District stay, especially if you have a dog as three of the cottages allow dogs, and the spa is just beautiful, which you get for private use.
On Wednesday the first of my birthday celebrations began with a family meal at Allards. The food is always so good there and in hindsight it was probably the last time we will get a family meal with my parents, sister and her boyfriend and me and Kieran for a while after all the new restrictions.
Thursday was my actual birthday, and I spent it at the stunning Beau Monde Spa up in Northumberland. They invited me and a plus one to enjoy a deluxe spa day with a treatment and afternoon tea. It was gorgeous and it was one of the best treatments I’ve had at a spa ever. I will save the details for a proper post on it but check them out on instagram because I had no idea they existed before the last couple of weeks, and it’s quite exclusive with limited numbers so it was a very relaxing way to spend my birthday.
In the evening Kieran took me out to Muddler on Grey Street, one of our favourite places for sushi and the most amazing beef skewers. It is such good food there, and we went on to have a bottle of wine in All Bar One and Banyan afterwards too.
As the restrictions came in from midnight you could already see the bars and restaurants being extra careful with checking people live in the same households, more apps for ordering and reinforcing the new rules. I’m not going to get into thoughts on all of this because honestly I’m really quite over it. It is what it is, we need to get on with it and hope there isn’t a big second spike.
As frustrating as it might be, and how complicated the rules are, the NHS are still there waiting for what might be to come over the next few weeks. I really hope people just follow the rules so we get a Christmas.
I received a lot of birthday wishes, and lovely presents this week including a surprise flower delivery which always puts a smile on my face, a new black handbag and one of the giant White Company candles which I LOVE. Can’t wait to burn that bad lad when the nights get darker.
Friday I had a bit of a sore head but I had a busy morning getting packed for our glamping trip that could still go ahead as we were separate households, with separate bookings, and separate pods.
I met Kieran for lunch at Saltwater Fish Company in Fenwick’s before we set off, somewhere I’ve been meaning to go back to for so long. The seafood rivals any I’ve had anywhere, and we had padron peppers, oysters, giant scallops, prawn skewers and fillet of cod with some drinks and champagne cocktails. It was the best way to round off the birthday celebrations in Newcastle before leaving for our hut in the hills.
So glamping has been a lot of fun, and it was so good to be able to still do it with our friends albeit from separate pods. The weather was great so we walked along to High Force waterfall, then along the river further into the valley as well. Again, far too many drinks were had and we are suffering a bit today, but another weekend well spent.
I’m planning on spending today watching all the football matches, and enjoying Arthur cuddles as we missed him while we’ve been away. Just to mention a couple of other things this week, my Travel Hack backpack that I featured on my instagram story yesterday has been a god send the last couple of months with our trips to the caravan, the Lakes and now glamping. It can fit a lot inside but all the pockets for specific things make it so handy and everything within reach.
And finally I’m loving seeing all the knitwear and transitional pieces come into the shops again for Autumn and winter. The mornings definitely feel very ‘September’ now, and I picked up a few new jumpers and a dress from Topshop. I think I might go all out with October decor this year. I want some new bedding and lamps so I’m off to have a browse of HM Home while Arthur snores beside me.
Enjoy your Sunday afternoon and the rest of the week.