May Bank Holiday Weekend 2023

I spent four days away over the May bank holiday weekend for a much-needed break to unwind and do nothing but eat, drink, take afternoon naps, read, walk my dog and watch TV - I had a fabulous time!

I booked a beautiful cottage near Loughborough, which was in a remote location with no close neighbours - perfect! A very quaint property, with original tiles still adorning the roof. Inside, the low ceilings with its exposed wooden beams were delightful and gave a very cosy feel, as well as seeing the inviting open fireplace stacked with logs patiently waiting to be lit. I booked through the tried and trusted Airbnb, with amazing hosts who made me feel very welcome with their many helpful post-it stick notes and touching hospitality by leaving lots of yummy treats and bottles of water to enhance my stay.

On the Saturday, it was the Coronation of King Charles III and I watched the entire ceremony! I’m not a royalist, but I do love the pomp and ceremony that accompanies such occasions and nobody does it quite like us Brits! It was fun to 'take part' in the ceremony, responding at the right time to the churchy bits I managed to remember from school; I even stood up at the required moments some of the time (all with a whisky in hand - to toast the transformation from Prince to King of course!). It was quite special to witness this point in history...

I went on some wonderful walks, although I was disappointed that I needed to pay to use the car park at the local National Trust beauty spot. The price for a two hour stay was £3 which was not that bad as such, it's just that I didn't bring any money with me! Luckily, I had my phone so I could use Apple Pay. 'Could' being the operative word, as I found my luck had run out upon discovering the contactless function on the parking card validating machine didn't appear to be working! Had it not been for the kindness of a stranger, who paid the £3 fee for me (luck restored) I may have been stuck in the car park for longer than expected and incurred a much higher fine - that I still would be unable to pay!

The best walks were the ones where I didn't need to drive to get there. I adore walking in the fields and woods of our magnificent countryside. It's the time of year for bluebells and I'm always awe struck to see them carpeting the ground of the shaded areas in the woods.

I had no intention of slaving away in the kitchen whilst away, so I cooked before I left and brought along meals that merely required heating and eating - they were absolutely delicious if I may say so myself! I enjoy eating. I love good, healthy, nutritious meals; however, as the queen of snacking, I also like stuffing my face with sweet treats, doughnuts (only those from Doughnut Time I must emphasise!), crisps and nuts particularly when on holiday! I also drank plenty of Prosecco, 50-year-old whisky, red wine and vodka. I shared the break with a very good friend of mine who is excellent company, so there were many wonderful conversations with lots of laughter as well as board games and film watching to compliment the feasting!

There’s nothing like a relaxing getaway, especially in the picturesque English countryside, to reinvigorate the mind and body for the weeks ahead.