Ahh, Bliss in the Cotwolds

After a day in Old Trafford, which was predominantly for the boy.  He has out done himself and organised a spa day for the two of us at the Cotswold House Hotel.  After the journey through all of the beautiful fields and villages on the Oxfordshire border, we arrived at Chipping Campden, Gloucestershire, and the beautiful hotel.  

Photo collage made with photos from the hotel website

G.o had arranged for us to have a treatment each (he had a head massage, and I had a facial), we had unlimited access to the pool and then we would have lunch in the brasserie.   It was amazing, so relaxing there clientele ranged in age from twenties to 70+, men and women (mostly women, and a lot of them pregnant) while it was busy it didn't feel crowded.  Although I may have said differently if I hadn't had a lounger to relax on. 

My treatment was amazing, the lady was Australian, she did a facial with hot towels and this warmed almond oil.  And as a little extra she gave me a quick head massage too. When the treatment finished, she began the hard sell, talking me through all of the products she has used and why they would vital for me to use.  But as the lowest price was £30 I knew I would stick with me £5.00 cream.  She showed me to the recuperation room, which had banana sorbet and fruit infused water.  G.O arrived in his white robe, looking totally blissed out.  "I loved that, it was the most amazing thing that has ever happened to me!" He said....   Yeah right, what he actually said was "Yeah , it was good!" I don't know how but I managed to convince him to buy the facial oil that he had been recommended, it was £40 but as my dear friend says, "It's an investment in the future of G.O's face".

After a while the fidget in me got bored and I decided that I was ready for my lunch.  We got dressed went to the Brasserie where we had a lunch of baked Camembert and steak sandwiches, just perfect not too heavy and not too light.

Old Trafford

RED DEVILS Stadium tour

As well as treating me like a princess this week, G.O threw in a few treats for himself, and who could blame him?  He deserves it.  

I get in on the action - as always

 He arranged for us to take a stadium tour around the home of "The Red Devils" Old Trafford.  

Following in the footstpes of legends

In their own words we took a 'step inside the legend'.  During the the tour we were able to go behind the scenes at Old Trafford, and see it as the players then and now see it.

Soaking in the history all around him

We got to see the stadium from the Sir Alex Ferguson Stand

Taking it all in

Sit in the managers seats (both home and away)

Some of us weren't quite as awestruck as others

I'm heading into the changing room....

Don;t really know who this is, but I know it's a keepers jersey, that's a start!

We soaked up the atmosphere in the players' dressing room.  The 'new' manager, Louis Van Gaal, doesn't like the players to sit where they want, in case cliques start, so he make the players sit in alphabetical order, a man after my own heart.

So impressed he couldn't even smile

Alex Ferguson let the players sit where they wanted, I sat in the corner right between where Wayne Rooney and Ryan Giggs (still my favourite, even if he was a very naughty boy) would have sat in his day, and I didn't even know it at the time.

I know what the jersey's say but this use to be where Giggs and Rooney sat - when 'Fergie' was in charge

After we had learnt about the television studio, and the history of the club we had the ultimate honour of emerging from the Players tunnel, following in the footsteps of so many legendary reds.

So G.O what do you think the chances of winning the Premier League this season are? - Not good I presume, look at the face.

At the end of the tour we were even given souvenir certificate and photograph. 

I thoroughly enjoyed the tour and the guides were amazing, so knowledgeable and friendly, they made what could have been quite  a dry and boring tour for a none supporter fun and interesting..   

A proud Red Devil

Side Note - should probably post this on trip adviser but I can't remember names.

Although I wasn't happy about how rushed the photographer was.  He just pushed in to place took the photo and pushed us away again.  We were entitled to two photos but only received one and a duplicate.  While I am on the subject of poor service the girl at reception wasn't very polite either.  GO had booked the tickets weeks in advance, enduring that they knew it was half term and was told that is wouldn't be a problem.  When we arrived Susie Jobs Worth told us that our ticket wasn't valid.  GO persevered and eventually was told that we were allowed to go on the tour.  Another fine case of Arse and Elbow not knowing what each is doing.

After this photo hundreds of Japanese tourist copied G.O pulling that pose.

Yomping around the Brecon Beacons

When GO said we were going to the Brecon Beacons. The thing I was most looking forward to was hiking around the hills, and dales with spectacular views all around.  Unfortunately my trek around the waterfalls didn't happen this time.  I did however manage to get some time walking around the keeper's pond.

As we arrived at the car park we were all alone except for the sheep, they are everywhere in the Beacons, rightly so. I got out geared myself up for a wet and windy walk.

"I'll just set off, so I can take some photo's". I yelled.

"Hey, what are you doing?  Hey go away will you!  Stop it!"

I turned around thinking GO was shorting to me, only to discover a local getting very friendly with my husband.

Unfortunately I was no help, I couldn't help but laugh.  I just stood and watched as he somehow managed to escape his little stalker.

He doesn't look too traumatised.

The pond at the top of the mountain.

Still chuckling about the sheep.... What's that I see?

She's back and posing this time.

Lovely panoramic view, blocked by two tourists!

That's better

Look mum no hands, got to love the timer.

Messing around in the stream.

He's not scared of me sheep!

Photobomb.

I look daft, but I was warm.

Aw good times xx

Is everyone travelling up North at the same time?

I love going to see G.O's family and friends, even though we are in the same country, it always feels like a world away from Oxfordshire.  I know it is a cliche (but there is a reason for that, it's true) but people really are friendlier up North. 

I love the South it is beautiful, the rolling hills and quaint villages of the Shire will hold a special place in my heart, but there is and always has been a pull to go North.  It seems to me that, that pull is in everybody because whenever we go we always manage to get stuck in traffic on the M6, the only time we haven't is when G.O's car broke down and we were towed back to Oxford and then took Shrek at 11pm, the roads were very quiet then.  I have come to the conclusion that unless we can find an alternative route, we will be taking the train from now on, or even a bus.

We were lucky on the way back to the Shire, but those travelling up North weren't so lucky

Some recent bug bears of mine, about driving on the M6;

A 3.30 hour journey took us 6 hours, this happens quite regularly.  Usually due to maintenance taking place during peak time travel.

Nobody seems to indicate, they just pull out  in front of you, assuming that you can read their mind.  Could this be the cause of the many fender benders (and sadly worse collisions) that seem to plague this particular motorway?

Trucks seem to think that they rule the road and on the M6 are constantly overtaking, they get quite irate when you don't move out of the way for them.  I have a few friends with driver for husbands and winder if this is the norm?

I try not to use this blog as a whinge site, I said try, but sometimes I just need to as Elsa  says Let It GO!

Rhymney Brewery - words, pictures and. a video!

After the excitement of the Big Pit G.O decided to start the journey up North!  As we drove out of the compound, we saw a brewery and decided that we would pop in a have a look around.  Our trip to the ST Austell Brewery visitor centre was so much fun.  We wandered around, still damp and unkempt from the rain, but as G.O kept saying "who cares we don't know anyone, no one will ever see us!", famous last words. 

So off we went, it was a lovely little brewery, The Rhmney Brewery, or as we found out micro brewery.  

We had lots of fun riding a beer barrel, pulling the 'perfect pint' virtually, and finding out about the history of the brewery.

When we got to the end of the tour, before you could go into the brewing centre, I found the ladies and I made a dash for it.  Just as I thought, my worst fears were confirmed I looked awful.  My nice clothes were in the bottom of my bag and I was wearing my grubbies. Well you don't dress up to go down a mine do you? or visit a brewery?  I just hoped we wouldn't be going any where fancy.

When I emerged after trying to fluff up my hair a little bit, it was still so wet it was drying stuck to my scalp, and saw G.O talking to a man with a camera.  All I could hear was him telling him that he worked in a pub in Oxford.  Shortly after we made our way to the bar at the end of the tour where we were offered a taster of the ale. I'm not a big ale drinker and I can't help but show my feelings on my face, but what the hey?

Not long after the man with the camera, came over to chat to G.O again, I smiled politely and looked out of the window at the stunning views.  "I'm filming a piece for the local council tourist board, and need a couple of shots of people just chatting and enjoying the ale.  Would you mind if I filmed you?"  "No, go ahead!" said G.O, and before I could say anything, G.O launched into his speech.

"What a lovely ale, I haven't ever drunk anything this nice before, mmh, mmh, mmh it is delicious, what do you think wife?"   I tried hard not to laugh, so i just nodded along.  The camera man leaned over and said, "I don't need any voices, they'll just put some music over the top afterwards anyway."

I recently found the video on you tube and for your viewing pleasure here it the very professional and interesting video.  At about 1.47 mins, when the very nice gentleman talks about the beautiful views, you get a shot of a something that looks more like a drowned rat.  

"Don't worry no one will ever see you!"  

Big pit

Lot's of cute little bikes all over the place

After the hassles of the previous day, we wanted to pack as much on as possible.  We made a tentative plan, not knowing what would lie ahead of us.  

Waiting for our turn to go into the coal mine - we were the first visitors of the day

Waiting in the Waiting Room

Safety Notices in Welsh and English

Cheeky Miners wanted their photos taken

Warnings Everywhere

Already to go underground - we didn't know what to expect

And the tour begins - the miners were very knowledgeable and
told us the history of mining as well as the story of the Big Pit

I try to make new friends where ever I go

He looks so outdoorsy

There were random little statues all over the place

The torch room was surprisingly dark

The Big Pit -in the rain

First stop was The Big Pit,  as we set off it started to rain, just a bit of drizzle, by the time we got to the Big Pit it was tipping it down.  

Having a brew in the canteen

We arrived and were the first car in the car park, not always a good thing as we weren't sure whether or not it was open. I spotted a lone man walking around the entrance andasked him if it was open, "we're open rain or shine, it's all underground" came the reply.  Which in hindsight was pretty obvious.

Coal mine Selfie

I was very scared I'm not a big fan of tight, dark places but it was actually very interesting.  We had to wear a helmet with a battery pack on a belt.  Then our group, of about ten people, got into the lift and went hundreds of feet underground.  Just like the miners of old.

Our tour guide was an ex miner and he was very passionate.  He was keen to make sure that we understood what life in the mines was like.  

After the coal mine, we browsed around the rest of the site, which had been turned into a living museum

Some Facts About Mine Life

Children used to spend 12 hours in pitch black unless their parent could afford a candle. Opening the safety doors in the mine.

Having a go at some brass rubbing

Horses used to live in the mines all their lives,  until it became law for them to have two weeks holiday every year.

Canaries were used to detect carbon monoxide, as they were seven times more sensitive to it's effects as a human.