A Break in The Lakes

With lock down restrictions slowly starting to ease, I thought now would be a good time to share a break idea for later in the year. Two of my favourite things are autumn and The Lake District. Put them together and you get one of the places to get away and have a break! So that's exactly what I did in October 2020.

Chris, Harry the hound and I stayed in the little village of Finsthwaite. Close to Windermere, we found the perfect little place to stay called Tanyard Cottage.

This cute little cottage had everything we needed for our stay. A cosy log fire, under floor heating, kitchen, dining table and even a washing machine! The cottage can in fact sleep 3 but we didn’t end up using the second bedroom with single bed. Oh and how could I forget- it's dog friendly too!

Whilst staying in The Lake District we visited some fab places which I definitely think you should go to if you plan a trip here!

Our walk to Windermere

As I’ve already mentioned, Finsthwaite is close to Windermere, so close in fact that we were able to walk through a beautiful woodland area where we saw these rocks and the gorgeous light pouring through. 

It looked like a lovely little fairy den! And this was just the walk to Lake Windermere…

Windermere

Windermere itself is utterly stunning and is the largest natural lake in England. With trails, peaks and villages surrounding the Lake, there is plenty to do in or off land and the autumn colours really set it off too. 

We decided to take a boat trip to Bowness-on Windermere and take in the sights that way. The dog absolutely loved taking in the sights and smells this way too!

Bowness-on Windermere

This town is awesome! If you’re looking for a mix of walking and outdoor activities paired with some epic pubs- this is the place. Chris and I discovered The Crafty Baa, voted the AA Best Pub in England.

Opened in 2016, this family run pub is built using 80% of upcycled and recycled materials! The decor is wonderfully bizarre and if you're into your beer, they have a huge array on tap for you to try and enjoy. Chris was in his element!

Another great pub was The Angel Inn with its panoramic views over the town.

Aside from pub hopping there were some lovely shops to look round and eateries too that were all incredibly dog friendly!

On the way back from Bowness-on Winderemere we decided to stop at The Swann hotel for a little tipple and watch the sun set over the peaks and the river. 

Grasmere

Another gorgeous place to go is Grasmere. 

It’s the most picturesque village with more gorgeous views (would you expect any less in The Lake District?) and quaint gift shops and eateries as well as links to Williams Wordsworth. I will say though you’re best to arrive early if you want any chance of parking here. We’d originally looked to visit here on the way back from Catfell but we couldn’t get parked up for love nor money!

There’s some beautiful walks here around the valley with Allan Bank National Trust on your door step too. This is somewhere I’d have loved to have gone, especially as part of my 12 Trusts of 2020 challenge but alas it was closed at the time due to Covid. 

If you’re a lover of food, in particular ginger bread then you should definitely visit The Grasmere Gingerbread shop. It tastes and smells incredible with queues of people down the street. It also sells it’s own award winning rum butter and a variety of ginger themed foods such as toffee, fudges, chocolate and more!

Catbells Fell

Whilst in the lakes you need to do one of the fells right? Have you even done The Lake District if you haven’t done a fell?

I’m not the biggest of hill climbers, quite the opposite in fact but I managed to climb Catbells Fell slowly and steadily and the dog loved it too!

I can see why this is one of the most popular fells in the area too- the views are just stunning. I’ll let the photos do the talking here!

So these are just some of the places I'd recommend visiting in The Lake District. There are many more and I myself am yet to visit them but here's a starting point for sure! Have you been to The Lakes and if so where did you go?

My Favourite Podcasts of 2020

With being at home so much this year, I’ve gotten sick of binging Netflix and listening to music and with the lack of seeing people as much, I’ve missed a good chat too. This is where podcasts have really come into their own; listening to interesting topics from fascinating people or chats with people who are hilarious. With that in mind, I thought I’d share some of my favourites for you to discover too! 

Shagged Married Annoyed

If you’re into podcasts and haven’t heard of Shagged Married Annoyed- where have you been!? This is by far my favourite podcast to listen to at the moment! For those of you who haven’t heard of it before, it’s a podcast hosted by comedian Chris Ramsey and his wife Rosie Ramsey and is basically discussing the highs and lows of married life each week with some hilarious stories and questions from the public too. On each episode they will summarise how their week has been, then have a rant known as “what’s your beef” detailing what one another has done to piss them off that week. It’s marvellous and very relatable if like me you have (or are) a long suffering partner! As the podcast has progressed over time, the stories and questions from the public have become increasingly vulgar and hilarious in equal measures. I literally laugh out loud and sometimes cry a little bit, which looks insane to my other half if I’m listening with headphones on. From forgotten shits in trousers to Vaseline for your dog’s dick- the stories will have you in stitches and the way Chris and Rosie tell them will also crack you up. If you’re in need of a good laugh 

To Baby or Not To Baby?

I love To Baby or Not to Baby as it's podcast I can really relate to!! If like me you're umming and arring over the prospects of having kids, tune into Naomi who is newly married and constantly being asked when she's having a baby! In each episode she interviews various people on their experiences of parenthood as she tries to navigate what to do. There are some amazing stories, some which will reduce you to tears of happiness or tears of sadness and will have you hooked. I absolutely love this podcast and would highly recommend it if you're in a similar position or even if you're not and just genuinely curious!

How To Make Friends Podcast with Gemma Scopes

I discovered Gemma's podcast How To Make Friends via Twitter and although I don't feel lonely or in need to make new friends, I was drawn to episodes such as How to Stop Being a People Pleaser and How To Be a Good Friend. Gemma is incredibly knowledgeable, uplifting and inspiring in her episodes and if you are someone that is feeling lonely and wants to make friends, she has all the tips, skills and advice you need to start your journey. Not only does she have a fabulous podcast, she also has a digital penpal list and blog. I've also had the pleasure of having Gemma on my own podcast- The Prosecco Sessions to discuss Loneliness Vs Being Lonely in season 5 of the podcast.

Make it Modern

I came across this unique podcast when I joined the Lady Pod Squad group which Make it Modern are also a part of. Hosted by Kelsey and Ashely, this podcast delves into classic tales and topics whilst putting a modern spin on them. From Egyptian Queens to Tennis, Dating the Signs to The Peaky Blinders- they cover so many vast and interesting topic that will begin in the past but end in the future with how they've been made modern. It's something a bit different to your other podcasts and Kelsey and Ashley are lovely to listen to. I've learnt some really interesting fact from listening too!

The Waiting Room with Dr Alex

You may remember Dr Alex from the 2018 series of Love Island. Since finishing on the series, he's gone on to create a podcast The Waiting Room with Dr Alex. The podcast is medical based and looks into ways to enhance your life with the help of experts and celebrities too. There's also a segment where listeners can email in with any medical queries or ailments and Dr Alex and co will give advice. It reminds me a little of The Surgery which used to be on Radio 1 and I find it fascinating.There are episodes on fitness, cosmetic dentistry, mental health sun care and so much more. There hasn't been a new episode since March but due to COVID I think Dr Alex has been a bit pre-disposed in A&E and working for the NHS. The lastest episode to be released was however on NHS Nursing Careers and is definitely an episode to check out. 

And finally, I can't not mention my own podcast in a post like this!

The Prosecco Sessions is now on season 5, with season 6 to be released later in the year *fingers crossed*. This latest season covered a multitude of topics with my favourite being on festivals! There was also the hard hitting topic of miscarriage which I really hope was informative and helpful to anyone that listened. I also covered living abroad, running and marathon running, style, nutrition and much much more and I'm sure there is a topic to interest everyone. If you're interested in being a guest on season 6 I'd love to hear from you! Or even if there's a particular topic you'd like covering. Pop an email over to hello@theproseccosessions.com

Anyway those are my current favourite podcasts of this year. I've been enjoying listening to a mix of mainstream and more indie podcasts and hope you enjoy them too!

Belton House National Trust | 12 Trusts of 2020

It seems forever since I started my #12trustsof2020 challenge (this was the first one) and to be honest I don't think I will complete it now either- thanks covid! Despite being unable to currently look around the stately homes, I'm chuffed that I am able to now visit another National Trust sites albeit just the parkland and gardens. So, the second site I opted for this year was Belton House.

A colleague had recommended it to me as it has lots of open space which is great for social distancing and it's conveniently located close to some of my family too, making it a great place to meetup outside.

Set in the Lincolnshire Countryside close to Grantham, Belton House itself looked stunning from the outside and had plenty of space to sit and enjoy a picnic, which many people were when we visited. I was a little bit in love with the greenery growing in the courtyard area too!

If I hadn't had Harry with me, I'd have been able to wander round the formal gardens but there's a strict no dogs allowed in this area which I can understand. Harry loves to sit on flowers and stick his head into shrubs so the gardens wouldn't stand a chance! Instead we walked around the beautiful fields, taking in the views, fresh air and also spotting some deer.

The grounds are a lovely place to walk around and the dogs absolutely loved it, with wooded areas and grassland too.

I'd have loved to have gone inside Belton House itself but for obvious reasons I couldn't. What I can tell you from looking at the NT website is that inside is an accredited museum; with a range of family portraits dating as far back as the 16th century as well as 17th century furniture and much more. I'd love to come back another time to have a peek inside but on this occasion it wasn't meant to be!

We did however get to peruse the gift shop which had lots of lovely bits including plants and garden bits.

All in all it was lovely to visit this National Trust site. It's definitely one that's perfect for summer time picnics and long walks. I'll definitely be packing a my picnic hamper in preparation for next time! It's also worth noting that whilst Covid is going on, you need to book your visit online as you will be turned away otherwise. It's really simple and easy to do and will guarantee there is no disappointment.

Have you been to Belton House?