A Bucket List Progress Report and Links & Likes ~ January.

Last year I started my  25 Before 45 Bucket List and although progress is quite slow, I have at least achieved a few things on it !   Whilst I have not yet learned to crochet, swum in a Lido or watched a Film Outdoors, I have managed to Trek With Llamas in the Lake District, Picnic on a Village Green with my old-fashioned Picnic Hamper ( Not very successfully, Hugo ate the cake ! ),  do a Rail Ale Trail Tour  on the East Lancs Railway  and  take part in  The Morecambe Bay Cross Bay Walk  led by the Queen’s Official Guide, Cedric Robinson. I have just under 2 years to complete the list, so hopefully in 2017 I will make a sizeable chunk in it. Wish me Luck!

 

East Lancs Rail Ale Trail Tour.

Picnic on the Village Green.

Lakeland llama Trekking.

Morecambe Bay Cross Bay Walk.

And now for a bit of  Blog love. Here are some links to posts I have enjoyed reading in January. X

Lisa knows where to get warm in the winter. Edinburgh’s Royal Botanic Gardens of course!

Leah shares a wonderful Insiders Guide To Malta. 🙂

Snow Day and an Excited Pup on Loving Life In Wellies. So cute!

Em has a delicious recipe for an Amaretto & Apple Juice Cocktail. Looks and sounds heavenly. 🙂

Polly has only gone and had a baby. Congrats Polly. 🙂

Christine has been accidentally  bagging Wainwrights in the Lake District.

Fancy making Memory Jam ? Head on over to Cultivating Time.

Laura has wrote a lovely post about her  Favourite travel companion. 🙂

Gregson the dog has found out that Margate is a very pet-friendly town. ^^

Thanks for Visiting!

Sunday Sevens 24th July.

Sunday Sevens is here once again. I’m joining in with Natalie at Threads & Bobbins whose fab idea of posting 7 piccies of her personal week, has really caught on in the blogging world. 🙂

I’ve made a little bit of progress with my 25 Before 45 Bucket List this past week. Finally used my picnic basket and went on a ‘proper Picnic’,with it, a ton of yummy food ( sadly not homemade though) and a copy of Go Set A Watchman by Harper Lee. Unfortunately it was last Tuesday that we decided on a picnic tea….and it was scorching hot, even at 6pm. It was to uncomfortable to read plus Hugo got his paws on the Sainsbury’s lemon cake I bought !  Plenty more time for picnics this summer though, hopefully. 🙂

Another activity I’ve crossed off my Bucket List this week is Llama Trekking in the Lakes. Last Sunday myself and some of my family met up at Brougham, near Penrith in Cumbria, and took a herd of llamas out on a countryside trail. It was a lovely experience. No Llama Dramas! You can read my Llama Trekking in the Lakes. 🙂 post here. 🙂

How do you like my new bag?? I got it in the Orla Kiely Sale. I think it says ‘Crazy Cat Lady’ ,in a subtle way…….

Hugo is officially a magazine star ! A couple of months ago we went camping in the Yorkshire Dales and I happened to take this photo of Hugo curled up on the camp bed with his  my favourite magazine. I put it on Twitter , and here he is, looking all nonchalant in the August edition.

Babysitting these two cheeky chappies happened this weekend. Happily all went well. The sunshine, Castle park and the Goosebumps movie on dvd proved suitable entertainment. 🙂

And today Wil and I met up with my sister and family again in the nearby village of Downham. My sister and I went to the village school here, many moons ago 😉 Downham Hall was holding an Open Gardens day for charity. So it was nice to look round the grounds as they are rarely open to the public. Oh and I bought a Bob’s Knoblets Lancashire Cheese!

Thanks for dropping by…..x

 

 

 

 

 

Atrium Picnic at Clitheroe Castle.

A couple of weeks ago Wil and I had a day off work so we decided to go out for lunch. Where better than somewhere local…. just a short walk in the park away, in fact. 🙂 The Atrium Cafe at Clitheroe Castle has just got a new chef and a brand new menu. We thought it might be worth a look.

The Castle Keep was looking a wee bit mean and moody that day. Luckily the Cafe itself is a light and welcoming space with attentive staff. We decided to try the Picnic Lunch which I had lusted over on Facebook a few days earlier. 🙂 After ordering our drinks ( The Atrium grounds it’s coffee beans on site and the Coffee Exchange in Clitheroe supplies their loose leaf tea), we took a seat by the window and admired the drizzly but historic view. 🙂

Tempting treats.

The Picnic arrived served on a rustic bread board.As you can see it looks scrumdiddlyumptious!  Happily it tastes that way too. The delicious array of goodies include a selection of sandwiches,ham hock terrine ( a favourite with Wil),sausage rolls ( the best I’ve ever tasted 🙂 ), a flask of soup, pate and toasts, mocha frappe with shortbread,lemon and vanilla posset ( to die for), chocolate brownie and homemade  scones with jam and clotted cream.

This was definitely our kind of Picnic!  The food is yummy and locally sourced and it’s actually a clever spin on an Afternoon Tea. 😉  One that the Atrium  at  Clitheroe Castle can proudly call it’s own. And not bad value at £12.50 per person.

Are you tempted?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Picnic Ware Pinspiration. :)

So Picnic Weather is just round the corner again !  I’m assured that after the weekend  the sun will be shining, the ground will be dry and many a picnic rug will be hosting a scrumptious spread. 🙂 I could not help but look to Pinterest for some Picnic ware Pinspiration.

I have a hankering to purchase a retro picnic set like one of these.I love the brightly coloured & kitsch patterned melamine ware.There are lots and lots for sale on ebay but I might have a look in my local charity and vintage shops first…

Did you know that the UK has a ‘National Picnic Week’ ( just one day would be tempting fate with our weather!) from Saturday 13th June until Sunday 21st of June. Find out more on Twitter at #picnicweek.

I love these jars with straws ~ ideal for smoothies and milkshakes.In fact I recently bought two quite simular ones from Winfields Outdoors Store in Haslingdon. And the nautical inspired Picnic plates are by Modcloth though i’m not sure they are still for sale on their website. How perfect for picnics at the beach though.

You can’t really go wrong with Cath Kidston. Loving their new cloud covered picnic wares.

This picture is from the ‘Happy Holiday’ Ladybird book from 1964.The first Ladybird book featuring a picnic was ‘Bunnikins Picnic Party’ published in 1940. Popular Picnic reads.:)

So for my perfect picnic I need yummy food, cushions and blankets, a vintage picnic set, reading material, a countryside or beach setting and maybe even an old fashioned record player to play some tunes.Oh and sunshine. Wish me luck!