Sudbury Hall, Derbyshire

The Lords Vernon have lived in Sudbury Hall since the early 1700s. Its grandeur captured film scouts attention and it has been the setting for a number of films and TV shows, including Pride and Prejudice.

It has as stunning formal garden overlooking an ornamental lake ( with boat house) but the stand out feature for me was the Long Hall - 135 feet long and built specifically to house the portraits of all the family members over the years.

I've always been a bit of a sucker for libraries, and the tiny one they have is stacked from bottom to ceiling with books - but its the way its shelved that I adored. Winding staircase and book step ladders, coupled with the musty smell of pages and wood.. hmmm.. dreamy.

It was a welcome retreat to come to this Mansion and not have to be jostled by the crowds. The kids trail was probably one of the best we have come across for National Trust - so well done to the folk who put it together. Lilly was really involved with tracking down all the clues in every room, which ultimately gave her a story about how restoration is done and what causes the decline in quality of the homes and furnishings. 

Blackberry Picking

Mmm.. is there anything better than ripe sweet blackberries? ( ok.. ripe sweet mulberries are on par)

Its our first day in Stoke on Trent and the air is crisp with the promise of winter on its way. We took a walk in the nearby park -(Literally across the road from our house) and were delighted to find acres of blackberries growing bursting with ripe fruit. 

Its obvious that everyone in the district has come at some point and harvested what they could, but the blackberries had no chance with an experienced picker from Aus..

I came across some dumped chairs on the path, so picked these up and used these to crush our way into the middle of one of the big patches. So many ripe juicy fruit.  Alot of it found its way into our mouths, but we did end up with a few kilos to bring home.

Both kids were so excited picking the blackberries. Its these little moments which bring a real smile to my heart.

I'm in the process of making Blackberry Jam and have just made some blackberry icecream.. mmm

Garden And Housekeeping Help X job at Stoke on Trent

We are in Stoke on Trent now for a week undertaking a role through Help X ( the work you do in exchange for food and lodgings) Our client is a lovely lady called Carol, who is in a wheelchair. 

She and her husband have created a gorgeous garden of winding pathways, stuffed full of flowers, herbs, fruits and vegetables and quite rightly have called it a sensory garden. 

There are nooks and crannies  filled with delightful statues, chairs to rest and contemplate and wonders in every corner.

The treelined street is very quiet and off the beaten track. We are very close - one street - away from a  huge reserve, where we can walk the dog and pick mountains of blackberries. 

Our role will be delightful here. I can get my housewife groove on and cook up a storm every day. We have light gardening duties of maintaining what is out there and keeping it tidy, house work, cleaning, washing and cooking. We have the afternoons to ourselves, which is ideal. We have our homeschooling to get back into the groove of, and National Trust places to visit. 

We are very lucky too, to be back here in November for three weeks. Its a calm and lovely atmosphere, which is something we are enjoying.