Time for Tea

I don't know about you, but I always feel like everybody else has a secret life they delve into on Sundays, a ritual in which they squeeze every last drop out of the weekend - except me. I never really know what to do with myself, half of me wants to get up at the crack of dawn and do five different things with my day to make the most of it, while the other half wants to lounge around making brunch and reading a good book. 

Well lovely readers, I've cracked it. I spent today enjoying delicious afternoon tea in one of the most beautiful gardens hidden in Durham city centre! 

Having received a kind invite to visit Crook Hall and Gardens for afternoon tea and a meander around the gardens, I hopped in the car and journeyed south with my mother and her broken leg in tow. Neither of us knowing what to expect, we pulled up on an unsuspecting lane just around the bend from the riverbank and Radisson Blu hotel. Hidden completely from view was Crook Hall, the family home of Maggie and Keith Bell and ancient medieval manor. 

Look at the sight which greeted us! 

The smell of the sweet peas was incredible as we made our way through the gardens! 

A little further along was a stunning wildflower meadow and maze, the land i'm told was a 40th birthday gift from Keith to Maggie - how romantic! Everywhere you looked was colour, texture and my favourite little touch, hidden settings for afternoon tea! You would turn a corner or unlock a gate and stumble upon the most perfect setting, as though fairies had set it up and invite you to sit down for a spot of tea. 

Our lovely host Maggie led my mam and I to the most perfect sheltered setting near the house where a veritable feast awaited us. Three tiers of homemade goodies were beautifully decorated with flowers from the garden. Everything looked perfect! 

Our afternoon tea for two consisted of: 

TIER ONE

- egg mayonnaise and prawn cocktail 'drops'

- A selection of cheese and pickle, salmon and cream cheese, ham and mustard and cucumber sandwiches

- fresh lettuce, tomato celery and carrot sticks from the garden

TIER TWO

- Two plain homemade scones with the most amazing clotted cream, strawberry jam and fresh strawberries and raspberries from the garden (which were unbelievably good)

TIER THREE

- Ginger parkin with garden mint

- Chocolate eclairs

- Sponge rolls

- Homemade meringues 

- Caramel shortbread 

Look how beautifully everything was presented! After devouring everything in sight (and taking home a snip of lettuce for the guineapig!) we were invited to explore the gardens. I don't want to spoil the surprise too much, so i'll say this; Crook Hall's series of old Walled Gardens and Orchard are incredibly tranquil, beautiful to behold and full of surprises around every corner. Just have a look at some of the photos I took! 

I struggle to choose my favourite part as I loved absolutely everything, but if I had to, i'd choose the Shakespeare Garden. It is so peaceful and beautiful. The planting scheme just draws your eye at every angle, I can really imagine myself sitting there on a sunny day and writing. 

I loved the Orchard too, full of cooking apples and plums. Our lovely, knowledgeable guide (and the wedding manager) Nicola told me they invite people to come and pick hoardes of the fruit at the end of the season to make tarts and sauces. 

My mam's favourite part was the vegetable garden, which I imagined to be like Mr McGregors garden from Beatrix Potter. It was full of raspberries, strawberries, tomatoes, courgettes, cucumbers and onions. They also grow a few unusual plants too, such as celery parsley and strawberry spinach. 

I had such a brilliant day here, it was a pleasure to visit and I can't wait to be back.

Crook Hall will be opening more during winter this year too, imagine how magical the whole place will look when covered in a carpet of snow, the frosty leaves and branches twinkling in the sun. There's plenty of roaring fires indoors to keep you warm, and can you imagine the Christmas-inspired afternoon tea in the beautiful Georgian dining room which looks out over the gardens and ginormous Christmas tree. 

For somebody as rubbish with directions as me, Crook Hall was actually really simple to find. It's just left towards the passport office just as you come off the A1 and arrive in Durham and a 20 minute or so walk from the train station. I can't recommend the place enough, you'll have a lovely day regardless of whether you're six or sixty. Go for a picnic on a sunny day and definitely for a birthday/special afternoon tea treat! 

Visit their website www.crookhallgardens.co.uk for opening times and more information. 

Thank you for having us! 

Food Glorious Food

Now I've probably mentioned this once or twice, but food and I have quite a serious love affair going on... I'll try anything as long as it doesn't contain raisins or mushrooms really! So when I spied a gorgeous new cafe on Tynemouth's ever-popular Front Street, naturally I couldn't wait to check it out! 

Having booked myself this sunny Friday off work, I battled with other motorists for what seemed like Tynemouth's last parking space and skipped on over to Dil and the Bear. The stylish grey and white striped awning makes a fantastic first impression, and the gorgeous window display of cake stands and outdoor tables certainly entice you in... 

Once inside, you almost feel like you're in a long train carriage, the seating is along the exposed brick walls with little tables and benches. The interior is light, bright and seriously stylish. I loved the big clock on the wall, the array of cakestands and freshly baked goodies and smart blackboards. We took a seat in the first section and browsed the menu. 

I want my house to look like this! Two icy bottles of coke later (retro glass bottles - nice touch), we both opted for soup of the day which was butternut squash (£5).  Though the lunch menu isn't big, there's an inspiring array on offer, from the fish platter and steak sandwich with shallot butter and numerous vegetarian options. Though we were pressed for time today, i'll definitely be back for a coffee and try a slice of cake. 

The atmosphere inside was very relaxed and informal, and all the staff were lovely. Just before we left we noticed a couple beside us reading Living North's summer wedding guide which I worked on. They were planning their wedding at the beautiful Close House Hotel in Heddon-on-the-Wall. It was lovely to hear their kind comments and oohs and ahh's over my hard work, I left feeling rather famous and humming along to Dil and the Bear's easy breezy soundtrack. 

You can see more of the lovely Dil and the Bear on their facebook page, or say hello @Dilandthebear

Sunshine, marshmallows & stars

To make the most of the gorgeous weather we had this weekend a few of us decided to get in our cars and head 40 minutes north to the beautiful Druridge Bay.

After stopping off at the shops for supplies (barbecue, burgers, fruity cider and marshmallows) we soon found our secret spot (just right after the turning for Red Row in case you want to go too!) it was already half 7, but still beautifully warm and best of all, we had the whole beach to ourselves! 

After a game of football (boys vs girls) and a quick run to the shore to dip our toes in the (freezing cold) sea, we fired up the barbecues while the boys went hunting for firewood. 

See the huge stone boulders all along the beach in my photo above? Those were England's first defences against invasions during the second world war. It would prevent any enemies tanks reaching the villages and towns atop the sand dunes and only haunting stumps of these once high barriers remain. I remember trying to climb up them when I was little and them being too high, now they're almost gone! Still, they make excellent countertops for barbecues and sheltered craters to hold our fire. 

After our feast of steak, sausages and plenty of melted cheese, we grabbed our blankets and huddled around fire while we put our telescope together. Admittedly, I neither know or understand a lot about space, but it absolutely fascinates me. Seeing the stars somewhere like this without any light pollution is truly breathtaking and something everybody has to experience! The fact that we had a powerful telescope means you see 100x more. I remember how awestruck I was the first time I looked at the moon through the telescope and saw its enormous craters and the sea of tranquility. 

 

It took forever to get dark, in fact if wasn't until half 12/1am that we all lay on our blankets and sleeping bags on the sand dune and looked up at the stars. Every time we go stargazing everybody seems to see a shooting star except me, but not tonight! I just caught a quick glimpse of a flash as the star flew across the sky (or fell out of the atmosphere, whatever the scientific term is). It sounds so silly, but your eyes play tricks on you. There's hundreds of stars in one little patch of sky, and the longer you stare at them they look like they're wobbling. We saw Orion's Belt, the Big Dipper and a UFO! ...just kidding. Something really bright flashed across the sky for a second before disappearing forever though, maybe it was the space station? 

Before we knew it, it was 2am! Definitely time for bed. So the five of us packed up our stuff and clambered back up the enormous sand dune in search of the cars (but not before sliding back down a few times and not being able to climb back up for laughing). It was a magical night and definitely something we should do more often! 

What did you get up to this scorching weekend? Know of any good stargazing spots?!