Making daisy chains, sitting in circles singing music round a camp fire and having a wonderful time is exactly how I used to envisage Festivals before I started going to them. I’ve been going to Festivals since 2008, so some could say I’m an ”old timer” when it comes to being prepared for festival season. It’s a great time, filled with making lots of memories and enjoying some of the best music the world has to offer. By no means am I trying to detract from the wonderful atmosphere that Festivals have to offer you really do have to keep your wits about you in so many ways. I keep getting told that I’m too old to go to Leeds Festival (yikes, I’m only 25. I’m not sure if they are basically saying my life is over or not?) but I am determined I’m gonna keep going for years to come.
For those who follow me ontwitteryou will be no stranger to my wish of wanting to head to our newest Cafe, Dulcie Butterfly. Well, my dreams came true on the bank holiday weekend. After our spa day, you can read about that here,my best friend & I headed for some scrumptious delights in this emporium of vintage goodness!
This was going to be the year my sister & I spoilt our Mum spoilt rotten for her birthday. It passed with the blink of any eye last year with my granddad being in hospital so it was time to celebrate, albeit a year late (& another year older!) So off we pottered in to York on a brisk, January day. We laughed and giggled and pondered wondering how long it would take for us to get in to Betty’s. For those who don’t know this delicate, Yorkshire privilege is that there is normally a trail of winding around the tall, grand windows of Betty’s as far as the eye can see to eat a Fat Rascal or macaroon. But boy, is it worth it! We only queued for 15 minutes or so & once we got inside we were met with warmth and the decadent smell of coffee beans and all things sweet.
We were taken downstairs to another room & immediately my sister & I piped ”I feel like I’m on the Titanic” & it really did feel like we had time travelled back to 1912. The wood panelling and the boozy, dim lights made it feel more intimate than the large room upstairs with tourists staring at you. Of course, upon handed the menu’s we all opted for the afternoon tea. I, of course, went for a glass of champagne (as one does!) And what a feat we had. The delicate little sandwiches were just divine, I could have eaten a mountain of the smoked salmon sandwiches & I think my sister would have joined me in that too. A scone with jam & clotted cream was next on the agenda. By this time I was nearly bursting at the seams but it was my mission to tackle the ”third course” of a selection from the patisserie stand. A fruit tart, a decadent chocolate cake & an almond macaroon, all of which were yummy in their own special way. We sipped team laughed & giggled some more. I felt so happy in that moment spending time with the dearest woman in my life, Mum, Nana & Jessica. We vowed we needed to do this more often!
No visit to Betty’s is complete without having a little wander round the shop upstairs. I was desperate for some chocolate macaroons which were so amazing, they just melt in your mouth. I also, picked up a cute little chocolate heart to take back for Mr C, yes, it may sound cute but of course I made him share it.
Did you have a lovely weekend too? Have you been to Bettys, if so what was your favourite sweet treat?
I was lucky enough to be asked to take part in Cotton Traders Day Trip Decider. This handy online tool is the creation of high street retailer Cotton Traders. They have carefully selected hundreds of ‘’Days Out’’ ideas for families & couples alike through a nifty little questionnaire which ultimately decides a fabulous day out for everyone!
After inputting a few details such as location, if we wanted the day out to be active or relaxing, indoors or outdoors we were given probably what I think is one of the most fantastic ideas in our region…
Yes, indoor skiing at Xscapes SnoZone! When this came up I was practically jumping for joy as Mr C & I have always wanted to try skiing but never had the guts to do it. So armed with an opportunity we were not going to miss out on this.
After a relatively easy checking in process and adorning ourselves in some very sexy waterproof outerwear we set to getting our ski’s and boots. Note to self; Ski boots are very uncomfortable we were ready to go on the afternoon of the 25th October and experience some sheer extreme sport fun!
As we were all beginners we were on the nursery slopes all being pushed through our paces towards completing Level 1 of Skiing. As a complete novice no matter how many times someone tells you how much your muscles are going to hurt the next day you do not believe them, but trust me, after sidestepping up & down the slopes about 15 times I promise that you will feel the burn for days after (yes, I am wincing in pain right now as I write this!) but in the name of fun it was all fabulous. Our lovely instructor, Liam taught us how to control our speed and stop as this is the first thing you need to master if you are going to go skiing properly! It took me a couple of times to really get it but it eventually the penny started to drop and on my last run I had (just about) mastered it.
I know what question is on everyone’s lips. How many times did you fall over? And the answer is 3 spectacular, face planting times! I occasionally resembled a scene out of Bambi where my legs were skirting around the snow so bad that I gave in and went head first, arse up and looked ready for action all in the space of t-minus 2 seconds. So lady like of me? In all honesty there is nothing demure about skiing, well not if you are me that is. The husband had it down like a pro the first time down the slopes so at least one of us was good!
A big thank you to Liam as he was always so encouraging, despite me shouting expletives for the whole 90 minutes I was there and completely doubting my ability! He was always at the bottom ready to cheer you on and give you constructive criticism.
So, did we pass Level 1 I hear you ask? YES! I’m pleased to say we did & we’re going to be booking our next lesson shortly to master the art of turning on the slopes in Level 2. So keep your fingers, toes and anything else you can that I pass the next one too.
Thanks to Cotton Traders we have now done something that we thought we would never do & it has given us a brilliant opportunity for not only a day out but what is hopefully going to be our newest hobby!
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