cottage weekends, dirty weekends
Who says that romance is dead ? My chum from Cheshire rang…I see you have 5% off cottages at the mo and I fancied an energetic weekend under the duvet !! Do you have any nice one bedroom cottages within a couple of hours drive where I can get away for a long weekend and with a rather gorgeous hunky new man I have found and also save myself 5%. I fancy shag pile carpets, bare skin rugs (pun intended) a roaring log fire and lots of ……FINE I stopped her in her tracks I get the picture.
My close friend the school headmistress rang with murder in mind - “he ” has decided he would like a weekend break in a cottage in the Cotswolds rather than go overseas this year - nothing like leaving it late !! I appreciate it is near impossible but can you help? I came up with a couple of suggestions - Millstream Cottage located in Burford a quaint village often referred to as the gateway to The Cotswolds or Newbarn Cottage in Shipton-under -Wychwood a quaint cosy cottage dating back some 200 years, a real romantic hideaway.
activity weekends, cottage weekends, event weekends, guest houses / b & b's, hotel break weekends
Our steam mad friends rang up again from deepest Kent. When is the steam rally at Duncombe Park, we want to come up for it if possible? Only this time we are not going to drag the caravan up the motorways we are going to stay in style in a hotel or guest house in Hemsley or close by, can you recommend somewhere? Well you have a wide choice from the stylish chic boutique style hotels to cottages and bed and breakfast’s - how rich are you feeling Iventured ? i acme up with a 17th century inn The George and Dragon , Kirbymoorside -only a short scenic drive from Helmsley yet away from the rally chaos.
My best and closest friend called today. After all the pleasantries were exchanged she got to the point - can you sort me out with a cottage for one of the May Bank Holiday weekends?
Delighted to help I asked what she needed. Well it won’t be easy she said…I need something which is suitable for the two of us plus mum and dad. They really aren’t great now and we would like them to have a break so we can look after them - but we really need somewhere quite specific.It needs to be no further than 1/2 hour away from where they live, with all the rooms etc on one floor and no steps nooks or crannies. Ideally we need two bathrooms and one with walk in shower.Mum’s sight is also really bad now so any facilities supporting the partially sighted would also help although I expect I am asking the impossible.
No problem says I leave it with me - I actually have a deal with 5% off cottages at the moment so if we can find something suitable you can get even get a deal as well - perfect she says even better. For the first time for a while I warmed to the challenge, my best friends mum and dad were a great couple and finding something suitable for them would be a joy - rather a change from so many of the other thankless tasks I am so often charged with.My difficulty in finding just the right place however was a worry, the amount of cottages fitting this particular bill was very limited.
Cottages with only two bedrooms on one storey yet purpose built for disabled was OK, but add to that the distance from their home restriction and the timing of a Bank Holiday weekend and I knew that the choice would be limited.I have narrowed the search down to two super cottages in the Northumberland area, both of which are miraculously available over the first May Bank Holiday weekend.
My friends parents are choosing their preference even as we speak and are thrilled with the prospect of a weekends break. If you have experience of travelling with elderly and infirm relatives let me know how you got on and any tips you can share on the pitfalls - I know my friend would really appreciate some advice before they go.
