Lunch and an afternoon out!

Sophie went to the gym for the first time in four months this morning so she was very excited to go back! While she was gone, Keith and I popped to get the Sunday papers and had a relaxing start to the day.

Sophie came back and said that it had been great to go back to the gym and that Virgin's pool was open as normal. Next week, she will be going back every day so the days of running around the estate are over. It will be a shame, to be honest, but everything moves on and we're getting closer to how normal life used to be.

Sophie and I had booked a table for lunch at The Cowpers Oak in Weston Underwood for lunch today, and an afternoon at Castle Ashby Gardens so we showered and left the house at about 11am for the journey into Buckinghamshire.

The weather was dry but there were quite a few dark clouds overhead so we kept our fingers crossed it would stay fine! We arrived at the pub in the beautiful village of Weston Underwood ten minutes before they opened so we sat in the garden and chatted for a little while. There were loads of tables set out on the grass and a makeshift kitchen set up but one of the staff members said that we had a table in the bar area, which we were relieved about! It was quite warm but a bit windy!

More and more cars were starting to arrive and when we heard the church bells chime the hour we walked down to the entrance. Our table was at the front of the pub tucked away from other diners so everything felt very safe. We ordered two half pints of Guinness and had a good look at the menu. We opted for halloumi fries to start followed by a sausage sandwich for me and a chicken and bacon club for Sophie, both accompanied by fries.

The food was very good and the cheese starter delicious and served with a chilli dip and rocket leaves which I love (and Sophie hates!). Our sandwiches and fries were also very good indeed and we had a lovely chat watching the pub gradually fill up with diners, some of whom hadn't booked a table, which we found surprising.

We managed to find room to share a pudding and chose the Oreo Sundae, which was lovely and perfect for two. With another half of Guinness each the bill came to £35, so we paid and set off for Castle Ashby a few miles away.

I have been a fan of the stately home for decades (I even did a project on it at school) and have been lucky in the past to attend events in the house itself, including a memorable Christmas meal when Keith worked for Black and Decker and we took over one of the beautiful halls. It's the home of the 7th Marquess of Northampton and the present house dates from 1574.

Sophie visited the gardens last year and said they were gorgeous so we were both looking forward to spending the afternoon there. We followed our satnav down winding country lanes and soon found signs directing us to the car park. Already, there were loads of cars parked but the area is large so it was never crowded.

We took a one-way system to the main entrance, walking past people sitting having lunch on the terraces overlooking a children's playground. Once in, we had a lovely view of the house itself and the nearby church.

There were lots of people strolling around the gardens and some even had picnics on blankets. Luckily, the weather was still fine and dry! We had a good walk around and we particularly loved the Orangery.

The gardens are really beautiful and I think Capability Brown had a hand in the design! It was lovely to stroll around and gaze at all the beautiful plants, lots of which were purple, one of my favourite colours in the garden.

The church

We threw coins in!

Some of the gorgeous lavender plants

The gardens also contain a menagerie with a Falabella (tiny) horse, a pig, various birds and rabbits and a big draw for me, meerkats!

All in a heap, playing!

We had a good chat with the tiny Falabella pony and then spent ages watching the meerkats, which I find fascinating! They were happily play-fighting and dashing about, occasionally diving down their holes to hide. We also saw Marmosets which were jumping about in the trees having a great time. Their faces are really comical!

Overhead the sky was growing a bit darker so we reluctantly made our way back to the exit, having a look at some beautiful lavender on the way and learning about the history of the house and gardens.

We did talk about having a cup of tea before leaving but there were no tables free so we decided to head home instead. Just as we got back to the car we saw spots of rain so it was a good decision to go! We called Mike to see if he wanted a lift home as I would have been annoyed if we'd got home and then he called to ask us to pick him up. I think he was a bit reluctant to leave but it was 4pm by now and I didn't want to have to go out again.

Back home we relaxed and then Sophie made us a delicious Aperol Spritz and we sat in the garden. The black clouds had passed over and there was blue sky overhead again. We sat and relaxed and for dinner enjoyed cold meats and salad, perfect after our substantial lunch!