I enjoyed that weekend

For me, it was a super-duper long weekend.  Monday was the Spring Bank Holiday.  Tuesday the University was closed.

So, we took the opportunity to make a longer trip to Salisbury than we can usually manage.  Two nights, instead of one.  At The Swan.  Excellent! (You may have noticed that we like The Swan, though I do try to mute our enthusiasm on these pages!!!)

First, though, we dropped to Bakewell to inspect a house that my friend Jo had put an offer on.  It's up on the hillside, behind the church, almost out of the village.  And it's beautiful.  Absolutely beautiful.  I am considering selling The Builder on eBay and gazumping Jo!!!

Then we made our way across country down to Salisbury, stopping on the way for lunch.  We didn't do too badly for traffic, except that parts of the M6 we closed and we had to divert around Wolverhampton.  So we were late to Barb's where we were supposed to be going for afternoon tea.  We went anyway, but skipped afternoon tea so as not to spoil our dinners!!  Afternoon tea postponed to Monday.

They had put us in the rather swanky first room at The Swan.  It was extremely comfortable. Four poster bed and everything :-)

Sunday dawned bright and shiny.  And we went with Gwen to Whiteley, where we found Ian and Sophie, and Mike and Rosie.  Oh, and, of course, Jeanette, Matthew, Rebecca and Evie.  As you would expect.  It being their house and all!  We had a barbecue lunch and sat out in the sunshine and drank wine and played with Mike and Rosie's dog and generally had a lovely afternoon.

On Monday we took Gwen to Street, near Glastonbury, where there is an outlet shopping complex.  Gwen's children are all more than happy to go and collect her shopping for her, whenever she needs anything, but she does rather miss going and pottering about in the shops.  We had nothing pressing to do and so had the time to take her shopping.  And I think she had a nice afternoon of it.  She certainly came home with lots of parcels.  We did not.  I am looking for some pasta bowls - but I want some that will at least complement the three I already have (used to have four but dropped one, alas).  And I want a pair of surf sandals.  But I have quite specific sandals in mind and there weren't any.  There also weren't any satisfactory pasta bowls.  No worries.  I can be patient.  And also, of course, am unexpectedly short of funds this month!!!!!

We meandered back across country to Barb's place and sat outside and ate scones and drank fizzy wine (or Barb and I did - The Builder and Gwen had tea). Then we delivered Gwen back to her place and meandered on home ourselves.

On Tuesday, I mainly baked.  Cheesy damper.  Rhubarb fairy cakes.  Flapjack.  And slow roasted gammon for dinner.  It was a lovely day (not the weather, which was cool and damp).  I need more baking days!

You will find the various pubs we visited over the weekend here.  And my chip obsession here