What Goes Up...

To burn off some of the copious amounts of calories consumed over Christmas, our kind friends the O'Neills asked us to come and spend some time with them in the Lakes. They suggested a bit of skiing which I couldn't, unfortunately, take part in due to the passenger I am now carrying that makes these things difficult. So they suggested a nice walk and some fun in the snow with a stop for tea and cake after.

What I didn't realise was that the 'walk' was more akin to a hike. A three hour hike, up a hill, at 25 weeks pregnant with nary a toilet in sight...toileting issues (or lack thereof) aside we had a marvellous day. The weather was amazing...

The terrain challenging...

...enough to feel a sense of achievement at the top...

And the views were immense enough to warrant catalogue style posing...

But what goes up must come down and the descent was precarious and hilarious. I ended up deciding it was safer to scooch down on my bum, rather than risk slipping and falling. Anyway, I lifted my heels off the floor at the top for milliseconds and before I knew it was sliding high speed down the peak with no real means of stopping…all I could hear was t'husband screaming from the top of the hill ‘Who let the pregnant woman go first!?’ I eventually managed to anchor myself with a walking pole after sliding about 70 metres. Scare-larious…

Due to high jinx above, I was made to follow t'husband down the hill as he slipped and slid in his inadequate for ice, snow and descent shoes. Mrs O'N and I tried hard to contain our giggles at his flailing arms and legs but failed. Was exhausted with laughing by the bottom…


A brilliant day...

Why the DIY might not be progressing..

...as quickly as it should. We have got caught up in this again a few weekend over the past few weeks.

Hope Series 2 Lee Quarry - Race 2 - Sept 2009 from Richard Drake on Vimeo.

But despite helping organise and attend the races we have a few things done at The Moneypit which I hope to blog about soon. Just need to recharge the camera....

The Cuddleston Wedding Extravaganza - part 2

So after a few days relaxing, eating, gently familiarising ourselves with our surroundings, eating and getting to know one another but mainly eating before we knew it it was the night before the wedding. Abi's brother and dad with the help of some of the other chaps prepared all the food for a pre-wedding BBQ. How Italian is this?

I was too busy eating to take photos of the food but believe me it was so, so good.. fresh fish, salads of various sorts, meats, and some rather hot roasted chillies t'husband insisted on eating and then regretted all followed by gelato of course. Anyhoo, here are the lovely couple still looking mighty relaxed the evening before. I think Abi looks super happy, mainly, as she has persuaded me to spend the last night as a single women with her and that is a treat for anyone!

Anyway, the day of the wedding dawned bright and beautiful with Abs throwing back the shutters and shouting 'It's my wedding day' rather too loudly for the early hour. This declaration of extreme importance was swiftly followed by the equally important 'Is it too early to open the Haribo?"

Matt had taken a more practical (and perhaps sensible) approach to dealing with wedding morning jitters. Instead of calming his nerves with a hit of sugar (!), he decided to wash the wedding car. The sight of something so beautiful clothed in white must have been a trial run for the day ahead...here she is. It makes you misty eyed doesn't it?

And Abi didn't scrub up too badly either! The headgear...

The flowers....

The boys in all their handsomeness...anyone else thinking that the Italians aren't the only ones with natty dress sense...

The calm before the storm....so lovely....(thanks for this one Nick)

The proud and also very lovely mum...

And then it was off the the ceremony. Twas a bit of a worry as we got separated from the convoy and only had very limited directions and even more limited grasp of the lingo and I am sure Matt could really have done without our 'we're lost, please help guide us through the town that you are not much more familiar with than us' type calls but he responded in his usual helpful fashion and we got there just in time. The vows were lovely. The Italians lay out the responsibilities of marriage quite wonderfully. I will try and get a copy...

Anyway, despite the ceremony being in Italian (they had a lovely translator) and it being the new Mayor's first wedding all went swimmingly. And after there were the congratulations...

The 'just married' photos overlooking the square...

The procession through the streets to find prosecco for some, gelato for others...

Then back to the villa for feasting...

And much love and romance...

Congratulations you guys, it was all so beautiful....

The Cuddleston Wedding Nuptials Extravaganza - part 1

You may remember me mentioning on a few occasions that we were off to a wedding in Italy. We were away last week and then this week has been a bit busy so no time for blogging unfortunately but I have meaning to post something about the wedding ever since we returned as it was a truly wonderful, warm and memorable week, full of absolute loveliness in every single respect.

Abi has wanted to wed for as long as I have known her which is now coming up to 22 years, in fact I think it is 22 years this month and therefore the extent of her wedding celebrations were directly in proportion to the amount of time she has longed for them to happen with a full week long series starting with the Italian leg.

The setting
This gorgeous place near Alba about an hour from Turin....

...surrounded by wonderful rolling countryside....

Beautiful sunflowers...

And a hilltop pool, overlooking the aforementioned rolling countryside...

The guests...

The beautiful couple. Bonny bride and ..er.. groom. Looking good Cullum!

The Mother of the Bride. Apparently, after the bride the second most important person there and equally beauteous...

And the proud father of the bride and the event 'sponsor' whose generosity knows no bounds. Here he is preparing his speech and delivering it to no one in particular...either that or he has just got the bill!

Here is the photographer, nose excavator and best man...

...which I guess makes this the 2nd best man...only kidding Rich...

And this little lady very nearly diverted all the attention away from the bride... (and baby Rosie was a hit too!)

Like with the wedding I might eek out the post-wedding posts over a week so stay tuned for The Dress, The Flowers, The Marriage, The Reception and much, much more...

Walks...

Okay not strictly house stuff today but it has been a little mad recently. On top of doing house stuff, socialising, tweeting and blogging for work as well as tweeting and trying to promote the next Series of this, I have also been trying to get fit. I may have mentioend I have a wedding to go to and I am a bridesmaid - the only bridesmaid actually!

A few weekends ago I tried on the dress to make sure it still fitted me. I was aware that my exercise programme was on 'recovery' rather than 'fat burning' but I seem to have gained a few lbs and the dress, well, it was a little snug. Plus, the wedding is in Italy and we have a pool so there is the bikini wearing thing. So the last few weeks, I have also been trying to get fit. As my knees no longer seem to be up for running and my will power is not up for biking (plus I have a puncture and any excuse is a good one) I am trying to get out and do some walking.

To pass the time, I listen to music and recently have been taking my camera as there are all sorts of nice things to photograph. Despite the greyness of the day outside today, I hadn't noticed we seem to have segued into autumn.

The walk up the rake and the tower shrouded in the typical North West condition...


Victoriana...

One of th'Mother in Law's favourite houses. She always comments on how sweet it is...

Pink and green...

Berries already...

Hidden gate...

Just one question. What happened to summer? Anyone?

Reunion

This weekend, due the t'husband being away biking, I went to catch up with some lovely people over at a friend's place in Chapel-en-le-Frith. Believe it or not, 'Chapel' is not en France but in the glorious High Peak. As t'husband was taking the car, I decided to take the train. It was a beautiful day and the views on the way over were wonderful. The train station is very sweet with a small cafe and and second hand furniture shop (mental note to visit again) and the walk from the station in Chapel was lovely. A long winding track through lovely countryside.

It felt like you were in the middle of nowhere and as I couldn't see a single house which was beautiful but also slightly worrisome as if I was in the middle on nowhere I was not suitably equipped for a hilly hike having only a wallett, camera and a bunch of these for the wonderful hostess.
Our hosts have also spent the last few years renovating a wonderfully grand Victorian house. In the giddiness of seeing friends, some of which I hadn't seen for a while, as well as all their beautiful offpsring [below and here] I forgot to snap photos of their house or of anything else for that matter.



The house is lovely and they have some really great furniture. But the thing that made me most envious was the garden. It is perfectly formed for socialising. So much so that it even as a bar (complete with pumps and a dart board) in the old outhouses.

I wonder if t'husband now has similar plans for the Garden Room!!

As the weather was playing ball we spent most of it outside (hence lack of house photos I suspect), drinking cold beer, eating the most delicious food and catching up.


Thanks for a lovely weekend guys. We miss you all...

Rammy Rocks

So, so, so gutted to be missing this (see here for more deets). We are heading off to Italy for my best friends wedding but even though that is super, super exciting, I am still gutted...

Especially about seeing (or not seeing) these...

We have loved Rammy ever since we moved there nearly 10 years ago (10 years???!). It just gets better and better. It is a great community. The shopping is wonderful: a great market, loads of boutique shops, great places to eat and the countryside on your doorstep.

And apparently, the biking isn't bad either...

So it goes without saying that it deserves it's own community website. And voila...we now have one. The guys are Ramsbottom online are doing a great job.

This is great resource and there seem to be more and more events happening on our doorstep like Rammyfest, the Rhythm and Blues Festival (26-27 September). And, of course, how can I forget the World Black Pudding Throwing Championships (13 September). According to this lady (who is also a resident now) Rammy is the new Chorlton!

Seems what Rammy needs is a boutique B&B for all the out of towners that might come to those events. Now who has a house that might be suitable? Hmmm....