Birthday Bonanza - Part One

 I know, how many parts can there be to a birthday bonanza? Well given that mine and the chap’s birthdays are a fortnight apart, and I have a tendency to drag my birthday out for as long as possible, this could end up being a long series!

Where did last week go? From Wednesday onwards it just seemed to fly. Wednesday afternoon I took delivery of the new couch that my Mum kindly bought me for my upcoming birthday. I’ve been looking for a second couch for my living room for months now, so I was elated to stumble on this gorgeous herringbone tweed one the previous week. I don’t buy brand new sofas. Anyone with a young child and a dog will understand why, and I had in my head what I was looking for. Not too pale (for reasons given above) the right size for the space, comfy and inviting and robust. The new sofa ticks all of the boxes, although I thought having an extra sofa would give everyone space, it seems that wherever I sit, little Miss and Thelma need to sit too, but at least this sofa is a bit bigger so we can all pile on comfortably.

Wednesday evening we were back to swimming lessons for little miss. Given my tastecard is about to expire, I thought we’d have one last 25% off meal at the pub near the pool, afterwards. Everywhere seems to have some manner of ‘Oktoberfest’ on at the moment, so I had a delicious German style hotdog for dinner. Having been to Oktoberfest in Munich many years ago, I can say that this wasn’t quite the same, but I enjoyed it nonetheless.

Thursday I was off to York for a day in the office. It was also the chap’s birthday. We met after work, and walked up to Miller and Carter, a posh steak house that I’d booked a table at for the occasion.

The chap is a steak monster, so I’m always safe booking us a steak restaurant. We had been eyeing this one up for a while so it was nice to finally try it out. It was almost empty when we arrived, but soon started filling up as the evening progressed. 

We’ve agreed this year not to go too crazy with gifts and instead to spend the money on an experience. Maybe a show or a gig, we haven’t found one yet but we’ll keep looking. Nonetheless I’d brought him a small gift, which he opened before our three course feast was served.

The food was amazing! We both started with Calimari, followed by steak with various sides, whilst I enjoyed a Pavlova for dessert and the chap had a chocolate brownie, as well as a complimentary birthday brownie. All washed down with a glass of red wine. 

It was a lovely experience, and the waiters were absolutely splendid too. Admittedly we were so full by the time we left that I think we waddled along the river to the train station. Neither of us are particularly good at recognising when we’re full. 

In the blink of an eye it was the weekend. Saturday was a wash out and we ventured only as far as town. I had to pop into one of our local galleries, Woodend, to pick up the drawing that little Miss had exhibited earlier in the year.

This particular gallery was once home to the Sitwell family. The delightfully eccentric Edith Sitwell, her parents and brothers. It always makes me quite happy to visit here, not to mention the fabulous view from the back of the gallery on a clear day. Saturday was definitely not a clear day! 

Sunday was a completely different weather story. Whilst the nip definitely stayed in the air it was dry and bright. We decided to take a trip to Helmsley. I know I’ve mentioned Helmsley on the blog before, it’s a gorgeous town on the Moors and a favourite haunt of mine.

A lovely view from the cafe

A very inviting space

Lined with original stone cottages and a beautiful church. It’s idyllic.

Sometimes I think it’s even better on a Sunday. With less people around we were able to wander peacefully, stopping off in cafes and pubs along the way and perusing the beautiful shops. 

Everyone loves an old fashioned sweet shop

It was a perfect end to the week!