Easter with Karen and Ralph – Sunday

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I didn’t sleep too well – I think it’s called a ‘hang-over’! In turn that meant Ann didn’t either, so I expect a slightly less-than-cheery Ann this morning when she gets up! 🙂 Good news! Ann was fine.

We exchanged Easter presents – I bought Ann a chrome case for her personal business cards and I received some ‘bunny’ themed chocolate sweets.

We had a light breakfast of croissants and then jumped in the car heading for Chatsworth. We expected it to be busy, and it was, even though it wasn’t a particularly warm day, it was dry!

Within half-an-hour, cars were arriving in their scores, so we were wise to get there earlier than the 11am opening time.

It was well worth the visit (we hadn’t been there for around 6-7 years). The interior was as gob-smacking as ever and their ‘Masterplan’ in 2010 is to open up parts of the interior that have never been seen before by the public – worth coming back for!!!

The exteriors were just as beautiful too!

They even had a live jazz-band trio in the grounds too – great fun!

We ate a late lunch (Ann – Chicken Hotpot; Karen, Ralph and me – Fish Pie followed by chocolate brownies with vanilla ice-cream and chocolate sauce for Karen and me, whilst Ralph and Ann had home-made bakewell tart with vanilla ice-cream and raspberry coulie).

After a final look round the shops, we headed back to the car. People were still arriving – we reckon 2000+ cars were already parked there when we left.

What should have been a twenty-minute journey back turned into more like 45 minutes due to a very narrow road en-route only allowing a single line of traffic through. 

After arriving home around 4.30, it was feet-up for the rest of the afternoon and evening watching DVDs (What Women Want) and TV (Lewis)

Ralph cooked up cheese and tomato crumpets for tea!