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Family Weekend

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Roger, Jane and Oliver joined us for the weekend! 😁

Saturday

The last signs of Summer 2019?

The main event for today was a picnic at Belton House and then a walk around the historic Mansion and Gardens. I think it’s our most oft-visited stately home having been there recently (ish) with with Dennis and Sandra back in May, 2018 and Chris and Gill in July, 2017.

On arrival, the weather was disappointing to say the least (Summer’s not quite over surely???) Oliver was sporting shorts and I was in a short-sleeved shirt. Consequently, both of us were woefully ill-dressed for the conditions – a plummeting temperature followed by rain! ☔ ☔

1.00pm: However, It didn’t stop us enjoying our picnic though, as we sandwiched ourselves between ‘Robert‘ and the car next door to act as a wind-break! Brrrrr! 😁

1.55pm: I think the c*** weather made us eat more quickly, and we soon made a significant dent in Ann’s extensive picnic.

As soon as we’d cleared up our bits, we headed straight for the House. Word to the wise: Since our previous visit, there’s been one major change here! ALL VISITS ARE NOW TIMED, so it’s not just a case of turning-up and hoping to get in straight away. But, as it happened, it was perfect timing on our part, as there were five slots on the very next admission – the 2.15!

2.10pm: We’re in! 😁

Given our previous visits, from a photo point-of-view, I decided to concentrate on the less well-known/seen pieces on show inside, together with less obvious views of the property and surroundings.

3.05pm: Time for a cuppa, especially as the damp weather from earlier had returned, but this time it was torrential!

A quick, but determined sprint to the nearby tea-shop got us more-or-less to the front of the queue (followed by the rest of mankind) and we were soon seated in the Stables enjoying our cuppa and cake!

3.35pm: Next stop was the Gardens where the weather, perfectly on cue turned from rain to warm sunshine! 😁 At last!

Beautiful!
Ditto!

4.00pm: Our final stop was St Peter & St Paul Church aka Belton Church.

Belton Church

4.20pm: A great visit! (again!) 😁. Even the weather didn’t really spoil our visit (even though it looked like it would!). We wandered back to the car and headed south.

Ooo, there’s creative! 😊

All of today’s photos at Belton House (with none of my chat) are HERE

6.15pm: It was a good journey home and we were indoors by 5.45. By 6.15, Ann had laid the table for a yummy table-buffet. All that was left to do was to choose a movie for the evening…

Excellent choice!
Bohemian Rhapsody (courtesy of Sky Store): Even better than I remember it the first time around in the cinema 👍
9.45pm: And what could be better than a good film to finish the evening? The answer? two films! Choice-wise, the consensus was Thor: Ragnarok (in 4k DVD). Although it’s not my favourite from the Marvel stable, it’s still a very good yarn with everyone acting their heart out, helped along by outstanding SFX and a comedic theme (that in spite of all the death and destruction, seemed to work). The day however, eventually got the better of us, and we only got about two-thirds of the way through it – still there was always tomorrow to finish it off!

11.05pm: That’s it! 😴😴😴😴😴 Nighty-night!

Sunday

A lie-in for me until the unearthly late hour of 7.15 whilst the others slept-on.

9.10am: A little bit of Queen, courtesy of Spotify to get the day started!

9.45am: Breakfast is served – Porridge with Strawberries followed by a Bacon Butty! 😁

10.30am: Jane, Oliver and I watched the rest of Thor: Raganarok, Roger caught up with the Daily Telegraph, whilst Ann put the finishing touches to lunch – this was a real family-foodie weekend, and just how we like it! 😍

12.15pm: Pre-lunch drinkies!

1.00pm: Lunch is served. Roast Chicken with all the bits!

2.30pm: Lunch over! A bit of clearing up followed by a long natter.

whilst listening to something a little more relaxing!

3.45pm: Well, where did that weekend go? It passed really quickly – a great sign of a great time! 😍😍

Bye all, it’s been great to catch-up!

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90 – Over and (not) Out!

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It was Denis’s 90th Birthday today!

As part of his Birthday treat, and in keeping with Dad’s RAF experience, we took him to the IBCC (International Bomber Command Centre) in nearby Canwick Hill, Lincoln.

Opened in 2011, the aim of the IBCC is to tell the personal stories of service men and women of RAF Bomber Command, ground crews and civilians impacted by the bombing campaigns on both sides of the conflict during the Second World War.

It’s an impressive building inside and out, so there’s lots to see. But before all of that, like the Planes themselves, we needed re-fuelling. And the Restaurant turned out to be as comprehensive as the Museum itself!

The restaurant was busy and that meant a slightly longer wait than we would have liked – but it was worth it! Omelettes for Ann and her Dad (large and fluffy! – the eggs, not the eaters!) whilst I wrestled with the themed ‘Bomber Breakfast‘ – a monster of a full-English where the Toast would have doubled as the wings on a Lancaster! Yummy 😋

Click on the image for a downloadable larger version
Click on the image for a downloadable larger version

The Museum itself consists of two floors where everything to do with Bomber Command’s activities was explained in great detail. It was difficult to take photos inside, but take it from us, it’s worth a visit even if you just have a passing interest in WWII history.

The best part was probably the gigantic screen that showed a detailed map of Europe. On the left hand side, a rolling timeline of WWII, month-by-month, year-by-year – and on the map itself, a ‘dot’ to show every bomb that was dropped. Fascinating stuff, especially once the Americans entered the War – as this had a direct impact on the quantity of bombs dispatched (especially on Germany!).

With both floors covered, it was outside to take the short walk to the Memorial to all those who died. This was an eye-catching piece fashioned in the shape of an aircraft wing. It was complemented by commemorative stones to the left of the path listing many who paid the ultimate sacrifice…

…and once we’d arrived at the Memorial, there were multiple panels commemorating everyone who had died during bombing raids – not just WWII. We also got a superb view of Lincoln itself…

All-in-all, it turned out to be an excellent trip. Denis had enjoyed himself (these days, it’s one of his rare days out), and we’d learned a lot more about the whole ‘Bomber Harris’ debate and the wider impact of bombing raids in general.

Happy Birthday Denis! 🎂