uk roadtrip part 12: quarry bank mill

On our second day in Manchester, Rachel and Liam and I went on a daytrip to Quarry Bank Mill. We've been before but it's such a great place for a daytrip - both interesting and beautiful. But first, brunch! :)


Quarry Bank! We went to the mill first.




Liam found loads of old beautiful wooden furniture. "But look at this gorgeous joint/ drawer/ part though!" :)


A National Trust volunteer (there are many around the mill - they are super knowledgeable and lovely) showed us how to card wool ...


... and when she talked about a special knot that was used for weaving (I think), Liam immediately needed to learn how to tie it. :)


As for me I just ended up taking photos of all the typography I could find, as per.



Another National Trust volunteer showed us how this machine works. It's so intensely terrible how hard the work was and how people who worked and lived here were treated - the children worst of all, of course.



Soon it was time for scones with jam and clotted cream. SO GOOOOD




Mandatory photos with favourite people!


Liam obviously finds the mill a lot more interesting than the gardens, so he went back to the mill to pester the volunteers with more questions and get them to show him how exactly everything works. :) Rachel and I spent a lovely hour walking through the beautiful gardens.




BIG PLANTS. Rachel for scale!




We stayed until they closed in the late afternoon, and then went back to Rachel's for a delightful evening of schlomping, eating and doing a jigsaw puzzle. The perfect evening in after a good daytrip!

Men Without Hats | I Got the Message

uk roadtrip part 11: a swing north tuesday in manchester

Last stop of our UK roadtrip was, as it often has been, Manchester. Those of you who know me know that I have mixed feelings about the city itself, but one thing can't be disputed, and that is that some of the very best people we know live here. Like Rachel!


We started our Tuesday afternoon with a late lunch in Didsbury, where Rachel lives.




Liam offered to take these photos of Rachel and me - I have trained him so well that I don't even have to ask him, can you believe it? :)


We got ready for the evening and then went into town to go dancing at Swing North, which would have been my favourite dance society in the world if it weren't for West Coast Jitterbugs. Liam and I taught a balboa class as guest teachers which is always such fun (and such a privilege that they want us back and that people are willing to come out to take a class for us!), and then we walked over to a different venue for the social dancing.


Took some photos on the way. I like the Northern Quarter:








I also like this beer, a delightful nitro porter.


Dancing!




We were there in the middle of a heatwave and it got veeeery hot on the dance floor. Liam and Jenny dealt with the heat with these newfangled contraptions ...


... while Rachel went the more classic route.


Luckily, there was an outdoor patio where we could have a late dinner. A social dance in a pub that also has pizza? YES.


Kevin and Rachel, such babes!


And after social dancing finished, a few of us went to a different pub for the traditional post dancing beer.



This is such a lovely gang, I'm so glad we got to see them.


And if that wasn't enough, the guy next to us wondered if we would watch his dog while he went to the bar. YES. The cutest most well behaved dog in a pub ever!

yeule | Dudu

uk roadtrip part 10: from glasgow to huddersfield

Time for a travel day! We woke up outside of Glasgow in the lovely home of Nick and Katy. Had breakfast together ...



... and then said goodbye for now in the late morning. They are always such a delight to visit. Next time in Gothenburgh?

The drive from Glasgow to Huddersfield is just over four hours. Liam and I both needed some alone time and to sink into ourselves for a bit, so he listened to a podcast while I wrote in my journal and listened to Love...Thy Will Be Done by Martika on repeat. What a song. What a life this is.


We stopped at Tebay Services for lunch. I bloody love Tebay Services (also Gloucester Services when going to the south - it's the same company). Actually, I don't know any Brit who doesn't sigh happily at the thought of Tebay Services. They drive A LOT in this country, you know, so how would you not love services with a pond? And actual grass? And good veggie food?


AND they have a shop for locally grown food. I bought some local and local-ish stout, OBVS. Had so much great beer on this trip.


And in the afternoon we made it to Skelmanthorpe (not really Huddersfield as it says in the title of this post, but they lived there for so long that I still think of it as "going to Huddersfield") to see Rosie and Marshal and their lovely family. Turns out we made it back to England from Scotland just in time for a heatwave. When we left Glasgow it was 21°C; four hours in an air conditioned car later, we stepped out in 31°C. Help! :)


Georgia handed me a very cute egg tattoo almost as soon as we got in the door.


She was a very tattooed lady herself this afternoon. :) I wanted all of her tattoos!


Something about Marshal's cooking was loud, apparently!


Is that a black hole I see, resting on the stairs?


Marshal made us some delightful dinner.


And then we spent the rest of the evening out on the patio.


It was a slightly more comfortable temperature of 25°C at night, and a perfect summer evening to spend outside with fabulous company ...


... a good beer ...


... and sticky toffee pudding. :)


The next morning we had breakfast ...


... and cuddled with Molly ...


... and took selfies ...


... and then we waved goodbye to the family. It was so, so lovely to get to spend time with these wonderful humans. The memories from this trip are so incredibly valuable to me.

Martika | Love...Thy Will Be Done