Ragdale Hall



Ragdale Hall Entrance

I do love a spa day and it should be law that all over-stressed, middle-aged women with too-long to-do lists get sent to RagdaleSpa at least once a year.  I got lucky this October half-term, visiting the spa with two fellow friends in need.
First stop was the spa area and we wandered around middle-earth named places like the Colour Cave, Candle Pool and Thought Zone but best of all was swimming through the warm water lagoon to the waterfall pool outside, enjoying the contrast of the warm water and cool, fresh air and plenty of chatting over the noise of the waterfall massagers.  

Waterfall Pool ©Ragdale Hall

Back inside we did a couple of lengths of the pool (just to show willing); a brief stint in the Jacuzzi and then it was time for a delicious back massage and facial which were included in our Refresh and Revive Spa Day.


Dining Room ©Ragdale Hall

Lunch in the dining room with its huge fireplace, great chandeliers and classical music playing in the background made the atmosphere slightly Downton, although  the Dowager would definitely NOT have approved the white gown dress code.  Thankfully, there was no obvious calorie counting on the menu:  starters served to the table were soup or smoked salmon and then a help yourself salad bar with lots of interesting aubergine, feta, watermelon, etc, etc and hot dishes including chicken tagine and duo of fish.  From the pudding choice, we went  for mousse, a very chocolatey brownie hiding beneath the white chocolate mousse. 


In our dreams!©Ragdale Hall 

We slumped for an hour or so over coffee in the Verandah Lounge, reading out our horoscopes from a Harpers Bazaar magazine and debated the merits of doing an exercise class.  It seemed unlikely with friend relaxing on a beanbag looking as though she’d need a crane to haul her up.
Although reluctant, we did have four hours left and decided that maybe we needed to benefit fitness-wise from our day.  We couldn’t make up our minds which class to take with me pushing for the easier sounding anti-stress aromaball, but dear middle-aged friend (DMAF) surprised us with a burst of energy and her announcement that she was going to do ‘Beaming’.  The photograph of a smiling person one arm outstretched the opposite leg bent onto a thin piece of plastic looked far too complicated for me and friend on a beanbag, so we stuck with the aromaball anti-stress, which we didn’t regret as it was all eyes shut, stretching and lots of breathing over a rubber ball which, unlikely as it sounds, was very relaxing.

DMAF looked very pleased with herself after the ‘Beaming’ experience and we all put on our wet cozzies and had one more trip to the spa area, silly as schoolgirls as we turned on the thunder and lightning effect in the cave shower. 
The day had whizzed by and it was time for a final cup of tea, then back to the car, home and the too-long, to-do lists.

The good: All, but in particular the spa area and treatments.
The not so good: Having to leave – would have been good to stop over.
Go again:  Definitely, the sooner the better.

Ragdale Hall Health Hydro and Thermal Spa
Ragdale Village
Melton Mowbray
Leicestershire
LE14 3PB

Luscious Leaves in Leics, Notts and Northants

Back during my teenage years,  my parents suggestion without fail every October was to ‘go for a walk and look at the leaves,’ filling my teen soul with horror.  Now middle-aged me loves the Autumn and seeing the leaves turn as many shades of rust and gold as Sharon Osbourne’s hair, so  I’m looking forward to a few Autumn ambles, hopefully with a pub en route.  These are some of the places I’m aiming to get to. 

Sherwood Forest, Nottinghamshire

Major Oak@2012 Experience Nottinghamshire

Did this walk at Sherwood Country Park last year, and even though it was a sunny Sunday  morning it didn’t feel crowded as we followed the easy woodland walk to the major oak – an oak tree over 500 years old, rumoured to be the oak where Robin Hood and his men met up,  now propped up like an old man with walking sticks.

Sacley Forest, Northamptonshire

The tree top walk at Sacley Forest which lets you see the trees from above sounds great if you’ve a head for heights, though not sure I’m brave enough to try their new Tree Ninja, an aerial ropes course, but it could be a way of prising my teen away from his PS3.

Wistow, Leicestershire

Not woods, but a really easy and varied circular walk across farm land and alongside the Grand Union canal with the mature, beautiful trees lining the canal reflected back from the water.  There’s something very soothing about watching the leaves slowly fall from their branches to create patterns on the water.   A circular walk with a great Café at Wistow garden centre which is well worth popping into, not to mention one of my favourite shops, Outer Space which sells gorgeous garden stuff, bunting, fairly lights, etc.



  

 

 

 

Cow and Plough, Oadby



Cow & Plough

I was meeting my Tea Circle friends (TCFs), who 16 years ago I’d met through ante-natal classes.  The venue was the Cow and Plough at Stoughton Park, very appropriate as in our yummy mummy days we were all season ticket holders to what was then a lovely farm park.



Lovely lighting for the middle-aged complexion

What used to be the farm park café where we’d drank  coffee and kept our toddlers happy with cheesey wotsits has now been transformed from a barn like building into a lovely restaurant, with lots of wood panelling, antique furniture and beams wrapped round with fairly lights. Tables were candle-lit and we sat at nicely upholstered dining chairs.  It was nowhere near full on a Thursday night, but the atmosphere was good and on a gloomy September evening we appreciated the fact the heating was on, music was playing in the background AND the lighting was just right: dim without being gloomy which suits the middle-aged complexion perfectly. It did not suit the menu-reading though.  The reading glasses came out and the one TCF who had resisted them experienced a eureka moment as she borrowed a pair. 

It was pie night and after a glance at the main menu, which did look lovely, we decided pies it had to be.  What a decision: fish pie; beef and ale, chicken and mushroom, cottage and a veggie option.  And to have chips or mash?  Thursday Pie Night also meant we were getting a bargain two pies for £16.00.    On arrival we’d been asked what drinks we'd like and I had the usual old faithful’s, a big glass of cool Sauvignon Blanc followed by a Merlot to go with the beef and ale pie I’d decided on.

The pie was delicious and just the comfort food I never get around to making at home, with chunks of tender beef in a rich gravy encased in lots of crusty but light pastry with a cloud of mash and a few carrots, leeks and gravy.   

We reminisced some more about the old days, wondered if there was any way we’d be able to get the kids there to celebrate their 16^th birthdays and decided that although the spirit was willing the stomach was too full to cope with puddings.  Next time, next time…

http://www.steamin-billy.co.uk/cowplough/
The good: Catching up with the Tea Circle, the pies and the service.
The not so good: Knowing that reading glasses are now an essential item.
Go again: Definitely.  I want to try the non-pie menu.

Middle England Foodie Events

Pies at Melton Mowbray Food Festival

Food often gets mentioned in my blog posts as I love it.  It’s great to try out new, minimum fuss recipes and experiment with the odd new ingredient which can usually be found at the back of my fridge a year later. 

For ages, I’d been meaning to go to the BBC Good Food Show in Birmingham and last year managed a trip there and found it so disappointing. The exhibition hall was like an aircraft hanger full of people trying to sell olives, cheese and other bits but hardly anything I couldn’t have found in Sainsburys without being charged £20.00 for the privilege of trudging around the NEC - give me a farm shop or farmers market every time!

So this autumn, I've noticed that there are a lot more local outdoor foodie events to go to and I'm definitely going to try one or two of these.  If you do too, leave a comment.

Saturday, September 7, 2013
Weston & Weedon Food Fair, Northants
Due to be opened by Great British Menu’s Matthew Fort and with William Sitwell one of the writer’s for Waitrose Kitchen magazine there too – sounds good.
http://tastespice.co.uk/ai1ec_event/weston-weedon-food-fair/?instance_id=814

Saturday 14th September 2013
Rutland Food & Drink Festival

On the edge of beautiful Rutland Water, near Empingham. There’ll be cooking demonstrations from Rutland’s top chefs; a range of local foods to purchase; locally brewed beer to enjoy; live music and children’s activities.

September 21st - and 22nd 2013
The Great Taste Festival of Food and Drink, Clumber Park, Nottinghamshire

Plenty of food and drink stands as well as a live cookery theatre, special guests and bars and pop–up cafés. There will also be appearances by celebrity chefs offering advice, answering questions and signing
http://www.greatfoodmag.co.uk/all-star-cast-for-clumber-great-taste-festival/

Saturday 5th and Sunday 6th October 2013
Melton Mowbray Food Festival Held in the heart of pork-pie making land, Melton Mowbray is traditional market town set in the rolling Leicestershire countryside. There’ll be live food demonstrations in the Aga Rangemaster Cookery Theatre and activities going on in the Family Food and Fun Zone and of course lots of food and drink stalls.
http://meltonmowbrayfoodfestival.co.uk/

The Castle Cottage Café, Oakham, Rutland

A local's tip led me to this gem of a cafe.  I was in a brilliant clothes shop called the Attic (sadly now a pet shop) with DMAF and we were getting peckish (as is our way).  Luckily, the shop assistant recommended The Castle Cottage Café for lunch, which we'd never have found, being tucked back down a cobbled street near to the church and Oakham Castle.

It’s worth a trip to Oakham just to go to this café and I’ve been back a few times since my first visit and this time it was a sunny August day and just right to sit out in the gorgeous, shabby chic style garden.

I know, I know.  There’s only so much shabby chic a middle-aged woman can take, but this is the real deal of genuine vintage put together with thought and love.  It’s all cream painted picket fence; geraniums in buckets: ornately framed mirrors reflecting the garden back,  tables of all shapes and sizes, pretty cushions on slatted chairs, chandeliers, flowers and, of course, lashings of bunting.

Lashings of bunting 

What to choose for lunch is a dilemma.  The tian of layered smoked salmon, prawns and advocado with a lemon mayo looked beautiful but perhaps something more substantial was needed and both myself and DMAF opted for the Ploughmans Platter which seemed to suit the sunshiney day.

The good: The fabulous shabby-chic garden and imaginative, well-presented lunch-time food.

The not so good: One wasp!

Go again:  Definitely.  Sometimes the café does evening events and wine tastings.  Details on their website.

www.castlecottagecafe.co.uk

Botanic Gardens

DMAF and I arranged to catch up after her weekend away in Europe (far less middle aged than my local trips) and meet at Oadby’s Botanic Gardens.  Although the Botanic Gardens are fronted by the very busy A6, once you’re inside you feel you’re somewhere quite secluded and away from the city and we stroll along the pathways lined with borders of flowers and for those in the know, many of the plants and flowers are rare and specialist. 

Outside of term-time the 1920s house becomes a café with tables set out underneath the trees on the lawn and a pretty setting for our cappuccinos, with cakes, lunch and breakfast available depending on time of day.  

It all sounds rather sedate but an antidote to that is that you’ll be walking around the gardens and out of the blue see a pair of legs or an industrial sort of structure in the middle of a lawn as since 2002 the gardens have hosted an annual Sculpture in the Garden exhibition. 

Apparently, this year’s theme for the sculptures is ‘A Change of Heart’.  I researched this fact for you dear blog readers and must go back to the gardens to see if my middle-aged brain can make more of the sculptures with the theme in mind.

The good: The sculptures add more interest.

The not so good: Café only open for two months of the year (as the rest of the time the house is inhabited by students) so check if you’re planning a visit.

Go again : An easy convenient place to get to, plenty of on-street parking and would definitely go again particularly when the cafe is open.

University of Leicester Botanic Garden, Stoughton Drive South,Oadby, Leics.LE2 2NE
botanicgarden@le.ac.uk

A Midsummer's Night Dream at Leicester's Jewry Walls

Hope over experience, that’s what planning to do any outdoor event in Britain is, I’d thought looking out at the morning's torrential rain.  Tonight the plan was outdoor Shakespeare complete with picnic beforehand and on this occasion hope actually won as by 4 o’clock, it was all glorious sunshine. 

We arrived at The Jewry War Museum, Leicester, and found ourselves a sunny spot to picnic, keeping it simple with M&S deli items.  Bucks Fizz and Bellinis kept the mood buoyant and soon we were facing the outdoor stage in front of Leicester’s Roman walls.  The Festival Players had been performing my favourite Shakespeare play ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ all over Britain, with Leicester the last but one stop, before appropriately enough Stratford.

A Festival Player

The Players enthusiasm and energy was brilliant and it was all quite mad featuring an all male cast, with  the actors playing three different roles each.  At one point the crazy costume changes meant that Hermia who was also a hairy-bellied Puck lost her wig, but this just added to the hilarity.  I’ve usually found the scenes with Bottom the funniest but here Helen (like Frankie Howard in drag) and Hermia with their tussling over love-interest Lysander, stole the show for me.

As twilight wrapped itself around us, watching the play here in Leicester's very unromantic city centre became strangely atmospheric with layers of Leicester all around us - St Nicholas Church with it’s Gothic graves silhouetted  in the setting sun,  behind that ‘Holy Bones’ and the Guru Nanak Sikh Temple and directly behind the stage the old, old walls of Roman public baths.

Midsummers Night Dream - magical as darkness fell 

The noise of pneumatic bus doors and screeching brakes kept it real while the odd bit of heckling from a passing drunk and revellers exiting the Arriva bus shouting ‘Behind you’, made it as traditional as Shakespeare’s day.  The cast coped well with a mock cross 'adieu' from Helen to the noisy hecklers.

The good : The sunshine, the picnic and The Festival Players were brilliant.

The not so good: We'd bagged seats near the front but others further back may have found it a bit difficult to hear due to passing traffic.

Go again: I’d definitely go to a performance by The Festival Players again and fancy Macbeth which The Players are performing next year.
www.thefestivalplayers.org.uk