Charlecote Park with friends

Charlecote Park with friends #CountryKids

Someone asked a question recently – what has blogging given you?  The confidence to believe in myself again, new skills, wonderful opportunities for us as a family.  But actually the best thing it’s given me is friends, some still in the virtual world, but some I’ve met, and had lots of laughs with.  Sometimes you know, just by reading someone’s work that you will be friends; that’s certainly true of Iona at Redpeffer.  When I read her posts, I can identify with so much of what she says, our boys are also very similar.  We finally got to meet at Blogcamp earlier this year.  We chatted away from the off as if we’d known each other forever.  We agreed that it would be lovely to meet up with the kids. We put a pin in the map and set a date.  So recently Monkey and I went to Charlecote Park with friends.

Charlecote Park

Obviously, the weather leading up to our get together had been glorious, and the day we went to Charlecote Park with friends – it rained.  It didn’t stop us all having a lovely time though.

For me, it was a trip down memory lane.  The last time I visited Charlecote Park had been pretty near to 5 years to the day; I’d been pregnant with Monkey and visited with a friend.  It had been wonderfully sunny that day!

But here we were, visiting Charlecote Park with friends, new friends.  Would Monkey get along with Iona’s children?  Would he behave? I shouldn’t have worried, apart from some differences of opinion on who should lead us around the grounds the kids got on fine.  It was lovely to chat with Iona and her husband and Monkey enjoyed himself – relax.

We started the day with a drink and some cake – I know the way to my Monkey’s heart!

Charlecote Park with friends

We’d arrived just before Iona and her family, which worked well.  Monkey had got used to the environment and was settled when they arrived.  We were off to a good start.

Then it was time for some croquet.  I used to love playing croquet at home in our back garden, but haven’t played for years.  It was good fun, although I was slightly concerned Monkey might do someone some harm with the mallets!

Charlecote Park with friends

Then it was time to wander around the grounds and for the children to explore.

Charlecote Park with friends

Charlecote Park with friends

Of course, by the time the kids were getting hungry, it was raining really rather hard. Bang went the idea of a picnic in the grounds.  We found a sheltered staircase, the kids planted themselves on the stairs and away we went.  It was all part of the day at Charlecote Park with friends; making the best of things.  The kids weren’t bothered at all.

When the rain stopped it was time to explore again.  As luck would have it, I swear it was a coincidence, there was a Riley car rally happening that day.  It would have been rude not to admire the beautiful old cars.

Charlecote Park with friends

Charlecote Park with friends

We all agreed that it would be nice to have a look around the house itself.  All accepting that with children, this would be a whistle-stop tour, but Monkey and I learnt something new.  The house has soft toy deer in every room – something for the children to spot. Iona’s daughter is a pro at deer spotting!

Charlecote Park with friends

I managed to get in a quick stained glass window fix before we ventured back into the gardens.

Charlecote Park with friends Charlecote Park with friends

The boys decided that they needed a break, which obviously involved an ice cream pit stop.

Charlecote Park with friends

They needed the energy to go butterfly spotting and deer hunting after all!  Iona’s daughter was upset that she couldn’t catch a butterfly in her hands.  I tried to explain that actually, Guru Gramps would say that was the wrong thing to do; it might harm them.  I showed her how much easier it could be to go beetle hunting instead.

The gardens are lovely at Charlecote Park and we timed our visit just right to catch sight of the deer from the deer park.  You can get quite close to them and the children loved it.

Charlecote Park with friends

Charlecote Park with friends

Charlecote Park with friends

We’d had a lovely day at Charlecote Park with friends and just got back to our cars when the heavens opened again. We’ll definitely be going back.

Charlecote Park

24 thoughts on “Charlecote Park with friends #CountryKids

  1. Sounds like a lovely day and the start of great friendships. Your fears about the monkey sound exactly the same as mine when meeting new people #countrykids

  2. got to love the great british weather!! glad you still managed to have a good time x #countrykids

  3. It looks like a lovely place to visit. I’m not so taken with stained glass windows as you maybe, but the deer are very beautiful, and I love the idea tat there’s a toy for children to spot ion each room to maintain interest 🙂

  4. sounds like great fun, and I love the willow den, I have been considering trying to build one for a while, but apparently wasps like them, and I don’t like wasps. Monkey looks so pleased with himself with the cake!

  5. It’s lovely that you have met up with Iona and her family, blogging is a great way to make friends. It looks like you all had a great time exploring beautiful Charlecote Park together. Thanks for linking up and sharing with Country Kids.

  6. I love Charlecote Park, used to visit several times a year. I have even volunteered there helping to tidy the deer park, we bounced round the park in a trailer attached to a tractor and ate in the stables as we all smelt of deer poop! Good times 🙂

  7. Wow Mary, I never spotted you taking so many photo’s! You’re a stealth photographer 🙂 It was lovely wasn’t it-and you’re right, it feels like we’ve always known each other, very special indeed xx

    1. I am constantly taking photos – trust me there are lots that didn’t make it to the post! See you on Thursday as long as I have a set of wheels – will keep you posted.

  8. Looked like a fabulous day out. More than that, I really understand the confidence you have gained from blogging. I feel quite similar 🙂

  9. Sounds a great day out and lovely to meet up with new friends. I’ve never been there but sounds fab. We’ve come across other places where they hide something for kids to spot in historic houses. Good idea as just gives you enough time to appreciate exhibits yourself.

  10. That looks like a great place, and I love it when they hide something in each room for kids to spot – we’ve done one with Lego men 🙂 The grounds look lovely too and as you say, you just get on with it whatever the weather!

  11. It sounds and looks like you had a brilliant day. No one can understand a bloggers friendship unless they blog themselves – it is special isn’t it.

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