Wild and windy weekends

You have no idea how happy this cold weather has made me. Watching it drop below 20 has been the highlight of the week for me as I am a sucker for a hot cup of coco, a heated blanket and a snuggle with my cats and Jon on the sofa!

Autumn is well and truly here, I’ve even had a leaf or two blow at me as if the Autumn goddesses are trying to push me to take more lovely photos!

It’s the time of year Instagram becomes flooded with the most wonderful autumnal photos and I am joining the bandwagon and have already posted a few myself. If you’re not on Instagram yet, I would 100% recommend it as it’s a great way to explore the world around us and find new places to visit locally and far away.

If you haven’t got any plans for the up and coming weekend then I have a few ideas for you that you’ll need to pack a scarf, a coat and a good pair of shoes!

Locally to me is Farmoor Reservoir two huge lakes owned by Thames Water that are also home to some incredible wildlife. Jon and I visited here last weekend and were surprised to see now only how enormous it was, but how windy it was and that there were birds flying and squawking all over the place.  The views from the walk were wonderful and the surrounding villages beautiful. We even picked out a few houses we wouldn’t mind owning in the not so far future (ha).

It doesn’t matter what part of the country you’re in, it could be Cornwall, London or Brighton, get on google, open up a map and search for a local lake or reservoir locally to you to explore. Or if you’re not far from me I would recommend visiting Farmoor, its great fun and if you’re into sailing then it also offers the opportunity to dabble in that.

Since it was such a cold and windy (but lovely) walk, Jon and I had cleverly planned to visit the Mason Arms, a few miles away in the cutest village of South Leigh. What a treat we were in for! This wonderful little hotel / restaurant / pub that opened in 2017 is a hidden gem and I’m pleased to say there are a few of these wonderful places dotted around the country giving everyone the opportunity to experience the comfort and luxury of the Artist Residence.

After our walk I was totally in the mood for yummy food, comfy chairs and some cocktails so being presented with these delights was the icing on top of an already great day. The way the food is cooked and presented here is on par (dare I say better) with food I’ve had in top London restaurants like The Shard. How the chef gets the bread that thin and then perfectly crispy is beyond me! It was delicious. Alongside this the décor is a fantastic talking point and somewhere I would recommend to couples on dates, groups of friends and young families as the team were so friendly and welcoming to all!

Going back to the décor it is so fun! We were joined by skulls (I suspect prosthetic), classic art meme framed pictures and some antiques such as old Casino frames and wonderful lights brightening up the place, not to mention a HUGE cross that just reminded me of Monty Python to greet you on the way in. It’s so quirky and I love visiting fun and exciting places like this! Do let me know if you’ve ever stayed at the Artists Residence as next on our list is visiting their hotel in Cornwall!