LEA GARDENS

Lea Gardens is situated close to Matlock, down the road from our village and is a garden that specialises in rhododendrons and azaleas. It really needs to be visited at just the right time to experience the sheer mass of colour that it delivers. We were a couple of weeks too early for the maximum impact but still not at all disappointed by the mass of colours. Also the coffee shop does a really good coffee and great cakes with views of the garden.

DADS 70TH

For my Dads 70th Birthday, we have enjoyed a few winter days in the English Lake District. Along with my wife, Mom and Dad we have been based in a cottage nestled amongst the hills, with the log burner roaring on an evening. Getting up early ensures that you miss the crowds and see the best light of the day. Its hard to beat the beauty of the Lake District.

RETURN TO THE YURT

This weekend, Anne and I along with family returned to the spot in Leicester where Anne and I got married. 

Onsite is a great yurt and shepherds hut (this is where we stayed on our wedding night :) we decided it would be great to return to this spot and thought it would be good to do it in the winter, so we could enjoy a big open fire to cook our burgers, warm the yurt via the large log burner and also experience the fire heated outdoor hot tub in the cold weather.

We all had a great time and I am pretty sure we will return again soon.

AUTUMN VIEWS FROM THE HOUSE

Its on days like this that make me appreciate the view from our house. Autumn brings such striking colours, especially against a dark sky once the rain has passed.

HONEYMOON

We have had an exciting Honeymoon in the Brecon Beacons, based near Crickhowell we have been exploring the hills and surroundings by foot and mountain bike. A really beautiful part of the world.

OUR WEDDING

We wanted to keep our wedding simple, down to earth and personal. Anne did the organising over the last 12 months and we both put a lot of effort into creating all aspects of the big day and to make sure it had the personal touch. We even spent the day before setting everything up!

Luckily the weather gods were on our side and the weather was warm, dry and sunny but not too hot!

I think its fair to say that everybody had a wonderful day and the atmosphere was utterly relaxed. I think that weddings come with an awful lot of pressure and the fact that we did exactly what we wanted to do made it relaxed and special. It was 100% the perfect day!

Here are just a few snaps.

BURNING SKIES

Just a quick couple of shots of beautifully lit clouds this evening as the sun was setting. 

WILD FLOWER GARDEN

We have had great fun with the new garden this spring & summer and this being our first garden a really steep learning curve! We did a lot of work to clear a large area of waste rock from the corner of the garden and being our first summer we decided to try and keep it simple and planted a good selection of wild flower seeds. The weather has been really mixed, but the results are beautiful. Lots of colour against a mingled green background with new flowers popping up daily. The insects and butterflies seem very happy as well! 

ON THE ROAD

A long and interesting work trip covering lake, loch and sea. From Scotland to Northumberland to the Midlands. Lots of video captured, a few pics and a lot of driving in-between.