trip to Penrith

Yes, breathe a sigh of relief, no early starts or school runs for us this week - it's our half term holiday.  We're slightly out of sync with most of the country I think.  We live on the Cumbria/Lancashire border and for some reason the schools in Cumbria are off this week and Lancashire off next.  I'm not complaining though.  We have had a pretty 'full-on' start to the year with lots of revision, assignment deadlines and exams so we were all ready for a break.

MissG and I went up to Penrith for a few days to have a mooch around and get our bearings (we are hoping to move up there this summer) and also pop into the office to unpack more boxes.  BT have now connected us so MrG is now working from our new office in Penrith - hooray! 

We and I checked out some local shops and eateries.  There aren't as many 'high-street' shops as MissG would like but Carlisle is only a 20 minute drive away so she'll be able to go there for her retail fix when we move!

We popped into Rheged.  A visitor attraction just five minutes drive from Penrith.  It is a large grass covered building that houses a tourist information centre, a cinema, an indoor (and outdoor) play area, a gallery, a pottery painting workshop, a selection of cafes and 10 small shops - I bought myself a lovely new vase.

We went to Brougham Hall.  An impressive looking castle-like building that we learnt was once the scene of a bloody battle between the English and Scots!  Today it is a restoration project - it looked particularly stunning in the snow.  Inside there are buildings that house a brewery, a holistic centre, a hair salon, a photographic gallery, a pottery studio and a cafe - we can recommend the lemon cake!  I'd like to go back on a nice sunny day to explore the grounds.