A RARE DAY OF RELAXATION A VISIT TO CALKE ABBEY

It was us celebrating our wedding anniversary a couple of days early as the weather was probably the best we'd get this week and it was the only day free. We had to get the DVD orders packaged and sent off plus pay the milk, put up a poster at St Oswalds then a few emails to do and it was off for the rest of the day in Derbyshire. We had tried to visit Calke Abbey again on a bank holiday which was a huge mistake, we turned around and came home at Easter it was that busy. Today it was at it's more relaxed elf although for a Monday the NT staff told us it was unusually busy. About 90% of the visitors were pensioners like us and we had a very traditional day there with house, garden, cake, drinks, chocolate, purchases from the shop including our usual NT calendar so we are up and running on 2018.

The staff were even more helpful and informative than would be expected and the buggy assistance for Mandy in the wheelchair was spot on. We got around most of the house with a bit of effort. The gardens were splendid and with the porous limestone a lot of plants they grow are similar to ours on the sandy Cheshire plain. I've taken a few photos there, it was taken over by the NT in about 1989 and we visited very early on when everything was still in boxes, I understand the collections have now been listed but generally it is displayed in an as discovered condition with just a few rooms restored the rest merely repaired. Mandy has a hospital appointment tomorrow, I want to get the garden tidied and make a start on the DVDs from Kelsall, 6 hours film possibly on 4 or 5 long running DVDs. We have also prepared a list of items we need to get the toilet at St Oswalds up and running.

after those relaxed scenes at Calke Abbey lets take a look at some more Sunday shots at Kelsall rally