4 days in Nottingham May/June 2013

With my foot operation looming there was no time to organise a home exchange in England in order to spend some time with Carol. So we booked into the Ramada for 4 nights and were treated to 4 days of beautiful weather and overdosed on stately homes and one unstately home.

We met up with Carol and Stephen and dined in The Hand and Heart Pub and Restaurant where I had a delicious confit chicken leg in a spicy vegetable stew.

As Carol and Stephen were working on Friday, Jim and I were left to our own devices and, on the advice of C. and S. visited Wollaton Hall and Deer Park and Rufford Abbey. Wollaton Hall is a spectacular Elizabethan mansion set within 500 acres of gardens and parkland in which roam herds of red and fallow deer. The hall houses Nottingham's Natural History Museum along with reconstructed  rooms from various periods of the Hall's history. In the gatehouse archway there was a very interesting temporary exhibitition called "Boots and Routes". The exhibition invites you to step into the shoes of those who have migrated to Nottingham in order to share their experiences. The exhibition includes voice recordings, films, photography and a collection of shoes. I thought it was very interesting and a very clever way to show the steps people take to make their lives and living and to integrate into new communities.

Wollaton Hall - back

Wollaton Hall - front

Views from one of the halls.

In general the inside is rather tired and worn looking but, for lovers of natural history, it is very interesting. The Africa Gallery is great with lifesize exhibits of a gorilla, giraffe and cheetah.

The Park is ideal for walks and picnics and families were taking advantage of the mid-term and the great weather to enjoy its surroundings.

There was lots of evidence of the wet weather which preceded this sunny day and much evidence of young wildlife - waterhens tending their chicks and geese with their goslings.

After our lengthy walk in the grounds and around the lake we headed to Rufford Abbey set in 150 acres of parkland, woodland and gardens. It was packed and, strangely enough, the parking was free on a day when they could have made pots of money. The park is well set up for children and their shrieks of delight indicated their enjoyment. We had lunch at the Coach House Cafe. I opted for the soup of the day - big mistake! For the first time in my life I had to send soup back - and I have suffered through many a plate of unpalatable packet soup. But this was inedible seeming to be made of vegetable peelings and the strings of celery. When I asked the server to take it back she looked surprised but did without offering something else or enquiring what the problem was. Amazing! Jim had to share his cheese and ham panini which was quite nice.

Rufford Abbey

After another long walk, we returned to Nottingham in time to get freshened up for an early evening meal at The Larder (very good) followed by a performance of "The Taming of the Shrew" at Theatre Royal. This performance was by a troupe called Propellor, an all-male Shakespearean Company. It was a really energetic and humorous production.

On Saturday all 4 of us went to Calke Abbey in Derbyshire. This is described as an unstately home because, unlike other stately homes which are restored to their former glory, it is preserved in the state of decline that it had reached when it was gifted to the National Trust in 1985.The rooms were stuffed with stuffed animals and birds and cluttered with furniture. In one room the trust was trying to ascertain the amount of dust that falls over a year and had placed 15 glass sample yokes. I managed to locate 7 of them.  One of the greatest treasures at Calke is a superb 18th century state bed. It was found in its original crate having never been opened. As a result its chinese silk hangings retain their original vivid colours.

Calke Abbey

Wisteria in beautiful bloom

Pigs on the landing

Not a great picture of the state bed

Carol and Stephen in the gardeners' tunnel which allowed them to access the village without disturbing the family.

The Grotto

Carol and Stephen

The shed!

 Our day at Calke was followed by a visit to the Ferrers Centre at Staunton Harold. Lovely crafts but lovely expensive prices too! We returned to Nottingham to dine on lovely world tapas in Iberico just below the Galleries of Justice where Carol and Stephen work. The Galleries of Justice is Nottingham's number 1 tourist attraction and rightly so. If you're ever there take a tour and enjoy Stephen in his role as costumed interpreter - he's really good!

Stephen was working on Sunday but Carol joined us to shop for her birthday present. I think she is delighted with her Kenwood Prospero mixer which includes a blender and a food processor. Stephen can look forward to nice treats! Following lunch at Delilah we took ourselves to Newstead Abbey for a walk. We confined ourselves to the grounds having had enough of stately and unstately homes.

Remains of the Abbey

 We loved these gardeners made of wire mesh. They were very lifelike. There were 2 real gardeners!

A view of the Japanese Garden

One of the many peacocks that made their presence heard

From behind a waterfall

Our final evening treat was a cheese fondue creation by Carol with lovely bread from Delilah and other healthy dippers. On Monday we had breakfast at Delilah and checked out in plenty of time for our flight back to Knock. we thoroughly enjoyed our visit.