Sudeley Castle

Moving to the Cotswolds has been wonderful, not just for my husband and I, but also for our friends and families, who are getting cheap weekends away out of the mix.

Over the summer, I have essentially been running a bed and breakfast for wandering Northern Irish people. The best part (asides from the fact they usually buy me food), is that we get to be tourists for a little while. 

My brother and sister-in-law-to-be recently spent a weekend with us, and given that she is a real Tudor history buff, it seemed only fitting that we take this set of wanderers to Sudeley Castle.

This little treasure attracted some seriously big names in it's hay-day, including Henry VIII, Anne Boleyn and Elizabeth I. The doomed Lady Jane Grey lived here for some time, too.

And it's in Winchcombe, right on our doorstep! 

I'm sure you can tell from my excellent photography skills (a close up of flowers?! Inspired!) that the gardens are just to die for. There is an aviary and all sorts of little herb gardens and strange little nooks and crannies to explore. So many pheasants!

There is a little church in the grounds, too, where Catherine Parr is buried (as in, the 'survived' in divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, survived).
I have such a thing for churches, which is an admiration not shared by my husband, who gets so very bored when I'm checking out the woodwork.

Bonus picture; if marrying my brother doesn't work out for her, Reverend Emma definitely has other options.

One of my favourite spots is the knot garden, which may not be called that. It's so lush and neat and colourful. It gives me serious garden envy.
I want a water feature, goddammit.

Another lovely little corner is in the ruined part of the castle, the Queen's audience rooms.
There's a Queen Elizabeth I shrub, complete with crown, orb and sceptre.

Inside the castle, there is a great little cafe, the private residence rooms of the current family (who seem very posh and lovely, and who seem to have a lot of love for and involvement in running the castle) and a museum devoted to the history of the castle and surrounding area.

Very expressive displays. There's also a great story about a pet badger.

What interested me the most is the huge collection of fashion and textiles, owing in huge part to a Victorian lady, Emma Dent, whose family purchased and renovated the castle after it had fallen into neglect and disrepair - it's her descendants who still live there today!

As well as the wealth of displays revolving around the Tudors (to be expected), there are some fabulous Victorian pieces.

And a creepy baby.

(I just think that room is stunning, so sweet!)

 Emma Dent had style, that is for sure. And bloody spectacular views.

Look at the pretty underwear! I would have loved to have been a lady in Victorian times, but I am not a skinny person, and some of these clothes would probably require me to break a rib or two to get in there.

Fashion, eh?

Elizabeth Hurley got married here, by the by. So. There's some trivia. 

I would definitely recommend Sudeley Castle for a day trip if you are in the area. Especially in the sun, when you can really enjoy the gardens. I can't imagine that it's overly pleasant in the rain, but maybe it is.

Prove me wrong.

Winter Is Coming

Is that title a tad too predictable?
I don't care, the season finale of Game Of Thrones is on Monday and I am psyched.

Anyway, August is drawing to a close and I couldn't be happier. It has been a long, humid, stuffy summer in my neck of the woods, and my wardrobe is not really compatible with it at all!
I like to wear a lot of black and grey, in layer upon layer. With scarves! Oh, how I miss scarves.

Web And Nest has been preparing for the change in seasons with the addition of an Autumn (or Fall, if you are joining us from the brave new world) wardrobe staple - leather jackets!
Whether a subtle shade or a crazy pop of colour, oversized or form fitted, leather jackets are perfect for transitioning into the nippier months that I so eagerly await.

My first favourite (heads up, they are all my favourite), is this green grey number, as modelled by my bearded husband.
Very dependable models, husbands.

To spare you awkward pictures of my resting bitch face, here is the back of my head, and the back of my next favourite - this leather jacket is extremely soft, very Eighties and has the best detailing across the shoulder blades!

Back to the safe familiarity of a plain white mannequin...
This next leather jacket is soft sheepskin leather in great condition.
Doesn't it look like something Heston Blumenthal would wear if he was wandering around Berlin in the late Eighties?

It does.

Moving onwards from the relative safety of the dark embrace of my precious black...
Brown!

This one might actually be my favourite? I can't decide, but it screams steampunk Han Solo to me.

And I saved the best colour for last! This electric blue 1980's leather jacket is possibly the most fun item in my entire shop. The quilted shoulders and the excess of buckles and zips give it such an edge...I can't wait for someone to adopt this little baby and send me numerous pictures of them rocking it.

 A final little bonus; if you love the electric blue colour, throw yourself into the bright and the bold this Autumn and couple it with this oversized print shirt by Bob Mackie.

All items above available on my Etsy shop at the time of writing!

Don't forget you can keep up with my constant, cat related updates by following me on Instagram!

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Stratford Upon Avon

One of the best things about moving to the South West of England has been the opportunity to visit so many places that I never thought I'd get the chance to see. 

Places that had always really appealed to me...but not quite enough to merit the journey or the weekend.

One of those places is Stratford Upon Avon. Is it supposed to be hyphenated? I'm not sure, but I think it looks silly, so, hyphens omitted, let's get on with it.

I am an English graduate, and as such, I have come to resent Shakespeare and his body of work with a very great and pure strength. However, a recent visit from a fellow lover of literature inspired a visit to the place where it all started. 

I will admit, my expectations were not high; a recent visit to Oxford informed me that the very famous towns in this neck of the woods are so packed with tourists and other visitors that you don't see or enjoy very much at all. So, imagine my delight when Stratford had a summery, sunny buzz, with most people lolling around in the sun with an ice cream, instead of trying to bump into me. 

There is, naturally, a wealth of Shakespeare-themed attractions to visit (including one 'what if Shakespeare was a time traveller?' museum, because of reasons), but given the sun and the heat and the extortionate cost, we elected to stroll around and behold anything worth beholding from the outside.

Also, shopping.

My favourite spot was definitely down by the river, with all the little boats and picnickers, with the Royal Shakespeare Company building looming in the background. It's a bloody glorious building.

We strolled along the river from the RSC towards Shakespeare's grave. Again, my expectations were not high, because I have a certain amount of resentment for anywhere that asks for payment to look at history that has been treated disrespectfully, or barely cared for (here's looking at you, ALL of Rome), but I have to say, £3 to see such a well cared for memorial in such a beautiful church seemed reasonable. And the money very clearly goes towards the upkeep of a very old building, and not towards building a glass and chrome annex with a gift shop and a cafe in it, or anything.

I hate when old places do that.
Plus, the staff were nice and it was shady and cool (and I had already resorted to removing various items of clothing to deal with the heat).

Also, you could dress up. So, yay.

There were such a lot of strange and wonderful shops to explore, too. Antique shops, Aladdin's caves full of vintage baubles, beautiful bookshops...

My animal-mad visitor found a dog friend to talk to, so, she was happy. I wish we had asked for the pup's name; he was old, and every time someone stopped petting him, he stomped his paw like a little grumpus.

Look! History! Shakespeare's birth place and Anne Hathaway's cottage.
At least you can't complain that I don't bring you any culture.

I am definitely adding Stratford Upon Avon to my list of places to visit around Christmas, I bet it's even more lovely!

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