Busy Bees in Manchester
July 2009, by Tom
We finally managed to organise a time to head up north to visit Uncle Peter and Auntie Pat. Long overdue - but worth the wait.
The Virgin train from Euston to Stockport went without a hitch and a little over two hours later we were in Pat's flash new Audi being instructed by "Patricia" (the car's GPS navigation unit) on how to get to Chatsworth. After driving through the rolling hills of the Peak district we popped into some cute little tea rooms for a tasty scrambled egg breakfast to start the day with.
Tummies full, we proceeded down the road onto the first spectacle of the day - Chatsworth House. Gini's heart was all a flutter as we pulled into the driveway as this was, of course, Mr Darcy's mansion from Pride & Prejudice. Luckily for me he wasn't home on our visit or I may have lost my fiancee!
Chatsworth House is amazing. Set against an expansive landscape of parkland, rolling hills, rocky outcrops, lakes and rivers. The gardens are kept in pristine condition. The hedge maze had Pat, Gini and I amused for a good 20 minutes while we weaved our way to the center where a single willow tree (I think) congratulated us on our task.
What amazed me the most was the water cascade. A massive arrangement of stone steps overwhich water streamed and children paddled. At the end of the cascade the water disappeared underground into a tunnel which pushed the water through at such a high speed and pressure that it was capable of shooting the water fountain in the Canal Pond to a height of 100 meters! Impressive that all this is gravity powered - they had no other methods back in the 1700's when it was designed and built. I want one.
The inside of Chatsworth was on a very grand scale. Amazing artwork, grand stairways and hallways littered with unique furniture. The dining room was an incredible sight. The table settings all in place - ready for a massive feast and celebration. One that we would love to replicate for our wedding dinner. Perhaps Mr Darcy will lend us his mansion for a weekend?!? The "Oak" room was another incredible display - this time of intricate Oak carvings, paneling and furniture.
After leaving Chatsworth House we jumped back into the Audi and instructed Patricia to take us home - and not to spare the horses! After a few disagreements between Peter and Patricia on the best way to beat the traffic, we made it back to Peter and Pat's home.
That evening, Peter and Pat took us out to a gourmet Chinese Banquet at their favorite local restaurant. Various courses and a number of wines later, it was nearing midnight and time to call it a night.
Day two of our little visit started with a proper full English breakfast cooked by Peter. A day doesn't start better than this!
The day was spent visiting the sights and sounds of Manchester city. We took the local "tram" to the center and wandered through the small city center taking in the Town Hall, the Library (an incredible gothic style building) and a quick look through "Urbis" a very odd structure that doesn't seem to fit in with the other surroundings. A portion of the city center was destroyed by an IRA bomb blast back in 1996 and it was interesting to see how the city rebuilt itself after the destruction.
With our train back to London approaching, we had two more things to do - a drive by of Old Trafford and a sampling of Peters famous Roast Chicken dinner with all the trimmings. Old Trafford was a bit of an eyesore with what looked like scaffolding protruding from every corner. Peters Roast however, lived up to it's name and reputation and was absolutely delicious.
Full and weary after a busy weekend, we said our goodbyes at the train station and settled in for a two hour journey back home to London.
Thanks Peter and Pat for hosting a brilliant weekend.
T
The Virgin train from Euston to Stockport went without a hitch and a little over two hours later we were in Pat's flash new Audi being instructed by "Patricia" (the car's GPS navigation unit) on how to get to Chatsworth. After driving through the rolling hills of the Peak district we popped into some cute little tea rooms for a tasty scrambled egg breakfast to start the day with.
Tummies full, we proceeded down the road onto the first spectacle of the day - Chatsworth House. Gini's heart was all a flutter as we pulled into the driveway as this was, of course, Mr Darcy's mansion from Pride & Prejudice. Luckily for me he wasn't home on our visit or I may have lost my fiancee!
Chatsworth House is amazing. Set against an expansive landscape of parkland, rolling hills, rocky outcrops, lakes and rivers. The gardens are kept in pristine condition. The hedge maze had Pat, Gini and I amused for a good 20 minutes while we weaved our way to the center where a single willow tree (I think) congratulated us on our task.
What amazed me the most was the water cascade. A massive arrangement of stone steps overwhich water streamed and children paddled. At the end of the cascade the water disappeared underground into a tunnel which pushed the water through at such a high speed and pressure that it was capable of shooting the water fountain in the Canal Pond to a height of 100 meters! Impressive that all this is gravity powered - they had no other methods back in the 1700's when it was designed and built. I want one.
The inside of Chatsworth was on a very grand scale. Amazing artwork, grand stairways and hallways littered with unique furniture. The dining room was an incredible sight. The table settings all in place - ready for a massive feast and celebration. One that we would love to replicate for our wedding dinner. Perhaps Mr Darcy will lend us his mansion for a weekend?!? The "Oak" room was another incredible display - this time of intricate Oak carvings, paneling and furniture.
After leaving Chatsworth House we jumped back into the Audi and instructed Patricia to take us home - and not to spare the horses! After a few disagreements between Peter and Patricia on the best way to beat the traffic, we made it back to Peter and Pat's home.
That evening, Peter and Pat took us out to a gourmet Chinese Banquet at their favorite local restaurant. Various courses and a number of wines later, it was nearing midnight and time to call it a night.
Day two of our little visit started with a proper full English breakfast cooked by Peter. A day doesn't start better than this!
The day was spent visiting the sights and sounds of Manchester city. We took the local "tram" to the center and wandered through the small city center taking in the Town Hall, the Library (an incredible gothic style building) and a quick look through "Urbis" a very odd structure that doesn't seem to fit in with the other surroundings. A portion of the city center was destroyed by an IRA bomb blast back in 1996 and it was interesting to see how the city rebuilt itself after the destruction.
With our train back to London approaching, we had two more things to do - a drive by of Old Trafford and a sampling of Peters famous Roast Chicken dinner with all the trimmings. Old Trafford was a bit of an eyesore with what looked like scaffolding protruding from every corner. Peters Roast however, lived up to it's name and reputation and was absolutely delicious.
Full and weary after a busy weekend, we said our goodbyes at the train station and settled in for a two hour journey back home to London.
Thanks Peter and Pat for hosting a brilliant weekend.
T
Gini loved the old scripts found within ...
Scrambled Eggs for breaky! Yum!
Tom, Pat and Peter
A setting fit for a Tang wedding!
Proof that we made it to the middle of the maze!
The library was an impressive building - Gothic style
