Well not actually here yet but I have been having a lovely time doing Christmas things!  Last Saturday Youngest, Partner DH & I went for dinner on the Steam Train where we took Eldest, Partner, The Girls & Little Man to see Santa Claus.  They run on weekends Dining Trains and we went at 7.00pm for dinner on The Christmas Forester.  It was Christmas dinner and to say that it is all cooked on board they do an amazing job and serving the food whilst the train is steaming down the line is a feat in itself.  From Friday night and all over the weekend the country was battered by Storm Darragh, although the worst affected was the West side of the country it was very windy with us and extremely cold.  We got on the train at 6.30pm and it was very warm and cosy.  We left the main station at 7.00pm and we stopped at the small stations rather than where they normally stop because of the wind.  We really had a lovely evening.

Sunday DH and I spent the day getting some jobs done and generally having a day off!  Monday I spent the day in our Den working and getting up to date with jobs and also getting home jobs done too.  Tuesday Jayne and I went out for our Christmas Lunch and DH drove us there.  For the last few years we have been to The Cavendish Arms at Baslow which is owned by Chatsworth House and is in fact on The Chatsworth Estate.  It is a lovely hotel where DH and I celebrated our Tenth Wedding Anniversary!!

Jayne & I had Lunch in The Garden Room which was decorated in a natural garden way.

The weather was cold and misty, so the lights were on and quite bright as it was grey outside!

The Christmas Tree above was outside the windows on the patio.  Below is the Christmas tree in the Reception area.

I love this table in Reception, above, with the light above it and below is a picture of the fireplace unfortunately not real, but it did have a “real” looking fire, gas, in it.

The food was lovely and it was dark by the time we had finished so DH drove us back through Chatsworth park to see the lights and then through Matlock and Matlock Bath.  My lunch with Jayne is a highlight of each month, more so in December and near Christmas.

I have also been catching up with the photographs on my camera and found these from earlier in the month.   This was taken on Youngest’s Birthday with his brother and Little Man in our sitting room. 

Youngest & Partner went for a walk at Chatsworth a couple of weekends ago and it was absolutely freezing so they were wrapped up warm above.

This was both of them on the Wheel in Nottingham when they went to the Winter Wonderland.

Tomorrow I will have pictures of Little Miss Coco and our new lodger Master Blaze (it sounds like a new cartoon series!!!!).  Stay warm and safe, almost the weekend. 

Hugs & Love, Susie & Coco xx