miss b loves .... St Ermin's.... a very special London hotel

Visitors to London are often overwhelmed by the vast choice of hotels but I can certainly recommend St Ermin's which far exceeded our expectations a couple of weeks ago ..... 

St Ermin's Hotel is an elegant Grade II listed Victorian building, located in a surprisingly tranquil spot in central London. It's just a couple of minutes from St James's Park tube station and close to Buckingham Palace, The Houses of Parliament and Westminster Abbey.

Set back from the road, as you enter the grand tree-lined courtyard you sense that this is a hotel full of history.....and I love to stay somewhere with a story to tell! 

St Ermin's was originally a mansion block (serviced appartments) built for wealthy Londoners in 1889 on the site of a 15th century chapel(dedicated to St Ermin). Ten years later it was converted into a hotel by JP Briggs, a Victorian theatre architect and designer. 

The lobby is glamorous and theatrical with the original curved balcony and rich plasterwork from 1899.........

miss b loves ........a weekend in Wales with a French twist (Part 2)

Our Sunday in Montgomery, Wales began well with the most delicious Welsh breakfast served with homemade toasted brioche .....

The dining room at The Checkers is elegant and comfortable ...

...... with more French touches, another reminder that the chef proprietor Stéphane Borie is originally from France ..........

The staff are so helpful and recommended a walk up to the Montgomery Monument where we were rewarded with a stunning 360 degree panorama, gorgeous autumn colours and a rainbow!

The monument commemorates people from Montgomeryshire who have died during all past wars. It was built originally to honour those killed in the First World War but has since been rededicated.  

Back in the town, we were ready for a second visit to the Castle kitchen to try the famous Welsh bara brith ... delicious with or without butter!

miss b loves.........a weekend in Wales with a French twist!( Part 1)

A weekend in Montgomery, Wales ..... with a French twist, was the perfect way to celebrate our wedding anniversary a couple of weeks ago.

Montgomery is steeped in history having been fought over in the past by the English and the Welsh. Close to the Shropshire border, it's a picturesque Georgian town which has retained an unspoilt feel. 

The imposing Town Hall  dates from the 18th century.

We were initially attracted to Montgomery as it is home to The Checkers, one of only three Michelin starred restaurants in Wales. It's run by  'The Frenchman and the Farmers' Daughters'

'The Frenchman', Chef Proprietor, Stéphane Borie trained and worked with Michel Roux at the Waterside Inn for seven years, later moving to Raymond Blanc's Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons.

Sarah and Kathryn are 'The Farmers' Daughters' and grew up on a dairy farm. Sarah, also an accomplished chef and Stéphane's partner, met at the Waterside Inn where she was the first woman to work on all sections. Kathryn runs front of house and shares their love of good food.

This is a 'restaurant with rooms' ....just five with French names rather than numbers and we had chosen Le Petit Jardin... so tastefully decorated.

Fresh ground coffee, home-made cookies and L'Occitane toiletries were a welcome touch too.....

It was time for a stroll around the town ....

miss b loves...The Glass House Café Bar, Stydd Gardens and a Roman village

Last Sunday, a twenty minute drive from home took us to The Glass House Café Bar & Tea Room at Stydd Gardens in the beautiful Ribble Valley. 

The café is housed in a bright airy space..... a glasshouse! There's an eclectic mix of lovely shabby chic furniture ....... 

...... and an abundance of lush exotic plants which creates a very special, tranquil oasis....

Passion fruit flower

There are so many cute and quirky details......
  

These tiered cake stands were for sale too!

miss b loves........an early Christmas lunch at Samlesbury Hall

Last Sunday we decided to take a break from all the Christmas preparations and have a relaxing Christmas lunch at Samlesbury Hall, a beautiful historic hall built in 1325 and just a ten minute drive from home.

This lovely half-timbered, black and white medieval building was actually saved from demolition in the 1920s when six local business men bought it and set up a charitable trust to maintain and preserve it for future generations to enjoy (a builder had planned to build a housing estate on the site!)

Our turkey with all the trimmings definitely put us in the Christmas mood......