This is a bit of a cheat, I know, as it's currently Monday, not Sunday, evening.
I'm 99% sure nobody will be devastated about this minor time slippage, as you have all hopefully been enjoying excellent Bank Holiday's of your own!
I'm actually still in a bit of denial about the fact I'm going to have to get up at a reasonable time tomorrow, as the four day weekend has provided a great opportunity to catch up on some much needed sleep.
I've been suffering from a mystery illness the past month or so, which has left me feeling pretty drained in all honesty. It started off as a throat/ear infection, which then morphed into a weird cough/cold, which has now become a low grade fever accompanied by a lot of muscle ache and fatigue.
It's almost certainly a virus which is outstaying its welcome by a factor of 50, but nevertheless, the whole feeling sick thing is starting to get damn annoying. I've had to cancel a lot of plans and resign myself to the fact that bed is one of my best options when I come in from work.
Apart from taking painkillers and trying to rest, I'm not really sure what else to do at this point (antibiotics are obviously not appropriate with a virus, plus I only try to take them when absolutely required). Suggestions on a postcard or comment very welcome!
Anyway, enough of my moaning, here are some of my interesting tales and titbits from the last week:
Our First Guild Social of 2017
To kick off the social year in style, a group of us headed over to the extremely popular craft brewery and taproom, Brew York, which you can find just off Fossgate in the centre of York.
In order to find out the secrets of this successful business and learn about the brewing process in general, we embarked upon a very enjoyable Brewery Tour, which lasted well over an hour.
As part of the tour, we were also given samples of four of the breweries top sellers, my favourite being their in-house English Bitter, Maris the Otter.
I have to say that personally, this has to be my favourite Guild social event we have ever put on. Not only did we get to chat to fellow business owners/entrepreneurs, we also got to hear about the story behind a successful York business directly from one of the co-founders. Many people commented on how inspiring this was to hear first-hand!
I'm actually a fairly frequent visitor to Brew York, as it's a bit of a haven for the locals of York, away from the drunken crowds one usually encounters on a Friday or Saturday night out. The tap room has a totally relaxed vibe and the beer is excellent, plus they have a Bar Billiards table if you fancy a game!
Treats in the post*
I don't really ever do blogger mail on here (because let's be honest, I'm hardly inundated!) however two items that I was very kindly sent in the last week deserve some attention!
First up is the lovely Colomba di Pasqua (a traditional Italian Easter cake), sent by Carluccio's to mark Easter and also to wet appetites for Antonio Carluccio's 80th Birthday Party, which is being held at the newly opened York restaurant on Friday.
I now have to admit that four of us ate this in about 5 minutes flat after our Easter Sunday roast... It was very similar to a panettone, but with added candied peel and almonds.
Second through my postbox was a lovely box of tea from the York based True Tea Company, which provides a tea subscription service. I'm very excited to try this out and offer my honest thoughts, so please do check back here blog for a full review!
Getting my Spring on
I've been trying to make a conscious effort to wear a bit more colour, as my wardrobe has traditionally been mostly grey/black/blue. This is fine in winter, as you I'm pretty much in harmony with my bleak Northern surroundings. As soon as Spring hits, things get a bit more problematic...
This move to brighter things has also co-incided with my desire to express myself in a slightly softer, less masculine manner.
During my last period of poor mental health I turned away from an overly feminine identity. I guess because I didn't feel very comfortable with being gendered and therefore sexualised in any way (that was too much to deal with on top of already feeling anxious about human interactions).
I finally feel ready to embrace a softness and perhaps a bit of vulnerability which I just didn't have the headspace for last year. (Not that femininity has to be soft or vulnerable, everyone has a different take on their own identity/expression of gender).
Keep your eyes out for lots of bold prints and clashing colours, all coming your way courtesy of Bethan's Spring/Summer 2017 wardrobe.
Easter Weekend: An excuse to pig out
Two restaurant recommendations from my Easter weekend:
Bettys Cafe at RHS Harlow Carr: As ever, Bettys delivered on the comfort food front. It's not cheap, but damn, it tastes as good as it looks. (The coffee was excellent too)
The Alice Hawthorne at Nun Monkton: This is the country pub I have been looking for ever since getting a car in York. Situated about a 20 minutes drive away from the city in the absolutely gorgeous village of Nun Monkton, The Alice Hawthorne is a real gem of a village pub.
Again, it's not the cheapest option, but the food is excellent and the country chic interior surely deserves its own Pinterest Board.
RHS Harlow Carr
On Sunday we made the traditional wet English Bank Holiday family outing - this time opting to delight my green fingered mother with a trip to RHS Harlow Carr, one of four public gardens run by the Royal Horticultural Society.
Despite the drizzle and my lack of energy, we actually had a lovely time looking around the very pleasant gardens. Whilst I'm not an avid horticulturalist in any sense, it was a very peaceful environment and full of visual stimulation.
Having a Bettys cafe on-site was also an excellent bonus...
That's all for this week folks, as I need to do some prep for tomorrow!
I hope you have a lovely week, speak soon.
* I'm sometimes sent small things for review. Acceptance of an item does not guarantee a review, let alone a positive one! All of the opinions you see on this blog are honest and unswayed by the lure of free things. (Basically if I wouldn't buy it/go to it/do it, you won't see it on here.)
