Step Back in Time at Rushton Hall

To celebrate seven happy years together, Niall decided to take me on a surprise trip to the beautiful Rushton Hall in Northamptonshire. I had no idea where we were going to until we stepped onto a train heading for Corby at St Pancras. When the taxi pulled up outside I was a little awestruck at how beautiful Rushton was. Two little gate lodges greet you at the start of a little winding road, then suddenly you are overcome by the glimpse of the grand house. The friendly staff greeted us on arrival and took us to our room - The Lord Cullen. Our room was perfect, a freestanding bath and huge shower, a four-poster bed, a view onto the courtyard and all the little extras you start to appreciate greatly from Blenheim bottled water, a flat screen TV, Penhaligon's toiletries, and furry bath robes. We loved our stay at Rushton, enjoying a relaxing trip for a special occasion! 

We had breakfast at the hotel, however we decided to have dinner at the Thornhill Arms in the little village of Rushton. The food was beautiful, the portions hearty and the price extremely reasonable! 

It was lovely getting spoiled in such a luxurious hotel, watching freestyle skiing on the flat screen and having a wander around the garden. We stayed in a State Room, which was absolutely massive and Niall booked it on Secret Escapes, which is a great site to find offers on luxury hotels and breaks!

Website: http://www.rushtonhall.com/

Location: Rushton, Northamptonshire

Get there: By train from St Pancras to Kettering and then a ten minute taxi ride from the station

23 before 24!

So a while back I made a mini bucket list for my 23rd year on earth. I wanted to make a list that was reasonable enough to achieve but also something to inspire me to do more things this year. I haven't done much on the list but I am hoping the long Summer months coming up will allow me to achieve all of this! I have until the end of September to tick off all the list, so it should be ok! I generally make lists in order to keep my life organised and stress free, and I have an extremely long Bucket list that I will put up on the blog in the coming weeks. 

1. Read 10 books
2. Start a new blog (yay!)
3. Visit 3 places in Ireland
4. Visit Geneva
5. Visit the Warner Brother's Harry Potter Tour
6. Take more photo's
7. Get a new hairstyle (May 2013)
8. Write more
9. Go on a roadtrip
10. Attend three concerts - 'Holiday Hooley', Daughter, Trinity Ball 2013
11. Visit Cambridge
12. Finally get a La Sardina Camera
13. Move out
14. Learn to cook/bake
15. Visit 3 new countries
16. Get Fit
17. Get into a Master's programme St Andrews M.Litt Modern History
18. Get an internship/volunteer - April 2013 National Gallery of Ireland Volunteer
19. Finish my Undergraduate degree
20. Finish my dissertation - March 2013
21. Get a tattoo
22. Make a new friend
23. See my friends more often!

So far I have started a new blog, which has been a long term goal, I visited Cambridge (Oxford and London) in February, I have made a new friend, I taught myself how to cook and bake while my parents were away in February, I got a La Sardina from my boyfriend, and I went on the Harry Potter tour on my recent trip to London. I have two out of three concerts attended - Mo Hata Mo Gheansaí, Gabrielle Aplin, Hannah Grace, Hudson Taylor, Orla Gartland and Jack Morris after Christmas and then a friend gave me a pair of tickets to see Daughter and Farewll J.R in January (amazing!!). I will find out in the coming months if I get a master's course, I hand in my dissertation March 22nd (CANNOT WAIT) and I will finish my degree by the end of May....(daunting).