Time well-spent

A night away with friends is sometimes just what the doctor ordered but when one of you works shifts, one works weekends, the other works a "regular job" and the other is a teacher, finding time when you're all off is a major achievement!

But we did it. We managed a lovely weekend away and had some well-deserved r&r at the Last Drop Village in Bolton. Yes, I know Pete works in Bolton and I know it's only 20 minutes away from home, but seriously when you have the Lancashire hills on your doorstep, why feel you have to travel miles?

We went to the Last Drop for Pete's Xmas do at work and we were really impressed - large pool, beauty spa, a full suite of different steam rooms and saunas and an indoor/outdoor hot-tub. And the food was great, too. So when they ran a special offer for an overnight stay with brekkie, 3-course evening meal (inc. wine) and use of the leisure facilities, all for £50 each it was just too good to pass up!

Despite the short journey it was looking a bit iffy because we set off just as the snows were really coming down. By the time we got to the hotel, the snow had really laid and it was touch and go whether we'd get up the hill to the carpark. Thanks to Pete's awesome driving skills we negotiated the tricky reverse park in deep snow between two very expensive 4x4's, and he even helped someone else reverse their car out of another space. 

To relax from our rather hairy journey, Pete had his first ever spa treatment (a massage) and I went for the facial, then it was a dip in the pool, a full tour of the steam rooms and saunas, finishing off in the hot tub as we watched the snow fall as we looked out over the hills - fabulous!(Snow is much nicer when you are looking at it from the warmth of a hot tub rather than from behind a steering wheel!).

Dinnner was lovely - lots of catching up, laughs and putting the world to rights.



And the couple on the next table were getting engaged so it was nice to share their special evening too....


Sunday dawned bright and clear and we headed off out on a very nice walk from the hotel
 
 around the reservoir,




 to Turton Tower (truly a hidden gem for any architecture/history buffs out there!),



 

to Bromley Cross via the Strawberry Duck pub (v nice) where Pete was very excited to find a recipe for local Lancashire delicacy, butter pie.....

Then it was a short hop on the train back to the hotel - tired but happy!

And it was indeed, just what we needed - see you again soon, guys!