Ellie's Adventures in Wonderland

  Last week was packed full of fun when Mike and me took ourselves off on a mini road trip.  Our first stop was to Powis Castle in Welshpool . Owned by the National Trust, you can meander through the castle and grounds at your own leisure. Having visited a fair few NT properties recently (since taking out a membership), and being disappointed by the houses not being open, we were pleasantly surprised by what was on offer and kept ourselves amused for a good hour or two.  From here we stopped for lunch at The Raven Inn (also in Welshpool), which I can thoroughly recommend. We chowed down on homemade nachos and chips, and it was pure filth! After refueling our tumtums, we set off North for Pistyll Rhaeadr Waterfall in Oswestry , which is the tallest single-drop waterfall in Britain. An impressive sight from the bottom, we duly set off up the hillside to the top of the waterfall. Faced with two paths, Mike of course chose the most direct and stupidly steep option and I think my spleen

T his weekend we had a family adventure in Gwynedd , North Wales. The whole Salsbury clan went (Mother & Father Salsbury, brother dearest, and my small child), and we were also joined by our good chum Emma, who flew in from Northampton, as well as Leonie’s dumb-ass boyfriend Tom, and my other half Mike. We hired a fabulous house in Machynlleth , called Penryhn , which could only be described as stunning. Obviously, it didn’t take long for us to chav it up and make it look like a bunch of squatters had moved in. The theme for the weekend quickly became trying to scare Max; with Emma, Mike and myself taking any opportunity to jump out on him, sometimes launching a strategically planned three-prong attack. By the end of the weekend, Mother & Father Salsbury had joined in with this fun and made several, albeit shite, attempts to scare everyone. Our first adventure was to the delightful Italianesque village of Portmeirion , just outside of Porthmadog . Somewhere I had been wanting t

  After a brief winter hiatus, I kick started my adventures for 2022 with a trip to Prague , courtesy of my lovely fella.  Our adventure began in the BA Lounge at Heathrow Airport. Not normally somewhere mere mortals such as myself hang out (as we're not allowed in), being a guest of Mike's granted me access to this exclusive, members-only club. Far superior to the plastic-seated waiting areas I'm used to, this was a place of wonder. With comfy seating, free food and unlimited free drinks (including booze), I stuffed two croissants down my pie hole, while Mike smashed back two glasses of champagne (actual champagne), despite it being 5.45am. Much to Mike's disgust, I dropped a pile of pastry crumbs and butter wrappings all over the floor, which enraged one particular lounge steward, who proceeded to give me death glares every time she walked past me, while simultaneously flicking her eyes between me and my crumb infested mess.  Once in Prague, we checked into our hotel

  This weekend's adventure was to Dudley and Kinver, in search of wonky pubs and cave houses.  The first stop on our journey was to the Crooked House pub in Dudley. Located out of town, after following a very convoluted route, we turned down a very unassuming looking track which meandered its way down to the pub. If it weren't for the intermittent signposts assuring visitors they are on the right track, you would be forgiven for thinking you had taken a wrong turn and ended up on the set of the Hills Have Eyes.  Exactly as the name suggested, we were indeed greeted by a crooked house. Going inside is like entering a fun house at the fair, and I was immediately overwhelmed by a feeling of sea sickness. Although the floors are straight (except for in the front vestibule), the walls and windows are all on the wonk, which gives the illusion that you are leaning. It wasn't a pleasant feeling and I couldn't imagine spending a long amount of time in there without vomiting.  A

  Part two of my birthday adventure consisted of two fun-packed days in Edinburgh . After a near four hour drive from Blackpool, we arrived in a sunny Edinburgh, which took us both by surprise as we assumed it always rained in Scotland. Here, we stayed at the  Marriott Courtyard Hotel .  Day One in Edinburgh consisted of dinner at the Hawksmoor , which was an astronomical delight, followed by a ghost tour - spooky! We were led around the Old Town by some git who called himself Dr Robert Knox . Your typical Am-Dram twat, we stupidly traipsed behind him whilst having to endure his boring tales (which was very reminiscent of spending time with Max). When the tour blessedly came to an end, we headed back to our hotel for some well earned sleep.  Day Two started off with a visit to Edinburgh Castle . There's not much to say about the castle, other than it's a castle, much like any other.  Following the castle we were booked into the Edinburgh Dungeons , where we were transported bac

  This week saw the arrival of my 42nd birthday (I know, I only look 30). And I was treated to a whole week's worth of adventures by my awesome fella, Mike.  My birthday kicked off with dinner with the family at the Rose & Crown , my current local until we move to Redditch (I assure you Alistair, it does exist). Here, I was given a series of riddles to answer to reveal the destinations for our adventure. Unsurprisingly, I couldn't solve any of the riddles.  The first leg of our journey was to Blackpool, somewhere I have been threatening to take the small child to for as long as I can remember. Our hotel, The Big Blue , was situated at the nicer end of Blackpool and next door to Blackpool Pleasure Beach , which Mike had booked us tickets for.  Upon arrival, we headed straight for the Big One , their iconic roller coaster and the highest in the UK. Luckily, the weather was on our side as we had to queue for 2hrs to ride the roller coaster of death. When it was finally our tur