Birthday treats

For my birthday I decided I wanted to be back in Lillingstone Lovell with Nicola and Bruce at the Gables. Nicola's was the very first B&B I booked as it is just outside Buckingham where I had to be for my Vanguard course, and we hit it off immediately. She is a delight! Her enormous kitchen is always full of baking as she does catering, and she is very funny and loves people and, well, she is just AMAZING! So, back we came and had two great outings to celebrate.
On the 1st we went to an Indian restaurant that has to be seen to be believed. The building used to be a Victorian Children's home and so no doubt the site of untold grief, but the building is a magnificent gothic pile and the restaurant is in the main hall, which is about 40 feet high.

Photo taken upward to capture the WOW factor of this amazing space.
The food was delicious too, and the company marvellous. It was a memorable evening and a fine way to celebrate my 46th year.
THEN on the 2nd, we went to Dalesford Organics. What an eye opener! Amazing Cotswold style buildings white washed everywhere with an organic farm shop, homewares shop, cafe, clothing shop, wine shop etc all around beautifully manicured gardens. The staff are all beautiful too. The people who go there I am told all work for Channel 4 and look like people out of a catalogue - Yummy Mummies in full makeup and designer clothes with perfect children. Gorgeous men with immaculate jerseys tied around their shoulders and perfect teeth. It has to be seen to be believed.
In the homewares shop, everything is plain. There are plain linen tablecloths that look like they are made out of old monk's habits in a range of porridgey organic colours, and of course the PRICES!!!
So, we had a great time and a delicious afternoon tea of lemon meringue, scones and rhubarb fool with good coffee, and welsh rarebit.

 The mezzanine of the farm shop where you can buy tablecloths made from monks habits and perfectly plain china for a king's ransom. Mind you, Nicole bought a gorgeous glass cake plate with a foot, big enough to take a giant pavlova!

 Love the golden cotswold stone, high ceilings and white beams.

 The farm shop. At this point I was asked/told not to take photos so that's all the interiors I can show you.

 Beautiful gardens. It was a bit nippy to sit outside but we had a lovely wander.

 The dog park! The canine in residence is made of thatch and wire, a bit like the birds and owls we see from time to time on a thatched roof :)
So, a lovely afternoon, and for dessert that night we had the gooseberry and elderflower icecream Nicola bought there, with strawberries. Heaven!