Forevermissvanity - A UK Lifestyle Blogger : Daysout

A Trip to Robin Hood's Bay, North Yorkshire

Growing up, I was very fortunate to spend most weekends of my childhood sailing around the coast of the UK. I love hearing the gushing sound of the waves, the smell of seaweed and sea salt and hearing all the sea birds gleefully chirping and because of all my favourite childhood memories, I'm always happiest when I'm by the coast. Last weekend when the sun was bright and the weather for once was on our side, my husband and I decided to take a road trip to North Yorkshire and called at one of my favourite coastal haunts, Robin Hood's Bay.

Robin Hood's Bay is a small fishing village nestled between two Whitby and Scarborough on North Yorkshire coastline. It is a quaint little village steeped in history from pirate smuggling to where dinosaurs roamed and it has the most beautiful little buildings and cobbled streets, full of independent boutiques.

To access Robin Hood's Bay you need to park at the top of the hill and it is quite a steep descent down the road, accessed via stairs or the roadside, but the views are breathtaking and from the top of the hill you can see the bay in all of its glory. On the way down the hill there's a plethora of boutiques from chocolates to interior shops and all little shops selling all the usual tourist fare as well as a dinosaur and fossil museum. There's also several little restaurants, many of which serve seafood caught fresh from the bay.

Once you get to the bottom of the hill, there's a slip way leading straight on to the beach and into the sea and neighbouring pubs so that you can sit back, have a drink and admire the scenery. The view on a day where this is good visibility is beautiful and with it not being as busy as places like Scarborough or Whitby, it is a place you can genuinely feel relaxed. Robin Hood's Bay is a hidden gem along the North East coast and if you ever have the opportunity to visit, I would definitely pop by.

Have you been to Robin Hood's Bay?

If your idea of the perfect weekend is to lounge by a pool, to take a dip in a steamy hot tub, to be massaged until thoroughly relaxed and then have the opportunity to feast on scrumptious afternoon tea, Thorpe Park Hotel & Spa should be on your weekend bucket-list. Thorpe Park Hotel and Spa is situated on the outskirts of Leeds, in an ideal location for those looking to stay in the vicinity of the city centre, but would like to escape the city hustle and bustle and it is also perfect for those looking to venture to other nearby tourist locations such as Harrogate, York and the Dales. The hotel recently won Hotel of the Year in the White Rose Tourism Awards, with the spa facilities being one of the key areas for winning this award.

When it comes to spa days I usually travel quite far out to country retreats, so I was really excited when Thorpe Park Spa asked me to check out their facilities which are almost on my doorstep. I had heard so many great things about the spa and was really keen to see what they had to offer.

The spa features a pool, whirlpool, steam room and sauna as well as an onsite gym, cafe and restaurant area. Spa day visitors depending on which package they choose can pick from a two course meal or an afternoon tea. Visitors to the spa are asked to sign the obligatory spa documents and then make their way into the relaxation area for complimentary refreshments. These refreshments included nuts and fruit and an extensive range of Taylors of Harrogate herbal teas, which is one of my favourite tea brands. The relaxation area itself is superbly decorated in luxe blue, purple and grey colours, with comfy lounging chairs all accessorised with plush velvet pillows.

Once we had felt settled in the relaxation area, we grabbed our robes and made our way down to the poolside. The pool was nice and spacious and despite being used by hotel guests, it wasn't too overcrowded either. There was ample of chair and lounger space so that each guest was able to have somewhere to sit and for those who wanted to relax out of the way of the pool, there was also a separate relaxation area which on a nice day would open up on to a patio. As well as the pool, there was a whirlpool, Turkish steam room and sauna. While the facilities were all lovely, very clean and in immaculate condition, I feel that if I didn't have treatments I wouldn't have had enough to do to have spent a full day at the spa as there was only a limited amount of activities.

After spending a few hours by the pool, we then made our way to the restaurant for afternoon tea. I opted for the vegetarian version of the afternoon tea which consisted of hummus, grilled vegetable and cheese and onion sandwiches, a fruit scone, raspberry yogurt, chocolate and coffee cake and macarons. The afternoon tea itself was plentiful and a delight to eat, however I did feel slightly disgruntled that I wasn't given a choice of tea which most afternoon teas do offer and although I personally didn't mind that much, I do feel that the vegetarian and meat afternoon teas should have both been on separate stands.

Overall it was a lovely relaxing day and a great opportunity visit somewhere local for a change. I really enjoyed the facilities and the afternoon tea and I wouldn't mind going back, but next time to check out the hotel alongside the spa.

Have you been to Thorpe Park Spa before?

If your idea of a perfect weekend is spending the day in the grounds of picturesque Georgian building with a world renowned spa, Seaham Hall is a place you need to add to your bucket list. Voted as one of the world's top 100 spas, the Serenity Spa at Seaham Hall blends together 44,000sq of unadulterated enchantment, designed to deliver the ultimate in terms of tranquility and wellbeing.

Built on the grounds of Seaham Hall, a Georgian country house which dates back to 1791 and has a fascinating history linked to the American prohibition and Lord Byron, the serenity spa features: a 20-metre pool, outdoor balcony hot tubs, a hydrotherapy pool, jacuzzi, 17 treatment rooms and Hammam with snail shower. Last Sunday I was invited by Seaham Hall to test out the serenity spa amenities and compare this to other leading UK spas that I had previously visited.

When we arrived at the spa we were greeted by the spa receptionists and given a welcome drink of freshly squeezed lemonade along with a tour of the facilities. Stepping foot into the Serenity Spa at Seaham Hall is like taking a fast track flight to Thailand. The spa features teak wooden beams, an array of red and purple fabrics and decor which is typically associated with Thai culture such as ornamental elephants.

Once we had been shown the changing rooms and slipped into our fluffy white robes and slippers, we headed straight to the pool area and the hot tubs. The pool at the Seaham Hall serenity spa is one of the more larger spa pools I have visited and because of this it felt like there was plenty of space for everyone to have their own part of the pool and feel relaxed, without any overcrowding. The hot tubs were on a balcony surrounded by greenery and fencing for privacy, but if you stood on the steps, it overlooked the Seaham hall gardens. Unfortunately the weather wasn't that great so we were unable to bask in the sun all day, but the heat of the hot tub was just the right temperature for us to sit back and relax for half an hour.

After an hour of relaxation in the pool and hot tub area, we focused our attention on the additional spa facilities such as the saunas, hydropool, solarium and the Moroccan Hammam that I was intrigued by. The Moroccan Hammam was one of my favourite parts of the spa, it was like walking into an eastern paradise - a room with dark gemstone walls, where you can sit in a jacuzzi bath and take in all the steam in the air. It was a sensory heaven and something that I hadn't seen at any other spas.

Like most spa breaks, our spa day came with lunch and this was in the Ozone restaurant which serves pan-asian food to accompany the overall theme of the spa. The Ozone is a charming, informal brasserie-style restaurant with floor to ceiling windows overlooking Seaham Hall grounds, a cocktail bar and an open kitchen. Restaurant guest attire consisted of slippers and dressing gowns, although you did get the odd guest who came specifically for the restaurant and they wore their usual clothes. The menu was extensive with plenty to choose from and vegetarians and vegans had their own menu which I really appreciated - it's very rare these days to get restaurants that go and above and beyond to cater vegetarian diners.

For my starter I opted for the vegetable spring rolls with plum sauce and for main I chose the tofu marinated in sweet chili sauce with jasmine rice. Both meals had plenty of flavour and were cooked to perfection. It was the first time I had tried plum sauce with spring rolls and it was revelation - I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Once we had digested our food, it was time for my husband to head to the gym and for me to head up to the treatment area for Seaham Hall's newest treatment - a 90 minute Ytsara Ultimate Fusion facial. The Ytsara facial is a special one of a kind treatment only available at Seaham Hall which blends together together Eastern and Western skincare techniques to give the ultimate face ritual. The facial features a Chinese Guasha Jade stone massage, Thai warm poultice and French massage techniques to awaken and rejuvenate the skin, leaving it feeling soft, toned and glowing. The spa therapist was a lovely Thai woman who told me about the skin therapy they use back in her homeland of Northern Thailand and how they had been incorporated in this particular treatment. She also gave me a 'foot cleanse' as soon as I entered to the room to 'banish negative energy' - something which is really popular in Thailand and that I had done plenty of times when visiting the country last year. Although I do think 90 minutes is a little bit excessive for a facial treatment, I did thoroughly enjoy it and my face still feels remarkable one week later. At £130, this isn't your run of the mill weekly facial and it is something a little bit more special. If I was to visit again, despite the long treatment time, this is something I would definitely consider saving up for.

Walking to the car park at the end of our spa day, I did get a sense of sadness leaving Seaham Hall. It is a place of remarkable beauty and in all honesty, I didn't want it to end. My day at the serenity spa was second to none and definitely the best spa I've had the pleasure of visiting. From the food to the treatments, to the spa facilities and the staff, everything was first class and it's easy to see how this spa got it's world acclaim. Would I go back? Definitely.

Have you been to Seaham Hall before?

*My trip to Seaham Hall was complimentary and all views are my own

It's funny how throughout life there are many things that go unnoticed and that we spend so much of our time searching for something new and exiting that we really never notice what is right in front of us.This is particularly true for travel. We spend our time dreaming of places to visit that are as faraway from home as possible that many of us neglect or fail to see what is just around the corner. In some of the biggest towns and cities there are many places left unexplored because people just don't notice that they are there and don't put in the effort to try find them.

The Yorkshire Sculpture Park is a ten minute car journey away from my house, but it wasn't until last week that I finally took the time to visit. We spent four hours strolling amongst the fields, walking by the lake and watching all the wildlife and when I finally got back in the car, I wondered why I hadn't visited before. It was the best Sunday my husband and I had in a long time.

The Yorkshire Sculpture Park is one of the UK's leading open air art galleries and consists of 31 sculptures spread over 500 acres of rural land which overlooks a large, picturesque lake. On top of that there's a cafe, a restaurant, gift shop and indoor art gallery as well as outdoor picnic tables for you to utilise when the weather is sunny. Whether you're looking to visit for a few hours or a full day, there's plenty for you to see and do and there's no chance of getting bored.

My husband and I were blown away by the beauty of this park and spent several hours walking around the lake and also making friends with the local wildlife - the sheep are very friendly. Each sculpture has a interesting story and even if you're not that into art, you'll definitely find at least one sculpture that will impress you. The Yorkshire Sculpture Park is free to enter, but parking is £8 - for the time you can spend there and the amount of things you can do, I think the high parking fee is justified and I would happily spend that much again. All money from the parking goes into the upkeep of the Yorkshire Sculpture, which is kept at such a high standard, making it a real hidden gem of Yorkshire.

Have you been to the Yorkshire Sculpture Park before?

During the last few months I have been on a mission to discover more of my home country and last weekend, I ticked another town off my bucket list, Stratford-upon-Avon. Stratford-upon-Avon is a medieval town in the West Midlands most commonly known for being the birth place, hometown and resting place of Sir William Shakespeare. The 800 year old town attracts thousands of tourists each year due to it's astounding beauty and original Tudor buildings, five of which were Shakespeares family homes and you buy passes to go inside them and see their original features.

The River Avon is a small narrow river which runs through Stratford-upon-Avon and it was the first place we visited after parking the car. The river bank was busy with tourists as the weather was warm and there were ice-cream stalls in abundance and plenty of river boat cruises for those who wanted a small tour of the River Avon or to rent out a little wooden boat and row down the river themselves.

From the moment you enter Stratford-upon-Avon you are greeted with all the Tudor style buildings, all kept in excellent condition with the most beautiful little flower baskets, all of which looking quintessentially English. Strolling around the town there are so many 'Instagrammable' beauty spots that you cannot help, but fall in love with this place. It's wonderful to see a town that is kept so traditional and undamaged by modern society - there's very little modern day buildings around and although many of the buildings have been restored in some way, they have all been done so elegantly and in fitting with the original Tudor style of town.

Holy Trinity Church is the final resting place of William Shakespeare and hundreds of people travel to Stratford-upon-Avon specifically to see his burial site. Unfortunately there was a wedding on when we tried to visit, but the church itself is a wonderful place to look around and is situated right next to the Avon bank gardens where actors from the Royal Shakespeare company regularly perform. The shows are free to watch and it's lovely place to bring a picnic on a sunny day.

When it comes to dining out in Stratford-upon-Avon, visitors are spoiled for choice. There are lots of street food stalls and even street-food barges next to the river, plenty of beautiful restaurants throughout the town and lots of traditional English pubs to choose from. We had lunch at The Windmill, a 16th century black and white pub on Church Street, where there is a dog friendly beer garden around the back. I ordered the Falafel and Avocado salad which was so fresh and filling and it was perfect to eat on the hot day that we visited Stratford.

Overall I was really impressed with Stratford-upon-Avon and I'm happy that I visited. As someone who loved studying Shakespeare at high school, I really enjoyed learning more about the man himself and seeing where he grew up. If you're looking for a quintessentially English town with lots of history, plenty of wonderful independent shops and lots of places to eat and drink, Stratford-upon-Avon should be on your UK bucket list.

Have you been to Stratford-upon-Avon before?

Tropical World is a place that I've always wanted to visit, but when looking for days out on a weekend, it's somewhere that I would often forget even though it's only a stone throw away from my town. Last Thursday, I finally got the chance to visit thanks to the guys over at Joe Browns, who invited to on a tropical themed blogger photoshoot. It was a really fun day frolicking amongst the butterflies and making fish faces at the Piranhas.

For those who haven't been before, Tropical World is one of the UK's most popular garden attractions and is home to the largest collection of tropical plants outside London's Kew Gardens. The attraction is situated next to the luscious greenery of RoundHay Park and it only a 10 minute ride out of Leeds by car or a 20 minute bus journey on the number 12 or 2 bus route.

Tropical World features a large variety of wildlife from their renowned butterfly gardens to their newly introduced Meerkat exhibit. It's like walking through a tropical island and is fun for all the family. The attraction is only small and doesn't take that long to walk through, but there's something for all to enjoy, whatever critters or animals you love. It was also great to see that many of the animals had plenty of space, albeit the poor monkeys - I do think they need a bigger home and it was nice to see the birds and butterflies being able to fly freely in their open space.

Admission to Tropical World is £5 for adults, which is really affordable and fairly priced for this particular attraction. I really had fun and would not hesitate to go back there. The surrounding area is also wonderful to look at and if you're thirsty or a bit peckish there's a cute cafe or a pub across the road, what's not to love.

Have you been to Tropical World before?

Image source

As you may have gathered from many of my previous posts, I'm rather partial to an Afternoon Tea. In fact, I'm a little bit obsessed. I have gone from Afternoon Tea virgin to a self proclaimed Afternoon Tea connoisseur in a matter of months and I cannot get enough of them. Recently I was kindly invited down to Betty's in York to sample their new Lady Betty Afternoon Tea menu. My blogging bestie Lizi and I made our way up to the glamorous Belmont suit situated on the first floor of the tea room and was treated like royalty during our two hour stay. The piano played in the background, we drank champagne and ate like Queens and you too can experience this with the menu.

As I'm vegetarian my menu options are slightly different to the classic Lady Betty menu, but nevertheless, they are still absolutely scrumptious. As an appetiser I was served this wonderful avocado mousse with fresh chopped tomato salad. The dish was beautifully presented and was perfectly light, whetting our appetite for the next few courses.

My starter was then a mushroom frittata and what I think was a Mediterranean vegetable style wrap. In all honesty I ate it quicker than I could acknowledge what was on the plate. It tasted mouth wateringly good and I couldn't get enough of it.

As if those two courses weren't enough, we were then brought out the star attraction, the classic afternoon tea. My sandwiches were a mix of goats cheese and beetroot, cucumber and cream cheese and egg mayonnaise. All of which were fantastic and yet again tasted so fresh and light. The sandwiches were in nice small portions so they weren't too filling. I admit, by this time my stomach was feeling a little bit full but we were given a three hour time slot to enjoy our afternoon and eat at our own leisure. It was nice not to feel rushed and the piano playing in the background made us feel relaxed. It was a perfect girls day out.

After a good half an hour rest from digesting our sandwiches, we made our way onto the scones. We were given two types of scones - a classic scone and a Yorkshire Lavender scone. Seriously, words cannot describe how nice that Lavender scone was. I didn't know what to expect tasting Lavender for the first time - I thought it would be quite strong and floral, instead it was delicate, aromatic and added to the sweetness of the scone. It was probably one of the nicest scones I've ever had.

My final course and the one that left me feeling completely stuffed, yet extremely satisfied consisted of a mini Fresh Berry Meringue, a Coffee Religieuse (a choux pastry bun filled with coffee cream) and a macaroon. This dish was heaven on a plate. So many of my favourite desserts, all presented in the prettiest way and of course, so Instagrammable!I felt like that kid on the film Matalida, you know, the one who ate all the chocolate cake and wouldn't stop? I could have devoured this dessert three times over...if I wasn't watching my waistline and could afford to gain three stone.

The Lady Betty tea costs £32.95 without Champagne and £39.95 with Champagne and I would fully recommend it to those looking for a relaxing girly days out where you can dress up and eat lots of nice food. The atmosphere is lovely, the service is second to none and the decor is outstanding. Visiting Betty's is an experience that will stay with you.

Have you been to Betty's Tearooms before?

Last night my husband and I spent the most wonderful evening at The Black Swan, Helmsley during our late weekend trip to the countryside and to celebrate his birthday.The Black Swan Helmsley is a 500 year old four-star boutique hotel featuring a three AA-Rosette restaurant, an award winning tearoom and exquisite pieces of contemporary art and antiques. The hotel is situated in the heart of Helmsley overlooking the bustling marketplace and is the perfect pitstop for walkers, travellers, romantics and those looking for a midway point near all the costal Yorkshire towns.

The Black Swan Helmsley has a history spanning over 500 years and was first established as a fine hostelry. Since then the hotel has taken many forms from an Elizabethan Coaching Inn to the hotel it is today. I love hotels with an abundance of charm and I'm such a history geek, when researching hotels in Helmsley, this sounded like the perfect place to visit. Add in a fancy restaurant and beautiful decor and I couldn't resist.

We arrived at the hotel promptly at 3pm for check in and we were greeted with the friendliest of smiles from the reception staff and given all the directions we would need for the evening. From entering the hotel you could see the cosy lounge area with the log fire to the left and the most beautiful paintings all across the walls. It felt warm and homely from the moment we stepped in and I couldn't wait to see our bedroom.

The hotel room was incredibly spacious with a large king size bed, a decent sized and very clean bathroom and a hallway with a large dressing mirror. The room was full of quirky and fun items such as a teddy bear on the bed (which was so huggable, I didn't want to leave it), a retro telephone on the bedside cabinet and even a chess board underneath the television - both my husband and I are partial to a game of chess every now and then so it was a lovely to see a board in the room. The bed itself had the most luxurious fluffy duvet and gigantic pillows for optimum comfort. If I was to critique only one thing about this hotel it would be that the duvet was far too heavy for a hot summers day, but once I got comfy and relaxed, all was forgiven.

As Sundays are often a low point of most hotels, The Black Swan Helmsley has a 'Make More of Monday's' package at £249 per couple. The package features accommodation upgrade from a classic to superior or feature room, a six course tasting menu with accompanying wines, full english or continental breakfast served in the hotel restaurant or in your bedroom and late checkout. My husband and I often splash out on hotels and that rarely includes a six course tasting meal and drinks so I think this is a pretty good offer. Plus the feature rooms are so unique that visiting The Black Swan Helmsley feels like a special and memorable occasion. If you're looking for something different and fancy taking a trip to the countryside for a special occasion, keep the Black Swan Helmsley in mind.

Have you been to The Black Swan before?

*Our stay at The Black Swan Helmsley was complimentary, but I still would have given this place an amazing review if I had paid!

As a born and bred Yorkshire girl, there's nothing I love more than spending some of my time in the great outdoors. I love being surrounded by lush countryside, breathing in the country air and walking through forestland and luckily, so does my husband. Yesterday, my husband and I decided to visit a place called Helmsley situated in the North Yorkshire Moors. Helmsley is a small historic market town not too far from Scarborough, Malton and York and is a popular destination with walkers and bikers due to its picturesque scenery and abundance of country roads and pathways.

Helmsley is a really small village, but it is packed with character and charm. From the 'Walled Gardens' to the Helmsley Castle, The Rievaulx Abbey to the quaint craft shops on the street corners, there's something for everyone to enjoy in Helmsley and in my opinion, Helmsley is a place that deserves much more recognition as a Yorkshire tourist destination.

The first place my husband and I visited yesterday was Helmsley Castle. Helmsley castle is over 900 years old and classed as an English Heritage site. The castle anciently known as 'Hamlake' is situated in the centre of Helmsley and overlooks the Duncombe Park and the Walled Gardens, both vast acres of land belonging to the Feversham family. Helmsley Castle is in pretty good shape for a ruin and also features an exhibition in the main hall of items discovered in the castle grounds and Helmsley during archeological digs. I loved visiting the castle yesterday as the sun was shining and the grounds looked so pretty. There was quite a lot to see and equally, it was just as nice to sit on one of the benches and admire the view. I've been to a lot of castles in my time and this has to be up there as one of the prettiest.

Our next stop was Duncombe Park and The International Centre for Birds of Prey. Duncombe Park is 300 acres of beautiful parkland on the Faversham family estate. Resting on the parkland is The International Centre for Birds of Prey, North England's biggest bird of prey centres. The centre features 66 species of birds of prey, daily flying demonstrations and a small but friendly cafe for refreshments. The Eagle above did not look too happy with me and the barn owl below is only a few weeks old, how cute is she?!

After a long day of walking and exploring my husband and I stayed at The Black Swan Helmsley hotel which is coming up in the post after this and had an even more amazing night. Honestly, when I looked at Helmsley on Google I couldn't find much about this village and thought it would be one of those days nice walking but we would get bored rather quickly. I couldn't be anymore wrong. Helmsley had so much to offer and with it being so close to Pickering, Scarborough and York, there's no reason to not to visit on a weekend trip. We're already planning on going back and taking my parents.

Have you been to Helmsley before?

Recently I wrote a post about my day visit to the beautiful historic town of York. As mentioned previously we did so much in one day that it was almost impossible to slim it down to one blog post, so here's the second out of the three posts I have planned highlighting the things I got up to during the day.

After a little bit of window shopping and a short pit stop at Betty's Tea Rooms my husband and I decided to take a trip along the river Ouse on the York Boat. The York Boats are a must see attraction for anyone wanting to learn more about the history of York and its river. On a nice day you can see the beautiful York scenery in all of it's glory and even witness the large number of York Kayaking and Canoe clubs doing their daily training.

These boats cruise between King's Staith and Lendal Bridge and there are many different types of cruises to choose from. We opted for the entertaining and highly informative river city cruise. The cruise took 60 minutes and told us everything we needed to know about York in many bite sized snippets whilst admiring the scenery from an open top deck.

During our little trip the tour guide pointed out the many attractions along the water edge such as the National Parks and Museums and also spoke vastly about York's Viking and Saxon history. We also learnt about Guy Fawkes association with York, the history of York's many bridges and many humorous medieval facts about York. The trip was both visually pleasurable and intellectually stimulating and the tour guide knew everything you needed to know about the city.

We were lucky that weather held out for us and that we were able to cruise along the river with sunshine on our faces and very little wind in our hair. If you're a history buff with a thirst for knowledge like myself or just fancy a summer cruise along York's beautiful river, this trip is definitely worth the £9 admittance fee. If you plan on visiting the York tourist sites, make sure to check out the York Pass. The York Pass gives you discounted entry to many of York's top attractions. The pass is £36 a day but you could save around that price if you plan on doing a lot of sightseeing.

Have you been to York before?

A Trip to Robin Hood's Bay, North Yorkshire

A Day Visit to Thorpe Park Spa, Leeds

A Day at The Seaham Hall Serenity Spa

A Visit to Yorkshire Sculpture Park

A Day in Stratford-upon-Avon

A Day Out at Tropical World

Lady Betty Afternoon Tea

The Black Swan Helmsley

A Day in Helmsley

York: Along the River