Derbyshire Day 2 - Mam Tor with the Hirsts (31st October 2012)

The view from the hotel, with the hills in the background.

The weather forecast for the day! Luckily we managed to avoid the rain all day!

We had arranged to meet up with the Hirst family from church, for a hike up Mam Tor for the day. We drove on some cool windy roads to get to the village of Castleton where we were meeting.

After getting everyone kitted up, we were finally ready to set off!

It was a lovely walk, with plenty of space for the kids to run around along the way. Harry moaned quite a bit for about the first half a mile, then he got into swing of it, and lead the whole way with Darcy (who's about the same age as him.)

Walking past Peveril Castle, which was mentioned in the Domesday Book in 1086.

Jack, Tom and Ben.

Scott, Karl (who is our Stake President) and Darcy.

Getting higher up (and windier!!) Tom and Jonah.

It really was quite windy on one of the hills! Ben was really leaning into it!

Ben exploring some hole we found.

The boys testing out the waterproofness of their hiking boots!

Getting to the foot of Mam Tor.

Scott, Harry and Darcy were way ahead of the rest of us, and they were waiting for us just at the start of Mam Tor, so we could have lunch. The older kids had all gone wildly off course and out of sight at one point, and President Hirst and I had had to go and get them back again. Lucy and Jonah had also had a fine time chasing sheep...

Lucy and Ben had fallen out about something previous to the hike, and Lucy and Jonah were getting on great instead. By the end of the hike though, Lucy and Ben were friends again.

President Hirst serving up hot Ribena for us.

Ben was a bit cold - here he is trying to text with his nose, wearing my hat!

At the top of Mam Tor!

We debated about whether to go into the caverns at the bottom of Mam Tor, but no-one could really be bothered, so we just had a toilet stop, and quick look in the gift shop.

Harry with a rock he had just bought.

Ban and Lucy kindly pushed me off a higher path into this mud!!

Harry admiring the rocks and gems at another shop.

Lucy and Ben friends again.

Yay! Made it back!

We messed around for a while in the shallow little stream.

Darcy, Reuben and Harry on the Hirst's Defender.

For tea, we found a little little restaurant, where we had the whole back room to ourselves. It was great!

After a lovely meal, we chatted for ages then all dragged ourselves away for the drives home. A nice way to spend Halloween!

Derbyshire Day 1 - Chatsworth House (30th October 2012)

The Half-Term holidays began on Monday 29th October, and on Tuesday 30th, we drove to Derbyshire for an overnight trip. We went to Chatworth House gardens and had a lovely day wandering round, and taking in the gorgeous scenery.

Lucy enjoying doing a blood test in the open air!

Tree growing out Harry's head!

With Halloween the next day, there were pumpkins hidden around the gardens, plus these ones in the middle of the maze!

Checking out the map to search for more pumpkins.

Standing next to the fountain and feeling the spray!

Trying to push each other in!

We also walked through the vegetable gardens, and then up to the tower on the hill, with the cannons outside.

Driving through the hills at dusk on the way to our Travelodge in Glossop.

Our Travelodge was a really new one, and it seemed to be completely empty!

Lucy in particular loved our hotel for some reason - she says it's her favourite hotel... This is her after doing cartwheels through the very wide corridor outside our room. I think she liked it so much because there was a lovely wide window sill, which she sat on and looked out at the hills.