Aston Hall and Bakewell

We were sad to be leaving Scotland but looking forward to our first weekend of cricket. It so happened that our first Saturday of English cricket coincided with the royal wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. The small hamlet of Aston Hall was the site of the match and the clubhouse was buzzing with eager ladies, keen to catch the first glimpse of Meghan and her wedding gown.

Of course, with our eldest son playing in the match, I was conflicted about whether to watch the wedding or the cricket- the cricket won. I did see the start of Meghan’s walk down the isle and thought she looked fabulous.

Tom scored 70 or so runs and our team won. With the weather scorching hot at 23 degrees Celsius, extra drinks were ordered during the match. And the drinks were cordial, not water. On top of that, all the ladies had shed their jumpers and wore strappy tops and sundresses. Meanwhile, I was rugged up in jacket and scarf, as a chilly breeze made it comfortable to sit in the sun! Such a different experience from our late spring weather!

Michael and I enjoyed a walk into the village centre. I jumped at any chance to see the quaint English homes.

Sunday saw us spend some lovely time with Tom, exploring the local countryside. Bakewell was our destination, after a sleep in and brunch. This lovely tourist town was teeming with visitors walking the street, partaking of an ice-cream and watching the trout in the river. We drove past Chatsworth House and determined to come back the next day to explore the stately home.