We had a lovely time in Gloucestershire, but, due to our short amount of time in England overall, had to move along to visit other friends and family. The morning we left to drive up to Manchester, we let Sophia run around the garden at Debbie and Andrew's (in the hope that she would sleep for at least an hour in the car...) She enjoyed some play time with her new cat-friend, as well as her Great Auntie Debbie (my sister Lyndsey's fairy godmother :)
When we arrived in Manchester at our family friends' house (Tom and Nina), we were still amazed that the sunshine in England was still present (this is England after all, and we were certainly expecting at least some drizzle and clouds after three days of sunshine!) We decided that since the sun was outside, so should we. Off we went to Dunham Park, a short drive around the corner from Tom and Nina's. Now, there is a lot of history with my family and this particular park. When Lyndsey and I were growing up, we went to Dunham Park ALL the time. There are photographs of us there in the snow, in the mud, and the rare occurrence of "in the sunshine". I remember seeing the deer there, running along the paths and just spending time outside. Now I am older, taking Sophia there was like coming full-circle (and she loved it too!) We let her out of her stroller, once we were clear of the hundreds of Brits meandering around the main house and gardens, basking in the sun. As evident by the photos, Sophia clearly has a passion for the outdoors and running in the grass. This little 14 month old is fast!
The next day, the sun was still a-shining, so off to yet another National Trust property we went (we really should have bought a membership...) This time, to Tatton Park. Another frequently visited place from my childhood. As Jeremy, Sophia and I drove up to the entrance to Tatton, we were met with an American car show AND a Civil War Reenactment (yes, American Civil War). Really?! After bypassing the masses attending both such events, we headed into the gardens instead (much quieter and certainly more British) and explored for a few hours. One of the gardens had a Beatrix Potter special event going on and Sophia took much joy in pointing out all of the Peter Rabbits hidden throughout the kitchen garden. What are we going to do with Sophia the rest of the summer in Arizona - poor little girl is going to really, really miss being outside! :(
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