The night before the start.

Greetings, dear reader. It is tuesday night and James and I have just finished dinner. Tonight we came to The Cottage in the Wood in Braithwaite. This is the other hotel that we have chosen for some of our guests to stay at. This hotel holds a special place in our hearts as it was the first hotel in the Lake District that we stayed in together back in 2004. We had been staying in a Campsite down in Winderemere and were on our way to Scotland as part of a month long trip around Great Britain. We were fed up with camping in the rain, so decided to stop off at the first place we saw to see if they had room. That place was the Cottage! We loved it so much that we stayed 2 nights and then came back for a week a year later!

We had originally wanted to have our wedding here, but the owners, Liam and Kath were unable to accomodate the number of guests we needed It was Kath in fact who referred us to the Winder Hall. The hotel is fabulous and the restaurant is magnificent, so we are glad we came in tonight. Unusually both James and I ate the same; Smoked Haddock and Leek Risotto with a poached duck egg, on top followed by Roast Venison with swede, red cabbage and blackberries. We finished it off with a selection of cumbrian cheeses. What fun! We have given up worrying about whether we will fit in our suits on saturday, so to those who are coming this weekend, please bring plenty of safety pins for us!

So tomorrow Ilona arrives and we can't wait! Poor James has had to listen to me for 3 weeks so I am sure he is looking forward to a break and some fresh company! Last night we spent a wonderful evening with Alison and Martin and their two kids. Now as more people arrive I can feel the excitement and nerves starting to build!

We'll keep you all posted, but for now, dear readers, goodnight and big love!

D&J