2022 and Lots of "Big" Birthdays!

Where to begin?

January was cold and miserable as usual, but it was the perfect time to get our Leith flat ready to put on the market. I also had, not one but two, 40th birthdays to prepare for!

Iain and his twin brother, Stuart, turned 40 on 1st February so the family all went out for a lovely lunch at Bread Street Kitchen in Edinburgh. It was the start of a busy few months which included a trip to Windsor at the beginning of March, followed by numerous flat viewings, getting covid, selling our flat and most importantly, buying our dream house!

I kind of skipped over the Windsor trip, but it was part of the twins birthday present which included business class flights to London, a stay next door to Windsor Castle and my second visit to The Fat Duck. We had a brilliant time, but we ate and drank far too much!














It was already May and we were almost moving out of our flat in Leith, and onto the next adventure. But before that, I had a 70th birthday and another trip to London to plan. That being said, the trip wasn't until June so it was back to moving out and finally concluding the missives on our new house (4pm on the day of the move!). 

After a few weeks of unpacking and cleaning, my mum and I travelled to London to spend a few nights in the big smoke. We stayed at Montague on the Gardens, a Red Carnation hotel, which was only a few stops on the subway from Kings cross. I had a full agenda planned which included King Lear at Shakespeare's Globe, a visit to Warner Bros Harry Potter Studio and dinner at Core by Clare Smyth; yup, another 3 star Michelin Restaurant. Again, we ate too much and drank too much but had a great time.















The next big birthday wasn't far away; my dad also turned 70 on 22nd June. Again, I had a plan but that wasn't until mid July and I may, or may not, have had a BIG birthday at the start of July too. Iain and I celebrated with an overnight stay at The Bonnie Badger, followed by dinner with the family at the Longniddry Inn. My real birthday present was still to come but that's a separate post in itself!





Before that, my dad and I drove up to Crieff Hydro where we were staying for a few nights to finish celebrating his birthday. We had tours of both Glenturret and Tullibardine Distillery, as well as a spa treatment in the hotel. The highlight, however, was Lalique, the only Michelin starred restaurant in a Distillery. It was newly opened and had gained a star within a very short period. We had some wonderful food and plenty to drink with the matching wine package. 


















It was now nearing the end of July, and time for my birthday present....



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