Sarah’s family roots are based in the village of Etwall near to Derby. And this weekend we had the opportunity to return to those roots and spend some time meeting up with her sister Jo and nieces and nephews – Suzy, Rob and Matthew.

Our journey began with the drive through the Derbyshire Dales where we stopped off for some coffee at a garden centre in Duffield, Belper.

We were staying at the Holiday Inn Express in Derby near to Pride Park.

This is near to Derby Rail Station which was the end of our Pennine Cycleway cycle tour a few years ago.

So after quickly checking in we then made our way over to the city centre and Nando’s where we were all due to meet up. This was the first time Sarah had met many of the family for a few years. So, it was quite an exciting occasion.

In particular it was the first time Sarah had seen Rob and his partner Lisa’s child, Bertie. And Bertie was always going to be the star of the show! The evening was a great success, indeed so successful that it was close to midnight before we all went our separate ways.

  

The following morning Sarah and I went for a walk around Markeaton Park. It’s a few years since we last visited the park as part of a visit to watch the Christmas lights being switched on.

The park has a number of walks.

Including a path for a gentle walk around the lake.

There are also some formal gardens.

And a number of streams traverse the park.

Unfortunately Markeaton Hall is no longer standing. All that is left is the Orangery which now houses the parks cafe. It had to be visited!

Markeaton Park includes a few secluded areas including the rose garden.

We took a stroll through the Craft Village – though to be honest most of the shops were closed on this Sunday morning.

Finally, it was time to head for Etwall. Here we were meeting some of Sarah’s nieces and nephews for a further chinwag!

It was a great way to finish a brief but enjoyable Derby weekend.