Our visit to Gloucester Services M5

Remember our lovely friend Sophie? She wrote a brilliant review of The Bell in Sapperton, find it here. Well, Sophie is back again with her experience visiting the new Gloucester Services on the M5. Believe us, its not just your average pit stop!

Millie and Meg x #TheGuestList

KIN Juicery

KIN Juicery is a brand new Cheltenham based company making their very own raw, cold pressed, healthy juices and smoothies.

The Duffy siblings Hannah, Alicia and Josh have teamed up with nutritionist friend Naomi to create a menu of KIN juices and smoothies which are tasty, good for you and make you smile... Oh & best of all, they are delivered straight to your doorstep. 

Chipping Campden

Chipping Campden is one of my favourite places in the Cotswolds. I may not live there anymore, nor did I live there throughout my whole childhood, but I have a whole metaphorical memorabilia box full of happy times throughout 10 years of being a 'campdener'.

Plus my Mum and Dad still live there and I pretty much worked in every pub and restaurant at one time or another so I still class myself as a local! 

Hot Yoga in Cheltenham

All we had heard about "Hot Yoga" was that it is the latest fashion in London and that we should be aware that many people opt to do it naked! We were slightly apprehensive when we got chatting to Roman from Ella & Fleur, a new family and friend run business based in Cheltenham. But we decided to go for it, we registered on Ella & Fleur's website and on a sunny Wednesday evening...off we went.

Suffice to say, it isn't just a fad, it is bloody hot and best of all, we were so wrong about the naked thing... Pheew!!!

We arrived late as Emily was decorating gingerbread men for The Falcon, so arriving with beating hearts and sweaty already wasn't a great start. However, Roman and the instructer for the night (just to makes things confusing also called Emily) were there to greet us, grab us a mat (we are total newbies!) and hey presto... before we knew it we were doing hot yoga!

The class was full to capacity and we were put right at the front by the big ballet class styled mirror. In hindsight this was a good thing as we could view moves and postures around the room.

The class mixture was diverse. There were genuine experts doing moves you never thought possible, beginners like us, people who had clearly been before, men, women and a mix of ages. We felt instantly comfortable.

The room WAS hot... 40 degrees to be precise. This was a Hot Flow lesson but other lessons raise the heat even higher! 40 degrees was enough for now. It wasn't dry heat or steam heat... just hot. You soon get used to it and the sweating which starts immediately gets addictive. It's a feel good thing, you know your body is working hard. It also makes you very in tune with yourself, there is no way your mind can wander. If you find it hard to destress and forget about the problems of the day this is something you should try!

We've been to yoga classes before (I'm talking 3 or 4 and not since we were teens) and never grasped the breathing thing. Emily, the instructor for this particular class, made you effortlessly concentrate on your breathing and any stress in your head, heart and body seemed to melt away within minutes.

For beginners we felt she made the moves achievable but don't get us wrong, there were so many comedy moments with moves we couldn't do. Emily did the classic of getting stuck with her legs behind her head whilst Meg slipped from sweating so much... At this point the Instructure brought us bigger towels!

The class was an hour and 15 minutes long and we loved every second of it. We paid £2 for borrowing 2 mats, bought a coconut water (which we were so pleased to see available) and that was it.

After an hour at home with a hot cup of Tea Pigs Liquorice and Peppermint brew we still felt relaxed and... well, happy. 

We'll be back for more hot yoga soon and a fuller insight from some of the team at Ella & Fleur. In the mean time, if you'd like more information about different classes and prices, visit Ella & Fleur's website. 

#teamyoga

What exercise classes are you loving at the moment?

Millie and Meg x

Mangle & Wringer

Until The Applestore at Batsford Arboretum (see our blog about this lovely Aladdin's cave here) became a proud stockist of Mangle & Wringer cleaning products, we had never heard of the locally made, non-toxic, all natural range from The Cotswolds. 

What makes Mangle & Wringer cleaning products so special, you ask? Where do we start.

ALL of Mangle & Wringer cleaning products are made using old fashioned, home made recipes, using all natural ingredients which are therefore, all recognisable and easy to understand. You can 100% trust what is written on the labels. Vanessa Willes founded Mangle & Wringer in 2012 after adopting her housekeepers, Bette Smith's passion for non-toxic cleaning products which are not harmful to the environment or to use. Bette Smith, a housekeeper since she was 14 years old, a successful laundry owner and a local Gloucestershire lady taught Vanessa Willes and her team everything they now know about making beautiful, affective and non-toxic cleaning products. So do you see what is special about this Cotswold company now?

What first attracted us to pick up a bottle of Mangle & Wringer and learn more about Vanessa Willes's company was the sleek and chic packaging. Something you very rarely... actually, almost never see when it comes to cleaning products. Lets face it, cleaning is not the most glamorous of tasks and definitely is not top of our 'favourite things to do' list. Especially when you live in a little country cottage with messy boys and a old cocker spaniel. 

The Mangle & Wringer range is so attractive that Vanessa practically put marigolds on us herself and sent us home skipping to spring clean.

We purchased a bottle of 'Good for Glass' spray from The Applestore and loved it. No streaks, amazing!

Then Vanessa kindly sent us a goody box full of her products, a bag of 'Natural Bleach' and bag of 'Pure Laundry', a spray bottle of 'Spray and Go', a tub of 'Bathroom Balm' and a tub of 'Kitchen Cleanser'.

After testing the whole range, carefully following directions and gushing at all the lovely packaging we must say we are really impressed. 

The 'Spray and Go' spray was our favourite. We used it ALL over the house, on side tables, kitchen work surfaced, skirting boards and window sills. It smelt very vinegary with a hint of lemon zest but that didn't bother us, in fact we actually liked it. There is nothing worse than using a cleaning product that then hits the back of your throat and makes you cough for the next 15 minutes. 'Spray and Go' made everything sparkle, smell clean and look fresh. We loved it! 

Now, I think we can all agree there is nothing better than crawling into bed and slipping under freshly cleaned sheets. So when we unwrapped the handmade 'Pure Laundry' powder that was the first job on our list. Very simply, we added a large scoop of the laundry power and a smaller scoop of the 'Natural Bleach' powder in to the washing machine. Luckily, it was also a lovely sunny day so they the sheets got to air dry outside which is another one of life's little luxuries. When dried, they smelt and felt beautifully clean. They didn't smell of artificial chemicals, overly sweet and sickly like you get with so many branded products and the softness made for a comfy night sleep. Bliss!

As you might be able to tell, we are sold! We love the products, the packaging, the values of the company and most importantly.. they work! Try them out for yourself by visiting Mangle & Wringer online shop or if you live in Gloucestershire, The Applestore might be your closest stockist.

Follow Mangle & Wringer on Twitter  and Facebook and make sure you visit Vanessa's beautiful websites for lots more information on the whole range,  to shop any of the products we've spoken about and please please please read about Bette Smith and how she inspired Vanessa to continue her passion for non-toxic cleaning products. It is such a heart warming, touching story.

The Wheatsheaf, Northleach

For a while now, every time I've spoken to anyone about good restaurants/pubs in The Cotswolds (and there are many) The Wheatsheaf in Northleach has cropped up. People are really rating this country pub in a small Cotswold town tucked away off the busy A40 from Oxford to Cheltenham.

So after a busy week at work and with little energy to cook but in need of good food to start the weekend, we thought it would be the perfect opportunity to find out for ourselves what all the fuss is about.

5 places in London that remind me of The Cotswolds

We have known Alice since secondary school. Alice and Emily bonded over a new found love for Jamie Cullum and a lack of knowledge of maths in Year 9 and she went travelling with Meg in 2008.  Alice lives in Brixton, South London, and so will be writing about her adventures there and how being brought up in The Cotswolds has shaped the way she sees London.  Alice currently works in the events team at a private members club in Marylebone and the thing she misses most about The Cotswolds are that she can't see her friends everyday.  

Photo taken by Anna Clarke 

Awwww! We miss you too Alice #TheGuestList

Cheltenham's Perfect Night Out

As a group of friends we are not exactly living it up at the weekend type people. We love cosy nights in playing board games, meals out, pub nights, lazy film nights but when we do have the urge to go out out, we like to go BIG!

After many years of going out together, trying different bars, clubs and towns, we finally think we have perfected the perfect night out out in Cheltenham. How do we know? Well, we always have a great time.

Ingredients for a good night out:

• Friends
• Great music
• Good drinks
• Buzzing atmosphere
• Your dancing shoes (make sure they're comfy!)
• Taxi number home (if like us, you no longer live in or near Cheltenham)

Earl's & Co

Welcome to James and Harry's first post in The Man Drawer, a review of an award winning Barber Shop and Nail bar, located in Cheltenham.

Take it away chap's! #TheManDrawer

Walking up the red carpet to Earl's & Co for the first time for our monthly hair cut we felt like the paparazzi should be there! This was going to be an all singing, all dancing, experience that we weren't sure we were going to enjoy. How wrong were we. As soon as we spotted the Whiskey bar and traditional barber chairs we knew we were in for a good time.

Earl's & Co is far from our past barber experiences which have resulted in some hair style faux pas such as the time Harry came back looking like a Lego man and James came back with a short back and sides... oh wait, that was a long back and longer sides. Disaster! 

First of all, walking into a whiskey bar instead of a cold reception with a colder receptionist was right up our streets. A complimentary Famous Grouse Black Label whiskey for James and a double espresso for Harry (the driver) was a good start. 

James - I liked the friendly and knowledgeable staff (Jess has cut my hair both times) and liked how comfortable the traditional "Takara Belmont" chairs were . Rather than a rush in rush out experience, this was a place where the staff made time to get to know you, to give advice and for you to feel part of the atmosphere. I also couldn't believe it was only £18.50 for a smart haircut, complimentary glass of whiskey and a shoeshine! I'm genuinely not going to anywhere else from now on.

Harry - I can't stand awkward hairdresser chat, the boring "where are you off on your holiday's?" routine just isn't for me. Instead, the staff at Earl's & Co are attentive and welcoming but without wanting to know the ins and outs about your life. I also like the fact the barbers know their stuff enough to make sensible suggestions and give helpful tips but you know you're not going to come out with some uber trendy/ridiculous hair cut. Jess and Jason have cut my hair and results were just as good both times. Highly recommend Earl's & Co to anyone for a consistent and enjoyable experience. 

Earl's & Co offer gift vouchers. Emily recently purchased a traditional close shave and hair cut with facial massage as a Father's Day Gift for £35. 

Emily and Meg will be reviewing the champagne nail bar, also found at Earl's & Co soon!

Don't make the mistake Harry made, remember to wear your shoes for complimentary shining, not your flip flops. 

The Applestore at Batsford

Where to start with The Applestore at Batsford Aboretum. Heather the owner, wife of, Stuart, the Managing Direct of Batsford Aboretum has a really good thing going here. The Applestore which was actually the old applestore at the Arboretum and is a beautiful red brick building situated at the end of the trail once you've strolled around the stunning Arboretum.

We may be a little bias here as Heather is actually Meg's boyfriend's, Mother so we spend a lot of time at Bastford Arboretum but The Applestore is so unique and completely worth a visit, so we just had to mention it on Millie and Meg.

As you approach The Applestore, you are welcomed by rustic garden goodies; planted crates, outdoor pots, vintage garden furniture and a great view across the site. The Applestore also sells the coolest pizza ovens handmade by a local company The Real Pizza Oven Company, perfect for alfresco dining all year round.

Inside is a treasure trove of old and new, there is so much to look at, to smell and take in, it really is a "shopping experience" from the second you walk through the door and you can easily spend a lot of time admiring the prettiness.

The gorgeous smell of the local handmade candles hit you as you walk in and as a candle lover, I was sold. The pretty natural soywax candles are handmade in Bourton-on-the-Water, are £6.50 which is a steal for a long burning handmade candle and there is 10 different scents to pick from.

Heather sources a lot of her stock and inspiration from Sweden where she used to own a house with her husband. This is where The Applestore was born. She now drives (!!!!) to Sweden twice or three times a year to buy new and unique stock and thats exactly what it is, totally unique. One of a kind pieces which are lovingly handmade in Sweden, hand painted in the most gorgeous bright colours with beautiful florals. There is nowhere else I know selling these types of pieces.

Heather is also a proud stockist and user of Annie Sloan decorative Chalk Paint, waxes, brushes and testers. Annie Sloan chalk paint needs no faff, no sanding, no priming and can be used on pretty much anything, inside or outside. Heather upcycles all her shabby chic furniture in this heavenly paint and you can see how much love goes into every stroke on every piece Heather works on. She is single handedly bringing these old pieces back to life!

There is much much more to the The Applestore than just Sweden and Annie Sloan, Heather also sells a mix of new gifts and vintage delights. I love the vintage tea sets which you can mix and match to create a unique gift box and the wide range of hanging hearts which are quickly filling my whole house (to the delight of my boyfriend).

What I love most about The Applestore is that every time I visit, there is always  new stock. This is partly down to how popular the shop has become and the very reasonable prices - I don't think I have ever left empty handed.

Follow The Applestore on Facebook & Twitter to see what's new, what Heather's working on and you'll be inspired to add some shabby chic to your own homestyle.

Chinese In The Wolds

Now, not everyday is an exploring the countryside, shop till you drop, dress up for dinner kind of day, particularly Friday evenings after a long week of work.

There is something so lovely about lighting some candles and putting a film on, no cooking, no washing up, just relax!

So for the ultimate lazy indulgence, Chinese take away it is, but there are so many to choose from, where do you start? Well we have had our fair share of the good, the bad and the ugly but today as with all of our posts, we are focusing on the BEST.

Bourton-on-the-Water, China Town Chinese Restaurant.

Now don't get me wrong, there is nothing that hits you in the face in terms of a unique selling point to this place. But they don't need one, because the beauty of  China Town is found in the two most important places, their food and their service. Unlike other places we have tried, China Town has distinctive flavours in all of their dishes and evidently use quality ingredients as dishes are not lacking in large slices of meat and big crunchy veg.

Sometimes we pre order, pick up and go or order there and have a beer, however tonight was a particularly sunny evening and so we decided to make an event out of our quick and easy take away jaunt.

We arrived at around 7pm to smiles and prawn crackers! We made our order and then headed over to the Kingsbridge for a drink whilst we waited. The Kingsbridge has a large beer garden and being situated right on the river it almost felt holiday like to be sat drinking a Gin & Tonic, watching the sun bounce off the water. Beautiful.

10 minutes after we picked up the order we were home, candles lit, film on ready to eat. Yum!

Our Favourite Recommendations:

• Crispy Seaweed
• Vermacelli Spicey Noodles
• Crispy Shredded Beef (It's fruity and spicey! Best one we've had.)
• Beef in Black Bean (there are actual black beans in it unlike other places!)
• Pork Szechuan (is lovely and light, almost sweet and sour with big slices of roasted pork.)
• Pork and Vegetable Spring Rolls
• Salted Calamari
• All the soups!

One last thing, don't forget you can "Eat In" at China Town. Their all you can eat menu is utterly scrumptious and excellent value for money at £13.80 (adult) and £7.80 (child) per head. You start with a choice of their delicious Soup's, then half an Aromatic Duck and then starters, followed by mains and sides. You get to choose from a still wide menu selection and if that's not enough, you can carry on ordering while you get stuck in. However, if you over order, you can't take away. 

Don't just take our word for it, try it!

1A Victoria St

Bourton-on-the-Water,

Cheltenham

Gloucestershire

GL54 2BU

01451 821818

Please note. China Town does not deliver, so get yourself down there and

enjoy a drink and some prawn crackers before taking away.

Where is your favourite Chinese take away?

Millie and Meg x

Sunny Sunday Lunch in Sapperton

This is our wonderful friend Sophie! Again, we've been friends since school, 14 years. Emily used to live with Soph when they first moved to Cheltenham and not long after, Meg & Harry followed and lived only 2 doors down. Soph now lives in beautiful Painswick with her boyfriend, Owen and her family and works for Cheltenham's leading independent estate agent, Peter Ball & Co, at their Charlton Kings Office. 

Take it away Soph! #TheGuestList 

This Sunday bought us gorgeous sunshine and how better to spend the day than in a beautiful pub garden in the middle of The Cotswolds!

Owen (my lovely man) and I met some friends for lunch at The Bell at Sapperton. We had visited the pub for dinner previously so expected good things and I really was not disappointed.

The Bell is situated in the sleepy cotswold village of Sapperton. The stone building is full of  character in keeping with its stunning rural surroundings boasting beams and huge log fires and also, a beautiful cottage garden so a perfect place to dine all year round.

We were lucky enough to find a table in the garden- we sat down ordered a round of gin and tonics and studied the menu. We were restricted to a Sunday menu but there was still pleanty of choice including 3 roast dinners!

The meal was absolutely fantastic! I chose a Smoked haddock fishcake with black pudding and curry mayo to start and a whole sea bass for my main which were both absolutly delicious- some of the best sea bass I've ever had.

Owen had roast beef for his main with a huge yorkshire pudding and lashings of gravy plus a bubbling bowl of cauliflower cheese on the side. He was in heaven! He said the meat was tender and there was plenty of it too… in fact we were all too full for dessert!

The service is friendly and casual but very attentive, the wine selction is varied and very well priced and there is a complete focus on homemade fresh food! I would go again and again and really can't recommend this pub highly enough- a real Cotswold gem!

Sophie x