If you are a regular reader, you will have seen my recent post where the hubby and I went on a friends break to Henley on Thames. Catch it here if you missed it

When we left off last, it was late night and we had spent the day drinking, catching up and enjoying the sun.

Friends Reunited

Now it was Sunday morning and we had a full day ahead of us. On the agenda was a riverboat cruise, lunch and a few drinks and then the drive home.

We woke up around 8am at the fabulous Bird in the Hand pub/hotel. Getting ready for breakfast was easy. I had already packed our belongings the night before, so it was a case of showering, getting dressed and heading to the dining room for breakfast.

Ready for the day ahead

Now, I am not going to lie. We had managed to imbibe a whole lot of alcohol the night before so a full English breakfast was very welcome. Meeting some of the rest of the party we opted for the full works and settled down with a cuppa whilst awaiting it to be cooked.

I have to say, The Bird in the Hand really did themselves proud. The breakfast was epic and really hit the spot. We went back to the room and gathered all our belongings, paid the bill and packed our car.

Full English

Getting into the car, we had arranged to head into Henley centre itself. We had pre-booked a river cruise at noon and the sun was shining above.

For Hire

Grabbing a parasol (as I was already lobstered from the day before) I made sure to protect myself with the factor 50, parasol and shade as the sun was really fierce.

Hiding from the Sun

We got on the boat and started our hour long cruise. Up one side of the Thames and then back down the other.

Riverboat Steamer

We saw so many beautiful sights. Houses, Houseboats, Marinas and more. We even went past an island with a Grecian inspired building which sees a lot of weddings take place.

The Riverbank

Beautiful

Stunning

Of course both the hubby and I went mad with the camera, shooting everything in sight. Buildings, people, beautiful features. Nothing was out of our scope.

Idyllic Island

Having a beverage or two on the boat set us off to a good start. The weather was amazing, the company exceptional and the catching up was just sublime.

Posing Pals

Eventually we left the boat and decided we needed to choose somewhere for lunch. Having passed a great little pub about a 5 minute walk away, we decided to head there. The Little Angel was right near the cricket ground and there was a match on.

Row, Row, Row your boat….

Going into the pub we ordered a round of drinks. Once everyone was sorted we asked about food, only to be turned away!

The Little Angel… alas it was not meant to be!

We sat chilling out as we finished our drinks before deciding to move on to another place. Walking into the centre of town, Graeme suggested a great place called The Bull.

Everyone all together for the final meal

We walked the ten minutes to it and I have to say, it was an inspired suggestion.

The pub was massive inside. There was a conservatory area, a garden area and a main dining area. They were very amenable to the fact that we needed seating for 12 people.

After several shuffles about we found ourselves in the main dining area. There was a grand piano and a wonderful young pianist playing a whole multitude of musical pieces. I was literally in heaven.

Musical Accompaniment

We all perused the menu and I personally chose the Sunday Roast with the Beef option, with a side order of pigs in blankets.

I have to say I was NOT disappointed. The beef was melt in the mouth, the vegetables still al dente and the yorkshire pudding was fluffy, well risen and so very tasty.

I couldn’t manage a dessert as I was so very full, as were many of the group.

Eventually time passed along and it was time for us to all return to our cars and make the journey home.

I want to live here!

Knowing it was only a 2 hour ride maximum,  I have to admit I put on my sunglasses on, reclined my chair and slept for the majority of the way home.

So at this point, I would love to thank Graeme and Sam for organising the whole event, Ped, Lisa, Rob, Karen, Nish, Chandni, Sat and Kalpana for an amazing weekend away. It was epic and we can’t wait to do it again!

Till next time,

SPSG xxx