A Natural Retreat

My toddler and me travelled by train to St Austell and did the whole trip without a car, with both the beach and the Eden Project easily accessible by taxi (only a tenner each way). There was a heat wave in London, but the temperature in this part of Cornwall was 18 degrees. We warmed ourselves in the mediterranean climate inside the biome of the Eden Project, complete with Greek style white stone walls and rustic cafe.

A charming Harvest Festival was taking place and my little boy loved the Butter Thieves, an acoustic band that sang about potatoes and other local produce in an education and entertaining way. At the shop we stocked up on local wine, juice and cheese, although we needn't have bothered as at Natural Retreats we discovered a hamper groaning with all our favourite things: there was wine for mummy, fresh eggs for my husband and apple juice for our little one. There was even a high chair and a cot, supplied without request. 

Paul, the concierge acted way and beyond the call of duty. Although at 8pm he should have gone home long before, he happily drove us to our spacious, well-appointed villa and even took us back to reception for us to pick up some DVDs. We were just a mile and a half from St Austell, yet a world away from the town in a real retreat: Paul told us we could hear two kinds of owls at night.

The next morning we took a walk to the Cornwall Hotel and Spa where we sipped on a very good Bloody Mary as helicopters landed in spectacular style next to the well equipped play area. Although a very good Sunday lunch is served at the hotel, we plumped for the White Hart in town that offers an excellent value carvery at 8.95. We lunched on roast beef with carrots, leeks, swede and cauliflower cheese as we listened to smooth live jazz and even had a dessert (cheesecake with clotted cream) for just another two pounds.

Back at the Natural Retreats at an historic site in Trewhiddle we appreciated the location that is perfect for exploring the local sites. The attention to detail here is impressive: along with kids crockery we were given a list of take aways that deliver as well as the details of the conveniently placed Asda. The directory also lists ten car-free days out in the area, which as well as the famed Eden Project (which is free for kids if you go by car) includes the Lost Gardens of Heligan.

www.naturalretreats.com

The Ickworth: A Remarkable Luxury Family Hotel

I set off from our East London home to the Ickworth Hotel in Suffolk with little idea of what was awaiting my toddler and me. I had a fairly good idea it was going to be something special: this hotel is part of the Luxury Family Hotels, which boasts a fairy tale castle and an English manor house among its properties.

We arrive at the East Wing of the National Trust property, feeling very special. It soon becomes clear that children are not tolerated here: they are welcomed with open arms. ‘We are hands on hoteliers here, Dave the manager tells me, ‘We don't sit behind our  desks.’

Dave shows us to our beautiful room which overlooks the 1,800 acres of National Trust parkland. My little boy lept on the extensive selection of DVDs available, and I was delighted to see that the bathroom, complete with armchair and sofa, was so huge that it could double as an office, while my toddler slept in the huge, comfortable bed.

There appears to be little compromise here. Couples get their fill of romance: a view of the sun setting over the rotunda, a huge glass of good wine in hand, with the prospect of a large bath tub to sink into. Yet, at the same time, kids get to enjoy nightly cinema showings, an Ofsted-registered crèche that only closes only Christmas day, as well as an onsite adventure playground and swimming pool. And who wouldn’t love free jelly at supper?

In the sunshine-filled conservatory, my boy and me met two discerning bankers with their baby over breakfast who proclaimed: ‘The Ickworth is much better than the Four Seasons’. They loved the food, comfortable lounges where little ones are welcome and that their one-year-old was allowed to take toys and books from the play area to their room. 

This last feature is a godsend to parents struggling to squeeze everything into their suitcases, but is just one example of how the Ickworth offers something special to families. The staff happily washed our clothes which had got muddy on our outings, I saw one of them make a date to clean the pool with a five year old and older guests with dogs happily hanging out with resident teenagers.

We made use of the Tesco Express just down the road to stock up with nappies and juice, but had just a couple of gripes: there’s no fridge, or child locks on the windows. 

We made a date to go swimming with a woman with three kids under five – the fact that she looked so relaxed, despite the youngest being just two months old was testament to the special atmosphere that prevails at this place. We took a lovely cycle ride through the grounds and, picnicking in a shelter near the lake, my son eagerly announced that he wanted to spend all his holidays here. With its pool room, cinema showings and Wii, I could easily see it easily entertaining him for the next ten years.

The website reads: ‘The East Wing at Ickworth in Suffolk was home to the Hervey family for almost 200 years. It has now been transformed into one of the most remarkable luxury family-friendly hotels the UK has ever seen’. My boy and me would have to agree.

www.ickworthhotel.co.uk

www.luxuryfamilyhotels.co.uk

Mr Buckley’s

www.mrbuckleys.com

Maybe it’s the name, maybe it’s the neighbourhood vibe that’s typical of an upscale Brooklyn eatery, but punters tend to assume Mr Buckley’s dishes up modern American cuisine.

The charming owner, Philip assures me he only went to the states for the first time a couple of weeks ago and that what he very deliberately set out to do was offer world food on small plates, tapas style. ‘I like food to be shared’, he tells me with real passion.

I settle down to a very fine Gin Fizz (the cocktails here are superb) and some sharing plates, all recommended to me by the smiling waitress. The popular lobster mac, blue cheese polenta with wild mushrooms and truffle oil and warm beetroot and kale salad were stand outs. Two weeks after my meal, I am still reminiscing about the superb combo of flavours.

In the restaurant, the lighting is low, the brickwork exposed and the clientele mostly young and local. I stroll in from the cold, hunting for a socket for my phone, expecting to leave it charging, dangling in the corridor, but Philip shows me a socket right next to my table and even offers me a charger. I am impressed: restauranteurs and bar owners take note – such a simple detail can make such a difference.

Philip was very hands on with the restaurant re-design, even hammering away at some of the word work. The toilets were so utilitarian in look that I waltzed right into the men’s, but I imagine these kind of details will be ironed out pretty quickly. It is easy to forget that Mr Buckley’s has only been open a couple of months. ‘The atmosphere in which my staff work is crucial’, he explains. His attention to detail in all aspects of the business has clearly paid off.

So, what’s with the name? It turns out that the original premises were a very popular East End drinking den. One day at the beginning of the last century, a pub landlord from across the road turned up to gate crash a ball with 200 people. On being refused entry, Mr Buckley simply set fire to the place.

‘Two weeks before I opened I didn’t know what to call the place’, confides Philip smiling, as he shows me a framed newspaper cutting about the Mr Buckley incident on the wall. That he should name his new venture after an arsonist somehow sums up the free spirited nature of the place: there will even be a flaming dessert on the menu named in honour of the man.

This lovely new restaurant sits on the highly unprepossessing Hackney Road. ‘Who wants to be in Shoreditch now?’ Philip, who set up Jaguar Shoes there in the early days, asks very reasonably. When I press Philip for recommendations of what to eat, he immediately answers: ‘Everything,’ ‘I like everything on this menu. It’s all good’. I have to agree.