We drove to Gloucestershire for a family gathering. It is always a bit of a challenge to coordinate things so that all the cousins can get together with term dates and other commitments so it was great to all have a good catch up. This is a truly beautiful part of England and after a delicious bowl of home-made soup we dashed off to Tetbury which is a picturesque Cotswold village full of lovely antique shops. It is also where Prince Charles has an elegant shop for the Highgrove Estate which is heaving with tasteful gifts. Tetbury has numerous furniture shops with interior accessories and lighting on a grand scale it is such a pleasure to browse and difficult to resist!

The weather was turning from a glorious sunny morning into a damp and rainy evening so we took shelter for a pre dinner drink at the newly renovated Painswick Hotel. Wonderful decoration sympathetic to the historical stone building with a contemporary feel and open fires and we were warmly welcomed for a drink in the bar. I would love to return here and also dine in the restaurant which was very inviting.

A great family supper in the dining room at home with a roaring log fire followed by ridiculous family games and lots of laughter and a very late night. As a result we had a slow start this morning and sauntered into Cirencester before we all descended on another newly acquired restaurant in Ewen called The Wild Duck. This was really fantastic. It has been recently taken over by The Lucky Onion and we have been to some of their other establishments all of which I love. The interiors are stylish, imaginative and totally original. Great use of colours, textiles and always with unique artefacts and lighting. So far at the Wild Duck only the kitchen and bathrooms have been rennovated so I am so looking forward to seeing it when it has all been transformed. The food however was delicious I had a Ham Hock and Chicken Pie which was the envy of both my daughters who had equally delicious Bar Steak and a Lobster Risotto. I must also not forget to mention the Award Winning Bloody Mary! The Wild Duck is the winner of the Cotswolds Bloody Mary competition and they were outstanding. I would highly recommend a visit if you are in the area but do book and check that they are still open as they are about to close for refurbishment. Have a look at The Lucky Onion. All their establishments well worth a visit.

After a very extended lunch we headed back to London but I am already looking forward to returning it is always a great inspiration to visit the Cotswolds.