Spring Madness

So much has happened this Spring that I haven't had time to properly blog. I'm hoping to start dedicating more time to blogging at the end of the month once my life settles back down again.

So the biggest news is that I have officially moved to Northern Ireland! I have a part time job working for Her Majesty's Passport Office and I'm settling in well. Jonathan and I are enjoying living together and spending much more time with eachother. We're enjoying having a tasty home cooked vegan dinner together in the evenings and cuddling up with the duvet on the sofa and a film.

Here's some posts from my instagram over the last few weeks..

• We constructed our first Ikea bed! Jonathan was obviously pretty happy about this...
• The new member of the family! Meet Reginald, known as Reggie to his friends. He's a little albino gerbil I felt sorry for after all his brothers were sold in my local pets at home. This little guy was on his own for months but thanks to a friend who works there who had an old gerbilarium cage she was able to give me the little furry face has a new home! I'll be bringing my two girls, Florence and Clio, over in two weeks, though they'll be in separate cages as I'm not prepared for baby gerbils! I can't wait to have our little family all together including Jonathan's two bearded dragons Moz and Marr. 
• Jonathan turned 24 last month so we decided to spend the day at one of the local National Trust properties, Castle Ward. It's a stunning location and it was such a beautiful afternoon that we tromped around the grounds and left the actual house for another time (there's a big secondhand book and record event in the autumn we're interested in). 
• I've been training for my first 5km which is this Sunday!! The event is Race for Life and raises money for Cancer Research UK, if anyone wants to sponsor me please go to my justgiving page. Thankyou! :) Jonathan and I are hoping to find a 10km event in the autumn and are aiming to run the Bath half marathon next year, fingers crossed!
• We had some gorgeous weather recently so here's Jonathan at Victoria Squares viewing platform in Belfast. 
• Leaving for work face.
• Lorde inspired make up.
• At the end of March I went to Birmingham to see Interpol with my good friend, Davy. It was a fun night with a tasty meal at Las Igaunas followed by a band I've wanted to see since I was 14! 
• Jonathan's been so supportive recently with all the changes in my life, I'd be lost without him. He's a very special dinosaur! 
• One of Jonathan's birthday presents from me... a HUGE canvas map of Middle Earth. I wanted it to go above the fireplace but it seems I may have ordered a tad too big! Still it's a great piece for our living room.
• I went to my first Magic the Gathering prerelease event for the new set, Journey Into Nyx. I chose white as my main deck is a green/white midgame deck. I ended up doing really well coming 7th out of 24 and even beating Jonathan! I've met some really ace people down at the club where we play and Friday Night Magic is part of our weekly social life.

Phew! We're heading back to England this weekend for my 5km, dental surgery (boo!) and my 24th birthday so I'll probably still be a little absent until we're back. I have lots of things planned. I hope you're all having a wonderful Spring and thankyou for your patience. 

Love always,
Amy xx

Northern Ireland Adventures : Mount Stewart House

Hey, sorry for the lack of posts been busy back in Northern Ireland with Jonathan having more adventures. One of the places we visited was the National Trust run Mount Stewart House and Gardens just outside Newtownards. 

Hidden behind the tree line as you drive alongside Strangford Loch is the beautiful 18th century house and gardens owned by the Vane-Tempest-Stewart family, Marquesses of Londonderry. The house is now run by the National Trust for six months of the year and is still occupied by the family for the other six. The family were important in past politics between Great Britain and Ireland which are reflected in the vast collection inside the house. 

The exterior of the house, wish I could transport myself back to it's creation and see the everyday runnings of the property.  

The History

Mount Stewart, originally called Mount Pleasant,  was formed by the Stewart family in 1816. The estate itself was bought with money from the late Alexander Stewart (1699-1781) which came from the sales of textiles. Alexander's son, Robert Stewart, became the first Marquess of Londonderry and after his death in 1821 the property was left to his son, Robert Castlereagh, who became Britain's Foreign Secretary. The next owner of the house, Lord Castlereagh's half-brother Charles. Charles married twice and it was his second marriage to Lady Frances Ann Vane-Tempest that was vital to the families finances. She was a wealthy heiress and this promoted the refurbishment and enlargement of the newly renamed Mount Stewart. Controversially, £150,000 was spent on this refurbishment and yet only £30 was given by the family for famine relief during the Great Famine. 

The next 3 Marquess's of Londonderry did not live in the house and during the next several decades the house was neglected and came close to destroying the house.When the 7th Marquess, Charles, a Unionist, and his wife, Edith Chaplin came to inherit the house they bought with them a new lease of life. Edith's ancestral home was Dunrobin Castle in Scotland and this is where inspiration for the gardens came from. She is the one who redesigned and redecorated much of the interior that can be seen today. 

In 1957 the National Trust took over the gardens and in 1977 the Lady Mairi Bury, daughter of the 7th Marquess, gave the house and most the contents to the Trust. Lady Bury died in 2009 and was the last member to live in the house. The present estate is 98 acres and is fully run by the National Trust who are currently doing conservation and restoration work within the house. 

The beautiful lake which forms most of the grounds, one day I want to try and visit during the Autumn because those trees are going to be stunning!

Now: 

We visited on a Sunday, which seems a great day to visit as the Wildlife Hut was also open and we got to learn more about the local wildlife who live around Stangford Loch and the Mount Stewart property. The best part was a pair of binoculars that were set up to spy on a group of fur seals resting in the middle of the rocks. I've never seen them in the wild before so this was a real treat for the animal lover in me. It was busy, but not crowded and we easily got on the house tour without booking. Sadly half the house is currently closed as it's all being refurbished and renovated but it was still a treat getting a glimpse into the families life. The study was a dream come true with all the beautiful hardback books and open fireplace and just so beautiful!

The gardens are equally beautiful, walking around the grounds takes less than an hour and I suggest comfortable shoes to walk in as the path is rural. The lake is stunning and even with several families around it was so quiet. I would have loved to have sat under a tree with one of my books and just relaxed. This is also one of the best places to spot the endangered red squirrel! We weren't lucky enough to glimpse any but I'm glad that they have little haven's like this and I know the National Trust will work hard at keeping their population stable. Walking around the more structured gardens for some reason made me feel like Mary Lennox, star of Frances Hodgson Burnett's 'The Secret Garden'. I felt like each garden was leading into a new special place and I could imagine members of the family walking through past the beautiful flowers during the summer. Sadly, the Spanish garden was closed as it's being used as part of the set for the upcoming Dracula film but we're planning to visit again in a few years time to see the house so I'm sure we'll be able to enjoy it then. 

Jonathan caught in one of the stunning gardens. 

We had a beautiful afternoon and as usual the National Trust run a beautiful property to a high standard for all to enjoy. I really need to get myself National Trust membership soon though as paying £8 each place can get a little exhausting on the wallet!