LYBS: My hometown (part two) - Mansfield In My Eyes

Hello again! 
This is part two of my link up with Let Your Blog Shine. If you didn't see part one on Monday, you can read it by clicking here. Today I am going to give you a bit of a tour of my home town in my own eyes. Mansfield doesn't have the best reputation but there are some lovely places to go and as with most towns, there are some really good spots and some really awful spots. It happens EVERYWHERE! From the many good places, I have picked out my favourite few. Here they are... Enjoy!
 
Days out.
Berry Hill Park


View of the field and pond (photo taken on 25.04.15)





My Grandparents (Dads mum and Dad) used to live very near to this lovely park and Athletics track. One of my fondest memories of going to the park as a child was with Grandma and Grandad. I had just learnt to ride my bike and we went from their house to the park. I remember Grandad telling me a story about communication towers (there's one just after you enter the park). He said that when he used to work on restoring wireless signals, he used to think they were great big climbing frames. He always had a story to tell and he always had three very interested grandchildren to listen. We always used to get warm sweets from his pocket too... he never went to the park (or anywhere for that matter) without sweets and they always stuck to the wrapper so we had to suck them until the paper went all mushy and soggy! – He was a big kid at heart really even though he always seemed ‘old’. He’d laugh at me saying that now!

As an adult I go there for picnics. It’s changed from what it was when I was little and it doesn’t quite feel the same but it’s a nice place to go and Dan and I have often grabbed a sandwich (usually from Tom, Dick and Harriets) and headed there for a change of scenery.

Rufford Country Park

The lake at Rufford Country Park.

 

I might as well keep on the theme of Parks and outings with family. Although it is not actually in my home town, it is a very short drive away from my actual home.  Rufford Country Park is somewhere else that has happy memories of family time. I have even taken friends there who aren’t from the area for trips out on sunny days. It has a sculpture park and gorgeous gardens along with historic buildings, great park land, craft/gift shops and delicious food and drink from the cafe. There’s a lake too and many, many hours were spent as a child throwing food for the ducks and running away from the geese. My favourite spot at Rufford is the ford (or what is locally known as ‘the water splash’).  The fenced area is so close to the road that you get to see the water splash over the cars and it’s almost like a game for everyone involved. On a sunny day people can be 6/7 rows deep just waiting for a car (or even better, a van) to go through just a bit faster than the rest so that the water splashes really high! There’s a bridge right opposite and if cars go through at any speed anyone brave enough to walk on the bridge gets wet! I’ve done that walk once and got drenched! It was so fun!

The Sculpture trail.

Since I’ve finished university and moved back home I have taken friends there. Hannah was the first of my uni friends to take a trip with me. Unfortunately we don’t have any photos to hand of that trip. Serena has also been (and while we were there, I phoned Hannah so she is technically in one of the photos). I’ve added a couple of photos but please take note that these photos are a few years old now!

Rufford Park will always have a special place in my heart. It’s where I have the best memories of my paternal grandparents. On the evening that my Grandma died Dan (then my boyfriend) drove me to Rufford because he knew the sentimentality of the place. I took a flower and threw it into the ford and watched it float under the bridge... That night there was a wedding reception being held there... it was almost like the circle of life in a way with the marriage marking the birth of a new life as husband and wife and me being there throwing flowers marking the end of a fabulous long life that my grandma lived. She had been with my Grandad since the age of 12/13 and Grandad died 10 years before she did so she was finally re-united with her soul mate! It made me want to get married there one day (when Dan and I enquired for our big day, they couldn’t cater for all of our guests). Maybe one day we can renew our vows there instead and have a smaller ‘do’!

 Shopping

Possibly my favourite past time and I’ve loved shopping since being a child. Well, I say that I love shopping but my love changes from time to time. I have affairs with different categories. Clothes, makeup, jewellery, specific items, household furnishings but NEVER grocery shopping! I have tried to love it but it still remains a chore! It’s getting slightly easier with the fact my little cousin has a summer job on the checkout! Anyway, my current favourite shops in town are (in no order).

• TKMaxx
• Boots
• Superdrug
• Next (clothing and home)
• New Look
• Haags jewellers – my engagement ring came from there and I LOVE the jewellery Richard stocks and has made.
• Pandora
• Martin Wilkinson Jewellers (hello Vivienne Westwood jewellery :D)

Dining

Eating out – We don’t tend to eat out in Mansfield too much because we opt for going into Nottingham or Chesterfield depending on what we are doing. However, there are some lovely places to go in Mansfield. Brown’s Bar is somewhere I really like. I went there with my mum, sister, brothers partner and my mother-in-law the afternoon before I got married. We had afternoon tea which was delicious and then more recently I was surprised with a champagne *spritzer for me* breakfast there organised by two of my uni friends for my 30^th birthday!



My birthday at Browns



 

I’ve heard so many good stories about Il Roso and The Red but I’ve not been for a long, long time so maybe they would be options for date nights (yep, we still have date nights even though we’re married).

 

My ultimate favourite place

As cheesey as this may sound I have got to say that I have two favourite places in Mansfield... My childhood home is one of the places that I have to say is my favourites. I have so many happy memories there and they continue to grow as my parents are still there and although the house has changed a little bit and we have grown up and flown that nest, it will always have an essence of home. (As well as a LOT of my belongings still being in the loft – eeeeek – I WILL clear it out!!!). And last but by no means least my favourite place is right here, at the place I now call home! The place that two old practical strangers from school became friends and fell in love then merged his love of Arsenal, bikes, cars, gaming, lego and batman with her love of music, dance, theatre and flowers, make up,  clothes and monkeys. It might not be everyones ‘cup of tea’ but it’s where we call home! It doesn’t really matter that we’re not in what is perceived as being ‘the best’ town in the world, or even in the country but what I have here is good enough for me and really, what is “perfect”?

I hope you've liked your little Hannah-made tour of Mansfield. I'd like to hear about your hometown too! If you've written a blog about it, pop a link in the comment and I will go and have a read. 

Tell me your top three things to do/places to visit in your hometown in the comments!

 

Love and hugs.