My parents arrived on Tuesday and it’s been great having them to stay. We’ve been out and about most of the time. Our schedule has looked something like this:

Tuesday: Parents arrive and decide they don’t want to sleep. Do bits and bobs and go to Farm Shop for lunch

Wednesday: Go into Manchester and just do a ‘walk around’. Pop into Ryder Museum Library (not sure of the real name), think it is great, but run out of time and decide to go back later

Thursday: I go to work. Parents go into Altrincham and become intrigued by all our charity shops and the bargains to be had in some of them!

Friday: I drive my parents to Thirsk, Yorkshire, to visit their friend John and Sarah Haig. Lovely people, lovely day, lovely lunch!

Saturday: Late start, fluff around in Hale, come home for late roast chicken dinner. Late afternoon Belgium Bar (Le Trappiste) for a few beers and then off to our local theatre to watch Charlie’s Aunt, which was brilliant!

I don’t know whether you’re able to see the beer menu above, but at Le Trappiste, you’re presented with (and I am guessing) about 50 different types of beer. My favourite is the Liefmans Kriek – a cherry flavoured fruit beer, which actually doesn’t taste like beer at all! But drink too many of them and you’ll really know about it! Although they are rather expensive, it all evens out, because you certainly can’t drink too many of them.

– They have table service, you have to order and drink seated, which means it never gets over-crowded. But that also means you have to book before you go along on weekend nights.

Monday: Bank holiday. If weather permits, go to car boot sale in Chelford (near Knutsford)

Only problem with the visit so far is that we’re eating and drinking so well, the scales told me to slow down this morning! So I think a few meals of steamed fish and veggies are in the pipeline …