Bank holidays weekends tend to fall into two distinct camps. Wet, cold and dreary – or, if you’re really lucky – they’re a blissful three days of sunny light-heartedness.
Last weekend we lucked out as East Anglia pulled out all the stops to give us a sunny, warm start to May. We’ve eaten delicious food, felt the warm sun on our faces and relaxed in each other’s company.
Ely’s at it’s best when the sun’s shining. On Saturday it was the annual Ely Eel Festival. Sounds a bit weird, but it’s really just a celebration of all things Ely (and it’s namesake, the eel). There’s a procession down through the streets with a giant eel puppet, followed by a big gathering in the Jubilee gardens by the river – with food, drink, morris dancers, medieval knights and some eels in a tank. In other words, everything you’d expect on a May bank holiday (except possibly a may pole).
We ate some smoked eel by the river. Which, if you’re wondering, tastes very much like smoked mackerel.
Tom tried his hand at archery…
And both boys proved you’re never too old for a vintage, hand-operated roundabout…
On Sunday, the weather was glorious again. We headed over to Norwich to visit family and spent a day in Eaton Park. As you’d expect for a fine city, it’s a very fine park. We rode on the miniature railway, ate ice cream and even played crazy golf…
It all got quite competitive, so we followed our game with a walk over to the boating lake. It was a little boys’ dream, with a fleet of battleships visiting for the day.
On Monday we rounded the weekend off with a trip to the garden centre and a final bit of lovely food at the Ely Food Festival!
I hope you all had a great bank holiday weekend too!
Gemma says
Looks wonderful, I never tried the eel before and it looks nice, Have a great week. Gemma x
marmaladepie says
Thanks Gemma! I’m not sure I’d have liked it so much if it wasn’t smoked – that helped to disguise any muddy flavour!
Fionnuala says
Sounds idyllic Lizzie.
marmaladepie says
Thank you – it really was!
Lins @Boo & Maddie says
Bank Holiday weekends are the best aren’t they? I think no matter what we’re so good in the UK at being properly stoic in the face of adverse weather so it’s wonderful to get a lovely weekend. Looks like you had a lot of fun X
Rachel @ The Ordinary Lovely says
That’s just the perfect weekend (bar the eels). The seem to pass by so quickly though, don’t they? I’m thinking back to what we did and I can’t even remember. It could be my old age creeping up on me, though 😉 x
marmaladepie says
The eel was nice really, I promise! But then I am a Fen dweller. x