These events took place earlier in the summer, at the start of July to be precise when Yorkshire and Derbyshire hosted the first stages of the Tour De France. It’s really taken us this long to get these images onto the blog but we didn’t want to miss it as an event on here. We also celebrated a certain Nanni’s birthday and so the two went hand in hand.

It was a pretty exciting event to go and support as we found our spot on a grassy bank after the Holme Moss ascent. We didn’t take the bikes instead opting for Frank and his push chair so we could all go and witness this one off sporting spectacular. The shuttle buses from Hadfield train station ran smoothly and the entire thing was much easier to access than we had anticipated, especially with a 7 month old baby to bring along.

As the build up escalated we waited in anticipation of the incoming cyclists who were preceded with an entourage of sponsor-themed caravans some of which were really funny, others less imaginative but all of which managed to add to the ever-energetic atmosphere of supporters.

They did come through in a flash but it was a really awesome sight and we enjoyed our sunny, windy day up on the banks along with the thousands of other people who were there sharing this amazing event. On the way back to the shuttle buses we were greeted with even more thousands of cyclists who had traveled far and wide on their bikes to be a part of it all.

The next day we had a bit of a more leisurely visit to Chatsworth House where we celebrated Barbara’s birthday with a tour around the house itself, a spot of afternoon tea in the Cavendish Restaurant and a lovely walk around the gardens. We are seriously considering National Trust membership for next years outings having already visited 3 grounds close by to us, it only makes sense. They are family friendly places to visit, which right now is very appealing.

Chatsworth is stunning, the house itself is very regal and home to one of Europe’s most significant art collections. From old Masters through to contemporary sculpture we were delighted by the contrast of old and new within rooms that have been fantastically maintained and restored to the rich history of the Devonshire family. Frank seemed to enjoy it all too, perhaps even more so the cream cheese and cucumber sandwiches which were served as part of our afternoon tea.

At the time of our visit there was a major display of contemporary sculpture in the gardens by Micheal Craig-Martin, a giant wheelbarrow, fork and stiletto shoe to name a few. It’s always refreshing to have such a juxtaposition of nature, regality and the contemporary sublime coming together.

We’d really recommend Chatsworth as a family-friendly day out, its the most beautiful of all of our national trust visits so far this year. Although the ticket into the house is expensive it’s worth doing at least once in your lifetime if you get the chance to visit. The gardens are always lovely and the afternoon tea a nice way to complete Barbara’s birthday. We paid £21.50 per head for the Traditional Afternoon Tea including a glass of home-brewed Rose wine, which was delicious. I think we’ll come again!

(Leica M9, Summicron-M 50mm f2.0)