A Night At The Mollycroft

A few weeks ago, we spent a night away in an ornate showman's travelling van on the edge of the North York Moors. It's hard to believe after the bonkers hail, sleet and snow of last week that we were sitting outside drinking our morning cups of tea, basking in the sun. 

We were working with Canopy and Stars. They have some truly amazing glamping locations to stay in and explore. This shoot brought us to The Mollycroft. It's a restored 1940s showman's living van that used to be owned by the White family who toured around the fairgrounds in the Glasgow area. 

It's so thoughtfully restored. The gorgeous wooden furniture and panelling in the lounge area, colourful and interesting ornaments, and homemade sloe gin laid out Alice in Wonderland drink me style!

I love building fires, and made one outside and inside. It was perfect just sitting and reading whilst the logs were glowing in the burner.  

As well as restoring showman's vans, the owner of the site is passionate about bamboo, and has planted many species in the garden that surrounds The Mollycroft.

We just missed the 15,000 starlings that were making the bamboo garden their home. One day I will see a murmuration! But they did leave traces of their visit - one of the guys was busy jet washing the bamboo. In the low sun, the droplets were catching the light and it was really beautiful.

The light was magical..

The next morning, I listened to the world wake up from inside The Mollycroft. The whispers of the bamboo, the first songs of the dawn chorus, the crows nesting in the tall trees. My hair smelt of wood-smoke, I always find this comforting. I lit the fire and took a cup of tea outside. My breath hung on the air and mixed with the steam rising from my tea. I felt myself winding down, it's the perfect spot for this. 

After breakfast (freshly laid eggs), we had a walk into the woods. The coppiced trees provide the logs for The Mollycroft fires. They make their own charcoal too.

Then all too soon it was time to leave. It's a perfect bolthole to have a little space for thinking, reading, walking. Cosy corners and campfires surrounded by beautiful bamboo. I know we'll be back - and next time I'll brave the outdoor shower!

If you would like a bit more info, or to book TheMollycroft, you can find it on the Canopy and Stars page here. 

Copper Beech Glade

The deluge of Christmas adverts are long gone and have made way for a glut of holiday ads, enticing us to sunnier climes.  We haven't been abroad for a while, choosing to discover our beautiful island the last few breaks we've had.

We work with a variety of commercial clients, and one of these is the fab Canopy & Stars.  They're the glamping side to Sawday's and have an amazing array of places to stay and have an adventure.  You can see one of the previous locations we documented here.  So we had a clue what we had in store, but nothing could have prepared us for the walk, where you first lay eyes on Copper Beech Glade.  A colourful oasis nestled amongst the trees.  Ornate gypsy caravans, festoon lighting, and the central point of the site - the campfire!  We made the most of this feature, cooking our breakfasts and dinners on it.  It might just be me, but I find the smell of wood smoke in my hair and on my clothes very comforting!

The welcome basket from Julie & William Wilberforce who run the site ( a direct descendant of the William Wilberforce), was packed full of gorgeous local produce.  All the little touches were very thoughtful.  Although it was late last year, we were blessed with the most beautiful weather, and the sunlight crept through the trees, illuminating the leaves.  There's a cabin to chill out in too, a fab hot shower room, a preparation area, and a compost loo with a view so you can watch all the nuthatches, rabbits and squirrels!  The lawn also doubles up as a badminton court and croquet pitch.

It's close to Harrogate & Ripon if you wanted to go & explore.  We got as far as the local pub after our campfire dinner.  If you're planning a Yorkshire adventure, you might just want to check out the sanctuary that is Copper Beech Glade.  We'll be back!