A WEEKEND AWAY | 5 THINGS THAT MADE IT SPECIAL

I'll always say, if I had to choose between traveling abroad or traveling Britain, I would always pick Britain. My boyfriend and I share the desire to explore the beautiful places that this place has to offer and, this time, it was Ilkley. If you don't already know, Ilkley is a small town located in West Yorkshire and is often recognised by people for being mentioned in the unofficial anthem of Yorkshire: 'On Ilkley Moor Baht 'at' (an old, somewhat bizarre, folk song sang in a true Yorkshire accent). Anyway, despite knowing quite my bit about the place after visiting, I too didn't have much knowledge of the place before I went and, in fact, hadn't really heard of the place. The reason that Ilkley fell into our hands this time is because we found, on AirBnB, a 'heated pod' called The Snoozy Owl to stay in. Seeming totally up our street, this 'Glamping' pod was booked and we headed on the nearly 2hr drive to our little holiday.

Here are the 5 Things that made this trip special:

1. Because the Pod didn't have TV or particularly strong WiFi, Jamie and I decided to take a little bit of a 'Digital Detox'. Now, I'm not claiming that we locked our phones in a safe for 3 days and started rearing plants, we just took time to indulge in activities that we might not usually do and put our phones down a bit more often. This included reading Magazines which we carefully chose and selected from the local Newsagents; listening to the local radio station, and playing games such as Connect 4 and Scrabble. I find this particularly special because, not only is this good for the brain, but I think it can be quite valuable bonding. But, what I valued the most, was not caring. I did intend to put around 20 Insta stories up everyday showing what we were doing, but for no apparent reason, I just didn't and I didn't care. I felt happy enjoying myself and keeping it to myself and that brought a great sense of serenity. Sometimes it's nice to see what's happening through your own eyes instead of through your phone screen.

2. Every time I visit a new place, my little fingers head over to the keyboard and get fishing out the best food and drink places to visit in the area. One that stood out for me since the day we booked this trip away was Toast House. This place is a little independent Coffee House located within the Town Centre which was a 10 minute walk from our Pod. We popped in here, mid-afternoon, for some Tea and Cake. I got a huge, but well desired, mug of tea with a Gluten Free Salted Caramel Brownie, while Jamie got a large, and hearty, Latte. I mean, I think it goes without saying that this was delicious. We sat at the window and watched the traffic go by, as well as people walking in and out of the famous Lishman's Of Ilkley shop. What struck me about this little cafe was how much it was buzzing. It was busy, I get that, but I think for me, it was more just about how this little place was buzzing. Everyone seemed so invested in their conversations together and we were all sitting lovely and cosy, well fed and watered, away from the cold rain outside. I couldn't recommend this place enough.

3. One of the benefits of putting our phones down was being able to look up more. When we were walking around Ilkley Town, not only did we notice quirky buildings and unique places - such as the Victorian Arcade which was a beautiful, elegant hidden surprise, and the Ilkley Cinema which was a little door tucked away in a building - but I also noticed how the place was surrounded by beautiful hills and rural scenery. Unfortunately, the weather on our trip was stormy a lot of the time and we didn't get chance to go on the long walks around The Moor to see viewpoints and points of interest that we intended to visit, but we now know that there are things for us to come back for and at least I got a glimpse of what the area had to offer.

4. I have to say, the traditional aspects of this town really warmed my heart. This includes things like the old Tudor buildings with their white and black design dotted around the streets and impeccably preserved; the village vibes; the hum of that Yorkshire accent through the area; the historic buildings such as the Victorian arcade; the cute, independent bookshop that I could've walked around for hours and, of course, the Betty's Tea Room which was decorated up to the nines with everything Autumn. While the Betty's, as ever, was super busy, with a queue to sit down even for a cuppa, it was lovely to look through the window at the charming and intricate display that was going on. There's something about walking past a Betty's that makes you think: 'Yep, I'm definitely in Yorkshire', and I love that.

5. Last of all, the Pod played a big part in making this trip away special and unique. The lovely host left so many lovely little touches for us to enjoy. This included, homemade jam and marmalade which tasted incredible; a fully equipped kitchen, perfect for when we cooked our Spag Bol; a selection of leaflets and books giving information about things to do in Ilkley and jars full of sweets and biscuits for snacking. We were kept lovely and toasty while we watched the rain beat down outside. Everything from indulgent memory foam pillows, adorable reupholstered chairs, owl decor, and a lovely vintage radio - this little hideaway, situated in a lovely little town, was packed full with everything you would need for the cosiest, most relaxing holiday. I can't wait to visit again, and I am so grateful to the host for having us.

Have you visited West Yorkshire before?

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