Please help - 40th birthday inlaws nightmare . . . worcestershire? gloucestershire? herefordshire?

[ahundredtimes]

So one night dh said 'I'd be upset if our dcs didn't want to spend any of their 40th birthday with us. We should do something with my parents etc."

And instead of saying, 'Go on then' (note to self) instead I have asked his parents, brothers, their wives, various children to meet us for lunch on Sunday. THIS Sunday.

The area we agreed on was sort of welsh borders/ gloucestershire/ worcestershire.

OH FGS. They keep emailing me. I'm chasing my tail. Does anyone know good pub for excellent food and then place of local interest in that area. Please?

Not my area, but given it's THIS Sunday ,try this www.goodguides.co.uk/pubs/searchresults.asp?param=region_id&region_id=12&Town=&searchmode=exact&star s=&awards=food&go.x=42&go.y=4

We go here for our MN meetups (just off junction 7 of M5)-lovely food but gets very busy so chances are they will be booked up.

Got to go and pick up DD now but will have a think and come back if I come up with anything

Oh god thank you so much.

I am panicking on google and looking at horrible pubs and wondering why I thought this was a good idea. I am also weirdly close to tears. I hate this kind of responsibility.

Am going to work my way through the list Huw.

When you say 'this Sunday' do you mean TOMORROW??? [appalled and sympathetic emoticon]

Am rubbish at good pubs but Powis Castle (between Shrewsbury and Welshpool) is beautiful to visit. I've heard good things about Eastnor Castle (Ledbury, nr Junc 2 of M50) and the area is just crawling with NT properties - try Coughton Court (but a bit far east? out towards Stratford.) Warwick Castle makes a v good day out and they have places to eat on site. Witley Court (south of Stourport) good for a wander round and has eating pub nearby...

Will keep thinking!

Three Choirs vineyard just outside Newent here

Saracens Head in Symonds Yat here

Feathers Hotel Ledbury here then on to Eastnor Castle - oh shit is shut until next easter . What about here and you can always eat there as well or the slip tavern in Much Marcle - can't find a website sorreee

Oh I love you ALL.

Oh no not tomorrow - next Sunday. If it were tomorrow I'd have taken to my bed I think.

The Crown and Sandys in Ombersley is fantastic. I'll try and see if they've got a website.

It's North of Worcester (about 20 minutes north).

The one that BettySpagetti suggested is excellent too.

Crown and Sandys

Goodrich castle is near Symonds Yat & open till the end of October.

That's just made me think Rustybear.

Is there a restaurant at the Arboretum at Westonbirt? The trees will be spectacular at the moment. Great for an after lunch walk.

Might not be posh enough, but worth a look

Look on the "planning your visit" page.

You are all stars.

I have rung the pub in Symonds Yat - is it nice? Yes? - because then the Goodrich Castle thing is fantastic. The day is planned.

I want to go to Crown and Sandys, but places with tablecloths make my MIL purse her lips. She doesn't like eating out. Whenever I suggest it she sort of narrows her eyes at me.

Westonbirt Arb does have a cafe - but is very much a cafe, rather than a place for hearty 40th lunch, if you see my meaning.

Thank you SO MUCH.

Also you need to know this is just the start of the 40th celebrations, there will be more threads, there will be more tears etc.

THANK YOU. I love MN.

Have a lovely time.

Do you live in the Worcestershire/Gloucestershire area? There's a Worcestershire Meet-up sometime soon.

No I live in Bath, his parents live in Coventry and some of his brothers are on holiday in Wales, so I though it'd be a good sort of half-way place.

I hope anyway.

Wish me luck.

Just popped back between picking up DD and having dinner to see how you were doing -looks as if you've got it sorted, well done!

Boogalooblue -the places you mentioned are very near my old stomping ground! Do you live round there or were you from there originally?

Once you've decided on somewhere to eat, you could do worse than enter the postcode of the place in IdeasForTheKids to find places that could be fun to go to for the whole crowd...or for a few of you if you need to jettison some on the way...

Good luck!

I may have spent a few years in Ledbury in my time, where were you?

er.....Ledbury.

When were you there?

Betty, over 10 years ago but under 16, what about you?

I left there late 80's to go to college.

Came back that way (ish) 5 years ago.

Your post was really strange as amongst the places you listed:
-I worked in one whilst at 6th form
-I regularly went another one with my parents
-I live a few miles down the road from another one

Did you go to school around there?

Nope, moved in with my then boyfriend in early 90s, spent many evenings drinking down rugby club so may know some of your contemporaries??

moved out in mid 90s and revisit at least once a year

So what way was it??
Working for David in the Feathers

Visting Saracens Head

Live near Westons??

You probably do know some of them!

I went to a reunion at the rugby club earlier this year (school one, we all hit 40 this year)

How strange -its the first time I've really come across someone on here who "overlaps" with my RL.

What do you do and where do you go when you visit these days?

Ahh same age as well, well i hit 40 next year, there was some do on at LRFC in August that we couldn't make - shame , had a very love/hate relationship with the place.

Normally end up going to Feathers, sometimes Talbot and seem to recall last time ate at the Malthouse in Church Street.

We used to spend a lot of money at Farmers in Wellington Heath and the Olive tree.

So was I right at the connections??