Ma and spa
Holidays UK
B&B at the Country Living St George Hotel from £129. For visits during the Safari Show there is a deal for 15% off. See
I was in my element, and when handed a menu I plumped for the lamb and aubergine pizza with halloumi fries. Strictly to mop up the Pineapple Tini, you understand.
The service was excellent and we got some hints as to where we should head next.
And so to Mojo, where we enjoyed a couple of drinks and complimentary chilli popcorn, before strolling back to the hotel, buoyed by the lure of that comfy bed. mojobar.co.uk/harrogate
After a restorative night’s sleep and a lie-in (worth the trip for that alone), breakfast at the St George was tasty and relaxed, with homemade jams from Masham in the Yorkshire Dales.
I had the full English, perfect for a slightly sore head. It was a beautiful sunny day, so we walked to Harrogate’s famous Valley Gardens, home to 36 of those wells, and Bog’s Field, described as “a wonder of the natural world where a greater number of mineral springs come to the surface than at any other Kathryn and Gemma indulge at Bettys, the original Art Deco café in Harrogate
known place on Earth”. Water from these wells led to the town’s emergence as Britain’s premier health resort for travellers in the 1900s. harrogate.gov.uk
Of course, no trip to Harrogate is complete without visiting the original Art Deco café Bettys, where we rewarded ourselves with a Lady Betty Afternoon Tea in the Imperial Room.
A pianist tickled the ivories as we devoured savoury and sweet treats, including cocktails in a dinky little glass, and my favourite, a rose scone with jam and clotted cream. bettys.co.uk
After a meander through the Montpellier Quarter and the antiques market, we went to the Royal Pump Room Museum, built in 1842. Guests would visit to drink its sulphur water as the “Harrogate cure”, to alleviate gout and lumbago. montpellierharrogate.com
Dinner at the hotel was a sumptuous feast – I chose a light and crisp crab salad to go with a Sauvignon Blanc, and then melt-in-the-mouth lamb with mustard mash and seasonal greens.
I left on the Monday feeling relaxed and refreshed for, ooh, about an hour after I got back to the chaos at home – but it was totally worth it.