14/01/2024
Sundays in nature 🍃
Some soothing shots from around Cowley today with D’Artagnan and hubby ❤️
A much needed moment of peace this week!
Great Expectations
- Home
- Great Expectations
‘Great Expectations’ is the home of several like-minded companies and people, with a shared visi
02/01/2024
A festive photo dump…
10 years with my beloved diary courtesy of Dad ❤️
A trip to No 42 Margate with Darts
My annual homemade gravadlax blinis
A beautiful cobweb & sunset
Sadly we had a family bereavement over the holidays, and such things always make you reflect.
Hope you all have a wonderful 2024 x
#2023 #2024
03/07/2023
Mousehole & Porthgwarra
Mousehole is always on our Cornish trip list - beautiful old streets, fab views, stunning houses, galleries, shops and amazing food.
wins for food I think - dogs are allowed in their courtyard garden which is dreamy. Service is friendly and speedy, and crab and chips is always on the order!
We also love and have stayed before - we visited for a glass of Riesling watching some live music before venturing into town.
And a new find, Porthgwarra - a stunning cove reached via a max level difficulty Cornish lane (only risk it if you can reverse around corners up hill 🤣) - and the rewards are a beautiful beach, little cafe and lots of walks - not dog friendly though (the beach) worth noting.
02/07/2023
I’ll take you to the Lobster (Shack) 🎶
Finally got a table on one of our visits! And quite the table it is…the whole world knows already but yes this is Cornish outpost complete with lovely lobster shack - and it was *chef’s kiss* delicious!
For every lobster bought, another is released into the sea 🌊
And look at that knickerbockerglory!
Worth a visit 🥂but bring the piggy bank 🤣
30/06/2023
Discovering the reimagining of
We were delighted to be invited to the preview of Cowley Manor’s next legendary story, written by the
Stunning interiors that are considered and eclectic (the Alice in Wonderland theme is evident throughout - Lewis Carroll did write it in the grounds after all!) and effortlessly cool food & beverage offerings are going to set this up to be a smash hit I think.
Having been part of Cowley’s history for more than a decade I am so excited for its future now with the Experimental team - we’ll be spending many weekends here to come!!
Thank you for having us and thank you for the fabulous food .hargreaves &
.0
05/05/2023
Dreaming of lunch on the Harrod’s rooftop today, under grey skies at home in the Cotswolds.
It was only last week we had the pleasure of the most delightful lunch at - when you step into the restaurant, it’s a cocoon of sweeping curves and mellow wood veneer, with glass blocks leading to the roof.
Once there, it’s hygge-chic, chygge perhaps? Or maybe hyggic?? Anyway - it’s delightful.
Aside from being delighted by the menu design which is so pretty you could frame it, and the rose being £50 a bottle (really thought it would be more!) the food was just amazing.
I had the Salmon Tataki, which came with grilled avo and the most sublime salad on fabulous lace-like China. Very generous portions (it was £34) and the milk bread, just insane - and the deep fried hassleback potatoes are NOT to be shared.
A sublime lunch, perfect before a show. Can’t wait to return!
01/05/2023
Celestial 🌟
What a magical weekend ✨after/during some stressful times, fabulous friends whisked us away to for a night and a show…more on that later, and the most spectacular lunch 🍣
But, back to - a charming bolthole across the street from the big H, part for and , it’s a five star gem with charming service and fabulous bar / restaurant - so so pretty!
Oh, and the hamper for the journey to town our friends prepared for us - eternally grateful xx
13/10/2022
A tale of two hotels…
Supper at - giving me Villa Cipriani vibes I HAD to go for the evening there after being introduced to it but a colleague. The pink walls, the view, the terrace…a dream. Well worth a visit when in San Diego (La Jolla specifically).
And then the Grand Dame of the Coronado island coast, - a majestic hotel with stunning Victorian interiors and plenty of lively seafront dining. Plus GORGEOUS holiday cottages on that stunning coast.
Two gems when in San Diego…
01/10/2022
First impressions from - first planned in 2020 we’re feeling very blessed to finally be here for an extended trip with lots of relaxing and some business too.
We’re staying in the ‘residence club’, perfect for extended stays with the apartments featuring kitchens and laundry facilities, plus dedicated pool area and concierge.
We’re often pulled by the sea and though we have La Jolla & San Francisco on our trip too, being in the vastness of the desert is very stilling too. Beautiful starry nights and long hot days.
Obviously we’ll be posting snaps of the Grand Canyon soon… for now enjoy some captures of the fabulous Four Seasons resort in Scottsdale, where every single person working here that we’ve met so far has been unfailingly fabulous.
04/07/2022
by night - we splashed out on their 7-course menu with wine last night, and it was quite the experience.
We sat with commanding sea views and watched as the restaurant transformed with nightfall into a glittering galaxy of stars - it get very special indeed - and check out the petit four selection box! Just gorgeous.
03/07/2022
So after some resistance (I’m not into large hotels really) I’ve given in (or rather my curiosity has got the better of me) and we’ve visited the new Savoy Palace hotel - we’re here for dinner tonight at - their 17th floor panoramic restaurant and rooftop - and we couldn’t resist a couple of cocktails at lunch to check it out.
The view is obviously stunning - and the mixture of furniture, the different levels, infinity pool and so on make it feel like a discovery around every corner. It’s hard to make something so large feel intimate and I must say, the rooftop definitely achieves that. Worth a visit - and maybe we’ll do an overnighter here next time ✨
01/07/2022
Happy 4th anniversary to us! I cannot believe this sushi platter that Executive Chef at the , .faudry has kindly made for us - menus change of course, but just after suggesting that we missed sushi from the pool menu to the incredible Martim (who oversaw our wedding) the next day we have this feast - THIS is 5 star service. We feel very special indeed ✨ (and full! - although we have our annual (Villa Cipriani) meal to look forward to tonight…the gauntlet has been thrown!)
30/06/2022
by nightfall - as I described it last night (a few wines in…) ‘it’s like being inside a jewellery box’.
The glittering orange streetlights, the mermaid-like colours of the pool at night and the drama of the mountains wreathed in clouds, all set against the quiet expanse of the Atlantic Ocean. Just breath taking - I’m usually a total-seclusion kind of person when it comes to holidays, but I’ve always found this city beguiling and enchanting. We’re so happy for to back and already can feel the stresses of the past two years melting away ✨
☀️
29/06/2022
Back, back, back again! After a 3 year hiatus (cheers Covid!) we’re back to where it all began - in Funchal, Madeira.
We first visited in 2014 and have been back annually ever since (Covid excepting) and were married here in 2018. Although they haven’t been unscathed by the staffing crisis the hospitality industry faces, we’ve still been greeted with open arms by the team, many of whom are more like friends now. I love travelling and discovering but sometimes it’s best to just ‘come home’.
And as it happens, we’re staying in the suite we first stayed in 8 years ago!
04/06/2022
Welcome to the Côte d’Azur 🌊
We can’t pretend that this trip hasn’t been a bit of a disaster - have lost our luggage and now have cancelled our flights home. Great.
We did however come to celebrate our friend’s wedding which at the magnificent Belle Rives hotel - and it was glorious! And we discovered some lovely restaurants and our hotel, a little boutique gem,
Thoughtful design, a beautiful pool and poolside, well priced food and drink (hard to find in Antibes!) friendly, compassionate service - washing outfits we had bought in a couple of hours to wear again later (because you know, no clothes!!) and much more.
01/04/2022
A welcome escape to the ✨
Laid back luxury, we escaped avec le pupper for a day of quaffing and snaffling, and managed to see just about all four seasons in one night!
A stunningly natural setting, peaceful with an alpine vibe, we tucked into delicious pizza, burrata, probably a bit too much gavi di gavi and that was all at lunch!
The pathway up to Hook from the Stables pictured looked gorgeous and dinner was fab - including a cod Kyiv raising money for Ukraine’s war efforts.
Delightful staff throughout - highly recommended for somewhere to retreat and recharge x
15/12/2021
A day at capturing the spirit of this fabulous hotel. A few BTS pics to enjoy - surely the breakfast of kings, tubs for days and oodles of space for a glorious stay isn’t the Surrey Hills. Proud of my super team for a great day pulling this together ✨
In pictures - the master suites at Barnett Hill, The Surrey Hills
22/11/2021
Always quite the show this time of year 🌅
![Obsessed with our new Pooky] chandelier 😍 our electricians I think are getting increasingly fed up with dimmers and wall...](https://img3.travelagents10.com/625/535/3040046346255353.jpg)
14/11/2021
Obsessed with our new Pooky] chandelier 😍 our electricians I think are getting increasingly fed up with dimmers and wall lights going everywhere I can slap them, but the heart wants what the heart wants.
When I was little, I used to love wandering around the lighting sections of department stores, and I’ve always been obsessed with how light can create moods, paint with light and shadow and create focal points in rooms, without using any floor space (obviously really).
In our snug, I love the Art Deco vibes against the reclaimed wood, heavy bespoke mustard velvet curtains and our vintage Chesterfields. Thoroughly dreamy! We’ve got quite a bit to do in the room now we’re coming back around to it again, having painted it 5 years ago now. Watch this space…
A few other items of interest in shot -
Mirror
Bolster cushions
Floor lamp
Lamp shades Pooky]
Fabrics all made to measure
06/11/2021
A very Grand evening at the for hubby’s birthday. A beautiful suite with some gorgeous touches - The Grand’s own gin ready and waiting for us, a beautiful cake for Mr G’s birthday, scrumptious amenities - and a HUGE bed. The husband was a little tipsy though ok retiring and slept mostly with a runner on him, rather than the lovely duvet 🤣
We had a private room booked bringing together his university friends, where they all studied together at Birmingham university. A rather good job of organising it if I do say so myself!
21/10/2021
Ok, ok, I know you all already know…but still… here’s - our FAVOURITE sushi joint. We dropped in last week for late afternoon baos, volcano rolls and of course the epic Ebi Stak.
Controversially I miss the old Kibou - when it was tiny, and felt like a secret - however, the new(ish) and much larger Kibou is uber gorgeous, slightly surreal and carries on serving up outstandingly good food (and cocktails too!) every time.
20/10/2021
This was a trip down memory lane today! In a day out (hunting down more Le Creuset pans, see stories 🤣) we passed through the lovely village of Froxfield, where my family (on my mother’s side) had a business site in years gone by - which I stopped in my tracks upon realising that it’s now an HEAVEN!!
Take a peruse of their stunning store, on the footprint of my grandfather’s old workshop. Surely that connection calls for a shopping spree?!
22/09/2021
Quite fancy cosying up here again at the lovely 🛋🤗
18/09/2021
A luxuriously layered suite at 😍
A new layer to the chocolate box selection of rooms at Great Fosters has been revealed - The Dower House. Seven new rooms including the Clarence suite pictured, are available now following an 18 month, multi million pound refurbishment.
Beautiful bespoke fabrics, signature Alexander Collection throws from the company, beautiful colours from and tiles from along with one off pieces, antiques and original features of the dower house bearing the patina of time.
30/08/2021
Port Isaac ❤️ captured yesterday in the glorious sunshine. A gorgeous harbour town with that unique briny scent that I hanker for, lots of little eateries and boutiques. Rather like Mousehole (I imagine that’s controversial!), with a sense of being unspoilt and authentic. Beautiful ⭐️
29/08/2021
What a gorgeous supper last night at the - they have the perfect spot to watch the sun set over the Atlantic on a clear day, and we were treated to this beauty last night. Sipping gorgeous local bubbles from we had a magic time - we’ve loved every meal here. Idyllic as this looks, it was moments before the dogs found an escape to the garden and bog, returning up to tummies in black sludge. Not compatible with my white trousers!!
28/08/2021
Crab sarnies and walks on the beach at yesterday 🦀 ☀️ a literally warm welcome to beautiful Cornwall ❤️
25/08/2021
A sneaky peek of the new suites at - with the grand unveiling of the fully refurbished Dower House imminent. Seven new rooms & suites in the centuries old Dower House. Each room is completely unique, following the eccentric floor plan of the original house, which has been painstakingly restored and augmented with stunning bespoke fabrics, bold furnishings and gorgeous bathrooms with fabulous fittings and vanities. Expect garden and rooftop views, secret terraces and much more. Coming soon the Great Fosters website for bookings - pictures are snippets of the largest of the seven suites, The Marlborough. Enjoy!
17/08/2021
Today’s mood…will August brighten up please?! For now I’m feeling positively autumnal working on AW campaigns. Love this snap taken by the Hubby at wallpaper ✅ cute radio ✅ gorgeous lamp ✅ gorgeous coffee ✅ the ever anticipated treat from the treat tin ✅- I’d love to be curled up here in bed again!
12/08/2021
The exterior of the was just as gorgeous as the interior. We loved the cladding on the former stables and the stunning planting surrounding the hotel. The lovely gardener chatted to us for a while about the planting choices as we’d like to recreate a few scenes at home (…one day…!). From the front terrace with the most gorgeous chunky patio furniture to the more private rear gardens and cutting flower and veg patch, it was like stepping to a quintessentially British postcard 🪴
Address
Website
Alerts
Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Great Expectations posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.
Contact The Business
Send a message to Great Expectations:
Videos
Gala at the Gorge
Shortcuts
- Address
- Alerts
- Contact The Business
- Videos
- Claim ownership or report listing
-
Want your business to be the top-listed Travel Agency?
Share
Expect Greater
Established in 2017, ‘Great Expectations’ is the home of several like-minded companies and people, with a shared vision for creating exceptional experiences & projects. With expertise in hospitality & travel, marketing & events, business consultancy, brand design & copy writing, our people can add value and flair to all scenarios. We also design pretty amazing weddings, events and parties, and finally we offer a full travel design service for luxury holidays (which our feed is usually dedicated to).
Download the Great Expectations e-brochure here: Great Expectations Services
Download the Elliott Wakefield Events e-brochure here: Elliott-Wakefield-Events-And-Weddings
For all enquiries, please mail [email protected]
