Turning Over a New Leaf at Happy Valley

“The heat of autumn is different from the heat of summer. One ripens the apples, the other turns them to cider”.

~ Jane Hirshfield


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The heavy heat of summer is giving way to a gentle breeze, pushing us onwards, towards cosier nights and the flicker of candlelight. There is comfort to be had when the feeling of sunlight on your skin, is then layered with the protective hug of a cashmere jumper or woollen shawl. It is as if Nature knows this is its swan song, its final chance to take flight and display its brilliance, for one last time.

Dancing like flames in the sky, the burnt oranges, and hues of yellow and brown offer up a firework display of leaves. The trees shake off their old coats and stretch out their branches to welcome a new season and with it, new adventures.

At Happy Valley, though the landscape changes, its beauty remains. Ripples in the lake and beads of sweat on your brow is being replaced with images of wellies splashing in puddles and fresh dew drops forming on blades of grass. Though darkness closes in, there is a sense of togetherness as we huddle for warmth and head towards the woods, to lose ourselves in the magic of an everchanging canvas of colour.

Your soul, as light as a feather, may be carried in the wind and with it, all your cares give way, to a beautiful, autumnal dream. The air crackles with anticipation, the leaves crunch underfoot, and conkers are ready for the taking. There is no feeling of sadness or loss, only the spirit of curiosity and yearning for a new journey into the unknown.

Here at Happy Valley, we invite you to come Autumn Glamping in the goldilocks of seasons - not too hot, not too cold but exactly right for some fun and creativity. With pencils sharpened, uninform pressed and blank exercise books waiting to be inked with inspiration, parents can escape for a term-time get away with individual glamping available during the week. Exclusive hire of the grounds, facilities, hot tubs, hay barn and all accommodation is available at the weekends, so you can capture the magic of this place with others or keep it all to yourself.  

Happy Valley cannot wait to celebrate the highlights of the Autumn season with you and raise a glass to friendships and fresh starts. Bottoms Up!

Happy Valley’s Twist on a Marylebone Halloween Marvel

  • 35ml Vanilla Flavoured Vodka

  • 12.5ml Pear Flavoured or Pumpkin Flavoured Liqueur

  • 10ml Pumpkin syrup

  • 25ml Pumpkin purée

  • Pinch of ground nutmeg and cinnamon

  • Top with Champagne (or prosecco, we won’t judge!)

  • 3 ice cubes

  • Slice of dried pear

With love,

Katy, Kirsty and the team at Happy Valley xx

Explore the different cabins in the woods for some North Norfolk Glamping this Autumn.

Happy Valley Bucket List Challenge

“In the end, it’s not
the years in your life that counts, it’s the life in your years”

-Abraham Lincoln

As the lockdown slowly starts to lift, our minds begin to race over all the things we dreamt of but never got round to doing. The pins placed into maps of countries that were never visited, the endless texts sent to friends vowing to catch up one day, the countless times a car has driven past a destination with the driver uttering a pledge to visit it, the overworked employee that puts off visiting relatives until things have calmed down at work. So many plans made and promises broken, but we are determined that things will be different from now on; turning moments into memories has become our new mantra and creating a bucket list, our latest mission.

For those running out of things to do at home, it is well worth watching the legendary Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman on your screen for the 2007 Hollywood tearjerker, The Bucket List. You will need tissues, plenty of chocolate and then a pen and paper to start making the most out of life. There’s a moment in the film when the main protagonist says to his friend “one day your life will flash before your eyes so make sure it’s worth watching”. If life were to play itself out on screen, there would undoubtedly be scenes we’d want to relive again and again and there will inevitably be those we’d rather skip. We can’t avoid mistakes, but we can reduce regrets and here at Happy Valley, we have a bucket list of ideas for you to complete while you stay with us:

  1. Watch the sun rise and set

  2. Take time to appreciate nature

  3. Try yoga or another type of relaxing therapy

  4. Spend time with people who make you happy

  5. Be hot and cold at the same time (a hot tub at night = cool head, warm heart)

  6. Read a book with the sound of birds in the background

  7. Switch off your phone

  8. Try a new sport (5 minutes down the road is tree climbing, zip lining, quad biking etc)

  9. Ride horses or build sandcastles on the beach

  10. Write a letter or postcard to someone special

  11. Paint a piece of art from the view around you

  12. Take a spontaneous road trip (we have several suggestions if you need ideas)

  13. Recreate camp (think melting marshmallows and mugs of hot chocolate)

  14. Have a slumber party - of no more than your government designated two households ;-)

  15. Gaze up at the stars

  16. Write a book, short story, diary or a poem

  17. Kiss in the rain (in your household couple of course), dance under the moon or run in the sun

  18. Make a gratitude journal

  19. Meditate

  20. Hike a new trail (with 200 acres surrounding us, we have several routes to explore)

  21. Complete 1000-piece jigsaw puzzle, do a crossword, learn to play chess, or do an outdoor photoshoot

  22. Sing Karaoke

  23. Start a camp fire without matches

  24. Write a letter to your future self

  25. Hug a tree

  26. Take a household group selfie

  27. Go 24 hours without Internet, Television or Radio

  28. Go make-up, cosmetics or designer free for the day

  29. Design a bug-hotel or fairy house for our grounds

  30. Make a new memory

*Glamping is open from 4th July 2020 and King Nutkin, Denver Rest and Tawny Hut are still available to book*

Competition time!! If, during your stay with us, you successfully complete all 30 tasks, evidenced with photographs, and shared on Instagram (please tag as @happyvalleynorfolk #happyvalleybucketlist), you will receive a complimentary prize to congratulate you on living a Happy Valley Lifestyle.

We can’t wait to see what you come up with,

With love,

Katy, Kirsty and the team at Happy Valley xx

Finding the Silver Lining in this Covid Cloud and changing our “What ifs?” to “Even ifs”…

At Happy Valley, we’ve always been firm believers in the health benefits of the great outdoors and have promoted the healing powers of nature when offering couples our woodland wedding packages. Unfortunately, the consequences of Government enforcements can’t be cured by fresh air alone and some of you may be facing tough decisions with regards to potentially postponing your big day.

It’s certainly unchartered territory for families and businesses alike and while we face this storm together, through understanding, patience and kindness, there will be moments we can all learn to dance in the rain. 

Before we cover the more practical points, we want to send you some positive thoughts to hold on to. Despite everything, there is the hope and optimism of a brighter future. Come rain or shine, Summer or Winter, we’re with you and if you’ll let us, we’ll stay with you all the way until “I do”. 

The Gorgeous Tom & Fiona at Happy Valley - Ben Chapman Photography

The Gorgeous Tom & Fiona at Happy Valley - Ben Chapman Photography

An outdoor ceremony on the willow Island

An outdoor ceremony on the willow Island

Changing my “What ifs? to “Even ifs” 

Instead of asking “What if I have to postpone my dream, summer wedding?” hold onto the thought that even if you decide to change your date, you still have each other and you will be able to celebrate, surrounded by your loved ones at some point in the future. No matter what happens, we will make your day beautiful. Here at Happy Valley, we promise you that regardless of any decisions made or plans altered, we will do everything in our power to create a magical, once-in-a-lifetime memory that you can treasure forever. We are currently offering all of our early 2020 couples the opportunity to keep their actual date in case Covid-19 has been defeated by then but we are also pencilling in a “back-up date” so we can manoeuvre from plan A to plan B without any problems. Please look out for our upcoming blog on Autumn and Winter alternatives. One way or another, love conquers all and trust us when we say we want nothing more than for you to marry the love of your life. 

We’ve heard your concerns and to alleviate the stress and worry of “what if my suppliers can’t make it to our new date?”, we’re working on a plan that even if one supplier can’t attend, we will be able to work some magic. Happy Valley has the good fortune to be surrounded by incredibly innovative, flexible and passionate suppliers who are doing their utmost behind the scenes to work around your schedules and accommodate last-minute changes. For our couples, we are in the process of contacting all of their suppliers and are collating a list of their availability. We are trying to coordinate a mutually convenient date for both you, your suppliers and the venue so you can sit back and relax (preferably with a glass of wine or G&T). If, for any reason, a supplier can no longer provide you with a service, we have a team of legendary people who are all bending over backwards to fulfil your dreams and we will help you find suitable alternatives. 

Even if you postpone – please don’t cancel. Pause but don’t give up. Reflect but don’t retreat. Delay but don’t be defeated – you get where we’re going with this! We’re here for you and if you’re here for us too, we’ll all meet on the other side and celebrate the love and awesomeness of humanity, hopefully with a glass of bubbly and a beaming smile. Sending you all of the virtual love in the world from our anti-bacterial sprayed screens. 

With love, Katy, Kirsty and The Happy Valley Team xx

hello@happyvalleynorfolk.co.uk

01485 600719

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