OVER T HE BRIDGE BUT NOT SO FAR AWAY

We like Cheltenham a lot, and the Montpelier area very much. It’s a lovely part of this gorgeous spa town and has some beautiful shops, boutiques and eateries. Perfect for strolling and window shopping.

We didn’t get away as early as we’d like (work sometimes gets in the way) but were happy to get there in time to have a good few hours in the afternoon before our meal at the hotel later.

We had booked ourselves in at the four star Delta by Marriott Cheltenham Chase Hotel. Very reasonably priced and its location just outside Cheltenham bordering the beautiful Cotswolds countryside seemed to fit the bill.

There was snow on the ground, but the roads were fine, and we just had to be a little careful walking along the icy pavements. Well worth it though, Cheltenham has some beautiful shops.

The Montpelier area is particularly classy. There’s a distinct lack of plastic signage, and wooden facias, gold leaf and original signwriting contribute to an ambience that just makes you feel a little better about the world. Yes, it’s a romantic view of retail but it’s also reassuringly authentic – if there’s a benchmark for a beautiful high street, Montpelier is it. Two or three hours flew by, punctuated by a coffee break, until it was time to head for the hotel.

Dinner was pretty good. The restaurant is very stylishly designed, and the staff couldn’t do enough to make us feel relaxed. A warm welcome is just what you need on a cold, winter day.

The food was good - there’s an extensive menu and the chef here certainly knows how to cook a steak.

Our room was excellent value for money – it even had a bath which is always nice when you’re away. Nothing ends a chilly winter day better than a hot bath. This one happened to have a large glass of Baileys with ice on the side which seemed to complement it well.

The next morning, after a lovely shower (it was excellent) we enjoyed a hearty, full breakfast with good coffee overlooking a snow-covered field. Soon we were on our way to Bristol for part two.

Clifton Village

As we were doing “Brizzle”, we thought we’d visit an old haunt of ours, Clifton Village. We like Clifton. Its twin in the Vale would be Cowbridge. Lots of quaint independent shops, boutiques, galleries and eateries (it even has Bar 44! Though, sadly, here in the Vale, Cowbridge doesn’t anymore – Penarth is still operating thankfully).

Clifton is a village within a city and it really is an absolute joy to spend an hour or two pottering around there. It boasts great architecture and a creative, bohemian, retro vibe - it feels very much like London in the sixties. If you’re in Bristol, it’s well worth a visit. Although there’s permit parking everywhere, a couple of minutes tootling around the back streets will reward you with a space - it’s more accessible than people make out.

Central Bristol & Harbourside

The Mercure Bristol Holland House boasts a central location and is in walking distance of a mix of award-winning attractions. We weren’t sure what we were going to see but, after checking in, we headed down the gentle hill to cross a bridge and explore the harbourside. Fortunately, although it was a very grey day, it wasn’t snowing or raining.

Bristol is impressive. The harbourside especially so. There’s so much to see and if you love being near the water, this city will certainly tick all your boxes.

After a mile or so, we happened upon the SS Great Britain. Wow! We’re so glad we did. If you visit one attraction visiting Bristol, it has to be this one. It’s quite brilliant. You could spend four hours there and not be bored - it is truly fascinating and has a remarkable history. We have to compliment Ryan on reception who was an absolute mine of information and a joy to talk to. He described Isambard Kingdom Brunel, the designer of the ship, as the Elon Musk of his day and the S.S. Great Britain as his Tesla.

Honestly, even if you have no interest in history, the story of Brunel and his ship will enthral you. As a tourist attraction, the S.S. Great Britain is a visual and engineering triumph. No surprise it’s won so many awards. We doff our bobble hats to everyone involved. It’s rare for an attraction to literally blow us away but this one certainly did.

We continued our walk along the harbour – there are so many boats, ships and bits of history to see that the time seemed to fly by. And we hadn’t really seen 10% of what’s there. Soon we realised we had walked for about five miles and the light was going so we popped into a waterside pub to have a pre-dinner drink and the landlady called a taxi (eight pounds to get us back to the Mercure). We could have walked in about half an hour but had no idea where we were, and our phone batteries were completely dead which meant so was Google Maps - amazing how we’ve become so reliant on these things.

Our dinner at the hotel was as good as its sister hotel in Cheltenham. And after a couple of decent rib-eyes it was off to bed. An enjoyable mini-break in two great locations. Cheltenham has always been a favourite of ours and Bristol is definitely on our list for a return visit.

Our hotels

The Delta by Marriott Cheltenham Chase and Mercure Bristol Holland House are both part of The QHotels Collection. They are both four star and offer the same food menu. The staff in both were excellent and are a credit to The QHotels Group.

Would we stay there again? Absolutely. Both hotels are in the perfect locations if you’re visiting Cheltenham, Gloucester or Bristol. They are tastefully and stylishly designed and, very importantly, spotlessly clean and well turned out.

Shurdington Road

Brockworth

Gloucester GL3 4PB www.thecheltenhamchase.co.uk/offers

Bristol BS1 6SQ www.bristolhollandhouse.co.uk/offers

Readers will recall Nicky Bright’s inspirational story from last summer. Nicky was our cover star and besides her interior design talents, Nicky also runs Nicky Bright Holidays. So, fancying a quick weekend break we booked one of her cottages.