A Fellowship of Friends in the Idyllic Countryside of Onibury
Sunday morning brunches will definitely taste better with this view.
Written in (great) retrospect.
The sixth of September, 2018.
An ordinary day, to say the least. The neighbourhood was quiet except for twelve bustling few who were busy loading luggages and food coolers into a white twelve-seater mini-coach. They didn't think the day would turn out to be ordinary and neither did I-- it was my birthday, after all, and all twelve of us were going to a secluded refurbished barn in the countryside for some rest and relaxation.
A white, twelve-seater mini-coach we booked from this link. The driver, Jazz, had been a total sweetheart. The fare varies depending on the travel distance, but our trip (from somewhere in Isleworth to Onibury, Shropshire) had cost around GBP 670 (round trip).
After six hours of traveling (an hour of which can be attributed to us getting lost), we finally reached our home for three days: Apple Tree Barn, an old barn that was refurbished into a lodge for twelve people. It's nestled in the middle of practically nowhere, surrounded by sloping hills and grazing fields littered with sheep, cows and alpaca as far as the eye can see. It looked like the perfect little energy spot to kick back and relax our muscles from the silent killer that is called the 'nursing profession'. We all loved it.
The barn itself is a beauty. It's an L-shaped building made up in parts of wood, brick, and stone. Old English on the outside, homey and modern on the inside. Pink peonies and red bougainvillea plants crawled up the stone wall to form floral frames that provided perfect photo backgrounds. The flower lover in me couldn't help but run over to take photos.
The bleating of goats could be heard from the distance.
Beautiful pink peonies.
Nature at its most beautiful.
The redness of the bougainvillea looked stunning against the beautiful stone wall.
L-shaped.
A secret little reading nook at the back of the kitchen.
There was a brief scuttle after check-in as twelve fully-grown adults started to run around the place trying to get dibs on the best room (and room mate) for themselves. I didn't think there is a world of difference between the rooms except for the beds (two out of the six rooms have a double bed, three have two single beds, and one has both a single and a double bed).
All the rooms in the barn have their own shared closet and en-suite toilet and bathroom. A face towel and bath sheet is also provided for each paying guest. However, guests have to bring their own toiletries.
I ended up in the room with two single beds with my good friend Angel, who also seemed to be happy with the arrangement.
The long hallway leading to the living space and kitchen.
The toilet-slash-shower in each room is spacious and comfortable. The barn, over-all, has seven toilets including the spare common one in the pantry.
After settling into our own respective rooms, we all piled into the living room as if of one mind. The unofficial "headquarters" where my good friend Maria arbitrated our drunken games of charade, the huge living room easily accommodated all twelve of us as we moaned about who will start the dinner preparations.
TV, cable box and DVD player.
My favourite place in the barn, though, is the outdoor dining area. The rustic wooden dining tables and chairs blended in perfectly with the beautiful nature that Shropshire had to offer. Overhead, little crawling vines and hanging potted flowers adorned wooden trellises. Again, my flower-lover self screamed on the inside as I took photo after photo.
If I were to have my own farmhouse in the future, I want this to be copied in!
I'd stay here all day!
If I could have breakfast here all day, I would!
Floral and rustic-- two of my most-loved adjectives!
Our first dinner in the barn was a festive affair-- it was my birthday dinner, after all! Six hours inside a mini-coach had made most of everyone eager to help to hasten meal time. While most of the boys manned the outdoor barbecue grill, the girls stayed inside, cooking up the rest of the items in the menu and admiring the fully-stocked, well-equipped kitchen (the only thing we didn't find but definitely needed was a rice cooker, so it was a good thing we brought our own!). The kitchen and dining room are both so spacious, we held most of our party games in here!
The kitchen and dining room.
Twelve people can sit around the dining table and still have some room to spare.
Fully-functional electric stove and oven.
Bread box.
Plates and bowls.
Toaster, microwave, and cooking utensils fit for twelve or more. The kitchen also has-- among other things-- beer steins, wine glasses, champagne flutes, knives and cutting boards, a corkscrew, and a barbecue brush. But no pitcher, no.
Heating kettles.
The pantry. This is where the fridge and the freezer are.
A spare toilet beside the pantry.
The barbecue grill.
Mmmmm, peri-peri wings.
During our stay at the Apple Tree Barn, we never ran out of things to do-- whatever time of the day it was.
On our first afternoon, we fooled around in the indoor pool and shot a video of ourselves pretending to be synchronised swimmers with choreography sooooooooo basic that five year old kids can follow (but, ironically, took us three hours before we were able to perfect). The pool is heated and open all year round. For safety purposes because the pool is around 4 feet deep and only 6 feet in width, the rules require only a maximum of six people at one time in the pool, and no pool toys allowed. It's supposed to be shared with the other guests from the other lodges within the compound, but we were lucky to have the pool to ourselves during our dates.
Apple Tree Barn's heated indoor pool.
Guests who wish to use the pool must register and reserve a time slot for their party.
And every day in the afternoon or at dusk, there was always a friendly competition of 3-vs-2 tennis. The tennis court is free to use for all guests. It was a good way to build up an appetite for dinner.
Before we all knew it, three fun-filled days have passed by in a blur. Jazz, our coach driver, came to pick us up with a smile and a bow at 10:00 right on the dot. Looking back, I realise that it was just a simple, gimmick-free birthday bash, but it was memorable as heck not only because it's my first away from my family but because I celebrated it with eleven newfound people who are willing to share in a part of my life.
Thank you, Lord, for the lives of these people who have become more than just friends-- they are my family now, too.
Happy birthday to me!
On the table: leche flan, slaw, peri-peri chicken wings, baked brownies, fried fish, pork barbecue on skewers, corn on the cob, and my birthday cake!
Grateful and blessed at 29!
*Apple Tree Barn (Managed by Mulberry Cottages)
The Park, Upper Onibury Cottages, Onibury, Shropshire SY7 9AW, United Kingdom
Price for 2 nights: 1, 282.60 GBP (includes 6% cleaning fee)
*Private hire transportation to Onibury
National Minibus Hire: Click here.
Price for round-trip: Approximately 670 GBP.]
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