Christmas Treat 2022
Abbey Hotel, Malvern
Towards the end of November Sheelah provided us with a welcome second visit to the Abbey Hotel in central Malvern. It is always a pleasure to visit this hotel with its welcoming and helpful staff – I recognised several faces from before, always a good sign of a hotel that is well run and whose staff are at peace because they know what is expected of them and that they are appreciated.
Most of us were able to arrive fairly early so had plenty of time to sit in the comfortable and well upholstered chairs in the lounge areas, enjoying a pre-lunch drink and catching up with the chatter – so much was missed during the dreary months of keeping safe against the pandemic.
We were in one of their large dining rooms which was tastefully decorated for Christmas. Sheelah had chosen a menu with a good range of choices so something for everyone. We soon settled down to happy chatter with regular bursts of laughter – standard issue when a gathering of Wyre Forest NT Centre is present. The large room meant that even though a good number of us were present the staff were able to move easily round us when serving the delicious food.
An added bonus to the outing was that unlike our earlier visit it wasn’t raining and so we were able to see the scenery on our way down. It is quite true that the terrain, the trees and the plants are very different from our own in the north of the country. It’s not surprising that it provided such inspiration to Sir Edward Elgar when writing the rich passages in his music.
Our thanks go to Sheelah for yet again coming up with a lovely way to start the Christmas spirit with friendship and good food. We must continue to support our Committee for their unstinting care of our interests and in our enjoyment of all aspect of the National Trust. That support should not be just showing appreciation but also in providing practical assistance and volunteering to share the load. We can do it – after all, if Bob the Builder can, then so can we!
Katey Fletcher