The weather was looking a bit ominous when we set off first thing as the coach drove through the rain. On arrival we had a look round the toy museum, which was good fun and brought back many childhood memories. We then had a tour of the house.

The house was originally built in the 14th century and enlarged over the next two hundred years or so. The house was given by Edward VI to Sir William Sidney and has been in the hands of the Sidney family ever since. The Sidney family were very involved in the politics of the Tudor period. The house has a series of fabulous rooms, which we all enjoyed.

When we emerged from the house it was obvious that it had been raining outside and there was a heavy downpour while we had lunch. After lunch we walked around the beautiful formal gardens in bright sunshine, not quite believing our luck with the weather. Overall it was a very interesting and pleasant day out.