Nothing like a “Be ready for a 6.30pm pick up so that we can take you out for the evening” message to kick off the weekend down at the Forest of Dean!

After a lovely long soak in the bath along with a glass of wine {Wait til you see where I stayed, then you’ll see why!}, I was ready to meet not only all the other great bloggers who were also there for the weekend, but the masterminds behind this weekend and some members of the Wye Valley and Forest of Dean Tourist Association.

Our destination?  Green & Jenks Gelato House in Monmouth, where we were greeted with Cocktails and huge, welcoming smiles.

Gin, Prosecco and Rhubarb Cocktails or the Apple County Cider Cocktail – WinWin situation, basically.

My face when there are cocktails!  :)

Locally sourced and delicious food – Green & Jenks know what they are doing and do it well.

And then it was on to dessert!

This is what I imagine Heaven for my bois would look like.  All the gelato in all the flavours and colours imaginable!

Let’s not forget about all of the toppings etc to finish it off with.  Chocolate sauce and flake for me, every time.

Aah, Midge!  I first met Midge when we walked up Snowdon together back in October with the rest of the Outdoor Bloggers.  She is the loveliest!…loves to mountain bike and after this weekend is also very good at Clay Pigeon shooting, I hear…and is a fan of a tutu… ;)

Anyway, with all of the Gelato Choices that was on offer {Creme Egg, Ferrero Rocher etc.}, I opted for good ol’ Peanut Butter.  What else?!

Yup!  It was as tasty as it looks!

A massive Diolch to everyone at Green & Jenks for having us – it was all really delicious and such a fun way to meet everyone!  Be sure to pop in there if ever you are passing!…and definitely go for the 3 scoops!

Now on to the other bloggers who were also invited for the weekend;

Jenni – I think she’s had different coloured hair the few times I’ve met her and has a pet Magpie, Magnus!  What’s not to love about her?!

Zoe – Not only did she conquer her fear of caving over the weekend, Zoe is also a GetOutside Champion with Ordnance Survey Maps.

Ed – Such a character and fun to be around…also wanted to borrow some of my mascara!  ;)

Kate – A pirate, also a GetOutside Champion and climbed Kilimanjaro…with a dislocated knee!  Ouch!

Tom – I think our first conversation was about a Guinness Cocktail with floating ice cream on top.  Didn’t see one.

Sian – Sian has the biggest smile, lives in Bristol and was also my breakfast pal at The Tudor Farmhouse.

Immy – Lovely Immy is from Bath…and I mean…I wish I looked this good when having a “bad hair day”!

Iona – Kudos to Iona for travelling all the way down from Edinburgh!  We were both really hoping for a Scottish win over England in the rugby.  Gutted is an understatement.

Kate – Oh, you know, just lives on a BOAT and likes to do a zip wire upside down!  Star.

Charlotte – Her blog is called Wild Walks with Wine…do I need to point out that we got on?! ;)

Greta – Who is huge in the Travel Blogging World – check out her About Me page.

Kirstie – Writes a blog all about getting out, being active, creative, learning and exploring with the family.

So there you have it.  These were all of the bloggers I was with over the course of the weekend, sipping cocktails, eating gelato…if only we knew the adventures that were coming our way…

All photos above are Copyright to David Broadbent Photography.

{serious face : I was lucky enough to be a guest of the Wye Valley and Forest of Dean Tourist Association on this trip.   All words and opinions are my own…including that glass of wine in the bath…GET OUT OF MY BATH AND DON’T TOUCH MY WINE!…} ;)