Hello Hello,
Here we are – well into the first quarter of 2026! We have certainly hit the ground running here at boosst HQ after a lovely refreshing Christmas break!
My family and I had a magical Christmas and visited Santa at Chester House Estate. I have to say we were pleasantly surprised by this hidden gem of a place tucked away just outside of Irchester, Northamptonshire.
Santa can be hard to pin down during the festive period (understandably) but we found the grotto and walk through was done really well giving the children a chance to decorate Christmas decorations, make reindeer food and meet some elves. There is also a lovely little cafe overlooking the grounds – we stopped for a cookie and festive drinks before heading home. Chester House has various events and family activities throughout the year, should you wish to take the children/grandchildren – link.
We also had the opportunity to visit Cotswold Wildlife park to blow away the cobwebs in the New Year. They have such wide array of animals to look at, a petting farm and play parks to explore. You can even take your furry friend! It is dog friendly which is exceptionally rare for a Wildlife Park, meaning the whole family can make a day of it. There are only a couple of small areas dogs are not allowed, but we didn’t find this impacted our day at all. It is well worth a visit if you haven’t been – accompanied by your four legged friend or not.
I finished off February with a visit to London with a friend. We explored Old Spitalfields market. This must be on your list if, like me, you enjoy food. There is so much to explore with cuisines from every corner of the globe! We were hard pushed with what to choose. We opted to share a couple of mains and desserts including the ‘humble crumble’ – artisan crumbles served with lashing of custard moving onto chocolate flavoured Pastel de natas – Yum! We were ready to pop!
Between Christmas Day and New Year Keith and Linda decided to have time off from the kitchen and had the idea of hiring a chef to cook (… and also shop, clean and wash up!) not only for them but they enjoyed the experience with two small groups of friends. They booked ‘Pierre Gouramand’ who catered for Keith, Linda and their friends perfectly from start to finish. Choosing the menu, delivering a super friendly service, explaining every course and leaving the kitchen spotless. The presentation and quality of the food was over and above delicious, some courses would have been at home in a Michelin star restaurant.
It was lovely to have time spent with friends. A chance to relax throughout, as Pierre took care of them, removing all the stresses (and hard work….) that usually come with hosting a dinner party and allowing them to spend the time with their friends rather than being stuck behind the hob. Keith and Linda cannot recommend Pierre enough if you are thinking of hosting friends. He is also happy to travel with a reasonable mileage cost. Feel free to ask Linda or Keith if you have questions.
Gabby and Josh swapped the usual winter coats for a bit of winter sun and spent Christmas in the Maldives and Sri Lanka.
Waking up to the sound of the ocean on Christmas morning was certainly different from the traditional frosty start! That said, the hotel very thoughtfully left stockings out, which added a little touch of familiar Christmas magic. The real highlight of the trip, though, was the wildlife. Seeing dolphins in the wild had Gabby absolutely jumping for joy. In Sri Lanka, they were also lucky enough to spot some incredible birdlife and even get (within a safe distance) of the island’s many snakes. It was a brilliant reminder of how special the natural world can be.
All in all, a slightly different Christmas for them both this year, but one they will certainly cherish for a long while!
Another Jetsetter in our midst Ryan T took an action packed 3 week break over Christmas and New Year with his partner Darcie in Thailand. Ryan T and Darcie tackled Bangkok, Khao Sok, Ao Nang, the Phi Phi Islands, Ko Samui, Koh Phangan, and Ko Tao. Sleep is optional when paradise is calling! I’m sure you’ll agree to looks just that!
Their highlights included long-tail boats, ziplining through the jungle, staying in floating bungalows on a lake which looked straight out of a film set. They even visited elephants on Christmas day – what a special gift!
Visiting all these places meant they built up an appetite – a heroic amount of pad thai was consumed and Chang beer became a loyal travel companion, helping to recover from travel days and snorkelling induced exhaustion.
A few survival tips emerged along the way: boats run on vibes, not schedules, local food is always the correct choice and always carry mosquito spray like it is a personality trait. By the end of the trip, Ryan and Darcie returned with unforgettable memories, a phone full of sunset photos and beach selfies, and the certainty that Thailand should come with a highly addictive travel warning!
Between Christmas and New Year, Laura and her family visited Silverstone, Northamptonshire. Driving round the track for the “Lap of Lights” a real must for any car mad children (or adults!) It was a really great experience, albeit at 10mph! They enjoyed the leisurely pace and seeing the different lighting exhibitions whilst turning into the ‘Silverstone Lap of Lights’ Radio station. After the lap, Laura and her family visited the hangar where there were food trucks, F1 cars and even a full sized F1 car made from Lego – sounds like a dream destination for any little boy!
The last week of January was Financial planning week our team spent two days at the John Lewis & Partners cafe in Centre:MK, offering free, friendly financial planning chats over tea and cake. The team loved meeting both John Lewis partners and cafe customers, helping them gain clarity on pensions, savings, tax, and planning for the future.
Some shared previous experiences of feeling uncertain amid all the financial jargon, while others were exploring what “enough” looks like. It was fantastic to see how even a short, practical conversation with a friendly boosstie could make such a difference. Financial Planning Week was a wonderful reminder of why we do what we do: helping people feel informed, confident, and supported as they plan for their future.
As you can see us boossties have already been setting up 2026 as an impactful, fun and experience led year…bring it on!
Bye for now…
Katie x