In those slow days between New Year and 'back to school' my grandson came to visit, and for one last blast of Christmas we headed over to Sudbury Hall to see their Once Upon A Time, Cinderella exhibition. Sudbury is known as the Children's Country House with a museum of childhood and a deliberate attempt within the Hall to involve children, encouraging them to search out hidden details their parents (or grandparents) might miss, to dress up for the ball, to settle down in the library and read. There's also a room given over to construction play, and mock cookery encouraged in the kitchen.
The main attraction though was the themed decorations of Cinderella. The 'cast' of Fairy Godmother, Prince Charming, Ugly Sisters etc were gathered round the dining table, a silver slipper waited on a cushion, pumpkins were scattered around under the Christmas trees and by the fireplace.
In the Long Gallery, with its marvelous ceiling, there were games and toys to play with and a small stage where children could dress up and enact the tale of Cinderella.
After exploring the kitchens we headed outside where a fountain was playing despite te ice forming on its pond!
My grandson wanted to play with the toys and games in the courtyard, and clamber about in the adventure playground, but tbh I thought it was too cold to spend much time outdoors, so with the enticement of a ride in the buggy/bus we headed back to the car,
Despite it being a National Trust property not far from home, it's a place I've never visited before (so there's my first 'something new' ticked off for the year), and I'd like now to return sometime when it's rooms and walls are in their un-decorated state. and the weather is nice enough for a further exploration of the grounds.
Heading past the door to spend a weekend with family seemed like an ideal opportunity but this time the weather had swung to the opposite extreme of one of this summer's heatwaves. 
