So back when I was really unwell and out of fear was refusing to go to the doctor, Mark set me a challenge. ‘If you are truly a well person and you truly therefore do not need to go to the doctor’ he said, ‘then you will demonstrate this to me by climbing Kingley Vale’. ‘Fine’ I said, ‘we will do it this weekend’. As it was we never made it to the weekend as I was hospitalised first. It was probably a good thing we didn’t make it to the weekend as climbing Kingley Vale would have probably killed me.

Anyway that was then but this is now, and I have felt for a long time that climbing Kingley Vale would be a real way to show both myself and everyone else that I am recovering really well. And on Saturday, we did it. We didn’t, as my Dad suggested, cycle up as I don’t think I’m quite well enough for that yet. But climb it we did and it felt amazing. The only real pains that I had were in my legs, not cancerous pains but healthy and muscular pains. The kind of pains you might get if you have legs that have not climbed hills for quite a few months.

To celebrate we lunched at the Richmond Arms. http://www.therichmondarms.co.uk/about.aspx

This pub is incredible and well worth a visit, even from afar. It is not cheap though so save it for a treat. We feasted on 3 courses and so good was the food that Mark said some words that I have never before heard him say, ‘I’m so glad we ordered desert’.

Mark was very mean and for starter ordered the Hot and runny chorizo Scotch egg, saffron aioli, pickled fennel. I currently have to be really careful with my eating to minimise the risk of infection and so can’t have runny eggs. I have decided out of all the things that I am currently not allowed to eat, runny eggs are the things I am missing the most and Mark’s scotch egg ran beautifully, in front of me, and all over his plate. I made Mark promise that for my birthday next year he makes me a plate of runny eggs and then I can eat them to my heart’s content.

Kate ate

Tempura Courgette flower stuffed with goats cheese with a broad bean salad

12 hour rotisserie roast Gloucester Old Spot pork belly, pickled gooseberry, apple sauce, traditional trimmings

Crème Brulee with cherries and a white chocolate cornflake crunch

Mark ate

Hot and runny chorizo Scotch egg, saffron aioli, pickled fennel

12 hour rotisserie roast Gloucester Old Spot pork belly, pickled gooseberry, apple sauce, traditional trimmings

Battered peanut butter ice cream balls (This is not the Richmond Arms’ description, it is mine, as I can’t find the Richmond Arms’ description anywhere online! I’m sure their description would have been much more appetising but the main point is that they were delicious.)