Hear me out.

I love my daughter with every fibre of my being. I haul myself out of bed to work very odd hours every day, all for her. I do it so she will have a room of her own one day in our own house, with holidays and swimming lessons and all the other lovely things small people like.

But sometimes I need some time with her dad – my husband – without the label of “mum”. Sometimes I just need to be me, with him, on our own.

Those times happen very rarely. The last time we ventured away from the house, just the two of us, was back in February when we went on our honeymoon. And what with our long working patterns, busy family life and the hectic summer schedule of visits and catching up with relatives, the next installment of “us” time was very much appreciated.

This last weekend we celebrated our first year wedding anniversary. It was a couple of weeks late, so we threw both our birthdays into the mix too and really pushed the boat out.

We stayed here:

In this room:

(Yes, that’s a bath in the corner of the room.)

We ate breakfast in bed, drank cocktails, ate far too much cheese and mooched around Cheltenham.

If you’re after a weekend of relaxation, I really can’t recommend The Montpellier Chapter enough. It’s not cheap, but the hotel is beautifully restored with art and stunning architecture. The service is impeccable (the staff uniform comprises Converse trainers – what more can you want?) and the technology at the hotel is second to none.

I didn’t realise just how much I needed a weekend away with the (self-proclaimed) Northern Love Machine until we were in the car on the way there and it dawned on me that I wasn’t even stressed at the traffic.

It’s hard to get worked up when you can see this out of your window:

A walk in the park on a hot afternoon, followed by a leisurely read of the papers in bed, followed by more food and fizz… I’m a restored woman.

So yes, we spent the weekend away from our beautiful baby. But we came back happier and more relaxed parents because of it.

How about you – have you ever had a mini-break without the kids?

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