Slinky By Tuesday: Bottomless Brunches, Brilliant Theatre and the Joy of Making Time for Fun

Sometimes life has a habit of becoming one long cycle of work, chores and trying to keep cool during a British heatwave.

This week, we decided enough was enough.

If we're honest, we'd reached the point where most of our conversations consisted of:"It's hot.""I'm melting.""Can we just lie in a cold bath?"

We're definitely autumn people. Give us crisp mornings, Halloween decorations, cosy jumpers and the promise of Christmas over thirty-degree temperatures any day of the week. In fact, we've already started browsing Halloween decorations just to remind ourselves that cooler days are coming.

But rather than hiding indoors complaining about the weather, we made a conscious decision to do something we don't always prioritise enough.

We went out and had some fun!

Why memories matter more than things

As sisters, we've gradually stopped buying each other lots of "stuff" for birthdays and Christmas.

Instead, we try to buy memories.

This week that meant two very different experiences...

• A bottomless brunch.

• A trip to the theatre.

Both reminded us why shared experiences are worth every penny.

Mansfield's bottomless brunch that genuinely impressed us

We headed to Andwhynot? in Mansfield for one of their bottomless brunches and honestly, it exceeded expectations.

We've tried a fair few over the years and they can be very hit and miss.

Some places seem to think "bottomless brunch" means one tiny plate of food and spending half your time trying to attract someone's attention for another drink.

Not here.

The staff couldn't have been more friendly, the drinks kept coming, and the portions were generous enough that we didn't leave wondering where we'd be stopping for chips afterwards.

Lucy opted for her favourite Porn Star Martini while Katie discovered a new favourite - the wonderfully named Cheeky Cherry Cola, complete with a giant cola bottle sweet.

The food? Proper comfort food.

Cheesy chips with curry sauce and mushy peas.

Exactly what every sophisticated afternoon needs.

From bottomless brunch to brilliant theatre

Later in the week we swapped cocktails for culture and headed to Nottingham Playhouse to see The Market Deeping Model Railway Club.

Lucy has recently started training as a playwright, so theatre trips have become both enjoyable and educational.

The play itself was superb.

Funny.

Moving.

Beautifully acted.

Wonderfully written.

What made the evening even more special was discovering it was based on a true story, with members of the original Market Deeping Model Railway Club actually attending press night.

The cast featured some familiar faces, including Adrian Scarborough, alongside an outstanding ensemble who delivered a standing ovation-worthy performance.

As well as enjoying the evening, it was a reminder of just how lucky Nottingham is to have a venue like Nottingham Playhouse, continually supporting new writing and local stories.

Theatre doesn't just entertain us.

It tells our stories.

It challenges us.

Sometimes it simply makes us laugh when we need it most.

And that's something worth supporting.

A new game: Would You Rather?

This week also saw the introduction of a brand new podcast feature.

The question?

Would you rather travel anywhere in the world for free for one year... or live in your dream home forever?

Surprisingly, we both chose the dream home.

Our reasoning was simple.

If you've got your perfect home, no mortgage and somewhere you genuinely love spending time, you can always save for holidays later.

Some of our listeners disagreed entirely and picked travel without hesitation.

We'd love to know what you'd choose.

Coming up...

We're also busy preparing for two events we're incredibly excited about.

An Evening with Sam McAlister takes place at Nottingham's Albert Hall on 3 October, where the former BBC Newsnight producer will share the stories behind some of the world's biggest interviews, including Prince Andrew, Elon Musk, Stormy Daniels and Julian Assange.

Then on 18 October, our Matinees of Murders & Mysteries series begins with bestselling author Carol Ann Lee, exploring the fascinating story of the Pendle Witches and the myths, history and truths surrounding one of Britain's most famous witch trials.

We can't wait to welcome everyone along.

Until next time...

Stay cool, make time for something fun, and if you're lucky enough to have a slightly naughty dog, give them a cuddle from us.

Lucy & KatieTrinder & Trinder