Lydham Hall Historic House Open Day

Hi friends and happy Monday! Wow, that weekend went by fast! And now, here we are in the first week of March already. I hope you had a great weekend! Mine was a good mix of some super chilled TV time on Saturday and a visit to Lydham Hall Historic House in Rockdale on Sunday. I’m excited to tell you all about it, so let’s get started!

Saturday

Steve and I walked to our local café for some delicious Portuguese tarts—so good! I had an iced coffee, and Steve went for an iced chocolate, which was perfect for a hot day. I was about to say a hot summer’s day, but since Saturday was the first day of March, we’re officially in autumn now. Not that it means much yet—I’m sure it’ll be a while before the temps start to cool down!

Once we got home, I pretty much camped out in front of the TV for the rest of the day and into the night! I haven’t done that in ages, but I think I’m still adjusting to being back at work—I was exhausted. Plus, the right side of my neck was sore from tension and probably jaw clenching. My body was begging for a lazy day, so I listened.

Steve worked in the evening, so I ate dinner and started binge-watching Big Little Lies. When it first came out, I remember hearing so much about it, but I never got around to watching it. I wasn’t sure how I felt about the first couple of episodes, but if I had to sum it up in one word—disturbed comes to mind. It’s an intense series that dives into domestic violence, complicated relationships, and just how fake people can be.

The more I watched, the more I got into it, and by Sunday afternoon, I’d finished Season One. It’s definitely not a feel-good show, but I’m hooked, and I’ve already started Season Two.

Sunday – Lydham Hall Open Day

This year, we made it to the Lydham Hall open day! It’s something I had been wanting to do, but somehow I had missed it. Lydham Hall was built in the late 1870s and is one of the oldest homes in the St. George area. I live in the area, so it was very interesting to explore this piece of local history.

Every room had a volunteer who shared their knowledge of the house and gave us some great insights into its history. It was so interesting to hear about the different eras the house has been through and the people who’ve lived there. Each room had its own little story, and it was all so fascinating.

We were even encouraged to touch things, which made it feel really interactive. I opened a few of the books on the shelf and couldn’t help but wonder who George Southern and Aunt Maggie were. I kept thinking, what did they look like? What were their lives like?

Dining Room

Dinner was served! Haha, Lydham Hall definitely gave off some serious Downton Abbey vibes.

The dinner time gong. I just had to try it out and gave it a little clang.

The Kitchen

This nice man explained how a kitchen of the time functioned and showed us where they kept their meat. I meant to ask him how long the meat was stored for.

But I got distracted looking at the butter churner and forgot.

I did lift the irons, and they were so heavy!!

The Bedroom

This gentleman shared some really interesting information about the beds. Apparently, the mattresses were made with layers of horsehair and topped with a feather mattress topper. The bed frames had legs to keep bed bugs out, and the mattress was held in place with crossed rope—kind of like modern-day slats.

But here’s where it gets interesting: the legs weren’t enough to stop the bed bugs from crawling onto the beds. So, they came up with the idea of spreading horse dung under the bed! The bugs were attracted to the dung instead of climbing onto the bed.

Back in the day, the ropes used to hold the mattress in place would loosen over time with the weight of the mattress and the person sleeping on it. If the ropes got too saggy, the bed would become uncomfortable, and—well, you might end up sinking toward the horse dung underneath! So, to avoid that, people had to regularly tighten the ropes to keep the mattress firm and the bugs at bay. It’s funny to think about how much effort went into something we take for granted today, like a comfy bed.

And this next bit of information just about blew my mind– that’s where the saying “Goodnight sleep tight don’t let the bed bugs bite” comes from! It’s all about tightening the ropes to make sure the bed stays firm and the bugs don’t get to you! Haha! Wow, I never knew this!

Lunch Time

After the fantastic history lesson, we made our way to the back of the house for something to eat. I loved how they had set up the little tables. Most of the tables were taken, and I thought we’d have no luck finding a spot. Steve walked over to one of the benches in the garden while I stopped to check out the menu at the counter. Just as I turned around, I saw a couple leaving, and I quickly made my way over and snagged the table.

So there I was at the table, and Steve was at the bench further away. I tried to discreetly call him over—”Pssst…hey, Steve.” Nothing. “Over here, Steve!” Still nothing. Of course, everyone else around me could see me waving my arms in the most ladylike way I could (not). Then I had a brainwave and called him on his phone: “Hey, turn around I got a table!” hahahaha!!

We ordered the Tattie scones with smoked salmon and sour cream. The other things on the menu sounded good, but we had no problem skipping the haggis!

We finished off with pots of tea and scones with jam and cream.

We bought a jar of jam, and Steve has promised to make some scones soon so we can have our own Devonshire tea at home.

Scottish Bagpipes

The St George Sutherland Scottish Pipe Band played a mix of traditional Scottish tunes and Aussie favourites like Waltzing Matilda and I Still Call Australia Home. They sounded amazing, and hearing those tunes brought back memories of when my mum would take me to the city to see the Anzac Parade march. So nostalgic!

Originally, I had no weekend plans, and then Lydham Hall’s open day popped up. Steve spotted an ad for it at our local pool. It turned out to be such a fun, unexpected day. I’m already looking forward to next year’s open day!

Thanks so much for stopping by, and I hope you had a great start to the week—but if you’re crawling into it like me, that’s ok. Only four more sleeps until Friday! 😉.

Happy Monday!

Linking up with Holly and Sarah