I’ll never forget the drive up to our holiday house near Clun in the Shropshire Hills – what should’ve been a straightforward jaunt from Craven Arms turned into a right old comedy of errors. We’d piled into the car with enough luggage for a month-long expedition, the kids bickering over the last packet of crisps before we’d even hit the A488. Then, just as the rolling green valleys started unfolding around us, the sat-nav decided to throw a wobbly. “Recalculating,” it chirped cheerfully, as we veered off down a narrow lane that seemed to shrink by the second. Branches scraped the roof, and I’m pretty sure we startled a herd of sheep into a full-on sprint. By the time we spotted the turning, tempers were frayed, and my other half was muttering about “one more pothole and I’m walking.”

But oh, the anticipation as we finally crunched up the gravel drive – that flutter in your stomach when you’re about to step into somewhere special. We’d booked this place for our big family gathering, two clans colliding for a week of proper downtime, and pulling up, it looked every bit the luxurious bolthole we’d hoped for. It’s a beautifully finished large house, perfect for a crowd like ours, tucked away in the lush Clun Valley with views that make you forget the chaos of the road behind.

First impressions? Blimey, they hit like a warm hug. We tumbled out, still shaking off the drive’s mishaps – one bag split open, spilling wellies everywhere – and stepped into the ground floor kitchen. It’s massive, with a breakfast bar that screamed “gather round, everyone!” Fully kitted out for feeding an army, which was spot on as we raided the fridge for emergency snacks. The dining room flows straight into a sunny conservatory, seating for the lot of us without anyone feeling squished. But the real hero? That separate TV room we stumbled into next, with its enormous wall-mounted telly and a three-seater recliner sofa begging for a collapse. The kids claimed it instantly, remote in hand, while we parents exhaled for the first time that day.

We spent the afternoon just soaking it in, wandering the garden as the sun dipped over the hills. A quick stroll down to the village – Clun’s only two miles away, with its quirky castle ruins and that timeless feel – had us plotting pub lunches and gentle rambles along the River Clun. No grand plans yet, just the joy of being here. There was a moment, sat on that recliner with a cuppa, watching the others unpack with varying degrees of enthusiasm, when I caught myself reflecting: life’s too short for perfect arrivals. A bit of chaos makes the settling-in all the sweeter, doesn’t it? This place, with its high-quality vibe and space to breathe, turned our bumpy start into the perfect launchpad for the week ahead. Can’t wait to see what tomorrow brings.