A lifestyle blog
We love exploring, either close to home on an afternoon out, slightly further afield on a weekend away, or to a far flung destination picked because it happened to be on page 83 of the travel guide and we were asked to pick a number between 1 and 230.
If you’re looking for a delightful day out in the heart of England, Shaftesbury is a town that should be at the top of your list. Located in the picturesque county of Dorset, Shaftesbury boasts historic streets, stunning viewpoints, and is where we are headed this weekend so I have been doing some digging on where to eat and what to sea. Start your day with a hearty breakfast at
I was sent some press tickets for Silverstone’s Lap of Lights, and a friend went along for me as we were deep in helping my MIL move house. And if you know anything about me you will know how gutted I was not to be able to drive around the iconic Silverstone circuit. Especially after my trip round the Isle of Man circuit in September! I hadn’t quite known what to
There is something quietly brilliant about the Bush Hotel in Farnham that takes a minute to appreciate. Maybe it is because it hides behind that unassuming arch on the high street. Maybe it is because locals tend to stroll past without ever thinking of it as somewhere they might actually stay. But once you have spent a night there, you realise it offers exactly the kind of easy comfort and
It has been a while since the last Window Wednesday but with me taking more photos now I thought it might be time to bring it back so I can share some of the pics I have taken recently. This is one of my faves from recently, from St Cross Hospital in Winchester St Cross isn’t a hospital in the way we think of them today. It was founded in
School holidays can sometimes feel like an Olympic sport, juggling childcare, entertainment and food without breaking the bank. Finding somewhere that keeps everyone happy can be a challenge, so when we spotted that Prezzo were running their children eat free offer, it felt like the perfect excuse to treat ourselves (and our granddaughter) to a proper sit-down lunch. The offer was simple. Buy an adult main and a child’s meal from the
Some people count sheep when they can’t sleep. We check how much film is in the camera and whether we are up for an adventure the next morning. At 3am, with sleep clearly off the table we decided to act on the throwaway linen from the night before and give up trying. Instead we got up, got dressed and put the coffee machine on reading to head into London. There
Let’s get one thing straight from the start. Cosmo is not fine dining, and that’s entirely the point. If you’re looking for candlelight, hushed voices, and tiny plates of food arranged with tweezers, this might not be the place for you. But if you’re out with friends or family and nobody can agree on what to eat — Chinese? Indian? Sushi? Roast dinner? — Cosmo swoops in like a superhero
There are lots of reasons to visit Winchester. It is after all the ancient capital of England, famous for its grand cathedral (which once had a diver fixing its foundations), King Arthur’s legendary Round Table (which, let’s be honest, isn’t that round), and the high street where you can buy everything from antique books, artisanal gin and over a hundred different teas at Char. It boasts medieval history, literary connections,
I don’t know about you but I have never been away somewhere before where it was possible to experience daylight 24 hours a day. It still blows my mind that if you fly to the Faroe Islands from London in the summer it takes just two hours and you can do exactly that. It also means you wont sleep for a week because you will be lying in bed saying
I will be honest, the Faroe Islands was never really on my radar until Bruce spotted that Atlantic Airways flight directly there from Gatwick over the summer, and you can do it two hours. Previously it had meant going via Copenhagen but the idea of being able to get there in just two hours suddenly made this other worldly group of 18 islands seem much more attractive. Having spent a
Twenty six years ago my husband introduced me to Westvleteren (pronounced fan vest flay tur ruh) beer whilst we were in Amsterdam. Quite how that quiet assuming little bar is stocking Westvleteren beer is anyone’s guess because it is the most elusive beer in the world. They make three varieties and one of them, the 12 has also been voted the best beer in the world several times. Back when
I have always had a thing for windows. And doors. Oh and rooftops and chimneys And for bicycles leaning against railings. But mostly for windows. A window, with its sturdy wooden frame weathered by time, can stand as a testament to the many eyes that have gazed through it, pondering the mysteries of the world beyond. A world that can look quite unremarkable and yet with the addition of the