Another trip to the New Forest

Yesterday was lovely. Although we had another bit of bad luck when my partner’s bank called her to say her details had been stolen (my credit card company called only a few days ago to say the same thing – not related – and they had to send me a new card and account number.) However, thanks to their vigilance, she was contacted straight away and there hasn’t been too much damage.

Anyway, we arrived in Burley just after 1pm with two very excited dogs and found a quiet sunny spot to lay out all the picnic stuff (for those of you interested: butternut tarte with caramelised onion and apple, fresh salad, sweetcorn, bottle of bubbly, spiced carrot cake and kettles chips! I do a fabulous picnic!) We then spent a happy couple of hours lazing in the sun and taking photos before heading into the village for a cream tea. I also bought a rather magnificent walking stick with a deer antler handle. If I have to use a walking stick from time to time, why not a handsome one?

Then it was back into the forest for a game of mini boules, more exploring for the dogs and more lazing for the humans before we decided to head into Lymington and walk down to the old quay and eat fish and chips in the last of the sunshine.

We got home around 10pm; tired, grubby, well fed and satisfied and with over 200 photos. A very good day indeed.

Today my partner headed over to Brick Lane market where it is reputed most stolen bikes end up. She saw one Brompton but sadly, not hers. Although she realised she was probably looking at bikes that were stolen from some other poor sod and that made her sad. Back home (I had to go and help my mum with her shopping) we ate fresh bagels from Brick Lane and discussed getting another dog.

Now I’m thinking a pre-dinner nap might be in order and then a bit of telly and a glass of wine before the weekend is over...

Tough day

Friday's are normally a good day for me, but today has been, to say the least, tough. Actually it's been a really hard week! Part of me would like to crawl under the duvet and forget it all. Maybe I could wake up in a couple of days and feel better able to deal with everything.

Tomorrow we're off to the New Forest with our friend and her dog because if you remember from a previous blog, Charlie (the dog) hasn't got much longer after a massive tumour was removed from her spleen. She's in good form at the moment though so we're making the most of her wonderful company while we can. I'm taking my camera and we'll be making an album of the day. I'm looking forward to a cream tea! And maybe next week will be better.

Maybe.

The New Forest

We went to the New Forest yesterday. It was pretty close to perfect! From us, the Forest is about 2.5 hours away. For some people that may seem far, but for someone who does a lot of driving it doesn’t feel very far and it’s a pleasant trip.

Our weekend started on Friday with dinner round at friends. We had a great evening and decided to leave the car because J offered to pick us up the next morning to go and get it. So it was decided we would get a taxi home and the wine started flowing. They are lovely people and we seemed to talk about everything and anything – silly to serious. We had a wee hangover the next morning and were running late, unfortunately, J wasn’t, so we left him in the front room reading a book about hens as we raced around getting ready.

I put together an absolute feast: sandwiches, bananas and cake for lunch, salad with tuna and new potatoes for supper with strawberries for desert!

Before long we were on the road, with an excited dog and enough food for about six people! We hit nasty traffic problems in west London but eventually got down to the Forest around 1pm. The sun was shining and we pulled off and found a quiet part of the forest to lay down our blankets and laze about reading the Guardian and eating our lunch. Pluto was very happy and took himself off to explore, occasionally he would trot back and lick our faces unexpectedly just to say hi or he would sit sunbathing at our feet. Around 3.30pm we headed over to Burley for a gorgeous cream tea and a look round the shops. Despite Burley having only about 8 shops, my partner managed to buy a new cycle helmet and wallet and bizarrely I fell in love with a peg bag decorated with witches and bought that! (Burley is famous for its witches!). We then headed to another quiet part of the forest, where Pluto was chased by an over protective mare looking after her foal, I had a nap, my partner went for a walk and then we had the most gorgeous supper outside in the sun. We popped back to Burley, went to the pub for a drink before heading back home just after 8pm...

I am finding it increasingly difficult to leave beauty to return to chaos each time. I love the countryside, and I’m afraid London does not provide the succour it once did. But as long as I have my partner and my dog, it’s fair to say I have more happiness than most, and could live pretty much anywhere. Very soon we will be house hunting again so that hopefully we can live in our own little bit of paradise...

Off to see the fantastic Dulwich Ukulele Club this evening at the Brockwell Park Bandstand.

All in all, a great weekend I think you'll agree!

Cream tea

Well I had another interview – it went really well (especially my presentation) but of course I won’t know how well for a couple of days! All I can say with certainty is that I did my very best and they seemed to like me, but then I did my very best and they seemed to like me at the Falmouth interview also, and we know how that ended up!

The interview was down in Hampshire and afterwards, realising how near I was to the New Forest, I decided to go for a little drive to really make the most of the day and it was a very good decision! The weather was a bit rubbish but the Forest is one of my favourite places (I used to live very near). I ended up in Burley and had a cream tea and did a bit of shopping before reluctantly getting back in the car and heading back home.

I got a lovely welcome from my partner and the dog who seemed to think that regardless of the outcome of the interview I was still a bit of a super star!

I haven’t been sleeping well because of everything that’s happening and last night was no exception, I got 2.5 hours and everything is a struggle this morning. At least I can sleep in tomorrow which will help but I do wish there was a switch I could flick to stop my mind racing along and keeping me up till all hours…

This evening I am having a suit fitting. I’m having a bespoke suit made for the wedding which I’m very excited about. It’s very decadent because bespoke costs an arm and a leg (actually you would need bespoke if you didn’t have an arm and a leg I guess…) I’ve got the shoes, and will also have a nice white shirt made as well and that’s me all gussied up and dandy.

Anyway, I don’t seem to have achieved much this morning so I shall need to crack on… before I drop off…