What a fab day. Having shaken off horrid cold (hurrah!), I was determined to get out and enjoy the sunshine. We drove over to Keyhaven and walked along the sea wall into Lymington, enjoying a spot of bird watching on the way. Saw my first terns of the year - little and common - and plenty of linnets, lapwing, oystercatchers, various gulls, reed warblers and lots of ducks, geese and swans with their fluffy youngsters. Had a spot of lunch in Lymington down by the quay and then headed back along the lanes and cycle path to Keyhaven and the car.
There was an arts & crafts market in Lymington. Pete has bought us a lovely new print for the hallway of The Needles in the style of the old railway posters. I love a bit of art deco, me.
On the way home we stopped at the Beach House pub in Milford-on-Sea. Such a gorgeous building - and I'm really glad that it hasn't changed from the Westover Hotel. Very tastefully done and the views from the garden across to the Island are stunning. A nice pint of "Billy Stinger" nettle beer whilst resting one's legs went down a treat. Must look into getting the bus over there for a leisurely lunch at some point. The hall is a Grade II Listed Victorian mansion, built in 1897 for the German industrialist Alexander Siemens by Arnold Mitchell. The mansion has ravishing stained glass windows portraying Pre-Raphaelite scenes from the "The Enchanted Wood". There is a splendid oak panelled hall, which is now where the bar is. The dining room, library, and drawing room with a huge carved stone fireplace all come off the hall. There is a minstrels gallery above the hall and the guest rooms look stunning on their web site. There are some amusing prints in the library with the faces of the Hall and Woodhouse founders made to look like cluedo figures. It is a lovely place and is now officially my new most favourite pub in the world ever.
Back at home, after a hot bath and plenty of aftersun I pop the telly on to find that two 80's classics are on Channel 5 so settling in to watch Mannequin and Dirty Dancing this evening. Looking forward to my White Horse trail at end of July - and who knows, might even get an outing with full back pack and tent before the end of the year! Loving the British summer so far. PS Nobody puts baby in the corner.
There was an arts & crafts market in Lymington. Pete has bought us a lovely new print for the hallway of The Needles in the style of the old railway posters. I love a bit of art deco, me.
On the way home we stopped at the Beach House pub in Milford-on-Sea. Such a gorgeous building - and I'm really glad that it hasn't changed from the Westover Hotel. Very tastefully done and the views from the garden across to the Island are stunning. A nice pint of "Billy Stinger" nettle beer whilst resting one's legs went down a treat. Must look into getting the bus over there for a leisurely lunch at some point. The hall is a Grade II Listed Victorian mansion, built in 1897 for the German industrialist Alexander Siemens by Arnold Mitchell. The mansion has ravishing stained glass windows portraying Pre-Raphaelite scenes from the "The Enchanted Wood". There is a splendid oak panelled hall, which is now where the bar is. The dining room, library, and drawing room with a huge carved stone fireplace all come off the hall. There is a minstrels gallery above the hall and the guest rooms look stunning on their web site. There are some amusing prints in the library with the faces of the Hall and Woodhouse founders made to look like cluedo figures. It is a lovely place and is now officially my new most favourite pub in the world ever.
Back at home, after a hot bath and plenty of aftersun I pop the telly on to find that two 80's classics are on Channel 5 so settling in to watch Mannequin and Dirty Dancing this evening. Looking forward to my White Horse trail at end of July - and who knows, might even get an outing with full back pack and tent before the end of the year! Loving the British summer so far. PS Nobody puts baby in the corner.