Attic24

Saltburn December 2024 {two}

Last week I took myself off to the Yorkshire coast for a few days rest and recharge, it was such a treat and turned into a very memorable trip. If you missed part {one} you can read the blog post ((here))....and now for the rest of my stay, featuring Storm Darragh.....

Saltburn :: Saturday

I woke up fully expecting to face a day of very stormy weather, and as the daylight crept in I was surprised to find that it didn't look too bad out there. It was windy, slightly drizzly and grey but certainly not the amber storm warning that everyone was talking about. I took a slower start to my day, spending some luxurious time loafing about in the huuuuuge super king size bed (utter luxury) reading a magazine, drinking tea and watching the weather play out over the sea down below.

I was down on the beach by 9.30, enjoying the sound of the waves crashing on the shore and the wind carrying the tang of seasalt with it. There were some very brave swimmers just heading out into the sea, my goodness, it made me shudder just to watch them. I adore being beside the sea but I'm very much a dry-land girl (I'm a very poor swimmer) and the sea would have to be warm and calm (a sunny Greek island beach for example) for me to venture in.

You can see from the above photo that the stormy weather was just beginning to roll in over the cliffs and I was glad to be enjoying my beach walk while it was still relatively good going.

Hmmm, it's almost ten o'clock now and my brain is telling me that it would very much enjoy me taking a seat and infusing it with some caffeine, so time to slowly cliiiiimb uuuuppppppp the steep cliffside and find somewhere cosy to rest a while.

I decided to go and visit a shop that I fell in love with a few years ago because I had a feeling it would be beautifully festive inside and I wasn't disappointed. In fact, I was completely overwhelmed with the sight that greeted me as I walked in the door.....

....oh my. WoW!! It really was a wow moment, and I'm pretty certain that I stood there with my mouth hanging open. This shop is Lillian Daph, a Scandinavian inspired gift and interiors shop. Obviously it doesn't usually look like this with a wooden gazebo type structure right in the centre, but what a genius way to display all the many christmas baubles and tree decorations, it was absolutely beautiful.

Now, Lillian and Daph have a very impressive upstairs which I hadn't had the opportunity to explore before this visit, and just like the ground floor it was absolutely stunning. 

Full of interior inspiration, a mixture of stylish furniture, textiles, lamps and accessories all beautifully curated and displayed. It was gorgeous and I felt like I could've quite happily moved straight in and made myself right at home.

Aside from all the gorgeous merchandise and buckets of visual inspiration, there was another very good reason for my visit to Lillian Daph. When I visited Saltburn back in the Spring (I had a v short one night stay back in May with J and Little B), we discovered that at the back of the shop was a newly opened extension that had been turned into a café ((Yard.coffee shop))

Just like the main shop, it's a beautiful space with oodles of cosy comfort and rustic, decorative details. My coffee was absolutely delicious, in fact it was so good I ordered up a second cup. In the above photo, what you can't see is the large lantern roof window up above. By the time I was slurping through my second coffee, the rain had well and truly arrived and it was literally bouncing in full force onto the roof. Urgh. 

Eventually I had to face up to Storm Darragh and braved the rain to go buy food before scurrying back to my cosy little house. I was absolutely soaked by the time I got in, so I changed out of my wet clothes, cranked the central heating up and settled down to some restorative hooky rows....

...ahhhh, that's better, there's nothing like a bit of colourful yarny therapy to take the edge off the stormy weather.

11.30 and the weather was getting worse and worse as Darragh started raging around the house. I had extra reason to be concerned because I was waiting for some important guests to arrive and I was worried about them driving in the now horizontal rain and gusting winds. Finally just before midday they arrived safe and sound and I was incredibly happy to welcome them into this warm and cosy house. 

Aww, it was so lovely as J and Little B had driven over to join me for a night, and after really enjoying my solo time I was excited to see them and have their company. We had originally planned to do some coastal walking but sadly the storm was far too stormy to even consider it. Instead we spent a quiet afternoon together reading, crocheting and chatting as the rain continued to batter the house.

In the mid afternoon there was a sudden lull and we decided to take advantage and head out. The rain had temporarily eased but the winds, my goodness they were in full force with 50mph gusts, it was unbelievably wild out there on the north east coast. We walked down to sea level and got blown along the promenade - in the above photo it's 3pm, and look how dark it is! 

We made it to the restaurant for a late lunch/early dinner, it was very cosy inside with the storm continuing to be very loud and disruptive outside. Towards the end of our meal the whole restaurant was suddenly plunged into darkness as the power went out - it was kind of funny but also ever so slightly worrying for the night ahead. It came on and off again a few times, and eventually stayed on long enough for us to pay and make our way back in the pouring rain to the house.

The power didn't stay on in Saltburn mind you, and we spent the early evening sitting around some candles and wondering what sort of a night we were in for with no heating and no electricity. Was it atmospheric? Yes, yes it was. J and I are old enough to remember the regular enforced power blackouts in the 1970's, but luckily for us we only had to experience it for about an hour at the weekend.

All night long the storm continued and the noise of the wind and rain against the windows was seriously loud. It was a bit of a disturbed night to be honest and I was glad that I had J there to literally weather the storm with me.

Saltburn Sunday ::

By Sunday morning the rain had moved on but not so the wind. It was still howling round the house (the weather app said 30mph winds with forceful gusts) but I was really glad we didn't have to battle with the rain as well. We had to be out of the house by 10, so we decided to get ready, tidy up our belongings and pack the car before heading out for a very blustery morning walk. 

You can see in the above photo how wild the sea was on Sunday morning, the tide was right up high and the sea was just a mass of white foaming waves being whipped up by the winds. J and Little B both wanted to walk on the pier - I was unsure but as we saw some other people out there we decided to venture along the boards.

We walked to the very end and my goodness, the wind literally stole my breath away. 

The sea felt enormously powerful with giant rolling waves crashing against the pier supports and rolling fast under our feet. We didn't stay out there for long as it was bitterly cold and my internal body clock was beginning to whisper the "coffee" word quite insistently. Luckily for me, both J and Little B are kindred spirits when it comes to enjoying a good morning brew, something that I am very grateful for. Sunday outings to go and drink coffee and eat something sweet are a regular family occurrence for us, and it's even better when we are away from home somehow.

So uuuupppp the steps we climbed, to the top of the cliff where the wind very nearly stole my woolly hat, whipping it right off my head without warning.

Saltburn isn't a big place and I love how quick and easy it is to walk from the wild and natural coast to the heart of the cute little town. We were in for a real treat on Sunday because just over a month ago, a brand new Scandinavian inspired bakery and café had opened its doors. After walking past it on Saturday morning and seeing the locals literally queueing down the street to get in, I had a feeling it would be something special.

Ohhhhh, it was indeed very, very special. The name of the bakery is "Koselig" which I understand is a Norwegian word similar to the Danish hygge. It loosely translates to mean a feeling of cosiness, intimacy, warmth, happiness and being content. I think there is also an underlying social context too, where embracing koselig means to spend time with loved ones, enjoying their company in a cosy setting, with a comforting hot drink and a snack. It's a brilliant name for a cosy café.

As you can see, the freshly baked goods were out of this world and quite different to the usual offerings at our English bakeries. I learnt that all these pastries are freshly baked in the early morning at the sister koselig bakeri in the nearby town of Guisborough. They are as close to homemade as you can get, and you really do get a feeling for the passion behind the artisanal small production.

Little B chose a cinnamon palmier, and J and I shared a dark chocolate brioche bun and both were outstanding. Not to mention the coffee....ohh, it was so so good!

I felt like another layer of simple Saltburn life embedded itself into my heart last weekend, and as I sat in the warm and cosy café (which was packed full, we had to wait patiently to get a table), I felt so very at home. I had this realisation that Saltburn is a little bit like Skipton and Bridport combined - a down to earth Yorkshire town, but with the lovely coastal vibe that I grew up with in Dorset. Unpretentious, slow, simple living, but with a touch of quirkiness and a little bit of luxury. 

Quite simply, I absolutely love spending time there, and as soon as I leave I find myself secretly making plans to return as soon as possible. Of course the family know all about my ongoing love affair with Saltburn and we've stayed there many, many times over the years since the Little'n's were little. It has my heart ♥

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Saltburn December 2024 {one}

Saltburn :: Friday

I really enjoy being away for a few days by myself and this latest trip was everything I wanted it to be. Waking up beside the sea is the stuff that my dreams are made of, and the Saltburn holiday house that I chose to stay in has the most amazing sea views. At this time of year our days are short so I wake up while it's still completely dark outside, sitting in bed with a mug of hot tea waiting impatiently for the daylight to arrive. The weather forecast for my time away was pretty dire with a moderate storm warning, so on Friday morning I was really, really overjoyed to see beautiful blue skies out there above the sea.

I was up, showered and dressed and down onto the beach by 8.30, keen to soak in the beautiful early morning light and breathe in that glorious salty sea air.

Walking along the shoreline as close to the sea as I could get felt absolutely wonderful. Being beside the sea gives me a feeling that I rarely get anywhere else, it's a heady combination of total calm relaxation mixed with high, pulsing energy. It's intoxicating and quite addictive, and it's the reason why you see me so frequently taking myself off to the coast because I experience such a strong pull to go chase down this feeling!

I found a beautiful piece of turquoise sea glass as I strolled along the beach, coastal treasure which made me very happy.

There were very few people around at this time of the morning, a lone surfer and a few dog walkers keeping my company. I made my way to Camfields just as it was opening and  bought an Illy coffee to take out onto the pier....

...which was blissfully catching the first rays of the sun as it rose above the cliffs.

I sat myself down on a wooden bench half way along the pier, tipping my face up to the sun while I sipped my coffee and listened to the sounds of the waves underneath my feet.

Saltburn pier has Victorian heritage and I often think about that as I stroll from one end to the other. It opened in 1869, and I like to imagine all the people who have strolled along the old boards in its 150 year old history.

Promenading for pleasure is such an underrated and joyful activity and you won't be surprised to know that I am a huge fan. I absolutely love piers and seaside esplanades and promenades - piers in particular are fantastic inventions and it's a wonderful feeling to walk directly above the waves as they roll in underneath your feet and all around.

After my morning coffee and pier promenade, I made my way slowly up the cliffside by way of the many interconnecting flights of steps which zig zag all the way to the top. It's a steep but exhilarating climb and the views from the top are always worth the effort.

I walked along Marine Parade and stopped as I always do to admire this very beautiful old Victorian building which dominates the street. It was originally built as a hotel in the mid 1800's and is now divided up into apartments, all with stunning sea views. 

Slightly less grand but still very charming are the the Victorian "jewel streets" of Saltburn. Named after  precious stones (Coral, Garnet, Ruby, Emerald, Pearl, Diamond and Amber Streets), they are built in a gridiron layout and all lead down to the upper sea front. Over the years I've stayed in quite a few of these streets as many of the larger houses are divided into apartments which are rented out as holiday lets.

I enjoy walking up and down the jewel streets, admiring the front gardens and the lovely Victorian architecture....

....and the many, many quirky houses that are so full of character. I've no idea about the history of this ivy covered house but I'm really fascinated by it and always stop and wonder about it.

Coming back to my cosy little holiday house after a good few hours of walking was so comforting, it's a beautiful house to stay in (I was last here in my own back in July 2022). The downstairs is all open plan with wide bi-fold doors at the front which let light flood in and give the most wonderful sea views. I spent the whole afternoon working on my colourwash merino Canalboat blanket and am happy to tell you that it's looking (and feeling) incredible. The yarn is sooooo soft and squishy and an absolute joy to work with, and as you can see from the above photo, the colours are delicious.

Around 3pm I suddenly felt the need for a little break from the hook and some fresh air, so before the light disappeared I went for a walk. Instead of heading down to the sea, I decided to explore some of the old residential areas of Saltburn (oh my, some seriously posh houses) which led me into the large area of woodland which runs down the valley. There are lots of pathways to follow but I stuck to the well marked Cleveland Way which I knew would lead me directly down to the sea.

Coming back into town an hour later, it was 4pm and already starting to get dark. I wanted to try and show you the colourful christmas lights and trees in the town, they were ever so hard to photograph....

....but hopefully you can get an impression. I LoVED them so much as I am an eternal lover of coloured lights at christmas time and really enjoy the nostalgic childhood memories they evoke.

I expect you can gather by now that I really, really love Saltburn. It's only a small town (population of around six thousand) and of course I love the natural coastal landscape and the fact that as a seaside town it remains very unspoilt with a lovely sense of preserved history. There is also a genuine feeling of close community here with friendly people and a welcoming warmth, plus it's also ever so slightly eccentric and quirky which appeals to me on all levels! 

Tomorrow I'll tell you about the remainder of my stay which turned out to be a very stormy affair....see you then 

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Dorset :: March 2024 (part 2)

At the start of March I spent a few days down in Dorset, renting a holiday apartment in Weymouth so that I could visit my Dad, but also take some time to recharge and enjoy a short holiday. I travelled with a good friend and we had such a lovely time - you can read  Part 1 of my Dorset tales in my previous blog post ((here)).

Staying in Weymouth was really great, I LoVeD being so close to the sea and our first floor apartment was in a fantastic location with floor to ceiling windows and views out across the harbour. 

I am an early-to-bed-early-to-rise person and when I'm on holiday my body clock remains pretty consistent. In early March the skies were just starting to lighten around 6am and I was very happy to naturally wake up at this time in the morning to enjoy the early daylight. I promised myself that if the weather was clear in the mornings, then I would make the effort and get myself outside onto the beach to catch the sun rise over the sea. It's one of my all time favourite things to do, so on Sunday morning when I woke up to a very crisp and clear sky, I was up and out the door at 6.40am when the moon was still hanging above the rooftops. 

I strolled around the harbour and straight down onto the sandy beach....

....where it was still and quiet and oh-so-tranquil.

At five minutes to seven, the sun peeped over the horizon and I strolled along the shoreline watching and waiting for the Full Rise.

Ahhh, there it is, at 7:06, the promise of a gloriously sunshiny day ahead. I was soooo happy that I kept my promise to myself and gave myself the gift of a seaside sunrise. What a joy!

I spent a while idling on the beach, then eventually made my way up to the esplanade to slowly meander back to the apartment. That rather grand building in the above photo is the Royal Hotel which opened in 1899. I really do love the slightly faded grandeur of seaside resorts, there is something so charming about these old buildings with their many decades of history.

One thing I didn't know until this recent visit is that Weymouth has its very own microclimate. Because it is situated in an east facing bay, it's much warmer and drier than the surrounding areas. Don't be fooled by that tropical looking palm tree (although isn't it impressive?) - on this morning the temperature was only slightly above freezing, so very chilly indeed.

Spring had definitely arrived on the south coast at the start of March, and despite the cold air, the glorious sunlight and delicate blossom more than made up for the chill.

I enjoyed exploring some of the smaller side streets at this early hour before many people were about, loving the quaint and olde worlde feel of the old buildings and bowed windows. In the summer months, these little streets are absolutely jam packed with hoards of holiday makers, so it was really lovely to get the chance to see it out of season.

A bit later on Sunday morning, and here we are back at our local café again, enjoying the sun on our faces as we took in the harbour views over a delicious frothy coffee. Absolute pleasure, right there. It's almost ten o'clock now so we must drink up because we have somewhere to be and people to meet and we can't be late....

....we have a date at this very lovely little place right at the end of the Esplanade. This is the charming Alexandra Hotel, and this gorgeous, light-filled room was soon to be bursting at the seams with an excited crowd of yarn lovers.

WOW, just look!!! This was a very last minute get together organised by the "Friends of Attic24 : Dorset" Facebook group. They meet in various locations in West Dorset, and on this occasion very kindly worked the gathering around my visit to Weymouth. I think this was by far the biggest turn out with around thirty of us all chatting and hooking and enjoying some Attic spirit. I had been a teensy bit nervous before hand because I really don't like being the centre of attention at all, but everyone was soooooo lovely and the atmosphere was incredibly bouncy and uplifting  which made it very easy for me to relax and enjoy the morning.

Just outside the hotel there is a small fairground with a few rides aimed at young children. This old fashioned carousel caught my eye because of all the glorious colours, look......

.....isn't it beautiful??

Inside the hotel there was a spontaneous idea which sprang to life like wild fire - what about we all take a ride on the carousel, and what about if we all take our crochet blankets with us and add even more colour to the whole proceedings? A good idea??? Shall we???? YES!!!!!!!!!!!!

Load, Ride, Play!!!

Oh, it was BRILLIANT!!!

Such good spirits..... 

....and a lot of fun for me to see my crochet designs out in the wild in such an unexpected way. Love love love love love.

What a wonderful, uplifting, slightly emotional and very happy time I had with my Dorset crochet gang. I loved it, and felt so grateful to be surrounded by so much friendship and good vibes. HUGE thanks to the lovely Sandra (wearing the bright pink tee and sitting front right) for organising and rallying us all to the Alexandra, truly a very memorable time.

I thought I would show you a map ↑↑ just in case you have no idea about Weymouth and Dorset and were curious. You can see it's down on the south-west coast of England, and how the curve of the coast puts Weymouth bay in an east facing direction even though it's on the south coast. You can see the Isle of Portland connected by a very narrow causeway, and the long thin stretch of chesil beach to the west which is separated from the land by water. It's a wonderful coastline, and in the future I'd really like to spend longer down there, with time to explore Portland. I've been there before in years gone by, as a child and also once or twice with J, but I'd love to go back and really spend some time walking and exploring.

On Sunday afternoon after the crochet meet was over, my friend and I decided to take a walk around the coast. The weather was really bright and gorgeous still, and the blues of the sea and sky were breath taking.

We walked for a few miles following the South West coast path, stopping off  at this near deserted beach called Castle Cove.

On the horizon you can see the Isle of Portland stretching out - I feel it calling to me for some reason, like I need to make the journey to go there? I get these strong feelings from time to time, like my soul is being pulled to be somewhere. 

It was such a lovely walk, we made it as far as Sandsfoot Castle and gardens which has a very popular little café with a super-sunny terrace and outdoor seating. What a treat to be able to enjoy this sea view with an afternoon cup of tea and biscuits before slowly re-tracing our steps and walking the 2.5 miles back again.

It was 5.30pm by the time we arrived back at the harbourside, the sun had just set and the early evening light was beautifully calm and tranquil. 

A very busy and long day, and my heart was full.

Monday morning, and almost time to pack up and begin our long journey back north again. I decided to take one last walk along the beach even though it was quite grey and cloudy out, I just couldn't resist the pull of the shoreline when it was right there just minutes away from my bed. 

I made it onto the beach for 7.30am....

....and spent a while beachcombing and ambling along, lost in my own thoughts for a while. The day before had felt like an Enormous Day with a lot of high energy expenditure, and as an introverted soul I always feel the need to recalibrate and reset after a big social event. The sea worked its magic and I slowly felt the return of my inner calm. It's such a lovely thing to be able to take solo time when I need it and I am thankful for these pockets of quiet time I can create in my days when I need them.

 We had to leave our lovely cosy apartment by 10, so we spent the morning exploring some of the historic parts of Weymouth over on the other side of the harbour. Lots of old buildings and small cobbled streets and up on the headland the impressive Nothe fort. I have some childhood memories here - my grandparents really liked Weymouth and I remember often coming with them to picnic in the Nothe Gardens in my summer holidays.

It was a chilly, overcast end to my time in Dorset, like the weather was making my goodbye easier. One last stroll round the harbour and a coffee with a beautiful boaty view before it was time to slowly make our way homewards on the train. 

It was a really good holiday this one, and more than anything I'm really happy (and relieved) that I was able to feel like I was on holiday in Dorset for the first time in years. Thank you for coming along with me, and an especially big thank you to those of you who left a comment on my last post {Dorset part 1}. You are so kind to share your own stories with me, it has helped me feel very supported and understood as I navigate this rather sad journey with my Dad. Thank you so, so much for that.

Dorset Spring 2024 - it was wonderful.

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Dorset :: March 2024 (part 1)

Travelling from the north of England to visit my family in Dorset (south coast) is a 600 mile round journey I've made countless times since I left home as a teenager. I've lived in the north of England since my Manchester student days in the 80's, so I've experienced many decades of north-south-north travel and it's become a familiar part of my adult life.

Last year I made more Dorset trips than ever before (seven? eight?) and without a doubt, each and every one of those visits was stressful and difficult. Most of you will know the story here - my Dorset visits last year were about caring for my Dad who has mid stage mixed dementia, and after a huge amount of worry and stress we were eventually able to move him into a care home in October. The last time I was in Dorset was in late October, a trip made with J so that we could sort out my Dad's house and prepare for it to be cleared and vacated. It was an emotional end to forty five years of attachment to the home where I grew up through my teenage years and then stayed as an adult with my own family.

So I had high hopes for this latest trip to Dorset - I wanted it to be a fresh start of sorts, a way to revisit a much loved and familiar place without feeling the constant weight of worry or stress. I wanted my days spent there to regain something of a light and happy feel, and to start to heal from the past few years which have been so emotionally hard.

Two things were different about this latest visit to Dorset. Number one, I chose to stay somewhere new, deciding on Weymouth which is a seaside resort twenty miles along the coast from where I grew up and call home. I wanted to be near the sea, take early morning walks on the beach and feel like I was on holiday while still being close enough to my Dad's care home for easy visiting.

Number two, I wasn't on my own this visit, but travelling and holidaying with a close friend who also has family connections in Dorset. It's a totally different vibe travelling with a friend - lets just say she has a lively, outgoing personality (the opposite to my quiet, introverted one), and the train journey was chatty and we drank prosecco out of plastic cups - say no more!

We stayed our first night in a small and very lovely guest house, but for the next three nights we had booked a holiday apartment with views out over the harbour. That first morning by the sea was absolutely beautiful, as if I had placed an order and had it delivered especially. The bluest of skies and bright, bright sunlight, the sort of high-grade light that you only get beside the sea on a sunshiny day. 

We took a slow, ambling stroll all along the central beach at Weymouth, heading east over the sands and then onto the smaller pebbly beach which is backed by pretty pastel painted guest houses and cute beach huts. 

It was so nice just pottering along the shoreline chatting to my friend, stopping often to pick up shells and take in the coastal scenery. 

By the time we walked back to the main sandy beach the morning was moving on (the time stamp on the above photo reads exactly 11:11, don't you love it when those numbers all line up for a moment in time?)

We had a train to catch, so we took a quick stroll around the harbour and then off to the train station in town. I was going to see my Dad, and the train made it very easy for me with a quick eleven minute journey and then a very short walk. The visit was short (I'll tell you more at the end of this post I think) and I came out of the care home feeling a bit deflated, so it was a good feeling to be able to get back on the train, shake off the low mood and know that I was heading to the calming influence of the sea.

We checked into our apartment in the late afternoon and it was absolutely perfect. Warm, homely and spotlessly clean with large windows in all the rooms facing out to the harbour. It was too cold to make use of the balcony, but I imagine in summertime that this little outside space gets a lot of use from visiting guests.

My friend was a life long knitter until I brought her over to the bright side and introduced her to the hook fourteen years ago. She's been crocheting ever since and is currently making the Sungold blanket. I have to say we were both very content to spend time in the apartment watching the boats coming and going  while adding rows/rounds to our Sungold projects. Crochet is such a beautiful way to spend relaxing time, I adore it for that.

Can you see on the table in the above photo there is a platter? I wanted to show it to you......

....isn't it stunning? It's made by an artist called Margaret Johnson and we saw lots of her work displayed in a gorgeous little gallery on the other side of the harbour. I loved that the apartment showcased original art work on the walls too, and it was great to be able to see more work in the gallery (Cove Gallery, if you are ever in the area, they were very friendly and welcoming in there, and had so many gorgeous things, all with a coastal theme).

Saturday morning and after a really solid nights sleep we woke up to a lovely cold, blustery, bright, fresh day. My friend and I both had our own plans for Saturday, each of us visiting our Dads. It's a strange co-incidence that we became fast friends in Yorkshire and later on found out that we shared a connection to this part of Dorset. Her Dad lives in Weymouth and she's spent many of her own family holidays here over the years, and now my Dad is only 8 miles down the road. So, a Dad-day for us both.......

.....but first.....c-o-f-f-e-eeeeeeeee. 

I picked this place out and what a bloomin' good choice it was too. It's a bikers café right on the side of the harbour, with sunny outside tables and stunning views. No, no, not the noisy bikes with roaring engines, but the silent new breed of electric pedal bikes that are all the rage these days. In my experience, where cyclists gather there is usually very good coffee and baked goods to be had, and this proved to be accurate in Weymouth. The coffee was outstanding and the views.....

.....well, they were outstanding too. Weymouth harbour is very, very picturesque, especially in this quiet part of the year when there is breathing space and no crowds. 

After my very good coffee, I walked through the centre of Weymouth town to go and track down the coastal bus. My plan was to journey along the coast to Bridport to meet with Lady B, take her out for brunch and then we were going to go together to spend a few hours in the afternoon with my Dad.

I LOVE travelling on this bus, it's called the Jurassic Coaster and sitting on the top deck gives an amazing view of the Dorset coast which I love so, so much. You can see in the above photo we are about to whizz past the turning to West Bexington, and you can see the caravan site above Chesil beach where we stayed last year.

It was lovely to see Lady B and our visit to my Dad was OK....I'll try and tell you a bit more about it at the end of this post, if the words will come. It's hard.

After saying my goodbyes, I once again hopped on the train and journeyed the eleven minutes along to the end of the line where the sea was waiting for me. What an absolute delight to be able to walk "home" along the beach and breathe in the calm of the sea.

Fishing boats were returning to the harbour after a day at sea...

....and the early evening light was ever so beautiful.

I can't tell you how wonderful it was to have this time at the coast, it really did help re-balance my soul at the beginning and end of each day.

So...my Dad. He is doing OK really, and surprisingly (given his difficult, stubborn temperament), he has settled pretty well into the care home life. He has aged considerably in the four months since my last visit, I think dementia has a way of slowly leaching away both body and mind and I thought that my Dad just seemed "less" in every way. He has lost weight, is very slow and wobbly, and generally just a lot of his character and spirit has vanished. He has never really been the chatty sort, but now he doesn't really like to speak much at all. He didn't know who I was, not one clue. Even when I told him my name and that we were family, he just didn't understand what that meant any more. I can't lie, it was dreadfully sad, but at the same time I think I did a lot of my heart felt emotional grieving last year and have now reached a place of quiet acceptance. He is safe (and for most of last year he really wasn't at all safe) and seems reasonably content, so I am thankful for that. 

I was so glad that my visit to Dorset this time was about more than just dealing with the effects of dementia. This area of the south coast where I grew up is still a place that brings me great peace and joy, and I really felt that in the days I spent there. I'll tell you about Sunday in my next post - it was such a GOOD day and I can't wait to share it with you.

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And Home Again

Hello, hello! I am home again after my travels down to Dorset and I have to say I had a wonderful time away. It was just the right combination of activity and rest, of socialising and quiet time, and I've come home feeling energised and excited for the month ahead.

My trip back north on Monday was very delayed due to a derailed train (not mine, thankfully), which meant I had some unexpected extra hours in Dorset but also a very late return home. I got into my bed just before midnight and it felt sooooo good after such a long day on the move. I really enjoy going away on short trips and staying in different places but there is still something wonderful about coming home to my own nest. I love my bed to the moon and back.

My house never ever looks tidy or neat, and as a family we live in a permanent state of mild but colourful chaos. It's been very noticeable to me this week after staying in a modern and supremely tidy holiday apartment where everything was colour co-ordinated and minimal. Yesterday morning I sat on my sofa amongst the three crochet cushions and seven crochet blankets and felt kind of relieved to be back to my cosy world of homespun colour. I missed my crochet blankets massively while I was away sitting on a modern  grey sofa with its tasteful, colour-co-ordinated, department store cushions.

The kitty is in a mood and appears to be annoyed with me for leaving her for five whole days. How very dare I go away for days on end! I am finding it strangely funny because she is being so standoffish, and I'm wondering how much longer I'm going to be in the naughty corner.

Yesterday morning I took myself out for coffee, just me and my own solitary company. It was great, truly. Every so often I like to go to a coffee shop where I am anonymous and my choice is usually Caffe Nero. I like that the coffee is strong, and the upstairs room is warm and usually pretty empty (I had it all to myself yesterday) with gentle classical music playing, and views out of the upstairs windows across the bottom end of the town. It was a chink of time for me to sit and be still with my thoughts after the busy-ness of travelling hundreds of miles the day before.

I went food shopping after my coffee so that I can get back to the business of eating well, it's always the way after a holiday I find. I continue to love love love eating meals out of this bowl, I don't know what it is about it but it makes me stupid happy. Maybe it's the generous size of it (it's 22cm wide and shallow), or the joyful flowers, I don't know but it really gives me pleasure.

I made a courgette-noodle salad (this simple gadget is wonderful if you want to noodlify your courgettes) - courgette, edamame beans and tomatoes tossed in a little olive oil with a squeeze of lemon juice, some oven roasted garlicky broccoli and some flaked sweet chilli salmon fillet for healthy protein. 

As well as food I bought fresh flowers which was another thing I missed while staying in the pristine grey-toned holiday apartment. These £1 bunches of daffs are in all the supermarkets at the moment but it's not often you get any kind of variety. I spotted these pale creamy yellow ones yesterday and felt a little thrill of excitement at finding something different to the bright yellow commoners. Seriously, a thrill. I'll try and remember to photograph them again when they've fully opened so you can appreciate them fully.

By the way, I've had a few questions on socials lately about some of the old crochet things that often appear in my photos, so thought I could pop that info here.... the pattern for the cotton mandalas that sit on my table under jugs of flowers is in my sidebar list under A for "Attic24 Mandala Wheel". The colourful stripy jar jacket was made waaaaaaaaay back in 2008 and you can find the instructions in the list under C for "Crochet Jar Jacket". Not a shade of grey in sight.

I unpacked my bag yesterday and for some weird and wonderful reason I took a photograph of my "holiday treats". Little pleasures from time spent relaxing and holidaying in Dorset. 

1. The Simple Things March issue : I took this with me to read and although I didn't manage more than a few pages I can tell you it is a delight. 
2. Shells : a scallop shell, a very beautiful iridescent and pearly piece of shell, and two sea-washed top shells which are also very pearly. Beach treasure.
3. Moores Easter Biscuits : these are like gold dust at this time of year so I was delighted to scoop a packet when I visited Bridport where they are made. Easter just wouldn't feel right without them, and I have a huge nostalgic love of them along with some lovely memories of my Mum.
4. Crochet : as you can see I travelled with my hook and Sungold leftovers and had a lovely time working on a Blooming Flower cushion. 

Dorset was quite simply : w-o-n-d-e-r-f-u-l.

The weather was mostly fantastic with blue skies and sunshine making everything look and feel unbelievably bright and fresh. And of course I was really happy to spend some extended time by the sea - definitely a great decision to stay in a coastal location this trip.

It's been some years since I visited Weymouth - I looked back in my bloggy archives to find the date and it was Easter 2015, so nine years ago. It's a sizeable seaside holiday town about 22 miles further along the coast from where I grew up in Bridport, and in the tourist season it gets incredibly crowded and isn't somewhere I would naturally feel drawn to. Out of season, however, it was a different story. It was quiet and relaxing and for the first time I got to really explore the harbour and coastline as well as the town streets and I really liked what I saw.

This afternoon I tidied my little desk and spent some time sorting out all my photographs....

....one hundred and twenty six images which tell the tale of my short time away by the coast. I'm looking forward to sharing my holiday with you because it was really very picturesque in Weymouth in the sunshine!

For now though, here are a few quick postcards..........

More of Weymouth coming soon..................

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Yuletide Season 2023

Hey - hi - hello - happy new year !! 

I thought it was high time I dusted off my laptop (literally) and opened up my attic window to let some fresh air blow in. I've been hibernating it seems, content to shuffle about in my own little world enjoying the Yuletide season and grounding myself in my real life world for a while. Don't get me wrong, you know I adore our online community, but every so often it's good for me to gently disconnect from my digital world for a bit and take a rest.

I've had a super-relaxing few weeks spending quiet time at home with J and the Little People. I know it's a bit ridiculous that I still refer to them as Little People because they are anything but little these days - my two boys (age 21 and almost 14) are enormous humans compared to my short five foot three self. Our school holidays fell very late this year and Little B didn't break up until Friday 22nd. On the plus said it has given us this whole week at the start of January where we are still in holiday mode and it feels like a luxury to be able to start the year in a deliciously slow way. Back to school next Tuesday.

J decided to take a full two weeks off work to coincide with the school holidays which has been so, so nice, I can't remember the last time he took such a long holiday. There was a part of me which desperately wanted to take advantage and organise some sort of New Year holiday or short break away (the sea is always, always calling me) but nobody else wanted to do anything so I had to quieten myself down and accept the reality. In hindsight I realise it has been the right decision and there is a lot to be said for gentle, slow, stay-home days where the focus has been on rest and relaxation. 

The photos above were all taken in the late afternoon in mid December, which shows how very long our dark hours are at the moment. The first two images were around 4pm, and the one just above where you can see the moon is 4.30pm. I was looking at it just now and wondering what on earth I was doing walking along that particular stretch of road as it was getting dark, and then remembered I was heading to the pub with Little Lady for a cheeky pre-dinner drinky. So often it catches me by surprise that I have these wonderfully mature, grown up offspring now, I somehow keep forgetting that. 

I decorated late and slow for Christmas, the tree went up on Sunday 17th and other decorative bits and bobs happened in stops and starts over the following week.

I enjoyed the tree just as much as ever, the familiar clash of colours and decorations gathered over two decades of family life. Nothing new on the branches, but I've come to adore the sameyness of our old Christmas tree and the nostalgic memories that pour forth from its branches. It's been an absolute joy to have my latest blankets around too - the Starbright colours make me so, so stupidly happy. Colour-filled happy nostalgia is the very essence of Christmas for me I think.

Unpacking my homemade Christmas decorations is always a bit special and I love the quiet rediscovery of them each year. This is my Festive Garland from three years ago (the blog post and free pattern is ((here)), ahh, the colours are just so good!

I didn't take very many photos of my mantels this Christmas, but they are the same kind of thing that I do every year. I don't really go all out with my mantels, I have fairy lights and candles on there all year round so I simply add just a few decorative things along with the garland change. 

Winter Solstice was a day later than usual and fell on the 22nd which was the same day the schools finished for Christmas so it felt like a lovely time for quiet celebration. I lit a Clementine scented candle and made a small ivy and eucalyptus wreath to go around it, and it was just enough. I've learnt over the years that it's only me who cares about celebrating the four turning points in the year as the rest of the family don't share my love of the seasons. So these days I resist the urge to drag them all into it, and just go about my own personal little rituals which have meaning to me.

For quite a few years now I've been treating myself to a special festive bouquet, usually timed to arrive for the Winter Solstice. This year I decided not to use the usual online letterbox flower company (their festive bouquet had flowers in it which I didn't really like all that much), but instead I went to a local florist shop in town. I told the lady what I liked - mainly foliage and berries with some bold red flowers so long as they weren't carnations (!) -  and she said she would need an hour to make something up specially for me. I honestly was a bit nervous as this is a real indulgence and I only ever buy myself expensive flowers once a year. But my goodness, the bouquet they created for me was stunning! You can see in the photo above, I had just collected it from the florist and the single Amaryllis stem has five beautiful buds just about to burst open....oh I was soooo excited that they included one of my favourite blooms. In fact, I never realised that you could buy an actual amaryllis stem in a florist shop?

Over the Christmas week the flowers opened....

....and I couldn't love them more. In fact, two weeks on and the bouquet is still looking really good - I've thinned it out a bit and re-cut the stems and I reckon it'll be good for another week yet. What a wonderful treat I gave myself.

Christmas day itself was wonderfully relaxed, just the five of us taking it easy, enjoying good food and drinks and simple family time. I know I've said my Little People are no longer little children, but every year they do seem to delight in the same traditions that we've built throughout their childhood. One of those is party poppers at the dinner table - does anyone else do this? My kidlets absolutely love them, and there is always a competition between them to see who can get the perfect aim with the streamers over the lampshade.

We had old fashioned Christmas crackers with paper hats, jokes and little gifts inside. This origami frog was made by the Big Teen who has always loved paper folding since being young. I've kept the frog on my mantel, a little memento of a wonderful Christmas time full of simple traditions.

Something else we did a lot of this Christmas was jigsaw puzzles. Again, this is such a strong, long standing tradition carried forward from my own childhood. There is something so enjoyable about sitting at the table on a quiet morning to work on a jigsaw, the slow simplicity of it really makes me happy. All the family join in too, the Little People and J, all of us taking turns over the course of a day or two. We favour the smaller 500 piece puzzles which can pretty easily be completed in a day - we have two Christmassy ones which we bought many years ago, and this year I also purchased a new one.....

 

.....Nutcraker Magic. Oh, this one was SO MUCH FUN!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It was interesting all the way from start to finish, and the puzzle pieces themselves were so, so good to fit together, do you know what I mean? When there is zero wiggle room and every piece just plunks in place in a really tightly, satisfying way? Well, this puzzle delivered peak jigsaw satisfaction, can ten out of ten recommend.

I can honestly say that these quiet days at home have been restorative in the true sense of the word. I've spent a lot of time on the sofa wrapped in colourful blankets, passing the time doing nothing of note. Sometimes reading, sometimes snoozing, sometimes watching easy films which the Little People chose, and sometimes just daydreaming and allowing my mind and body to be completely at rest. It's been absolutely bloomin' lovely. 

The weather has been awful really. I honestly think it has rained almost constantly for about three weeks now, so much water falling and everywhere so waterlogged and sodden. Of course I've still been out and about as my lifestyle involves a fair bit of daily walking, but it's been very uninspiring out there.

The woodland paths are exceptionally wet, more like little streams than footpaths, so it's been wellies for the win. 

It's not been possible to get into the countryside for walking because fields and paths are just mud slides at the moment. But last weekend we drove out into the Dales to see how the river was looking at Linton Falls.....

.....this river is always impressive but right now it is mind blowingly full. It was exhilarating just standing near it - the noise of it was incredible. 

One day last week we decided to go to Salts Mill, it's been a while since I've been and amazingly we realised that J has never been. Not ever?! Surely he has?! But no, in the sixteen years of living here it's always just been me and the Little People who have visited and I was keen to show him what he's been missing.

It was so beautifully decorated for Christmas, and although it was busy it still felt very restful and just a wonderful place to slow down and spend idle time. We took our time browsing the whole two floors, taking it all in and marvelling at this incredible building. J and I both share a love of art materials, so I knew he would adore Salts - it has a massive art shop section full of pens, pencils, paints and all manner of creative inspiration (he bought new pens, I knew he would)

The Home shop was looking glorious, it's always very special at Christmas time with a lot of effort put into the displays.

I mean, just look at this ^^ isn't it beautiful?

It was a really enjoyable family outing - top notch browsing and then a late pub lunch down by the river in Saltaire village. Wonderful, wholesome holiday stuff.

I bought a few cards from Salts like I always do, they have a very extensive selection of artists cards there. I fell in love with the above image titled "the Strollers" by Dee Nickerson - it reminded me so much of our many visits to Saltburn over the years, and honestly I am madly craving a visit to the coast right now. Maybe sometime in January I will just go off for a few days like I did in October, the call of the sea is running strong.

I packed Christmas away yesterday, boxed it all up for another year. My Starbright blankets are staying though, I can't bring myself to lose the joy of those colours in this season of low light and greyness.

Creatively I've been in a bit of a lull during the past few weeks. I've been slowly, slowly working on my new Sungold stripes which I'll talk to you more about in a moment. I did pull together the above collection of yarn balls before Christmas though, and I sat for a few solid days and crocheted some Christmas gifts for friends. It was a fun thing to work on a new design, sitting and hooking and stitching something new - I'll show you next week what I made because I think there could be a new pattern to share which you might enjoy. 

So Sungold stripes - oh, they are looking so so so GOOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm not going to spoil the surprise because you will see them soon enough when the Sungold Crochet-Along begins.....ToMoRRoW!!! Eeeppppp.....it's come around all of a  sudden and I have much still to do. Thankfully I had the sense to get the pattern all written up a while ago and J (love him) has already made the charts and worksheets and PDF things for you, but my job for today is to pull together the tutorial. And by pull together, I mean I need coffee first and then I am photographing and editing and uploading and writing and checking and checking some more. Always so last minute, but it's just the way I am.

If you are joining in, then we shall be getting going on Friday morning - I think between 9 and 10am tomorrow I should be ready to sing and dance with you......see you then!

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Hooky Retreats

Well today I have something lovely to share, and I hope I can do so without getting too ridiculously over excited.  It's not often that I set out to "promote" myself but I do like to chat to you openly about things that are happening in my life and the joys that come my way as a result of me putting myself out there on the World Wide Web.

You may remember me writing about teaching a crochet retreat in the south of France back in October? I shared my trip to beautiful Carcassonne on my blog, and if you missed it here are the links >>

((Carcassonne Part 1))  and ((Carcassonne Part 2))

It was a wonderful experience that will be forever in my memory.

Carcassonne was actually my third Stitchtopia retreat as I was lucky enough to teach my first two in 2019 when I went to stay in a chateau in the French Alpes. I know, it sounds ridiculously dreamy and so far removed from my rather mundane and humble life here in North Yorkshire, doesn't it? 

I was looking back through my blog archives yesterday and realised sadly that I didn't get round to writing about the chateau retreat. I can't remember the reason why it slipped through the net, but I thought I'd share just a few photos with you today. I based my workshop around mandalas, and used them to teach some elements of colour theory. I created a bespoke yarn kit especially for the retreat, along with three new mandala patterns. The crochet in the above photo used my simple granny mandala pattern, designed as an easy way to experiment with using the colour wheel and learning about hot and cold colour combinations.

I also designed a decorative mandala which could be crocheted onto a small hoop, with some fun dingly dangly bits to add a bit of extra detail. I named this one the Daydream Mandala.

And finally, the third design encouraged the guests to plan their own harmonious colourways for a much larger 30cm mandala hoop. I named this one the Chateau mandala. It was brilliant fun to teach these projects with some practical colour theory lessons to help with planning projects and creating harmonious colour sequences. And I'm sure you'll agree, the finished mandalas look absolutely stunning.

Spending a week on a crochet retreat isn't all about hook and yarn though, as there are excursions and day trips planned into the itinerary. I LOVED going out and about just as much as I loved the crochet time and found it really inspirational.

One of the things I appreciated about going on this kind of trip was the complete relaxation of it all. Everything is organised so well, and we had a fabulous English tour guide with us at all times so that we felt very well looked after. Some ladies came in pairs (two best friends for example, or Mum and daughter) but most ladies come on their own, knowing that they'll will be with like minded souls who share their love of yarn and crochet. It's such a friendly, inspiring and sociable type of holiday experience, and I can highly recommend it.

This year I'm going to be teaching two more retreats on the sunny Portuguese island of Madeira, and I absolutely can't wait. The first trip is next month and I'm busy preparing the kits and working on the pattern and colour lessons for the project I'll be teaching.

When these retreats were announced in January they sold out very quickly and I didn't even get a chance to tell you about them here first! So when we began planning my next set of retreats for 2024 I decided that I really wanted to announce it here on my blog first so that any of you who fancy coming would have a chance to investigate before the Sold Out sign goes up.

Would you like to see where I'm going next year?

I'm veeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeery excited!!!!!!!!

The first trip of 2024 will be at the very end of June and will take me to Portugal. This is a twin-centre holiday with an amazing itinerary, I mean - Lisbon and Porto - both stunning cities that have been sitting on my must-visit list for a long time. 

The Portugal retreat is now open for bookings and you can find out all the details and dates etc by clicking on the following link >>

https://www.arenatravel.com/holiday/portugal-crochet-retreat

My second trip of 2024 will be in September and I can hardly believe this, but I will be going to Morocco. Yes, Morocco!  This retreat hasn't gone on sale yet but I think it'll be coming up soon. Here is the official blurb I've been given, just so you have an idea of what it'll be like >>

"Lucy, crochet designer and blogger at Attic24, invites you to join her on this 2-centre holiday in Morocco. Experience the rich culture of Morocco as you explore the imperial city of Marrakech and the coastal port town of Essaouira. Accompanied by a local guide throughout, enjoy discovering architectural treasures, spice-filled souks bursting with vibrant colours and enchanting gardens. Stay in the charming 4-star Riad Baraka and Karam in Marrakech and the 5-star Le Medina in Essaouira and enjoy a series of crochet workshops with Lucy and leave with plenty of colourful inspiration."

The lovely folks at Arena Travel who help customers with their bookings asked me to give out their telephone number, just in case you wanted more details about the Portugal retreat, or if you'd like to pre-register interest for the Morocco retreat.

The number is 01473 357036.  

I hope you'll forgive the salesy nature of this blog post, I feel a bit uncomfortable doing any kind of sales pitch here in my lovely Attic space. But these retreats are important to me and as you know I am passionate about sharing my love of crochet and colour.

Thank you for always supporting me, I do appreciate it very much. Normal day-to-day blogging will resume in the next day or two, I've got buttercups to wow you with......I know you'll be on the edge of your seat wating for such thrilling content ;)

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ps.......almost forgot to mention.....there is also a UK Attic24/Stitchtopia retreat in the planning for 2024, it'll be a 3 night long weekend kind of thing. I'll give you details as soon as it's all finalised x

 

 

 

Postcards from Dorset :: day 7

Friday was our last full day in Dorset, and we spent the morning looking after my Dad. There's been a LOT going on in the background of my holiday that I don't feel I can share at the moment, but I think/hope we are finally on the way to getting some much needed help. J drove us back to the caravan via a beautifully scenic rural route and I thought Dorset looked very beautiful indeed.

On the spur of the moment we decided to go for a walk on Friday afternoon, a five mile round trip from the caravan following the South West coast path to Hive beach at Burton Bradstock.

Much of the walk was through fields which I was grateful for, because I think I mentioned the other day that walking on a shingle beach is deceptively hard. But it's such a unique experience and I never tire of walking any path where there are continuous sea views.

The last part of the route was on the cliff path and it felt wonderful to walk on solid ground again after the trudge of shingle under foot. We know this beach very well and have come here many, many times over the years to have coffee at the beach side café, or to picnic/barbecue beside the sea.

On this day it was a short but tasty refreshment stop, followed by a quick paddle because we had to be back at the caravan for my Dad and Lady B arriving. We'd made arrangements to take them to the village pub which we've been enjoying most days of our holiday, and then we were cooking our dinner on the barbecue back at the caravan.

I'm sorry if you're not into wild flowers because I couldn't seem to stop photographing them.

I spotted these pink and white striped beauties (sea bindweed) which made me smile - gardeners amongst you will be familiar with the choking nature of bindweed, but this pretty little coastal relative is not a thug I promise.

If you look closely at the beach in the above photo, you might just be able to spot a few sun worshipers and swimmers along here. This is a lovely, quiet and very unspoilt place where you can park the car just off the coast road and walk down a track to the beach. I actually swam here with the Little People in the very very hot summer of 2020 (yes, full body immersion into the sea, it was that hot!)

We really enjoyed our last meal at the caravan - J very expertly cooked some steak burgers on the barbecue and they were absolutely delicious. I'd bought the fixings for the Little People to make s'mores over the hot barbecue coals once the burgers were all done and dusted and they went down a treat.

During our week's holiday there was only one meal that we ate indoors (at the pub in town) as every other meal was eaten outside. The weather was such a blessing, staying in the low 20's all week which added so much joy to our holiday. I love love love eating outside especially if there is a scenic view to accompany the eating, it's one of my favourite things about holidaying in Dorset when we get lucky with the sun.

I only took a couple of snaps inside the caravan just as we were packing up to leave yesterday morning, but I thought you might be interested to see them. 

Modern static caravans are fantastic and totally surpassed my expectations - no crazy furnishing fabrics or weird carpet to be seen. Everything was spotlessly clean and the minimal style was extremely relaxing.

I also loved the abundance of windows because I am very affected by light levels and this caravan gave me alllllll the sunlight, sea views and cooling sea breezes I could wish for.

The front of the caravan had floor to ceiling windows - these didn't open but gave a wonderful feeling of letting the views come inside. I especially loved curling up on the sofa in the early morning with a cup of coffee, just taking in all that glorious blue and green.

The caravan had two bedrooms, and I'm so grateful to the Little People who shared a very snug twin room with very small,  single beds without complaint or fuss. Our double bedroom was also a little short on space but the bed was exceptionally comfy and I had the best sleep I'd had in months.

I would definitely, definitely book a caravan again for a family holiday, we all loved it. I especially appreciated this kind of rural and very quiet, peaceful site - I know it's not for everyone but we've always preferred to stay places with minimal noise/crowds.

Yesterday was our day to drive the three hundred miles back north, but before we left the area we took another quick visit to Abbotsbury Gardens which was only a few miles from where we were staying. You can park and visit the very lovely café without having to pay to go into the gardens so it's a great place to have a drink if you're in the area. J and I shared some Dorset apple cake with our coffee which was outstanding, and a very enjoyable way to end our week in Dorset.

Although I hadn't really wanted to leave Dorset I was still glad to finally get home after many hours on the road. There is something very comforting about coming back to my crochet-laden furniture and a house that is always in a slight state of welcoming disarray.

It's been lovely to have you with me on this holiday and writing these postcards each day has given me a lot of pleasure. I've shared 93 images with you during the past week and I hope you've enjoyed your virtual vacation by the sea?! 

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Postcards from Dorset :: day 6

A trip to Lyme Regis was one thing I really wanted to do while we were here as it's one of my most favourite places in Dorset with so many layers of good memories residing in this picturesque place. Sadly, we didn't have a very big window to visit yesterday as we were needed back in town for a very important meeting with my Dad. But four hours is just about enough when you know a place well and we really enjoyed our time.

We parked the car just a little way out of town and walked down the hill, turning off the main street and walking along the most beautiful winding little back lanes to avoid the busy crowds.

Emerging at the top of the town gives a lovely view down the main shopping street which was all decked out with bunting and flags and looked very jolly.

On this sunny morning we actually had a particular place to be......

Just by chance, some good friends of ours from home happened to be holidaying in Lyme Regis this week, and we'd made arrangements to meet for a coffee. This café was recommended by our friends and it was wonderful, such a friendly, relaxing vibe and the coffee and homemade food was outstanding. We were able to sit outside in the sunny garden and it was very enjoyable and holidayish, what a treat.

After our coffee date, we strolled on down to the beach.

We had taken towels and the Little People had their swim things on, but when it came down to the crunch it just wasn't warm enough for them to take the plunge. We did have fun paddling in the rolling shallows though, and I even got my knees wet. It was ever so bracing and at one point I lost all feeling in my ankles.

After I'd recovered from the sea dip, we bought ice creams and took a slow stroll around the harbour...

....before retracing our steps and heading upwards through the beautiful gardens which are built in narrow terraces into the side of the cliff. You can see the beach in the above photo, it was really crowded and I was glad to leave the hustle behind and find a more peaceful atmosphere amongst the flowers.

We ate a picnic lunch up here sat on a sun warmed bench and it was so good. I adore picnics in all weathers and at all times of year, but there is something super-lovely about a warm, sun-drenched homemade lunch.

The clock was ticking, so it was soon time to make our way back to the car. We strolled along the prom, then out along the sea wall with amazing coastal views the whole way.

I wish we'd had longer to spend in Lyme, but it was a truly pleasurable time with J and the Little People. 

The important meeting that I rushed back for was long and stressful but also kind of reassuring. Afterwards I felt very emotionally drained, so it was a relief to be able to come back to the tranquillity of the caravan and quietly decompress.

We have absolutely LOVED staying in the caravan, the stunning views and rural coastal location have been really restorative and wonderful. The site is extremely quiet as most caravans are privately owned and during the week I don't think there are many caravans occupied. It's about a mile away from the sea - mostly we would follow the footpath down through the fields but yesterday we walked down the narrow lane as we were going to stop off at the pub on our way.

We decided to treat ourselves and eat out at the pub last night, and we couldn't have asked for a more beautiful setting.....

....I mean, isn't this just the nicest place to sit and eat? A secluded terrace with expansive sea views, and being warm enough to relax and eat outdoors is something very special for us Brits. We just aren't used to this kind of luxurious weather!

The food was extremely good - I had "pan fried seabass with creamy pea, tarragon & chorizo gnocchi and samphire" which was soooooo tasty that I didn't want it to end.

After dinner  we walked to the beach and sat for a while right next to the waves, taking in the relaxing sound of the sea and feeling very blessed.

A very full day for various reasons, but mostly the best of times.

Tomorrow we pack up and head home, and I think I'll have one more set of postcards to share with you. I hope you've enjoyed coming on holiday with me, it's been fun for me to share it with you..

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Postcards from Dorset :: day 5

♥ Another beautiful May day, so unbelievably grateful for this heavenly weather.

♥ A morning of domestic duties with my Dad, followed by a much needed coffee in town and a trip to the toy shop which hasn't changed  a jot since the Littles were very small. Purchased a deck of playing cards for £1 and some sherbet because I felt sentimental for the olden days of mothering little Little People.

♥ An afternoon stroll down the lanes to the pub, I just can't get enough of this beautiful garden.

♥ An hour later, a slow amble back up the  lane to the caravan. Loving the simple, quiet, rural lifestyle here.

♥ We took my Dad and Lady B out to a pub in town for dinner. I snapped the above photo on our way back to the car afterwards, I love how poppies often self seed and spring up in the most unlikely places.

♥ An impromptu detour to Burton beach on our way back to the caravan. J didn't fancy the sand so stayed up on the low grassy cliff while I went down to the sea with the Little Peeps.

♥ Soothing, calming waves at the end of a slightly tricky day.

♥ I bravely stuck my feet in the shallows and.....it was freeeeezing!

♥ Little B adding pebbles to some rock stacks that we found.

♥ Sitting out in the evenings is one of my favourite things to do here at the caravan, watching the first stars appear just before ten o'clock. It's been clear like this every night, and I can't put into words just how much I appreciate the abundance of sea views I've had this week.

Just a short set of postcards from me today - the past few days have been quite fraught as things with my Dad have taken a lot of my time and energy. I'm so grateful for J and the Little People who have been incredibly supportive and understanding, and we have still managed to spend some wonderful time together despite the difficulties going on in the background. I'm cherishing these precious days with family, we're making lovely memories here and it feels really good. 

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