Days out in Hampshire: Hinton Ampner

It feels like Autumn is well and truly here now in the UK. The clocks have gone back and the rain and grey clouds seem here to stay. It doesn't seem possible that only a few weeks ago we were enjoying the sunshine and blue skies at Hinton Ampner.

Hinton Ampner is a National Trust property in Hampshire. Originally the site of a Tudor manor built in the 1540's the building has had many incarnations over the years. The renovation of 1936 uncovered the original Georgian style and the subsequent rebuilding after a major fire in 1960 leaves us the house we see today. The house was left to the National Trust in 1985 by Ralph Dutton, the 8th and last Lord Sherborne.

Despite only being a 40 minute or so drive from Southampton, it was a place I had driven past many times but never actually visited (fun fact - I used to drive past regularly during my time when I was a Meals on Wheels delivery driver - maybe that's a story for another day?).

After seeing a story on the local news about the grounds being open for visitors we decided now was the time to finally visit and enjoy the last bit of summer. Although the house itself wasn't open, tickets were available for a timed entry to the rest of the estate.

Even so, it still felt busier than expected. Maybe we've become over sensitive to crowds now? We arrived at the exact time our visiting slot opened thinking we'd avoid too many people and instead went straight into a bottleneck. Probably due to first part of the grounds being the walled garden, so space inevitably was limited. We scooted off to one side to allow the crowds through and just pottered round at our own pace. Once out of the walled garden, there was a lot more space to be socially distant and enjoy the grounds.

There are plenty of self-led walks to choose from. Ranging from a gentle stroll suitable for wheelchairs and pushchairs up to a 4 mile Dutton Estate Walk that takes you through ancient woodland including a view over the Battle of Cheriton in 1644. Another highlight in the grounds is the Ancient Tree Walk which incudes trees of historical importance. The massive oak by the entrance is between 500-600 years old, dating back to Tudor times. It's amazing to think it survived the Civil War and is considered the most iconic tree on the Estate.

View over the site of the Battle of Cheriton

It was also the perfect opportunity to try and take some photos with my new phone. I think though the other half's patience was tested at this point. Luckily, I'd bought a picnic blanket with me, so lunch from the cafe soon placated him. Although seating wasn't available, picnics were encouraged, so come prepared for alfresco dining!

Although life is far from being back to normal - this felt like a near normal day in amongst all the confusion and disruption going on at the moment. It's left us wanting to explore more local National Trust properties and grounds. And lets's face it - a day out in the fresh air walking is always a good idea!

Cathy
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Something I never thought I'd wear...

Has there ever been something you fancied wearing but thought 'nope, not for me' or 'wouldn't suit me' or even 'how comfortable would that be really....'.

Well, for me, it was dungarees. I think they look great, I used to live in them as a kid! But as an adult, definitely not. I'm bigger on the bottom half than the top, so finding something that fits top and bottom is about as easy as finding hen's teeth.

So when I was in the TU clothing section of Sainsburys earlier this year and saw a pair of spotted dungarees, I wasn't optimistic about the chances of them fitting.

Well, I was right, they didn't fit - because I needed to size down! Unheard of in TU clothing to be honest. I normally find their sizing very much on the small side. Sizing down is not something I've ever had to do before. So that was a good start.

And you know what? I didn't hate them. They weren't too long in the leg, they fitted my thighs and didn't gap at the waist and they were adjustable enough on the top to fit. 

So they came home with me - and I love them. I try to ignore the other half making Andy Pandy comments and doing a speedy trip to the toilet is yet to be mastered. But I think dungarees are back in my life now - and that makes me happy!

Thanks for reading

Cathy
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New Season - New Start?

I know - it's not technically a new season just yet. But I can't deny I did a little internal whoop as I changed the calendar over to September this morning. I'm already thinking about cosy jumpers, hot chocolates and all things Halloween. 

So I'm going to embrace it all and use this time as an opportunity to restart / kick my blog back off again. Lockdown was different for all of us. For me when I looked at all the draft posts I'd written and scheduled about fashion, travel, holidays and days out etc, they all just seemed frivolous and unnecessary. So I pulled the lot until a time when I thought I was ready to share them again.

I know travel isn't on the cards for a lot of people. It certainly isn't for us. But hopefully it will be one day and when that day comes maybe, just maybe, my blog posts will be useful for someone. If nothing else, I know I enjoy reading about other people's travels and it gives me ideas and inspiration for the future.

So that's what will be happening in the future - but what did I do during lockdown?

(I didn't realise I'd done so many.....)

Puzzles - a lot of puzzles.... They're normally a Christmas thing for me. But there's something quite relaxing about sitting peacefully and working your way through a jigsaw (as long as it's not too brown....don't like a dark jigsaw....)

DIY - much to the other half's horror, I had a mini painting frenzy at the start of lockdown. On the positive side, the bedroom and bathroom look great now!

And finally - picnics. Thank goodness for good weather and socially distanced picnics on Southampton Common.

That's me pretty much caught up. I'm not going to set myself a schedule because of the pressure that brings, I want to get back to enjoying blogging. I know some people are blogging everyday in September - maybe by December I'll be back up to that level.

Thanks for reading and see you all soon

Cathy
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It's ok...not to be ok

Well, it's been a while hasn't it? I had so many posts saved as drafts that I was going to publish in March and April. But then lockdown started and suddenly everything I wanted to write all seemed frivolous and irrelevant. I took plenty of photos, but words seem to escape me!

5 weeks in and I've started tentatively thinking about blog posts again. I'm not planning to write much about how this has impacted my life and all our lives - my blog isn't a space where I'd feel comfortable talking about that. Instead I'm just going to share some images that friends have shared with me that sum up how I feel much better than I can ever express in words.

Looking at my draft posts, a lot of them are travel based - would people would want to read them when travel at the moment seems like a far away dream? But then - I'm enjoying spending time reading about places I've visited, places I hope to visit in the future so maybe someone out there might like reading about our travels.

And there's nothing much else to add other than look after each other - and remember to look after yourself.

Cathy
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A visit to Outside-In Food Court in Portsmouth

I was recently invited with Southampton Bloggers to visit Outside-In Food Court in Portsmouth. I haven't been here before, but had heard so many good things about them that I must just have squeaked a bit when I saw the invite!

Outside-In Food Court was established in 2019 and can be found on Middle Street in the heart of the city. Housed in a converted warehouse, Portsmouth's only dedicated indoor food market is a vibrant and informal dining concept. With a variety of street food dining including vegetarian, vegan and gluten free options plus live music, it's become the go-to venue for good food. It's a cashless venue so just make sure you bring your cards (and a healthy appetite) along with you.

There was a lovely friendly greeting on arrival which was very welcome on such a wet and blustery day! After choosing our drinks and getting settled, April the owner greeted us and gave us an intro to Outside-In and the vendors. It really didn't feel like a converted warehouse - the atmosphere and decor was warm and inviting and it's obvious a lot of thought and care has gone into creating this space.

This was a plastic-free environment. Laid out on the tables for us were paper plates and wooden forks, everything was either bio-degradable or recyclable. You can even crush your own can ready for recycling, I completely forgot to have a go at this - next time!

Now at this point, I think we all started to feel more than a little hungry. All the vendors have open kitchens so you can watch the food being prepared. After having a peek at them cooking and reading the menus, I was starting to making a mental note of some of the dishes I was looking forward to. I also have to say at this point, sorry if you're reading this with an empty tummy! The food was epic and I can only hope my photos do them justice.

Dumpling Dumpling

A firm favourite - Chinese dumplings with a fusion twist. The owners Nat and Dan are so friendly and happy to explain everything to you. Their sharing platter was the first one on the table and to be honest, our jaws just dropped. It's easy to see why they won an award for Best Street Food in Hampshire. The dumplings were just melt in the mouth and perfect bite size portions. You can mix and match dumplings with choices such as Beef Bourguignon, Pesto Mac and Cheese, and Hoison Not Duck (vegan friendly).

Arepa2Go

An authentic Venezuelan kitchen in the heart of Portsmouth? This was my first time trying Venezuelan food and hopefully not the last. Corn pocket sandwiches which were gluten free and so so soft! Packed full of delicious flavours, this chicken, avocado and cheddar cheese combination was a winner along with the fried plantain slices as well.

Natty's Jerk Kitchen

A small family run street food business based in Southsea. This was one of the vendors I had my eye on as I love Caribbean food and wow! They did not disappoint. Curry Goat Fries were the standout dish for me along with Vegan Cauli Wings and the Caribbean speciality of Festivals - small fried dumplings made with cornmeal, coconut milk and spices. These were absolutely gorgeous and so so more'ish. I honestly think I could have easily eaten another portion of these.

Breeno's Kitchen

Indian-Pakistani street food, described as food 'without borders'. I just knew I was going to like everything here as soon as I saw it. The Masala Fries were so unexpected and a perfect combination. Not forgetting the Chickpea Curry and Onion Bhajis which were a hit on our table.

The Panormous Pizzeria

You can't go wrong with pizza and pizza makes most people happy. For me, it has to be a thin base and when it's half and half with quality Italian ingredients like this, I am one very happy bunny!

One Tonne Burger Co

Last but by no means least was One Tonne Burger. Definitely not one for the vegetarians and vegans amongst you. In the London burger scene, they're known as one of the best burgers in the capital and you can see why. The beef is a minimum of 35 days dry aged and butchered and minced in-house. You can be confident you're getting the best here! This was juicy and mouth-watering and everything a burger should be.

The food court concept is ideal if you're with people who don't like the same things as you. My partner hates pizza, I LOVE pizza. Therefore this is a perfect destination to keep everyone happy. Plus why stop at one? Pace yourself and you can go on a culinary trip from the Caribbean to Italy, with a stop over in Venezuela.

Although it's situated in student focused area, Outside-In appeals to all ages. During the time we were there I saw young and old, families and plenty of extremely cute dogs! Definitely worth a detour from your normal high street restaurants - and you'll be helping to support a local business as well.

A big thanks to Outside-In Food Court and Southampton Bloggers for the invite (I'm still dreaming about those curry goat fries days later...)

Thanks for reading
Cathy

*Invited for the purpose of this review, but all thoughts and comments my own

The Three Musketeers: A Comedy Adventure at Nuffield Southampton Theatre, City

It's currently half-term here at the moment. Finding ways to keep children (and adults) entertained can be challenging at the best of times. When you add in the glorious February weather as well, you'll need to find something pretty special. The Nuffield Southampton Theatre City has the perfect solution with a comedy adventure that transports you back to 17th century France.

Created by the award winning Le Navet Bete, The Three Musketeers: A Comedy Adventure* is a tongue in cheek retelling of the classic Dumas novel. It doesn't seem possible to squeeze a 700 page book into a two hour play but they do. Complete with a Monty Python, slapstick comedy twist, a cast of four and 112 costume changes!

As you can imagine, with such a small cast, it's a very physical show. The stage is set with a giant tree house over multiple levels. It starts with four friends acting out the story of the Three Musketeers in the tree house wearing their mum's curtains as tabards and riding bicycles and scooters as horse. As the play evolves, it becomes more and more real and ends with the cast in the full Musketeers uniform with swords.

I can't even begin to imagine how much energy was needed to perform this show every night. From the multiple costume changes through to the energetic, choreographed scenes on the tree house, I'm just in awe of how they remember it all and made it look so seamless. It was obvious that they were four friends having genuine fun and being in a relatively small theatre meant we could see their facial expressions and share in the moments of laughter for ourselves.

There were definitely lines and innuendos that were just for adults (I'm sure the family in front of us had fun explaining when their child asked loudly what was happening in the shed!) But as the cast later said, it kept both adults and children entertained. Stand out moments for me included the character of Milady de Winter, a gloriously camp villain who stole every scene. Plus Abi the stage manager who stayed on stage throughout assisting with props and costume changes and handled a leaf blower brilliantly while all the time keeping a straight face.

I have to mention the duck hunting too - great audience participation and some v.funny unscripted moments. I'm just sad that I didn't get a chance to catch a duck!

A really personal touch was the cast coming out into the bar after the show to chat to the audience. Watching one little boy's face light up as he spoke to one of the actors was heartwarming. And it was interesting to hear the story of how the company go the name of Le Navet Bete. To take the time to do this after such a physical performance was really appreciated.

If you get the chance to go and see this - I'd really recommend it for both adults and children alike. It's exuberant, laugh-out-loud fun that's on at the Nuffield Southampton Theatre, City until 22nd February 2020.


Thanks for reading

Cathy

* Tickets were gifted for the purpose of this review