The Romsey Show & The Lavender Farm

Two weeks since our last update so plenty to write about today.  Last week we went to The Romsey Show at Broadlands.  It was a lovely day and although a little bit chilly to start, it ended up really hot. We took our friend Chris with us again as we know he enjoys that sort of thing. This year they had a theme of The Great War which was very interesting.

       Even the horses were camouflaged.

And, there was a WW1 dog fight in the air.

Our favourites again, the Llamas

Not our usual type of brekkie but very tasty all the same. Loads of stalls to look at and spend your money on, altogether a really good day out. Absolutely exhausted by the time we had finished and the car seemed much further away by the time we got it than it did when we left it.

This Saturday we headed off to the New Forest for our Brekkie outing.  First of all we went to The Golden Acres Garden Centre at Landford for breakfast.  They start serving at 9.30 and by then there were quite a few hungry customers waiting. We both chose to have the 5 item brekkie which cost £4.99 each. Very good value and nice to have the choice. It also includes toast.

After breakfast we went just down the road to the New Forest Lavender Farm.  Had we known better we would have gone earlier in the year, about June they say is best. Nevertheless is was very nice to have a look round.

We especially fell for this little robin that followed us around.  We didn't have much to give him, only a bit of biscuit but we will take something next time.  

There are fields of lavender there but of course dying off now.  In the diary for June next year.

 Not very much happening on the walks this week, we mostly just did our own thing when we could as we were both very busy. 

But Oh Dear!  Look at this!

Guilty face or what?

Sorry Polly, but it was a very scary thunder storm.

Jessie had to walk on her own this week

Well that's it for another week..................................Margaret x 

Giraffe, Gunwharf Quays

Last Saturday we headed over to Giraffe at Gunwharf Quays again. Haven't been there for ages, but we were both craving pancakes!

Scrummy

Cloudy but warm morning - but as always we were early so had the place to ourselves. Great view overlooking the harbour and underneath the Spinnaker Tower.

Tall ship and Navy vessel sailing around

(Spinnaker Tower is a 170-metre landmark tower in Portsmouth, England, UK. It is the centrepiece of the redevelopment of Portsmouth Harbour, which was supported by a National Lottery grant. Opened October 18th 2005.Height 170 metres, with 4 floors)

 

Spinnaker tower

 

Not the cheapest - £6.95 for the pancakes, but well worth the wait, plus lashings of maple syrup (whole container left with us not just a tiny pot).

 

Huge bottle of maple syrup!

 

Always good to have a wander around the shops afterwards.

 

Had a couple of walks out together over the last week. Went up to Swanwick Nature Reserve. Always a lovely walk, as you can veer off through the fields and woods around the back of the reserve and alongside the Hamble river.

 

A toadstool? pretty

 

Only one hiccup.

Cows. 

Safely by the river

 

The cows were by the river, but getting Jessie and Peggy past the cowpats was hard work (weird 'taste' these dogs have). When we re-entered the back of the reserve, there were yet more cows enclosed to eat back the vegetarian.

 

The really scary cows!

 

Margaret a tad concerned (with smaller dogs there has always been the worry of them getting squashed and not being able to run away). Managed to divert away from them, but as we neared the safety of a gate, the cows started to move our way. And off sped Margaret, Peg and Jess!!

 

Margaret Jess and Peg leaving Jan to fight off the dangerous bovines.

 

 

Once we got to 'safety' had a nice wonder through the woods past the lakes.

 

 

 

Jan being eaten by Jess

 

Girls mucking about on a bench

 

Polly celebrated her 12th Birthday this week. Bless her.

My darling Polly Monster

 

Shes had a few walks out, but her legs crumble if its a bit too far, so the Burridge playing fields and pond is a gentle option.

 

Err - Members only you two!

 

Legs giving out :( xx

 

Pol about to dive into pond.Nooooo!!

 

 

Until next time!! :)

 

 

 

Lakeside Country Park

Whenever we get a nice sunny Saturday now we try to find somewhere where we can sit outside and enjoy the sunshine.  This week we went to Lakeside Country Park at Eastleigh. It has a collection of miniature steam trains which give rides lasting about 20 minutes every week-end and all the school holidays. The cafe is situated right by the station with plenty of indoor seating and outdoor tables right by the track.

This week we took one of our doggie friends with us. Chris, and I think he enjoyed it. We enjoyed his company too. They do four choices of  cooked breakfasts and the full menu can be seen on this link. We have visited them before and they never disappoint. 

We had two midi and one maxi meals and everything is beautifully cooked. You know I have a bit of a thing about sausages not cooked properly in a lot of places, well these were perfect, nice and browned. You also get a round of fried bread or toast and coffee included in the price. For £5.50 and £6.50 we thought that was very good value. We took a wander down to show Chris the lake as he had not been there before. We have taken the dogs in the past which they enjoy but you do need to keep putting them on a lead as the railway track goes all round. 

While we were in the area we drove along to Fleming Park to look round the dog show. As we didn't have our dogs with us, it didn't take very long.

Later Jan and I took Peggy and Jessie down the Strawberry Fields in Warsash and took a walk along the shore to Hook. This is a favourite walk of ours.

Wednesday was a very special day for Peggy.  She was 10 years old.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO PEGGY!! XXXX

 We have all been very busy this week doing our ice bucket challenges.

All for a good cause and gave us all a laugh.

Even Polly and Peggy joined in, well done them. Jessie chickened out at the end but I helped on her way as I knew she would hate it.

We did another walk along Titchfield canal yesterday where Jessie had a bit of a mishap with the water. She fell in where the sides were too steep for her to get out. Peggy made a sort of half hearted attempt to help but in the end it was Auntie Jan to the rescue.

HELP!!!!!

That's it, I'm not going in again.

Wobbly Polly had to stay home again and we do miss her on our walks xxx.

That's all for this week, we will see what we can find to talk about next time.

Byee! .......................Margaret x