West Wittering Beach

As it was such a glorious sunny autumnal day, we went further afield today to West Sussex.Headed off early for a 40 minute drive to West Wittering beach. A wonderful Blue Flag beach with miles of flat sand, dunes, and picturesque beach huts and views across the water.

Peggy Jake and Jessie running into the rising sun

All three dogs hunting for food around the beach huts

Jake hasn't been too well this last week, so partly the trip was for him as he loves beach walks

 

Jake enjoying the soft sand

. As it was Peggy and Jessie had a whale of a time - and played chase for the first time in 9 years!

Peg and Jessie chasing each other

Peggy can run faster but Jessie can jump higher!

Usually it costs £2.50 to get in - but we snuck in when the barrier was open, and the machine  wouldn't accept our money. Bonus! As it wasn't a ticket system we drove out easily. You can drive down to various parts of the beach and park. Dog walking on the main beach sections is banned May - September, but if you park at the far end there is a lovely walk around the headland of about a mile.

Started off chilly down by the calm sea, but warmed up walking back into the rising sun (I'll be writing poetry in a minute!!!).
The beach café opens at 1000 - and encompasses a small beach goods shop/large inside café

Outside seating Beach Cafe

(dogs are allowed if well behaved! -which rules Polly and Peggy out!)

but outside seating backing on to larged lawned areas adjacent to the beach.

Well - £11.90 well spent! Got a huge assorted cooked breakfast, 2 slices of toast and mugs of good white coffee each.

For the first time I left half - as the portions too big. Wonderful eating 'al fresco', especially as we were the only ones there!

Wonderful Al Fresco view - beach 10 metres away

That black nose watching the sausage.....

Whereas Jessie jumped onto bench - ready for launch onto table...

So the three dogs (and us) had a wonderful walk and brekkie out - so thoroughly recommend it!

Jessie the HUGE jumper!

Jake just managing a big skip!

Hunting in the sand dunes

Poor old Polly

Polly looking mournful as left home alone :(

didn't come as off for her hydrotherapy - bit too much for her arthritis to do walk and swim in the same day. She can't really complain as she loves it - with a shower/blow dry and biscuits thrown in!

Warm shower after swim..

Blow dry...

Warm coat and biscuits.. ain't life hard!

Today's walk had a sad vibe to it. Little tough Jake isn't too well, and despite seeming to enjoy his walk is having a rough weekend.

So - from Polly, Peggy and I - loads of love and hugs to our special friends Margaret and Jake (and Jessie). After 11 years of walking practically every day together, they are part of our family too, and we love them all dearly.

Tough old Jake plodding along!

The magnificent Jake with his mum

To being painfree and happy xxx

Bus Stop Cafe

This week we tried something very different.  We had our breakfast on a bus and we thoroughly enjoyed it.

We went to the Bus Stop Cafe in Netley. 

Jan did a Google search for different places to try and came up with this.  It is quite small inside just seating for eight people plus a little sofa to sit and drink your coffee or wait for a space to come up.  We arrived just before 10am and were told that they had a party of eight booked for 10.30am so we didn't have too much time. However, they were very quick to cook for us and the food was lovely. We think maybe it would be a good idea to ring and check first.  In the summer there is plenty of outside seating.  It is nice and warm inside and there is a nice stove to sit by.  

They have a really good breakfast menu and plenty of other choices.  We chose The Full English which was delicious.  It cost £4.25 each and that included toast and coffee.  Excellent value. It was piping hot too as everything is cooked to order.

It would be well worth visiting their web site for opening hours, directions how to find the bus and for the full menu.  We were made very welcome and will definitely go again.

As usual we picked up the dogs to go for one of our regular walks.  We always hope to burn off some of the calories in our brekkie but at the speed we have to go now that they are getting older I doubt that it works like that.


This week we went down to Hook Park at Warsash and walked from Church road end.  It was a bit less than a mile and a half and it took us about an hour. I know that sounds really slow but we did meet other dog walkers and we did stop and chat.  We like that walk though as do the dogs, nice big fields and plenty of wood to sniff around. And, very safe, well away from the roads.



Follow the link if you would like to give it a go, sure you will be faster than us.  If you feel really energetic you can walk right down to the shore.

Unfortunately Polly couldn't join us as she had her hydrotherapy and it would have been too much.

This blog was put together with the help of Polly and hindered by Mitzi.


More next week............................ Margaret x

The Tenth Hole

Today went for a longer drive in heavy rain

British weather - its great!!If you are a duck

  to have brekkie at  The Tenth Hole

TOO much choice!! Scrummy

on Eastern Parade in Southsea. An infamous Tearooms/café on its own small golf course (hence the name!).

Definitely well worth the trip! Easy free parking directly outside (probably being a Saturday helped). Indoor and outdoor seating (protected). They encourage dogs with their owners to come in to the outside areas - and water is provided. Apparently if it is cold they will bring you out a blanket, as the outside area a tad chilly.

First impressions when you walk in is definitely the cake counter. Absolutely amazing. The choice, size and quality/presentation of the cakes is overwhelming.

and this.....

and this....

2 of these....

and all of this!!

It is open 0800-1700, with breakfast being served until 1200.

Warm welcoming environment, and the service was very quick.

We both had pancakes with banana/maple syrup,

with 2 coffees being £11.40 in total for the two. The salmon and scrambled egg on a toasted muffin looked scrummy though, and the full cooked brekkie.
Got some cake to go home. Coffee and walnut for me, and Toffee Fudge, and home made Bakewell tart for Margaret. 3 HUGE slices in a protective container to take home, for £10. And it was some of the best cake ever. So HIGHLY recommended.

Lovely drive home along the seawall, with Margaret reminiscing about her grandfathers heroics in the war when we passed the memorial by Clarence Pier.  Rather poignant with Remembrance Sunday being tomorrow.

We will never forget

After Polly had been for her weekly swim at Richmond Canine Hydrotherapy,

Polly stretching her legs in camouflage!

Margaret, Jake,Jessie,Peggy and I managed to miss the rain and went for a walk around

Overlooking one of the lakes at Swanwick Nature Reserve

  Swanwick Nature Reserve. 

Margaret with the wonderful Jake and Jessie



Jakes flash new green coat

Jessies flash new tartan coat

Aunty Jan with Jake Jessie and Peggy

Always a lovely walk with amazing scenery with the lakes/woodland, but benefits from being relatively mud free under foot.

Back home for a quiet night in after a busy day.....dogs on the sofa and me on the floor. **sigh**.

They do love each other really...

Montagu's Cafe bar and Bistro

This Saturday we took ourselves off to Whiteley to try out Montagu's cafe bar & bistro. They are open from 8am on a Saturday, serving breakfast from 8.30am.  We were early so had the place to ourselves. They have a very interesting menu with a few more unusual choices.  

We decided to go for the Full English, no sense of adventure us. Bacon, sausage, egg, tomato, mushrooms and fried bread.  It is the fried bread that swings it every time.  You can see we are not fitness freaks, only once a week though.  It was very nice, freshly cooked and hot. The meal cost £6.50, coffee was not included.

Our Saturday outing was a bit short this week.  Jan had a surprise family get together to organise for her Mum with relatives that she hadn't seen for a while.  By all accounts it turned out very nice and her Mum was well pleased.


It also meant that we didn't get to doing our Saturday walk but we will map one out during the week.


That is about all for this week but we will make it longer next time.

Bye for now..................................Margaret x