#Afternoon Tea in Dorset

[rosemaryhelenxo]

Patisserie Luxe in Poole: Aesthetic Café Experience with Indulgent Cakes and Delicious Coffee | Review - PR Event

If you’re looking for an aesthetically pleasing, truly enjoyable and Instagram-able café experience with indulgent cakes and delicious coffee – look no further than Patisserie Luxe in Poole. On Saturday, I was invited to stop by along with my fellow Bournemouth Bloggers to review this new café which has opened in Poole, a stones throw away from the Quay. The first thing that caught my eye was…

[what-if-queen-camilla]

Chapter 38

30th August 1997

"700? You must be joking!", Camilla exclaimed, looking at her sister in absolute disbelief, but Annabel beamingly confirmed: "700, Milla. 200 more than planned." "And… have they all paid yet?", Camilla asked, still not convinced and anxiously. There surely had to be a catch somewhere. They had really put their heart and soul into the planning of this event, "an evening of enchantment, fascination and the unexpected", as it said in the official invitation, tickets purchasable for 100£ each. A follow-up to last year's soiree, a huge fundraising event for the NOS, set to take place at Talisman Antiques, Annabel’s business in Dorset that was housed in a former brewery, on Saturday, 13th of September. The acts were booked, the ticket money was in, donations had flowed in, the cheques had been banked, the catering organised, and as the excitement of the day grew nearer there was mounting speculation in the press that the Prince of Wales would attend. And he would, along with both his sons, as well as Thea, Tom and Laura - it'd be their big day, the first, official, public appearance as a modern, loving, blended family. It’d be their next and hopefully final step into public acceptance, smoothing the way for another big event that might be happening in the year to come… There was pressure on the Church of England to allow second marriages, especially after Princess Anne had got married for the second time to Sir Timothy Laurence in the Church of Scotland five years ago - certainly nothing that was possible for the future Head of the Church of England - but things had to be renews, and both Charles and Camilla were well aware that it all was under hot discussion so, if they were lucky, there’d be an opportunity for them to be husband and wife, rightfully, legitimate and even with the blessing of the Church of England, in the not too distant future. “They have, sweetie, so it’s all settled!”, Annabel declared solemnly, reaching for a bottle of champagne out of the ice bucket on the table, popping it giggling.” Cheers to you both and finally some brighter days ahead for all of you!”, she added, looking at her sister full of pride and joy. God knew what a long and painful way she and Charles had come and it was the most heartwarming thing ever to see them both and little Thea finally heading into the right direction of a happy future together. Nobody could possibly deserve it more.

“Alright, Bells, thanks for coming, and… for everything.”, Camilla candidly said to her sister, as she kissed Annabel goodbye at 10 pm. She took a taxi back to Stourpaine as she wanted to spend the last Sunday of the summer break with her husband and children at home, while Camilla was quite enjoying the few days on her own while Thea was joining her father and brothers in Scotland. Their relationship had improved so much over the past few months, it had been an absolute delight and of course she had agreed when Charles had asked to invite her to stay with them at Birkhall for a couple of days before school started again. William had been a sweetheart and very welcoming towards his little right from the start, the two of them had been exchanging letters and met a few times since their first encounter before New Year’s Eve one-and-a-half years ago, and even Harry seemed to slowly but surely have come to terms with it all and had been more friendly and open-minded towards both of them recently; at the beginning of the summer break, they had all spent a day together at Highgrove, walking around the gardens and estate, watching squirrels and birds, playing games and having a nice little afternoon tea picnic on the wildflower meadow. It had been wonderful and it all felt just right now, she couldn’t wait for their very special night to come only two short weeks from now… Naturally excited, but also blissful, grateful and full of sweet anticipation, Camilla fell into a deep and peaceful sleep at around midnight, right when the 31st August 1997 was creeping up…

The ringing phone rudely shook her out of sleep at 5 am and while she was tumbling through the house to answer the call which could only come from one person, she was already preparing herself for some heartbreaking news… Had something happened to the Queen Mother or Princess Margaret? Or maybe the Duke of Edinburgh? “Please don't let it be the Queen…”, she prayed as she finally reached the telephone down in the entrance hall, anxiously answering the call with a trembling but loving: “Darling?” Silence. She could not say whether it was one minute or several, or maybe only just a few moments that she only heard his uneasy breath and a quiet sobbing at the other end of the line and she became more frightened by the second. “Darling, what’s wrong?”, she tried again, almost in panic. Goodness, there hadn’t something happened to Thea in the end…? “She’s dead.”, he finally managed to say with a trembling voice, and Camilla’s heart clenched. “Who, Darling?”, she wanted to know, tumbling over to the living room in order to switch on the television. Whatever had happened, it would surely be on the news already. And while she was trying to find the remote control, her Prince sobbed heartbreakingly, before he finally announced: “Diana.” Camilla almost burst into laughter. This had to be a joke. Just yesterday afternoon they had been giggling about the pictures of her latest “summer romance” with Dodi Al-Fayed on a yacht somewhere - she couldn’t be dead. Married in Las Vegas perhaps, or pregnant with twins - but not dead. “There.. There was a car accident.”, Charles went on and, indeed, the BBC were bringing an exclusive, showing the most awful scenes of a completely damaged Mercedes that had obviously crashed against the walls of the Pont de l'Alma tunnel in Paris. “Oh my God…”, Camilla exclaimed in shock, letting herself sink down on the sofa. How the hell could that have come about? What on earth had she been doing in Paris?

“Darling, I… I don’t know what to do!”, Charles sobbed so heartbreakingly and desperately that it made her cry as well. “My sons… they’re orphans now!” He almost sounded like an injured animal and it took everything in her not to burst into tears as well. No, she had to be strong for him now. “Darling, listen. Your sons are no orphans. What happened is just terrible… but William and Harry are no orphans. They still have you. And you love them so much and will be the most amazing dad for them. You’ve already been ever since. You three will get through this together…”, she promised him though she herself had nothing but question marks on her mind right then. She hadn’t grasped the whole situation completely but she knew it would change everything for them. But that didn’t matter at the moment. “Darling… What shall I do? Shall I wake them up and tell them now? Shall I let them sleep?” He was obviously completely helpless and Camilla wanted nothing more than to pull him in her arms and hold him tightly. "Let them sleep, darling.", she suggested. "Let them have a few more hours of peaceful rest before…" …before their world will be shattered into pieces and their childhood would be over from one second to the other, she thought, but didn't dare say. Oh God, these poor boys. "You know, I… I might go to Paris and…bring her home.", he went on and Camilla agreed: "Yes darling, of course you might. That sounds like a good plan." "I will depart before lunchtime, Sarah and Jane will join me. My mother thinks I shouldn't go. But isn't that the least I can do to… honour the mother of my sons?", he sounded so desperate, it almost broke her heart. "I think that's a very kind and dignified idea." She really did think so. Of course, Diana hadn't quite made things easy for them and she had been especially angry after her interview, but never had she ever wished her dead for one second. She was still a mother to her young boys als this tragedy was just absolutely horrible for everyone involved.

"They're going to blame me!", Charles suddenly sobbed and Camilla felt a stab in her heart. She hadn't even thought about that yet. "Oh Darling, don't be silly. Nobody will blame you. Of course what happened is terrible but clearly not your fault. You didn't force her to go on that trip, did you?" "I didn't. But, you know, if… if we were still married she hadn't been there." "Darling, please. You're talking nonsense. I think you'd better try to rest a bit yourself, before you tell the boys, how about that?" "Y-yes, you're probably right…", he said. "But… darling… when I go to Paris… Can you please come and pick up Thea? I don't want her to be… you know… here with the others when I'm away, especially in this situation…" "Yes, of course, my darling!", she replied. "But you know how long it'll take me. 9 hours by car…" "Ah, no, darling, don't go by car. I'll let someone arrange for you to fly, privately of course. I know you hate it, but… Special circumstances, you know…" "Sure, darling. I'll be there. Always. I love you and I'm with you in this.", she promised lovingly before hanging up the phone, bursting into tears.

*Side Notes:

The planned evening at Annabel's business is real, every detail mentioned happened as described. There were indeed rumours about The Prince of Wales attending, as well as the young Princes. Tragically, following a certain event on 31st August, the whole thing had to be cancelled last minute. You can read it all in the Penny Junor biography from 2017: "Linda Edwards had telephoned Camilla the moment she heard about the accident to say they ought not to go ahead. She found her patron in a state of shock – desperately worried for the Prince and his two sons – and Camilla agreed: the evening couldn’t just be postponed, out of respect to the Princess it had to be cancelled. Camilla’s concern was that the charity wouldn’t get its money. But although they offered refunds to all 700 people who had bought tickets, very few asked for their money back and many more sent in additional donations. They raised £80,000 in all, but there was no party."

[scarletunit6]

Afternoon Tea

Afternoon tea, a very English custom! Read the history behind this most English tradition; china tea cups, scones, jam and clotted cream…

Afternoon tea, that most quintessential of English customs is, perhaps surprisingly, a relatively new tradition. Whilst the custom of drinking tea dates back to the third millennium BC in China and was popularised in England during the 1660s by King Charles II and his wife the Portuguese Infanta Catherine de Braganza, it was not until the mid 19th century that the concept of ‘afternoon tea’ first appeared.

Afternoon tea was introduced in England by Anna, the seventh Duchess of Bedford, in the year 1840. The Duchess would become hungry around four o’clock in the afternoon. The evening meal in her household was served fashionably late at eight o’clock, thus leaving a long period of time between lunch and dinner. The Duchess asked that a tray of tea, bread and butter (some time earlier, the Earl of Sandwich had had the idea of putting a filling between two slices of bread) and cake be brought to her room during the late afternoon. This became a habit of hers and she began inviting friends to join her.

This pause for tea became a fashionable social event. During the 1880’s upper-class and society women would change into long gowns, gloves and hats for their afternoon tea which was usually served in the drawing room between four and five o’clock.

Traditional afternoon tea consists of a selection of dainty sandwiches (including of course thinly sliced cucumber sandwiches), scones served with clotted cream and preserves. Cakes and pastries are also served. Tea grown in India or Ceylon is poured from silver tea pots into delicate bone china cups.

Nowadays however, in the average suburban home, afternoon tea is likely to be just a biscuit or small cake and a mug of tea, usually produced using a teabag. Sacrilege!

To experience the best of the afternoon tea tradition, indulge yourself with a trip to one of London’s finest hotels or visit a quaint tearoom in the west country. The Devonshire Cream Tea is famous world wide and consists of scones, strawberry jam and the vital ingredient, Devon clotted cream, as well as cups of hot sweet tea served in china teacups. Many of the other counties in England’s west country also claim the best cream teas: Dorset, Cornwall and Somerset.

Of course, of all the regional variations of how a cream tea should be served the titans in this battle always boil down to just two… The Devonshire Cream Tea versus the Cornish Cream Tea. In terms of this, once the warm scone has been split in two the all-important question is in what order should the clotted cream and strawberry jam be added? Of course the Team at Historic UK must be seen to be completely unbiased in their views on this issue, however as we are based in Devon it is always… Cream First!

Johnson, B. (2015). The history of afternoon tea - a great British tradition. [online] Historic UK. Available at: https://www.historic-uk.com/CultureUK/Afternoon-Tea/. ‌

[grangeatoborne]

Having just watched the coronation, come and take afternoon tea in the Garden at The Grange. The bunting will be up, we have got the food, Mike Denham will be looking after the music. We just need the sun! We are hoping to host this between 3 and 5 pm. Timings will be confirmed once we get confirmation from the palace - that makes it sound like the palace will be personally letting me know 😂 #afternoontea #jazz #coronation #celebrate #garden #jazztime #royal #hotel #restaurant #boutiquehotel #oborne #sherborne #dorset #somerset #thegrangeatoborne (at The Grange at Oborne) https://www.instagram.com/p/Cqh0xuNIqN_/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[misslangford]

This wasn’t in one sitting 😂 but in one visit to a beautiful village in Dorset! Handmade scones and fish and chips with the family! Very happy 🇬🇧

[aloneinstitute]

TEDDI my little Norfolk Terrier puppy having afternoon Tea at Highcliffe Castle , Dorset - a beautiful Place about 17 th century with a lot of History , stunning 🤩

[dansnaturepictures]

30th July 2022: Durlston: Post 2 of 2: The birds, flowers and landscape Gannets flying over the sea an amazing species to see as always, a number of Shags, a patrolling Peregrine over the cliffs always a symbolic coastal bird to see here, Kestrel hovering, Whitethroat, Stonechat at the place I saw my first ever in 2007 seeing them well with things in their mouths today, Skylark gliding over a meadow they have nested in and I believe Raven were avian highlights of the walk at this brilliant location for birds.

The insect rich meadows the wealth of insects we saw here this afternoon mentioned in my previous post part one of today’s posts was supported so well by a rich array of colourful wildflowers. Restharrow led the highlights with loads of these distinctive pink and white gems seen which was notable today I remember them here last year on this visit. Red bartsia which I first ever noticed here when we came on the July visit a year ago tomorrow before I saw it a lot in home areas and have again this year was a highlight today too. I also enjoyed in the meadows and other areas today clumps of chamomile which the fifth picture in this photoset I took today shows, lots of varied wild carrot which was interesting to see I took the eighth picture in this photoset of some, lots of bright purple knapweed, scabious including some white which I took the third picture in this photoset of, thistle including woolly thistle, teasel, fleabane, ragwort, montbretia one also seen last year here which I enjoyed at Lakeside for the first time this week, bindweed, dock, my first wild parsnip noticed this year a lovely yellow one there was a fair bit of this I took the second picture in this photoset of one, scarlet pimpernel, yarrow, herb-Robert, lady’s-bedstraw which I took the seventh picture in this photoset of today, bird’s-foot trefoil and agrimony.

The glistening sea, sheer cliffs, wild carrot filled fields adorned by many other flowers of the meadow, grassland with the distinctive brown of this time of year, woodland and nice views of pine trees and others and beautifully panoramic views of this wonderful part of Dorset and the country was such a beautiful landscape to observe today. It was great to add Durlston and it’s lighthouse to a few similar and stunning coastal destinations enjoyed this year in Pembrokeshire, Yorkshire and Portland earlier in the year alongside precious flatter coasts at home in a strong year I am having for coast. A seaside day of bliss today with the sun really coming through well whilst out. I took the first, fourth, sixth and final two pictures in this photoset of views here today. I got some stunning views of Corfe Castle on the way here and it looked really nice in the evening sun as I have seen it in before on the way home. What a brilliant day out! Part 1 of today’s posts about the butterflies, moths and other insects seen today is here: https://dansnaturepictures.tumblr.com/post/691239863033446400/30th-july-2022-durlston-post-1-of-2-the 

Wildlife Sightings Summary: My first ever Oak Eggar moth and Bloody-nosed Beetle, my first of one of my favourite butterflies the Wall Brown this year, my first Lulworth Skipper of the year, my first Silver Y moth of the year, another of my favourite butterflies the Marbled White, one of my favourite moths this Six-Spot Burnet, one of my favourite dragonflies the Southern Hawker, two of my favourite birds the Gannet and Peregrine Falcon, Gatekeeper, Meadow Brown, Speckled Wood, Small Heath, Holly Blue, Common Blue, Comma, possible Small White, possibly Small Skipper too, Stonechat, Whitethroat, Skylark, Woodpigeon, other pigeons, Magpie, possible Raven, Kestrel, Shag, lots of Herring Gulls very evocative of the coast, Great Black-backed Gull, Common Green grasshopper, another cricket/grasshopper, the hoverfly, another fly I seem to recall, bees, Common Red Soldier beetle, Seven-spot Ladybird and Common Lizard.

As we had done on a Dorset trip before we ate some tea on the go on the way back having left Durlston after 5pm at Picket Post car park in the New Forest a beauty spot in the forest where we have walked a lot before, it was lovely to take in beautiful panoramic views here possibly as far down as the Isle of Wight we believe we saw the island from Durlston too earlier today with some nice purple heather just visible I had seen a bit of heather beside the road on the journey out earlier today it was nice to see a village sign into Dorset with a Dartford Warbler on a quintessential heathland bird and a fruit laden tree rowan berries I believe. There were some very pretty sky scenes here and we saw a Blackbird possibly young well walking around in front of the car. A nice bit of time spent in the forest this weekend. I enjoyed Goldfinch on the balcony feeders and the Hedgehog that regularly visits later on in the garden this evening going into our Hedgehog house. I realized from a Facebook memory earlier with the photo I took of my first ever Small Copper butterfly at Godshill in the New Forest on this day in 2011 that today is eleven years since I created this Tumblr as I remember that post (link to it here: https://dansnaturepictures.tumblr.com/post/8266050320/new-butterfly-at-godshill) was one of the first I did when I made this Tumblr. I can’t believe its been that long it hasn’t always been solely a nature dedicated Tumblr and I haven’t always posted in the format I do now but its a good point to reflect and thank you all as ever for your kind interactions. 

[ebp-brain]

rosemary boxer/laura thyme. only one bed!

the traditional rosemary & thyme fic for @bigblackdogfic on her birthday (even if she’s rarely on tumblr these days!)

--

Rosemary should probably stop expecting luxurious accommodations just because she and Laura are working on the garden of a luxurious house. This latest, for instance, Morewood Manor in east Hampshire, takes her breath away when they rattle the Land Rover up its sweeping drive, and she and Laura exchange their well la di da look, the one they save for the most ostentatiously expensive homes—three parts cynical amusement at the way some people live, one part genuine awe, and one part a kind of mental rubbing their hands together at the thought of the cream teas and feather pillows they will hopefully get as perks while they’re there. But they should really know better by now. It’s true that the house is stunning, an 18th-century Palladian building with a large portico and towering columns, and the gardens stretch up a broad slope to the back of the house, overgrown but in relatively decent shape. And their host, Charlotte, a friendly but harried woman with corkscrew curls and scuffed black pumps, is welcoming and generous. But they can see from the moment they walk in why they, with their reasonable prices and small-scale operation, were hired to spruce up the grounds rather than some posh landscaping company.

“I’m sorry, it is a bit in disrepair,” says Charlotte as they crane their necks to look up at the peeling plaster and the damp spots on the ceiling. “Oh, no, it’s more than a bit,” she amends immediately, “I know, it’s a dreadful mess. I’m selling it. The last Clifford-Smythe, my great-aunt Euphenia, finally passed away—oh, you’ll think I’m dreadfully heartless, but she was ninety-eight—and now there’s no one left who refuses to let Morewood pass out of the family, so—” She flutters her hands around at the neglected surroundings. “Well. One can’t keep up these absurd estates anymore, can one? Not without masses of help and goodness knows there are few old families in Britain who can afford that these days—and the National Trust didn’t want it, more’s the pity, so…. That’s why I want the gardens done up, at least, make it look as appealing as possible from the outside anyway and hopefully some rich American will think it’s a jolly fixer-upper. Goodness, how I babble. You’ll want to settle in first, yes?”

“That would be lovely,” Laura manages to get out before Charlotte Clifford-Smythe is off again.

“Now I have to warn you, most of the house is shut up. Absolutely uninhabitable. I can only manage to keep a few rooms in working order all on my own, and I don’t generally have visitors here, you see, since I live in my little cottage in Winchester most of the time. So, that is to say, I can put you up as promised, but there is one small issue.”

She hesitates. Rosemary and Laura exchange surreptitious glances. Rosemary knows what’s in Laura’s mind as well as if it were her own: It can’t be worse than a tiny attic room with bunk beds and party music pounding through the walls past midnight. It can’t be worse than a tent pitched on lumpy ground—which was then set fire by an arsonist.

Can it?

“Oh, I’m sure we’ll manage,” Rosemary says heartily. Perhaps a little too heartily, judging by the look Laura gives her.

“I am sorry for the inconvenience,” their host says apologetically as she leads them up the stairs and along a musty-smelling corridor. “It’s the one room I’ve got, other than my own, and…”

She opens the door. Rosemary braces herself for mouldy patches and water stains—or possibly a cell-like chamber where some poor Victorian wife was confined for “hysteria” on her doctor’s orders—but for at first glance she doesn’t notice anything wrong at all. It’s a pleasant room, with pale pink walls and a spectacular view of the rose garden. The late afternoon light shines through the thick paned windows, turning everything dusky gold: the antique vanity, the carved armoire, the faded carpets, the heavy four-poster bed—oh.

“There’s only one bed.” Charlotte wrings her hands a bit. “I did think maybe I could put one of you in the Blue Room, since it’s only been shut up for a couple of decades—it used to be quite grand—but as it happened a whole colony of moths had taken up residence in the mattress, and—”

“No, no,” Rosemary says hastily, feeling that she’d better interrupt while she has the chance. “This is lovely.”

“Really?” Charlotte turns worried eyes on them both.

“Oh, goodness, yes,” Laura says genially. Rosemary can see her biting back a smile and has to look away to stop herself smiling back. “We’re easy, really. As long as no one tries to shoot at us in the night—”

“Heavens, of course not!” Charlotte says, looking scandalized.

“Only a joke,” Rosemary quickly cuts in. “Really, this is more than all right.”

“Well,” says Charlotte, “if you say so. Now, why don’t I leave you two to get settled in and we can have a tour of the gardens before supper? It’s only rabbit stew, but—”

“Perfect,” says Rosemary firmly. “We’ll see you soon, then.”

Charlotte closes the door, finally, and Rosemary and Laura look at each other, grinning.

“Well,” says Laura, sitting on the bed. “This is a pickle, isn’t it? Only one bed. Whatever shall we do?”

“Yes, I will miss the twin beds we manage to get stuck with everywhere else. They’re so…chaste.”

“Mm,” says Laura. “I don’t know how I’ll cope. I’ve gotten used to feeling like I did when I visited my mum two weeks before my wedding and she made me and Nick sleep in separate rooms.”

“Your mum was very wise,” Rosemary said. “It’s dangerous, sleeping in the same bed with you. You’re a dreadful temptation, you know.”

“Are you threatening my virtue?” Laura demands.

“Oh,” says Rosemary, sitting down very, very close to Laura on their one bed, “absolutely.”

After a few moments, Laura, now rather flushed and out of breath, says, “Do you remember at that house in Dorset with the French garden, where they put us in the nursery and we broke that flimsy little bed?”

“I still maintain that that beam was already cracked,” Rosemary replies with dignity.

“Better than when the curate almost caught us out back of the rectory at—”

“Yes, yes. Well, we’ve got three nights here and we can take full advantage.”

“Thank goodness for the decline of the English aristocracy,” Laura says.

Rosemary snorts. “Thank goodness.”

[whatdoesshedotothem]

Saturday 9 January 1836

7 ¼

11 ¾

No kiss ready in 1 5 having dressed A-‘s blister - sent off by John Booth before breakfast my letter written last night to ‘Mr. C. Illingworth 40 Coney street York Post paid’ - very sore - she tired and went to bed again at 8 - fine morning F34° at 8 20 am went out into the farmyard - Mr. Husband there - the 2 pavions come - Mr. H- ordering the farmyard road to be cambered (raised in the middle) 2 in. - I said one quite enough - Robert Mann and one of his men in the farmyard all the day, spreading Engine ashes carted by Mark Hepworth from Haigh’s mill and setting curb stone against the farmyard road to pave up to, and helping the masons (2 men and a boy) with the caping stone on the farmyard and wall finished tonight - Mallinson and his boy here - making Listerwick cabin door (of larch board) setting locks on to saddle room table drawers - glueing blue room chairs - putting a 3rd trestle under Swiss model-table in the drawing room and other jobbing - 2 sawyers cutting up larch poles into boards and 2 oaks loss 2 or 3 cuts each log - Wood and Robert Mann’s other man making 2 trenches at the foot of slippery clay (opposite the house and near rock work) - to hold it up - the trench to be filled up large lumps of scale and form an abutment for the clay to push against - came in to breakfast at 8 55 - A- came in ¼ hour - Had Washington - shewed him Mr. George Bates drawing of water wheel - told SW- not to receive the old church pew rents after today - I meant the sexton to receive them - with SW till about near 11 - then out again all the day till came in at 5 10 - twice at the Lodge - in the farmyard with Mallinson - with Wood opposite the house- and with John Booth planting broom on the ledges in the cascade bridge wall opposite the house - 4 broom plants taken from the bottom of the walk - came in at 5 10 - sometime in the drawing room about the model - dressed - wrote and sent this evening letter to AB- under cover to Mr. Salter Tea dealer, 6 Dorset street Manchester square London PP’ advertisement in last night’s Herald - Lady’s maid or lady’s maid and housekeeper aetatis 30 no objection to the country - wrote to ask with whom lived last in what capacity - if a good dress-maker and hair dresser and getter up of fine linen - if accustomed to take the charge of an establishment and what wages asked - dinner at 6 ¼ - coffee A- and I ½ hour with my father and Marian - skimmed over last night’s paper - looked over the botany of Spain in the Encyclopaedia of Geology and wrote the above of today till 9 ¾ having had Marian upstairs 10 minutes or ¼ hour to say it was fixed for Jane to go to York on Monday if well enough, and if she could have a place in the mail - George to go outside to escort her - went to my aunt at 9 ¾ for 40 minutes - pretty well tonight - did not get up till after 5pm - very fine - thick and hazy in the afternoon from between 3 and 4 and at 4 ½ could not well see to work - F31° now at 10 50 pm - on leaving my aunt dressed A-‘s blister that put her clean linen on -

[interludepress]

2021 Sneak Peek

Punk activists. Cowgirls. Firefighters. Generational family drama. We have a lot to look forward to in 2021 at IP. We’re not quite ready to share all of the cover art, but we can give you a sneak peek of some great upcoming reads: 

COME WHAT MAY: A month of short stories (February)

2/2/21: Girl With a Pearl Earring by Claire Rudy Foster

In 1992, Laura and Thea live together in a punk house in Washington, D.C. Thea, a brash and unapologetic trans girl, lives the punk life to its fullest. But Laura leaves her leather and safety pins at home each day when she leaves for work in a government job—hiding her anti-establishment lifestyle from her co-workers and her mainstream tastes from her housemates.

When she invites Thea with her to see a Vermeer exhibit, Laura finds the courage to open up to Thea while viewing her favorite painting. Thea—normally critical of mainstream art—is charmed by both the painting and by Laura.

Preorder: IP Web Store, Amazon, Apple, Barnes & Noble, Kobo. 

Add it on Goodreads.

2/9/21: Billions of Beautiful Hearts by Kevin Craig (Duet Books)

Wen Devante is Insta famous with a massive following and a flare for fashion. At almost 18, they have already published a book on gender nonconformity, released several songs on Spotify and appeared on television. During the first wave of Covid-19 lockdown, they reach out to an unsuspecting Kaye, one of their 2.3 million followers. The two form a bond, first through Instagram messages and then through Zoom. They discover there are ways to have a meaningful relationship despite the bleak circumstances. In fact, the pandemic seems to make reaching out even easier than it used to be.

Preorder: IP Web Store, Amazon, Apple, Barnes & Noble, Kobo

Add it on Goodreads.

2/16/21: And Always Coming Back by Jude Sierra

At first, David and Evan found a silver lining to quarantine in togetherness. But as the months wore on, the novelty wore off. At the seven-month marker, David broke down—but not because of what was happening outside. Recognizing that loneliness could wield power even when you’re not alone, David and Evan commit to rediscovering the silver that lines togetherness.

Preorder: IP Web Store, Amazon, Apple, Barnes & Noble, Kobo.

Add it on Goodreads.

2/23/21: Sunny Pastures by Lilah Suzanne

When Frankie's glamorous big city life falls apart, the only place she has left to go is her grandmother's retirement village where she's charmed by her grandmother's friends, and a beautiful home health aide named Claire.

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Add it on Goodreads.

Luckmonkey by Alysia Constantine

March 9, 2021

Critically-acclaimed author Alysia Constantine returns with a timely novel about the ties that bind community, purpose, and activism.

By day, Luckmonkey is a punk band playing record stores and taco joints; by night, its members are anti-capitalist agitators who break into homes and businesses, each time stealing one possession and leaving something different in its place. But when one of them steals a wind-up monkey, things deteriorate into squabbles and bad decisions, forcing them to weigh the work of political resistance against their individual needs for stability and safety.

“The dynamic of this group is both complicated and instantly readable.”—ALA Rainbow Roundtable

Preorder: IP Web Store, Bookshop, Amazon, Apple, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Indiebound, Book Depository.

Add it on Goodreads

Prize Money by Celeste Castro

May 11, 2021

IP welcomes author Celeste Castro and her sports romance set on the professional rodeo circuit, Prize Money.

Eva Angeles is a professional barrel racer headed for her third world title when a competition mishap throws her in the path of an on-the-loose bull. She is saved from impending disaster by a tall, dark, and handsome bullfighter—a woman.

Toma Rozene is an equestrian stuntwoman fresh off the set of a blockbuster film when a family emergency calls her home to help run the family business: rescuing fallen rodeo riders before blustering bulls and bucking broncos trample their dreams.

Eva and Toma's shared passions and competitive spirits make friendship easy, but, as their feelings deepen, they must decide if the divergent futures they seek will stand in the way of love.

Preorder: IP Web Store, Bookshop, Amazon, Apple, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Indiebound, Book Depository.

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Wildfire by Toni Draper

July 27, 2021 

Toni Draper’s debut novel explores the often out-of-control forces of nature and love.

After a difficult breakup, wildland firefighter Jimena Mendoza and university professor Sydney Foster have parted ways, but neither has moved on. When a life threatening accident reunites them, can a love that once burned so bright be rekindled?

Preorder: IP Web Store, Bookshop, Amazon, Apple, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Indiebound, Book Depository.

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Go Your Own Way  Digital Box Set by Zane Riley

August 24, 2021

A digital boxed set of Zane Riley's complete Go Your Own Way series, following two seemingly opposite teens as their once volatile relationship develops into friendship and eventually, love. Books include Go Your Own Way, With or Without You, and When It's Time.

Add it on Goodreads  |  On sale soon

The Balance Tips by Joy Huang Clark

October 5, 2021

Fay Wu Goodson is a 25-year-old queer, multiracial woman who documents the identity journeys of other New Yorkers. She finds her videography work meaningful, but more importantly, it distracts her from investigating the challenges of her own life and keeps relationships at a distance. When the family's Taiwanese patriarch dies, Fay's Asian grandmother moves to America; and Fay, her mother, and her aunt learn unsettling truths about their family and each other. They must decide to finally confront themselves, or let their pasts destroy everything each woman has dreamed of and worked for.

An unconventional story of an Asian-American matriarchy, THE BALANCE TIPS is a literary exploration of Taiwanese-American female roles in family, sexual identity, racism, and the internal struggles fostered by Confucian patriarchy that would appeal to fans of Celeste Ng’s Everything I Never Told You.

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Felix Silver, Teaspoons & Witches by Harry Cook

November 2, 2021 from Duet Books

When Aggie Silver’s grandson Felix arrives in Dorset Harbor to live with her after his parents announce that his bizarre abilities are getting in the way of their divorce, Aggie decides it’s time he learn the Silver way and teaches him all she knows about sorcery and the arts. During her weekly Afternoon Tea with her fellow neighborhood witches, the topic of conversation turns to a teenager who has gone missing. Between learning Aggie’s magical ways and his school studies, Felix meets Aero, who has a big secret. Felix, along with the help of his new friends decides to investigate the missing teenagers. What can Aggie teach him to help combat the dark magic seeping into Dorset Harbor?

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[themysteriousphoenix]

11 for the Newtina prompt! Thank you! ♡

FBWeek2020: Day 3

This took me far longer to get to than I would have liked! It seemed like the perfect challenge for FBWeek! The prompt was “I don’t want to forget this.”

**************************************

The blanket was soft beneath her as Tina began to drift back to consciousness. The warm summer afternoon and the light, salty breeze off the ocean had lulled her to sleep where she sat with Newt beneath the sprawling branches of the beech tree.

His childhood home was nearby and they had been staying there for nearly a fortnight, but after breakfast, Newt had grabbed her hand and led her outside where he had stashed a blanket and a basket of provisions. “I want to get away for a while. With you.”

They had walked through the wards that kept the Scamander Estate hidden from muggle view and had strolled for nearly a mile down a weather-beaten dirt road. Grasses grew tall and untamed, dotted with patches of colorful wildflowers. The ocean, now visible in the distance, was sparkling in the sunlight.

Newt led her to a small grove of trees a little way off the road. He hadn’t spoken much during their walk, but his hand had remained solidly around her own, his fingers sliding between her own somewhere along their walk. It wasn’t an awkward silence. Far from it, in fact. As their relationship had grown over the past year, through letters and now over cups of tea and quick lunches grabbed at the Ministry, they had grown into a comfortable companionship. There was trust and deep friendship. There was love. She had let the word slip last month, but Newt had just smiled and returned the sentiment as he cupped her cheek and smiled at her, his happiness evident in his radiance.

Laying the blanket on the soft grass, they had sprawled out on their sides, talking quietly with their faces close together. Their hands clasped and fingers brushed callused skin as they spoke of their childhood dreams and how those dreams had changed through the years. Newt spoke of his own future goals, something that he didn’t speak of often. He had said once that it was hard for him to imagine anything besides the lonely life of solitude that he had spent his first thirty years accepting would be his fate. Tina had changed all of that, and he had spent the last year building a new future for himself in his mind.

There were periods of silence and periods of laughter as they laid on the blanket together. They spent some time kissing and enjoying the solitude that the Dorset countryside provided, something they had been lacking since they had joined the company of Newt’s mother and brother the previous week.

Eventually, Newt opened the basket of fruits, cheeses, and sandwiches that he had packed. Tina, eating her fill and feeling the warmth of the day settle over her, laid her head back and watched Newt, who had grabbed his sketchbook and settled his back against a tree trunk. His hands fluidly worked their way across the page, his arms free of his jacket and his shirtsleeves rolled up to his elbows. Proprietary had no place here in his safe place, and Tina loved to see him this way. Relaxed and free.

The soothing sounds of his pencil scratching across the surface of the page and the wind soothing her heated body eventually lulled her into a light sleep, though for how long, she was not sure. As she breathed deeply and opened her eyes, she found Newt exactly where she had last seen him, but he had shifted his body slightly to the right, no longer looking toward the ocean. He looked up from his sketch to find her watching him and a comfortable smile crossed his face.

“How long was I asleep,�� Tina asked groggily, her legs stretching out on the blanket, her bare feet skirting the grass at the edge.

Newt placed his pencil between the pages of his sketchbook and scooted his body back to the blanket, sitting cross-legged net to Tina. “Not long, maybe twenty minutes? You looked peaceful and I didn’t want to wake you.” He looked down at her where she lay with her head cradled in her arms, then reached forward to tuck a wayward strand of hair that had escaped her low chignon. Her hair was barely long enough to wear up, but she had tried to escape the heat of the day by pulling it off her neck. She knew Newt liked it like this, though he had never said as much out loud.

“What are you working on?” Tina inquired, her hand reaching for the battered, leather sketchbook that laid at Newt’s side. She flipped to the page he had been working on, where his discarded pencil lay across the gutter of the book. Rather than the latest re-draw of a creature for his next installment of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, there was a very lovingly drawn sketch of her, sleeping while sprawled across the blanket. Her dress was draped across her legs, her bare feet tucked in the fold of the picnic blanket, her eyes lightly closed with her lashes fanned over her cheeks. It wasn’t complete, not to Newt’s standards, but she could tell he had added as many details as he could before she woke up.

“It’s...me.”

“Yes,” he replied, looking down at the sketchbook in her hands. “I don’t want to forget this,” he said simply. Tina ran one finger along the margin of the page, making sure not to smudge the pencil lines. She placed the pencil back between the pages and closed the book with a soft plop. She pulled herself up to a seated position, positioning her body net to Newt’s and fanning out the hem of her skirt around her.

“What makes today so special?” she asked, turning her head to watch him. He was looking out at the water, thinking about something. He turned his head toward her and smiled, leaning forward to touch his forehead to her own. His eyes closed but he didn’t lean forward for a kiss. Instead, he brushed her hairline with his lips, which felt just as intimate.

“I’m happy here. You make me happy. I feel… freer than I have in a long time, actually.” He wrapped one arm around her waist, his fingers toying with the piped hem he found there. “You know that I was always alone before, that I didn’t trust people, that I was afraid to get close to anybody?” Tina nodded. She was well aware of his past, the hurt and frustration that having different goals or skills provided was something with which they were both familiar.

“I’m not nervous or afraid with you, not anymore. I trust you, which is...kind of, well, unheard of for me.” His fingers continued to fidget with her dress, and she let him. She could tell that he had something to say and she wanted him to get it out. He was in a pensive mood, he had been all day, and she knew something had been on his mind for a few days.

“I’ve been wanting to ask you something for a few weeks now, but I haven’t found the right moment. I, honestly, don’t know if now is the right moment or not, but I don’t want to wait anymore.” Newt looked down into her face, his eyes meeting her own. He was waiting for her, she wasn’t quite sure why, but she nodded silently up at him.

He looked away for a moment, his lips were pursed and his hands stilled their activity. Tina, curious now, tilted her head to the side. “What did you want to ask me?” she asked softly. She saw his shoulders rise and fall in a deep breath.

“You know I love you, right?” he asked, turning to look at her once again.

“Of course I do,” Tina said with a smile, “and I love you.”

“I never thought that I would get the chance to have a solid friendship, let alone this, and I was always fine with that. I had my creatures, I had the occasional affection of family, I was content.” The corner of Newt’s mouth quirked into a half-smile. “Then I met you, Tina, and I knew as soon as I got on that boat after spending a week with you in New York that my life had changed. For the first time in my life, I was wondering what a life built with someone might look like. It was...terrifying...and lovely. So many scenarios went racing through my mind, and I was so excited to see you again.”

Tina leaned her head on his shoulder and his hand tightened around her waist. She could feel him trembling slightly and she looked up at his face, his fringe casting shadows across his eyes in the sunlight. “I guess what I am trying to say is that...I love you, and I want to make a life with you, Tina.” Newt shifted to face her, taking her hand in his own. “I have for quite a while now. I can’t imagine anything that would make me happier or bring me more honor than spending my life with you.”

Tina felt her heartbeat quicken. She had thought of this quite often herself. She had been so happy with Newt. She felt like, even though her life had spiraled out of control and their relationship had begun amidst tragedy and chaos, he had been her center. He had calmed her, listened to her, and helped her create a new life for herself in England. He was her home now, even with an ongoing search for her sister still in progress.

She knew what he was about to ask her. Tears sprang to her eyes and she let them fall free as she squeezed his hand more firmly.

“Newt…”

Newt reached into his pocket with his free hand and pulled out a small, round ring box. He flicked the clasp with his finger and the box fell open to reveal a diamond ring, modest but beautiful. He knew her well.

“Tina, will you marry me?”

She gazed down at the ring nestled in the small box, then back up at Newt. Her mouth had fallen open in shock and she felt her free hand come to her face, covering her mouth.

She nodded.

Newt smiled nervously, asking, “Is that a yes, then?”

With a choked sob, Tina pulled her hand from his and threw both of her arms around his neck, holding him through her happy laughter and tears. “Yes,” she whispered into his neck as his arms wrapped around her and held her to him. “Yes.”

She slowly pulled away, leaving just a bit of space between them. She could see tears glistening on Newt’s eyelashes as he cupped her cheek. “Yes?”

She laughed brightly, her hands cupping his face and leaning in for a wet kiss, barely accomplished through their smiles. “Yes!” Newt pulled her hand away from his face and held it in his own. He pulled the ring from the box, which had fallen to the blanket, and slipped it carefully onto her finger. She looked down at the round diamond and intricate filigree, the sunlight catching the stone and metal, making the ring dazzle. It was beautiful.

She caressed the ring lovingly with her opposite thumb, then turned to Newt with a beaming smile. She was buzzing with excitement, happiness, and adoration for this man who had made her so happy. She leaned forward and wrapped her arms around him again, his hands pulling her tightly against him. He sighed deeply, relaxing after what must have been a day full of nervous anticipation. “You make me so happy,” he whispered, “I am the luckiest man in the world.”

Tina huggled him more tightly and shook her head, her hand coming up to tangle into his hair. She was going to marry this man. She loved him more than she ever thought possible.

“I’m the lucky one.”

[rosemaryhelenxo]

El Murrino - Beachside Kitchen - PR {Press Event}

If you're looking for an Amalfi Coast-esque private beach resort experience but as a stay-cation, then you need to get to El Murrino Beachside Kitchen situated on Bournemouth's sandy shore. Read my full review of this seaside wonderland here!

If you’re looking for an Amalfi Coast-esque private beach resort experience but as a stay-cation, then you need to get to El Murrino Beachside Kitchen situated on Bournemouth’s sandy shore. On Friday, I was invited as part of Bournemouth Bloggers to stop by and review this new beachside pop-up from Bournemouth’s El Murrino Italian Restaurant, which has recently opened on the beach in front of…

[brajeshupadhyay]

Whether, like Plumber Manor in Dorset, they’ve been owned by the same family for hundreds of years or are a cherished new project such as Caer Beris in Wales, manor hotels have a family at their hearts.  Packed with history, these hotels pride themselves on delightfully old-fashioned hospitality with generous meals, antique furniture, gardens to wander in and countryside to admire.  There are famous ones, including Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons, and Gravetye and Cowley Manors, but there are plenty of others to discover, and some of them have superb deals this year. Lympstone Manor, Devon  Lympstone Manor in Devon has a Michelin-starred restaurant and 21 bedrooms in the main house, with high levels of indulgence that include a resident artist and a vista of the River Exe Stunning: Pictured is one of the bathrooms, which features two freestanding gold baths and a marble double sink  When chef Michael Caines bought this Regency mansion near Exmouth in 2017, part of the appeal was the surrounding farmland which he thought would make an ideal terroir for English sparkling wine. More than 17,000 vines were planted, and the first vintage is due in 2021. In the meantime, there’s a Michelin-starred restaurant and 21 bedrooms in the main house, with high levels of indulgence that include a resident artist and a vista of the River Exe. New this year are equally luxurious shepherd’s huts that sleep up to five guests. Doubles from £560, including breakfast and lunch (lympstonemanor.co.uk).   Ockenden Manor, West Sussex Sussex treat: Ockenden Manor, near Cuckfield, serves afternoon cream tea with scones and finger sandwiches  Tucked into the countryside near the South Downs, next to the boutique-filled village of Cuckfield, parts of this mansion date from the 16th Century. If you want to delve into the oldest part of the hotel, ask for the Master Timothy suite, which has wooden panelling, reading nooks and an adjacent room for children. Downstairs is given over to a bar, drawing rooms and a restaurant which overlooks a semi-wild garden; its wine list reflects the burgeoning Sussex vineyard scene. The former walled garden now houses a spa with an indoor and outdoor swimming pool; there are also a handful of suites, allowing guests to drift between their rooms and treatments. One-night Spa Break Getaway costs from £143pp for dinner, B&B with £25 voucher towards a spa treatment from Monday to Friday (prideofbritainhotels.com). Buckland Manor, Worcestershire Chef Will Guthrie raids the nearby Vale of Evesham for produce both in the restaurant and for hampers to take on picnics around Buckland Manor and beyond  There are 15 rooms, some of them with four-poster beds and views of church spires. Distinctly more family-friendly than many Cotswolds hotels, there are interconnecting rooms as well as special menus for children  Domesday mention:  The manor house has ‘Domesday Book history and plenty of modern-day appeal’ A manor house with Domesday Book history and plenty of modern-day appeal. The 15th Century timbered hall provides the backdrop for afternoon tea in winter, although in summer it spreads out into the gardens. The beautiful village of Broadway is a gentle hike away, so are the gardens at Snowshill. There are 15 rooms, some of them with four-poster beds and views of church spires. Distinctly more family-friendly than many Cotswolds hotels, there are interconnecting rooms as well as special menus for children. Chef Will Guthrie raids the nearby Vale of Evesham for produce both in the restaurant and for hampers to take on picnics around the hotel and beyond. Two-night stays from £315pp, including B&B plus one dinner and a National Trust card worth £127 (bucklandmanor.co.uk). Plumber Manor, Dorset Generations of the Prideaux-Brune family have lived at Plumber Manor in Dorset since they built it in the 1600s – and it shows A textbook West Country manor house, from the long driveway surrounded by fields to the mullion windows framed by roses. Generations of the Prideaux-Brune family have lived at Plumber since they built it in the 1600s and it shows, with resident black labradors, proper family portraits and a collection of classic cars. There are six bedrooms in the main house, ten others in a restored stone barn. Spread over three dining rooms, the menu is classic country house, strong on cheese souffle and peppered beef, followed by home-made puddings. B&B from £155. For a three-night minimum stay, dinner, B&B is from £137.50pp per night (plumbermanor.co.uk). Manor House, Wiltshire The 14th Century ivy-clad manor house in Wiltshire is filled with stained-glass windows, beams and a Michelin-starred restaurant There are 21 rooms in the main house and 29 cottages around the grounds, some of which are dog-friendly With its charming honey-stoned houses, Castle Combe is often described as England’s most beautiful village, and it has caught the eye of many a Hollywood director. It has a 14th Century ivy-clad manor house – in the same honey-coloured stone to match – filled with stained-glass windows, beams and a Michelin-starred restaurant. There are 21 rooms, including the delightful Lordsmeer suite in the main house and 29 cottages around the grounds, some of which are dog-friendly. There’s an 18-hole golf course and a glorious Italianate garden, and the Bybrook river meanders through the grounds. B&B doubles from £250 (exclusive.co.uk/the-manor-house). Titchwell Manor, Norfolk A hotel that catches the posh but gently boho North Norfolk vibe beautifully; this Victorian building is too close to the beach to have any airs and graces, but there’s a lot of breezy charm. Meals are served in an expansive conservatory and there are 26 rooms, some with hot tubs. Owned by the Snaith family, it is managed by their son Eric, who also runs Norfolk’s smartest fish and chip shop in nearby Thornham. Family-friendly, it’s also a stylish bolthole for birdwatchers; there’s an RSPB reserve next door. B&B from £140. A two-night walking break including dinner, B&B plus a packed lunch on one day costs from £265pp (titchwellmanor.com). Longueville Manor, Jersey  Longueville Manor, Jersey, puts food and wine at the centre of its appeal This Relais & Châteaux hotel may put food and wine at the centre of its appeal, but there’s much more on offer.  The 30 rooms and suites are cream and serene, generously sized and with French-accented luxury.  For extra privacy, there’s a two-bedroom cottage in the grounds, alongside tennis courts and a spa. The hotel also has its own yacht. Longueville became a hotel in 1949 and is now in the third generation of family ownership.  There’s a fine cellar, with more than 5,000 bottles, a forager on staff to supplement the extensive kitchen garden and honey from hives dotted around the grounds.  Doubles from £225, room-only (longuevillemanor.com). Aynsome Manor Hotel, Cumbria Aynsome Manor Hotel, Cumbria, has 13 bedrooms, some in the beamed eaves of the building, all with the sort of views that will have you pulling on your walking boots For those who like the wilder side of Cumbria, here is a handsome, good-value manor near Cartmel, now run by the second generation of the Varley family. There are just 13 bedrooms, some in the beamed eaves of the building, all with the sort of views that will have you pulling on your walking boots. Guests eat in the dining room rather than a restaurant and the food aims to make the flavours sing with minimal fuss. The menus are set-price and a bargain at three courses for £30. B&B from £90 per night (aynsomemanorhotel.co.uk). Caer Beris Manor, Powys The Southwick family bought Caer Beris Manor in Powys last year and spent lockdown continuing their renovation programme  Lord Swansea built this mock-Tudor mansion, surrounded on three sides by the River Irfon, in 1896 on the foundations of a 13th Century castle. It was bought by the Southwick family last year. There are 22 rooms spread across the estate, ranging from suites to single rooms. The family spent lockdown continuing their renovation programme and have created picnic areas throughout the grounds, which also hold orchards and an otter hide, while there’s trout, salmon and grayling to fish for. The 1898 restaurant sources its ingredients locally. Mains start at £16. B&B from £90 (caerberis.com). Manor House, Argyll and Bute Manor House, Argyll and Bute, is ‘delightfully gentle�� with just 11 rooms and spectacular West Coast views The Scots don’t do manors in quite the same way as the English – fortified castles were more their thing. This hotel is one of the exceptions, and it’s delightfully gentle with just 11 rooms and spectacular West Coast views. It was built for the Duke of Argyll in 1780, next to Oban’s harbour. Staying here is a superb introduction to the Inner Hebrides, from the freshly caught seafood in the restaurant to sunset views from McCaig’s Tower behind the hotel – although watching from the Nelson bar at the hotel with a fine whisky in hand is nearly as good. Sailors can use the hotel’s own mooring. Double B&B from £224 (manorhouseoban.com). The Manor at Sway, Hampshire Pictured is one of the bedrooms at The Manor at Sway, Hampshire, where ‘William Morris mixes with a touch of modern design’ All the space and grace that the Edwardians could muster comes into play at this hotel on the southern edge of the New Forest, where William Morris mixes with a touch of modern design. It’s a great car-free option as it’s near the railway station and there are wonderful walks into the forest and heath to explore from the hotel. There are just 11 bedrooms and a restaurant serving local produce. Dishes include local pork with black pudding, crisp ham and charred baby gem lettuce, while puddings include lemon curd tart with basil. Doubles from £189, including dinner, breakfast and afternoon tea (themanoratsway.com).  Moonfleet Manor, Dorset Room with a view: Moonfleet Manor, a Georgian mansion in Dorset, overlooks the magnificent Chesil Beach Not just for adults: One of the lounges at the hotel, which is child-focused, with play areas and picnics If you want to get your child manored up, head here. Overlooking Chesil Beach and part of the Luxury Family Hotel group, it’s thoroughly child-focused. There are interconnecting rooms, indoor and outdoor play areas, including a pool, and in a Covid-made-fun way, picnics are available for every meal including breakfast. The South West Coastal Path runs alongside the back garden. In the Georgian mansion, there’s a playfulness that adults will appreciate too, with high teas and grown-up meals and, above all, Snoopy, the venerable hotel spaniel. Two nights from £329, including breakfast and dinner for two. Children stay free but are charged for meals; two hours of childcare a day is included from September 7 when the creche reopens (moonfleetmanorhotel.co.uk). Long Crendon Manor, Buckinghamshire Long Crendon Manor in Buckinghamshire has bedrooms with original features, a bakery, farm shop and florist  Not a hotel as such, but you can stay in this manor, which is stacked with beamed charm. Parts of the main house date from the 12th Century. It’s still a working estate, with ducks and geese in the orchard that creates the cider, and Gloucester Old Spot pigs that provide the morning bacon. Head into the courtyard and there’s a bakery, farm shop and florist. The farm shop cafe serves lunch and it’s walking distance from two pubs in the village. B&B doubles from £145 (longcrendonmanor.co.uk).  Rothay Manor, Cumbria This small foodie hotel in the heart of the Lake District is owned by Jamie and Jenna Shail, who have bought significant flair and rolltop baths to the low-slung white house near Ambleside. Eight of the rooms on the ground floor are dog-friendly; first-floor rooms have balconies. Its main restaurant has three AA rosettes and five courses start from £70 a head, but there’s also a more casual restaurant. B&B from £221 (rothaymanor.co.uk). The post Give your British mini-break some real style and book a stay in one of these 14 grand houses appeared first on Shri Times News. from WordPress https://ift.tt/3ld1rKb

http://sansaartimes.blogspot.com/2020/08/give-your-british-mini-break-some-real.html

[seanthe1andonly]

Lovely afternoon in Swanage on Saturday. Good place for a cup of tea and a stunning seaview. #swanage #weekend #sunnyafternoon #seaside #boats #seagulls #beautifulday #coastline #cupoftea #photography #calmsea #cliffs #friends #memories #community #dayoff #summervibes #dorset (at Swanage) https://www.instagram.com/p/Cf4uMeUrn1h/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[petnews2day]

Thousands of dogs go barking mad for return of Dogstival and Broadlands

New Post has been published on https://petnews2day.com/dog-news/thousands-of-dogs-go-barking-mad-for-return-of-dogstival-and-broadlands-3/

Thousands of dogs go barking mad for return of Dogstival and Broadlands

THOUSANDS of wagging tails descended on a Hampshire country estate for the return of a hugely popular dog festival.

Canine kings and queens gathered at Broadlands in Romsey in their droves for Dogstival, which also marked the Platinum Jubilee.

The festival, which is set to continue throughout Sunday, is expected to welcome around 15,000 people and thousands of their furry companions across the weekend.

It is the first time the event has been held at Broadlands, after previously taking place in the New Forest at Burley Park and outgrowing its home due to its popularity.

Billed as the ‘ultimate doggy weekend’, there were four arenas full of canine approved entertainment, live music, street performers and the Muddy Paws Tavern which hosted talks and breed meet ups.

At this special Platinum Jubilee edition, plenty of pooches enjoyed a giant doggy Barkingham Palace street party with a British afternoon tea created just for four-legged diners. Plus, huge canine thrones.

Owners got to try their hand at Crufts-style activities, including Barkour, Dogstival’s twist on parkour, where pups can navigate their way through an adventure playground of agility ramps, tunnels, ball pits, see-saws and more, as well as agility, hoopers and flyball.

READ MORE: Hollywood stars Scarlett Johansson and Sienna Miller pictured shooting film scenes in tiny Hampshire village

Early bursts of rain made way for a largely sunny afternoon, but plenty of pups still made a splash by launching themselves into a giant 10m dog diving splash pool and enjoying water-based retrieves.

Paul Brett from Farnborough entered his dog Daphne into one of the competitions. He said: “We came last year when it was in Burley but this is the first time we’ve entered Daphne into anything. We booked for five nights specifically just for this – it’s awful fun. Daphne learnt a trick, she didn’t win but it was just great to see her in the ring enjoying herself with the other dogs.”

New for 2022 was the Stand-Up Canine Comedy with the Barking Mad Comedy Club.

Guests perched on hay bales were also treated to family-friendly shows with canine experts and comedians, before more adult stand-up show started as the afternoon went on.

The comedy line-up joined Dogstival’s wider entertainment offering of live music, which this year included modern choir groups Love Soul Choir and Sing Now Choir, street performers and vintage funfair rides. While a host of Hampshire and Dorset vendors offered a range of street food for hungry humans and dogs alike.

Garry and Jane Marsh are visiting friends in Lymington and decided to come to the festival with their dog, Nina. They said: “We’ve loved it, it’s very friendly down here and there are lots of beautiful dogs. Nina has got her collar on for the jubilee as well. She got a little bit wet earlier on but thankfully the sun has come through now.”

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[grangeatoborne]

We have had a marvellous weekend celebrating the Jubilee at the hotel and with and friends and family in our wonderful village. Thursday night’s garden concert and jubilee supper was marvellous. No spirits were dampened despite the weather at Friday’s rather soggy jazz afternoon tea! And we had two Oborne village events, a barbecue and skittles party on Friday night and our 50s street party on Sunday afternoon. Oborne did the Queen Proud! #oborne #sherborne #thegrangeatoborne #dorset #opera #afternoontea #jazz #livemusic #hotel #boutiquehotel #village #villagelife @bestwesternhotelsgb (at The Grange at Oborne) https://www.instagram.com/p/CeeszYYIA2k/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=