I do hope you have all been enjoying the sunshine and the wonderful weather. Summer is here and isn't it glorious?
I have been wondering, quite seriously, whether I ought to start a separate blog for my beach hut updates because I'm aware that that must be all I ever seem to blog about but then I'd never have the time to update date it and I'd only end up getting more confused than I do already so I will stick with the one blog and try to mix it up a bit but, for this entry, just go with the beach hut theme for today if you would be so kind.
I have to say that I have had the most wonderful week. In keeping with my promise to myself to do things and not just think about doing them one day - life is to short and all that - my daughter and I spent the day on the Isle of Wight on Wednesday. I had booked the ferry a few weeks earlier and we took the car over so that we could get about and not have to rely on public transport.
We started the day off in murky drizzly conditions and ended the day sipping Pimms by the beach in a bar nestled between two rows of beach huts which was actually called The Hut. If I was ever to own a bar that would be the one for me without a doubt.
Our first port of call was Ryde where I know that my maternal grandfather and his family lived from when he was a toddler until he came to Guildford in the late 1930's. We found the road that he used to live in and the church, All Saints, where he married his first wife.
The original house that he lived in has been replaced by flats but we were able to stand where the house was and look down the hill, past the church and see Ryde esplanade.
We went into the church and bumped into the vicar who gave us lots of information on the building. We were able to take lots of pictures which we did and we tried to imagine my Grandad and his new wife kneeling at the alter, taking their vows and then walking down the aisle as husband and wife.
My Grandad had a younger brother called Arthur. The road that runs next to the house that my Grandad used to live in as a child is called....
After our investigations we went down to the esplanade and walked along the pier, had a coffee and wandered back again. While we were doing so we chatted and wondered how many times had my Grandad walked along that pier and taken the same steps as we had.
Then it was on to our next port of call, The Needles. My daughter had mentioned several times that that was the one place she really wanted to go to so off we went. We took a slight detour (aka I got lost) but got there eventually - thank goodness it's a small island! - and immediately recognised the area from years ago.
The sun was now shining and there was only one thing for it, a trip down to the beach via the chairlift and a boat trip out to The Needles.
Now I have just realised that my good pics of The Needles are on my iPad so I may have to add them later if that's possible.
OK...here are the missing pics....
We forced ourselves to have a cream tea...
...sat in the sunshine and then drove about until we stumbled on the previously mentioned bar and soon it was time to get on the ferry back to Portsmouth.
The weather was still glorious and so we decided to drive to my hut via the fish and chip shop and round off our day eating our supper at the hut....
It had truly been a wonderful day. I was exhilarated by the experience and loved spending quality time with one of my girls.
Moving on to Saturday and middle daughter and I had decided a while ago to host a Poppy Picnic which was promoted and supported by The Royal British Legion. It seemed like a worthwhile cause to support as I have many childhood memories of supporting RBL in various ways including standing with my Nan in the High Street with a poppy collection box in the cold in November!
Anyway, I decided it would be the perfect opportunity to invite friends and family to my hut and so the picnic was held at what is fast becoming my home from home.
The idea was took invite people to bring their own picnics, I would provide cakes and drinks and people would make a small donation in the collection box if they wished. Although it was a fundraising event, it was much more about having a lovely day as far as I was concerned.
The previous day I spent most of the day making cakes etc and packing up the car with chairs and blankets and so on and so, on the Saturday morning, I had little to prepare. I was down at the hut by 10.30 am and set up and ready to go by 11!
You can see from the photos that the weather was perfect. All I needed was for a few people to visit and visit they did! A few other hut owners popped by for drinks and cakes and friends and family came and went as they wanted do.
I had more cakes and food than I knew what to do with but almost everything went!
I really can't put into words how totally fantastic and wonderful the whole day was and what was even more brilliant for me was that I wasn't stressed or worried about it at all in any way. Usually that kind of event would leave me anxious for days in the build up to it and exhausted by the end of it was I can honestly say it was one of the best days I've ever had.
We stayed until about 8.30 pm and would have stayed even longer but all of the children were getting weary. They had spent their day in and out of the sea, going to the funfair and eating drinking all manner of sugar filled goodies that they probably wouldn't normally be allowed to have.
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Among our visitors were 3 friends of mine from school. We had a group photo taken. We all look really good! The scary thing is that we worked out that we have know each other for 43 years and that 2 of us have know each other a lot longer as our mums were great friends when we were very young. How time flies but how amazing that we are still friends and still in touch with each other. We all have our own families - grandchildren in some cases! - but what an achievement to still be in touch.
I haven't yet counted the money in the collection box but I think that the British Legion will be about £75 better off thanks to the contributions made by everyone. A wonderful day and raised some money for a great cause at the same time. Result!
I'd better go and do something constructive now before heading back to work in a little while.
Thank you for taking the time to read this, thank you to everyone who has made the last week so special - family and friends, you know who you are - and thank you to whoever/whatever is making my life so fantastic at the moment. I feel incredibly blessed.
Much love
XXXXX
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