Category: Holiday
Kids Inc. 2
Feather Down Farm Part 2: Where you only have to love, run fast and be impressed by chickens..
A time away from modern life, where nothing is more important than building dens, climbing trees….and shooting your best friend.
It was the perfect spot for giant bubbles..
But, damn it…it’s a hard activity to perform secretly…and the kids soon discovered us..
We did a fabulous walk to the Lamb at Buckland for a delicious Sunday lunch…before running back home again in a thunderstorm to be ready for a felt making class..
The results: I’m thinking squared off and blanket stitched onto cushions with a pom pom trim round the edge?
And then the final night closed in…all in all, it was the stuff of dreams..
Laters, Kate x
Kids Inc..
Every now and then it’s good to let the music stop..which is what we’ve done for the last 4 days. Miles away from the whirling, high energy, high pressure of London we escaped with the kids and three other families to a Feather Down farm just outside Oxford to cook on wood burning stoves, chase errant chickens and drink copious amounts of wine….
Each family had their own tent on the side of a forested hill (or ‘mountain’ according to the kids) looking out over the lush, green fields of England..
The tents were fabulous – (this really was glamping with a capital ‘G)’..all rustic with purpose, without being plastic-basic..and apart from food, everything was provided..although even food could be bought or ordered in advance from the on-site honesty shop.
I’m still in love with this candlestick chandelier hung from a piece of wood..
And this coffee grinder, complete with beans..
We thought the kids would fight over who slept on the top bunk..
But they were more interested in the cupboard bed!
(Probably a wise choice – on our very first night, there was an almighty thunderstorm which even managed to blow the ash pan off our internal wood burner’s chimney..those in the cupboard with it’s wooden roof never so much as stirred..)
The view out…
Next to each tent we all had our very own chickens that the children had to keep fed and watered and could check for eggs for our own consumption..
There was no electricity..making the morning brekkie..
Not having to cater for every element of camping meant there was room in the car for extras..like my basil plant – how London can you get?!
The time just flew – between teaching the girls to make Makrame and friendship bracelets..
To checking the chickens for eggs at the main paddock…and being sure to keep the goats and sheep in…not that we always managed it..and then it was a drama trying to catch them and herd them back in!..
Success!
On Saturday morning we did a tour round the farm led by Farmer Bill and his wife..the tractors were a big hit..
‘Please Bella sit in the wheel so I can take a picture of you to show how large the wheel is..’
At least Charlie was a bit more obliging..
I’ve got a brand new combine harvester an I’ll give you the key!
Learning about sheep..
What the kids loved most was the freedom..they spent hours off exploring or on this mud slide going up and down..
In the evenings we gathered around the campfire, making music, singing songs and roasting marshmallows.
And that’s only half of it..
Laters, Kate x
Life’s a Beach.. x
My personal crush with Lisa Marie Fernandez started last year with her delicious towelling cover-ups. This season she doesn’t disappoint…easy, breezy summer dresses with perfect proportions and edible edging.
There’s more cheeky towelling..
(All Lisa Marie Fernandez pictures from Matches and Net-a-porter)
And the cutest bikini ever..Fernandez manages to walk that sophisticated but essential line between utilitarian and chic…in a fabulous pair of gladiators with no sign of foot-slap or lace louche…
I still love the whole idea of towelling as summer clothes. Why isn’t it more popular? It’s the summer beach dress that’s missing from my wardrobe..that sense of something warm and cuddly to throw on when you’re trying to eek out the last few hours of a perfect summers day, that magical time the dusk starts to draw in and shadows lengthen and a g’n’t tastes especially good..I’ve looked for cheaper brands but there’s very little..unless you’re a child…never thought I’d be jealous of childrens’ clothes…but take away the polka dots and I am.
This is the second year I’ve lusted after the impossible, so this time I have a cunning and devious plan because where there’s a will, there’s a way. Watch this space..
Laters, Kate x
Kent, Part 3 x
Sunshine in the UK never lasts long – it’s the human reality inside any fantastical tale as was proven in the last part of our sojourn to Kent – the day after our seaside adventure the temperature dropped like a stone (a bit like today) from the low twenties..to low. It was still emotionally sun-kissed with blue in the sky and fluffy clouds but the wind was as raw as a saw blade and straight off the frozen Norwegian fjords.
We were at Sandwich (we’d cycled here with the kids previously in the week – I’m not sure they’ve forgiven us yet as we got lost and ended up cycling at least 18 miles…) which is an historic town full of old, quaint buildings and was once the major port in the area and a centre for weaving.
We were there to take a boat ride with the Harbour Master along the 2 miles of river to the coast to see seals..
The trip out is strange – you pass all sorts of industrial sites mixed with wild flowers and Oyster Catchers.
And it was absolutely freezing! Seriously cold enough to whip the balls off any brass monkeys stupid enough to be out. We raided our bags and pockets for anything that could keep us warm..a tissue anyone??
Charlie on look-out..
Spotted!
Coming to say hello..
And then it was time to head for home, hot drinks and a spell under a duvet to warm up (that was me)…the kids wanted to go swimming! it takes all sorts…
Laters, Kate x
Kent, Part 2
This is Warmer Castle, firmly re-named Windy Castle by the kids and you can see why. They get dragged here every time we’re in the area as it’s one of my favourite places ever.
There’s the faded elegance inside (it’s also where the Duke of Wellington died).
And the gardens are glorious – typically formal English – but manage to be so natural you’re convinced the plants just wanted to grow this way anyway. And the view..sigh..there’s an uninterrupted vista all the way down to the sea..
We found a large dead frog in the pond..true excitement! I didn’t take a picture..
It’s also really good for hide and seek..
Then we hit the hottest day of the year so far…time for a sandy beach..so to Camber Sands we went..
We weren’t the only people with this ingenious idea..
But this is a beach that soaks up people..the view the other side..
It also has one of the biggest tides I’ve ever seen..
You have to run..
And run!
But it’s worth it!
Then you have to run back again!
We found baby flat fish in the shallows..if you prodded them they spun away at great speed like disturbed underwater birds.
And a dead dog fish with impressive spines.
But just to show it’s not all happy families…this is Bella at the end of the day giving Charlie the evil eye for daring to enter her newly designed ferry without buying a ticket first..go on guys..just one smile for Mummy! Please?!
Laters, Kate x
Kent, Part 1 x
The biggest downer about the UK is the weather – it’s why we’re so obsessed with it. Head out for a holiday by the sea and rather than a cheery parasol, it’s highly likely you’ll be hiding under a large umbrella. So seeing the sun on our first day, we clapped our hands with merry glee!
And sank a large glass of cold white to celebrate the whole damn great joy of it..
Whilst watching the kids chase seagulls on the beach..
We weren’t far from Dover; So often a passing point, so rarely for stopping. But overlooking the harbour is Dover castle, an imposing building with a cornucopia of history dating back to the Romans.
But we were there to see the underground tunnels…
Originally dug out as a prison in the Napoleonic wars, they were resurrected in WW2 to provide a secret headquarters and a hospital.
This is where all the planning took place for Operation Dynamo and the evacuation of Dunkirk.
Over 30 metres down there’s something like 3.8 km of tunnels, including deep, deep down, a nuclear bunker called Dumpy.
During the War Dover was hit by over 2000 bombs, making it one of the worst hit towns in the UK. But none fell within the castle walls – apparently Hitler rather fancied the castle for himself and banned it from being bombed…if only he knew…
It’s a brilliant exhibition – real thought and atmosphere has gone into the presentation with clever projections onto the walls and newsreel footage. On the hospital tour, you follow the story of a wounded spitfire pilot accompanied by the sounds of a bombing raid and flickering lights. Not for the claustrophobic!
A spot of light relief was then needed..
Even a star fish still has fascination..
Until Daddy chases you with it..
My kids are such urbanites..
We looked for sea diamonds..
And pushed Daddy in..
Before heading back home to be ready for another day..
Laters, Kate x
Against Captain’s Orders..
On Sunday we took a family trip down the Thames to Greenwich. Growing up in London the kids have no idea how lucky they are..we live 30 minutes from Waterloo, which is a short stroll from the London Eye, which sits over the pier where you catch the boat..
Just opposite the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben..
Charlie opted for a outfit of utility chic. Honestly, he looked like a road sweeper.
The boat journey down the Thames is magical, from the drama of Shakespeare’s Globe and Tower Bridge, to the violence of the Tower of London and the old warship, HMS Belfast. It’s a spectacle. Unfortunately for us, it was all seen behind rain splattered glass as the heavens well and truly opened. Although by the time we reached our destination, the World Heritage Site of Greenwich, the sun popped out, if only for a minute..
Greenwich is a remarkable place to visit: There’s the Royal Observatory and the Meridian Line to hop over, The Cutty Sark, the Old Royal Naval College all seeped in romantic, baroque architecture..but we were there for a reason..
To see Against Captain’s orders at the National Maritime Museum, a groundbreaking theatre experience bridging the gap between museums and drama, thought up by the one and only Punchdrunk Enrichment, stars of immersive, interactive theatre.
The golden laws of interactive theatre mean I’m sworn to secrecy and therefore can’t tell you very much…except this is how it starts – and it’s not a stage set – you sit in the boats wearing life-jackets…before you are led away into a fantasy world where you are very much part of the fast-paced action in a behind the scenes experience in the deep, dark bowels of the museum. It’s brilliant, innovative..and an experience I know the kids will remember for a long, long time. It’s designed for children aged 6-12..and you don’t want to take any younger – it’s pretty heart racing…you’ll find little hands reaching out to find yours! Performances continue till the 31 of August..but take note: they do an adults version as well in an after-hours exclusive…if you can..GO!
Then it was off for lunch and wandering through Greenwich Market..yet another reason to visit…
Passing the Cutty Sark..
Before stopping at the nostalgic Hardy’s sweet shop to spend pocket money. I made Charlie buy popping candy..
Neither he nor Bella had tried it before..
I think it was a success..
Then it was time to run for the return boat home, before the storm clouds caught us..
Laters, Kate x
Into the Blue x
You’ll find these dresses in my dreams…
Mine’s the chair on the left…
Laters, Kate x
General Mayhem..
This is what I normally do on a Thursday..an engrossing, soul-enhancing, spirit-lifting art class in the sanctuary of a wooden hut on the green, leafy, quiet Common..
Today, this is my reality…it’s half term…so I’m at home..with the kids..and we’re working (??)(*&^%^%$£@!..hindering??) on a Top Secret project..which always seems like such a good idea in the abstract…
A happy worker!
I’ve now learnt that black gloss, children and white, blind dogs really don’t mix…pray for me..and my floors..and possibly my sanity..
Laters, Kate x
Haute Spot x
I have a sentimental weakness for the twinkling lights of Christmas – come tomorrow night, ours will be packed away for another year, marking the end of what has been a really rather lovely Christmas break…if self-indulgence is an art, there’s been just the right mix of celebrations and duvet days: The school routine and early mornings kick-off tomorrow and are going to be a seismic shock to the system..but now, excesses be damned, at least there’s something back in the tank to start the juggling again..and the harsh reality of New Year resolutions can wait another week: I like this feeling of cosy hibernation..
But if I had money to burn in this post-Christmas-spending-month-of-bill-contemplation, this fire-pit would be the object of my desires: Created by hand by the Artist Melissa Crisp and inspired by the north woods of Minnesota where the artist’s mother grew up it’s a living, breathing, visual delight..
Imagine the leaping shadows holding the cold of a winter frost at bay – that wonderful mix of being out in the elements, but warm…But until such times as the Lottery turns in my favour (as The Husband pointed out: would help if a bought a ticket), I shall just dream: There’re enough memories to keep flames burning…and simple candlelight and open fires aren’t a bad replacement..particularly if the candles are Jo Malone..sigh…and so once more into the darkness of winter we go..
Laters, Kate x
Maison Bentley Style 