Bluebird open Flagship Store in Brighton

With a window of opportunity opening in the run up to Easter it seemed the perfect time to take a trip South again, this time to see the newly opened Bluebird Tea Co Flagship Store.

The Store had opened at the beginning of April and having seen the photos of the refurbishment taking place, I couldn't wait to see it all finished!




I couldn't get a slot at the campsite in Seaford so ended up at Norman's Bay at Pervensey and WOW what a find that was!!

Right on the beach surrounded by the unspoilt South Downs it was a 20 minute drive from Seaford where I could connect with the train to Brighton.




The weather was exceptional again and we managed to see a bit more of the area on this visit.

Moving shingle back up the Beach

View of Eastbourne from Beachy Head

View towards the Seven Sisters from Beachy Head

Lovely Eastbourne, with its promenade and Pier, Beachy Head with its walks and amazing views and of course Brighton over a Bank holiday.






So sad to see the news of the fire that damaged Eastbourne Pier this last week.


Another successful outing in Heidi the amazing Camper Van!

Cold weather camping

After a lovely Christmas and New Year, and with the addition to the family of new puppy Missy, I once again found the urge to take Heidi out for a blast!

Having never been out in her during cold weather I decided to choose a site near to home just in case it was too cold and I had to come home - CCC to the rescue again and I ended up at Conkers, National Forest Campsite - new oil filled radiator included.




Not only was the site up to the usual high standard of a club site, I had to turn the radiator off during the night as I was too hot - Heidi is incredibly snugly inside and I really didn't need any extra heat.


This was Missy's first Camper van outing and she took to it straight away - what dog wouldn't when they get endless walks and a double bed to sleep on?


I've got my Campervan Mojo back :-)

Long time no Blog.....

Its been a while - In fact I've not posted since last August.


The final outing of last year was, unfortunately, the last for our dear Poppy.


Whilst visiting Kelham Hall last August Bank holiday, Poppy contracted Canine Parvovirus in their woodland and sadly died 3 days later.  Bracken then caught the virus from Poppy but as we were keeping a close eye on her - with intensive treatment - I'm glad to say she survived.


Kelham Hall is a beautiful setting and the Sunday Lunch served in the restaurant is very good value - however, from a camping point of view it is poor.




If you have a campervan like me without your own toilet/shower facilities you would not want to use the facilities that are on offer - believe me!


The site itself is very disorganised with power leads and extensions running higgledy piggledy all over-no defined pitches and no distance rule to guard again fire risk.


AND OF COURSE A DEFINITE NO- NO FOR DOG OWNERS

Bracken after her ordeal

"Is that you Gromit?"

Title to be read aloud in best Wallace accent! (more of this later).

Bluebird had a mad weekend at the end of July covering both The Secret Garden Party and The Bristol Harbour Festival so whilst Mike, Elliot and Hayley held the fort with the Gardeners Kristina and I covered Bristol (girlie weekend in Heidi)!

Having left work early on Friday I made my way down the M5 in the direction of Bristol as Kristina made her way from Stratford.  Having mistakenly left my phone charger in my car I text Kristina that I would be turning of the phone until I got nearer and then I would check in with her.

Having made good time the first signs of traffic trouble appeared just before junction 8 so I pulled into the services to stretch my legs, talk to Kristina and pick up a cheeky MacD milk shake!

As soon as the phone was back on again several text came in and Kristina rang - oh dear, was she having a bad day!  Travelling on a very hot day with broken Aircon, having got lost because of a broken TomTom, sat in a traffic jam and suffering from excruciating hip pain she had pulled off the motorway and ended up in Cheltenham!

Luckily it was Super Mum to the rescue!  Although I had a fully functioning TomTom, that didn't tell me where she was or how I was going to find her BUT (due to an in built mistrust of SatNav) I retrieved my trusty paper map from the back of the van and managed to arrange a meeting point.

Suffice to say after a short break she felt much more able to cope and although we wouldn't make the festival as planned that afternoon it meant we could have a leisurely super at the campsite.

 

We were also able to watch our first 'giggle' of the weekend unfold.........  as we finished our bottle of wine (and the handmade lemon drizzle cake from the farmhouse)  two Renault Clio's pulled up on the next door pitch and out came four young lads.  Two of them proceeded to pitch the tent whilst the other two went off to get water - they returned with two huge black buckets full of water (we were both thinking they must be VERY thirsty) and ......... began to wash the cars!!!!!  The tent pitching was put on hold as they all admired the now shining cars (it must be a boy thing)!  The first activity the following morning was to dry the morning dew off the cars too - very strange!

Woken early by the Sun all the previous days stress had evaporated and we made our way to the Harbour to set up.  Sunshine and showers had been forecast with a chance of storms so we kept a close eye on the weather as the morning progressed.

We were situated in the Amphitheatre, just in front of the harbour in 'The Happiness Zone'.

 

Kristina quickly set up the display and began to make Iced Tea as I was dispatched to park the car.  The car park was on the other side of the Harbour and as I approached the footbridge the warning lights indicated that vessels where about to come through and that the bridge was about to move.

 

 

 

As I made my way around the basin I happened upon an unexpected sight ........

 

 

 

Remember Lambanana's in Liverpool?  Part of 'The Gromit unleashed' trail which is supporting The Bristol Children's Hospital charity, long-time supporter Aardman Animations have created around 60 statues of Wallace's faithful sidekick Gromit, which have taken up residence at locations across the city. 

Nick Park, the creative force behind the Wallace & Gromit phenomenon, is personally involved in the project and has agreed to design one of the statues.

Read more: http://www.thisisbristol.co.uk/Gromit-sculptures-unleashed-Bristol/story-17326020-detail/story.html#ixzz2aqdGzciI
The one above is number 65 entitled 'Zodiac' and is decorated with all the star signs.

I did see this one on the way out of the City but couldn't get close enough to see how it was decorated.

Anyway, back at the stall, the Iced tea was selling out time and time again with Kristina making fresh batch after fresh batch.  We kept a close eye on the weather and although later than forecast, the rain approached and fell with a vengeance at about 4 pm.

We decided to wait it out and watched as everything and everybody got absolutely soaked - this then produced our second 'giggle' of the weekend.

The stall to our left was an organic farm food stall selling home delivery packs of fruit and Veg.  They had a larger Awning with sides and several people were using it to shelter.  We watched as a guy with two small kids made their way towards us - they were completely drenched and with no sign of coats (obviously Mum didn't have anything to do with packing the rucksack for the day).  The older of the two boys had a full face 'tiger' design face make up that was running into his eyes with all the rain.  So, as any good parent would, the Dad produced a pack of tissues and proceeded to wipe the make up out of his eyes.  Whilst this was going on the other lad helped himself to a banana off the display (not for sale) which his Dad obligingly peeled for him.  There was no sign of the stall keeper at this point so when the other boy spotted the bananas he was given one to.  Other people under the awning could see what was happening but Dad was oblivious and eventually helped himself to a banana too. When the stall owner returned Dad offered to pay for the fruit and was rather embarrassed to be told they we just for display purposes - so much so he signed up for a regular delivery!  Hilarious!

Alas the rain was in for the rest of the day so we packed up and returned, very wet, to the snugly, dry campervan - no more teasing from Kristina  - she was so thankful to be able to sleep in a warm dry bed that she'll never make fun of Heidi again.

We dodged the rain all day on the Sunday and shed loads of Iced Teas were sold and drunk - I think its fair to say Bristol loves Bluebird.  We were also paid a visit by @TeaTimes News who have reviewed several teas from the Bluebird range - lovely to be able to put faces to names!

So all in all another successful outing for Heidi and another weekend in the life of Bluebird 'Teabirds'.





Camping & Caravan Club!

Thus far I have resisted joining any kind of camping club.  Having decided that the Caravan Club is definitely not for me (they frown upon Campervans), I thought I'd leave it at that.

However, as the last few weeks have been so very busy, not to mention hot, I wanted to find a site close to home that would be quiet with a little walking so I could relax and unwind.

I found Teversal - Trails and all!

This is where the C & CC comes in - it is one of their top certified sites and to join the club gets you pennies off, so it was a no brainer!

So wanting to make the most of the sunshine we set off straight after work on Friday afternoon and were all pitched and settled by tea time!

The entrance to the old colliery site is just across the road from the campsite so we had an early evening walk over there before a lovely salad and relax in the late Sun.

As I reached for my Kindle, I realised I had not done any reading since returning from America!

After a restless night (so muggy) we made an early start with bacon & eggs before setting off to find the visitor centre.  On the way we passed The Carnarvon Arms Pub & restaurant which looked very nice indeed and, strangely, this plaque..............

Teversal, Carnarvon and Tutankhamun - surely not?

So, of course, I had to find the connection.  Lord Carnarvon didn't come from Teversal did he?

One thing we can be sure of, Tutankhamun had never heard of Teversal , but over three thousand years later the Carnarvon family certainly had. Almost every village in England had a Lord of the Manor whose manor house was usually built as close to the church as possible. The Molyneux family were Lords of the Manor in Teversal for almost 150 years from the 1700s and financed coal mining operations to extract the Top Hard seam which lay fairly close to the surface. The Top Hard seam was always a good quality saleable coal proving that the deeper seams are not automatically the best. In 1830 Henrietta Molyneux married the 3rd Earl of Carnarvon and became Henrietta Carnarvon whose initials HC are to be seen on buildings around Teversal. The land which the Carnarvon’s held in and around Teversal were eventually sold in the early 20th Century to private buyers and the map showing the plot numbers for auction is held in the Sutton In Ashfield library archives. It was the 5th earl of Carnarvon, the family Henrietta had married into, who financed the excavations in Egypt in the early 1900s leading to the discovery of the Pharaoh, Tutankhamun. The family names are found in locations such as the Molyneux mine off Fackley road, Teversal, famous for the disaster on 2nd April 1869 in which 4 lives were lost after an inrush of water, and Carnarvon Street in Teversal as well as the Carnarvon Arms. So without any doubt, the families wealth used to finance Howard Carters excavation came, in part, from local mining and other business activities.

Well I never ...... and another thing........ D H Lawrence is said to have based Lady Chatterley's Lover on the village!

Anyway I had dinner at the Carnarvon Arms later that day and I would highly recommend it!




Back to the Trails.  The trails follow the tracks of the old colliery railway and together with local footpaths provide a network of varied walks.

Silverhill Colliery was in operation from 1862 - 1980 -  one of the regions most profitable pits, it was the first to be closed in Nottinghamshire. During the 112 years of coal production 3 seams were worked, the Top Hard, Dunsil and the First Waterloo. The Top Hard seam was worked continually from 1869 to 1948 when it was exhausted. The Dunsil seam was worked spasmodically from 1868 to 1968. The First Waterloo seam commenced production in 1957 and was the last to be worked. It was the first face to be fully mechanised to include power loading, previously the machine cut coal was loaded by hand.

The land, having laid to waste for several years, was re-developed to form the nature park and right in the middle of the trail, marking the highest point in Nottinghamshire, is a bronze Miner holding his lamp.

This photo shows Hardwick Hall in the distance.

 

The views from the trail were indeed beautiful - the Great British countryside at its best ..........

 

 

The dogs, of course, loved the walking and seeing as they had me up at 6:30 am I got my own back by walking their little paws off - giving me quality time with the Kindle!

 

Super couple of days recharging the batteries!



 

Life South of Watford Gap?

The deciding factor in my decision to buy Heidi was bluebirds move to the South Coast.  Too far for a day trip visit - having my own accommodation would come in very handy.

So fresh from Graduation the pups and I made our way down the M1 towards the dreaded M25 and on to Seaford,

Fantastic weather was forecast so we booked into a very handy campsite 5 minutes walk from Mike & Krisi's new flat - ideal.

The view right - towards Newhaven

View left - the start of 'The Seven Sisters'

So out came the BBQ and half the contents of the Van for supper on the beach - Chocolate filled bananas included - I can be outdoorsy after all!  "No bottle opener though Mum"

The following day we all took the train (didn't impress Poppy much) into nearby Brighton to view the intended location for Bluebirds store.  The Sun was blazing and we were in for a scorcher.  Unfortunately Brighton Pier is not dog friendly so I had to settle for a view from the promenade (in some much needed shade).

Brighton was buzzing and the beach was surprisingly crowded on a Wednesday afternoon.  The temperature was hitting the high 20s so after a Korean lunch and iced frappe Lattes we returned to lovely Seaford a little worn out - That was the day over for the pooches - completely cream crackered!

Not only is Seaford beautiful it is steeped in History and a surprising number of celebs have been associated with it over the years.........................

Sir Anthony Blunt, the former keeper of the Queen's paintings who was revealed to be a Soviet spy, went to school in Seaford.

John Butcher, 3000M Steeplechase runner represented Sussex and England during the 1970s.

Tony Caunter, who played Roy Evans (EastEnders) once lived in Seaford.

Clementine Churchill, wife of Winston Churchill lived in Seaford.

Actor Nigel Davenport, attended St Peter's School, Seaford.

The actor Maurice Denham lived in Seaford.

Paul Garred, drummer of the band The Kooks, grew up in Seaford.

Comedian Dickie Henderson and actress Penelope Keith both went to school in Seaford.

Musician Robyn Hitchcock spent time in Seaford, writing about it in his song Museum Of Sex.

Jordan (Pamela Rooke), an actress/model noted for her work with Vivienne Westwood and the SEX (boutique) in the King's Road area of London in the mid 1970s, was born in Seaford, and now works in the town as a veterinary nurse.

Former motorcycling stunt rider Eddie Kidd now lives in Seaford.

Actor Oscar Lloyd, who appears in ITV soap Emmerdale.

Val McCalla, who was recently voted as one of the top 100 black Britons of all time and was the founder of The Voice, lived in Seaford until his premature death in 2002.

Michael Olowokandi, from Nigeria, former NBA basketball player for the Minnesota Timberwolves and most recently the Boston Celtics 2006–2007, went to school for a short time at Newlands Manor School, Seaford.

Twin sisters Connie Powney and Cassie Powney, who played Mel and Sophie Burton in Channel 4 soap Hollyoaks, grew up in Seaford.

Captain John Seaman sailed to Long Island in what is now New York State in the 1640s, purchased land from the native Americans and founded Seaford, New York.

The astronaut Piers Sellers attended Tyttenhanger Lodge Preparatory School, Seaford.

Woodcut artist Eric Slater lived and died in Seaford, and is buried there.

Bruce Stewart, writer of the 1970, ITV series Timeslip, lived in Seaford.

Pete Thomas, the world famous drummer, was brought up in Seaford. Recently inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Pete is best known for his 30 year association with Elvis Costello.

Tennessee Thomas, drummer of The Like and fashion model, lived in Seaford before moving to California.

Colin Wells (cricketer), ex-professional cricketer for Sussex and Derbyshire, lives in Seaford.

Adam Pitts, drummer of the band Lawson, grew up in Seaford.

To name several - thanks Wikipedia.  Now who can remember Timeslip? 

In the Middle Ages, Seaford was one of the main ports serving Southern England, but the town's fortunes declined due to coastal sedimentation silting up its harbour and persistent raids by French pirates. The coastal confederation of Cinque Ports during its medieval period consisted of a confederation of 42 towns and villages in all. This included Seaford under the 'Limb' of Hastings. Between 1350 and 1550, the French burned down the town several times.
In the 16th century the people of Seaford were known as the "cormorants" or "shags" because of their enthusiasm for looting ships wrecked in the bay. Local legend has it that Seaford residents would, on occasion, cause ships to run aground by placing fake harbour lights on the cliffs.
However, Seaford's fortunes revived in the 19th century with the arrival of the railway connecting the town to Lewes and London. It became a small seaside resort town, and more recently a dormitory town for the nearby larger settlements of Eastbourne and Brighton, as well as for London.

I loved the traditional feel of the town and enjoyed exploring the sea front - complete with pretty little beach huts.

The Seven Sisters are a series of chalk cliffs. They form part of the South Downs starting in Seaford.  They are the remnants of dry valleys in the chalk South Downs, which are gradually being eroded by the sea.
The Seven Sisters cliffs are occasionally used in filmmaking and television as a stand-in for the more famous White Cliffs of Dover, since they are relatively free of  modern development and are also allowed to erode naturally. As a result, the Seven Sisters and Beachy Head remain a bright white colour, whereas the White Cliffs of Dover are protected due to the important port and are therefore increasingly covered in vegetation and are greening as a result. They are also featured at the beginning of the film Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, and at the end of the film Atonement where Robbie and Cecilia always wanted to live.

Fantastic Photo viewing points

Below is the view looking back from the cliffs across Seaford bay towards Newhaven.

So, in answer to the question, YES there is life South of Watford Gap and very nice it is too - what a shame the M25 cant be avoided - we only parked on it for 3 1/2 hours on the way home!!

bluebirds

Bluebird Birthday and Graduation

Incredibly it has been a year since bluebirds first event at Stratford's Riverfest and we were all there again this year to celebrate their Birthday.  Krisi & Mike continue to work like Trojans to make the company a success and it was lovely to see them serving Iced teas to the flocking Stratford crowd - selling out completely on the first day (good job they had more for the next day).  They have now relocated to Brighton (more on that later) where the first bluebird Tea Co store will be opening soon (watch this space)!

On the Sunday evening we all travelled from Riverfest up to Liverpool to commence Elliot's Graduation celebrations - staying at Kings Dock with a view of the Cathedral in the distance.

Anyone who knows me well will know that I love the Beatles so afternoon tea was taken at the Hard Days Night Hotel - complete with chocolate logo!



The night view from our apartment shows the iconic Radio Tower.

After a very warm night we started the day with a hearty cooked breakfast - not complete without a toast of Bucks Fizz - this cork didn't want to budge However Elliot was hopeful of landing it in the dock ..................

Everyone checked but, alas, it only made the grass at the front of the building, taking down two seagulls as it went!

Graduation cupcakes - nicely staged by Mike (product placement knowledge at play here) - and No, you cant buy them at Asda Elliot!

Commence the mammoth photo poses - just like a wedding really.

The Smith 'brood' - Jayne's words not mine.

Not only was Liverpool's Anglican Cathedral beautiful it was a cool relief from the climbing temperature outside.

What does all this have to do with the Campervan I hear you ask - absolutely nothing - I'm just a very very very proud Mama xxx