Friday, 29 November 2024

Last Breaths Of Sea Air For This Year At Least ........

All good things must to come to an end, so Nigel and Alice decided to spend the last of their final ebbing afternoon in Poole, embracing a final dose of the bracing sea air, before heading back to their caravan to pack to come home.


It was emotional ........


The break had been as much a surprise to Nigel as it had been for Alice ......


..... but they'd embraced every single moment together, with Nigel showing Alice a few favourite haunts (but not of a late, great Derek Acorah, RIP ghosty type nature) ......


...... as well as exploring a few new places, including the odd, cheeky charity shop or two ....


...... where Nigel found himself a new toaster for just £3, reasoning that with the winter and its early, dark nights being in the ascendance, we'd almost certainly be eating a lot more toast, as it is our constant, go to comfort food, so it's always good to have a spare. What on earth is he like?


Nigel had also spotted that the wrestling scene appeared to be just as rampant in the Bournemouth/Poole area, as it is back home in Evesham ......


..... with him being absolutely positive that he even recognised a couple of familiar faces from our local posters.


It had been a truly wonderful time, with so many memories made 
 .........


...... which hopefully they would be able to do all over again, sometime in the new year, especially as Alice now has a new, long felt want, to wit, the possibility of renting a very romantic looking beach hut next time, for just a day or two, bless her. Well, you never know!

Thursday, 28 November 2024

Window To The World

Nigel has said that when he and Alice get back to their caravan, they can't help but be drawn to the window to embrace the view, which they say continually changes throughout the day.


They've been witness to all manner of late November weather, having seen the sky change from bright blue, with and without clouds, into white and then to a very murky and to be honest, a quite depressing, dismal grey, amidst light drizzle and heavy rain.


They've seen distant lands across the bay, only for them to disappear a few minutes later under a cloud of evocative, sea faring mist.......


....... the tide come in and out, revealing little islands for the birds to look for tasty, molluscy morsels to eat and fishing boats sail out, to bob up and down, hopeful of a full net of fish .....


...... and they have looked out and sighed at some very beautiful and romantic sunsets through the nearby pine trees and across the bay


They've told us that at times, it's been quite emotional, as they've sat drinking it all in, while sipping their hot chocolate and dunking a cheeky malted milk biscuit or two, especially while watching said sunsets ......


....... with Alice voicing, on the very cusp of December, the most wonderful and final month of the year, what it would be like to be by the sea at Christmas ....... another, so I gather, long felt want of the ever fragrant one.

Wednesday, 27 November 2024

Festive Perusing In Wilko, Would You Believe?

Well, who would have ever known that Poole (and Bournemouth for that matter), now have their very own, real life, until now, defunct Wilko!  

Picture:https://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/24514627.wilko-reopen-store-dolphin-poole-week/

I've never seen Darrell so green with envy, wishing he had been there too, as Wilko had always been his No. 1 "go to", for all his beloved cleaning products before they all closed down.  Nigel says it appears that The Range has now taken over certain popular products from the old Wilko and it was now win, win, win all round, adding that it looked sooooooo good .......

....... that it would have only looked rude, not to take the opportunity to go through their portal in order to peruse their festive aisles!

Let's just say, according to the little fella ........

...... it did not disappoint ......

..... admitting that it all made him come over all warm and fuzzy and couldn't help humming "Last Christmas" and "All I want for Christmas is you", at the top of his hum!  What is he like?

He said he couldn't help wishing from the very, very bottom depths of his heart that we still had a garden of our very own, so we could have the most wonderous and magical crystal stag he'd ever, ever, ever seen!  Alice said he just stood there totally hypnotised for at least five minutes, as he gazed longingly at all it's beauty.  He knew we just couldn't get away with it in our communal garden, but he did send pictures to Hugh, Darrell's best friend and mentor of all things of an illuminated type nature, as it really was his sort of thing!

However, despite this let down, I understand several smaller, possibly more subtle, considered purchases were made by both Nigel and Alice to adorn our festive shelves, in all but a few days time.  Sooooooooo happy days, I thnk, all round!

Tuesday, 26 November 2024

Wall To Wall Quality Street And Christmas Pyjamas!

While in foreign climes, another place Nigel just had to introduce Alice to, was the biggest B M Bargains in the world, a place that had made a very lasting impression on him after visiting last year as it really was big.


As Nigel led the way and they entered BMB's spectacular portals, it once again took the little fellas breath away .......


...... and in turn rendered Alice silent, her eyes as big as saucers as she looked around, Nigel had certainly not been exaggerating as to it's incredible mahoooooosivity! 


Needless to say, Alice headed straight for what Nigel affectionately calls the ladies aisles ........


...... where I believe several considered products were popped in her basket ......


...... while Nigel just stood, totally mesmerised in an aisle made up solely of huge stacks of seasonal confectionary. 


There was Quality Street as far as the eye could see, although Nigel did think that the tubs looked even smaller than they did last year ........


..... while also internally congratulating Darrell on securing our very own tub for just £6, using his Tesco Club Card, way back in September, so in this case, shopping in BMB was not such a bargain!


Nigel eventually hooked back up with a very bedazzled Alice in the festive pyjama section. She said she'd never seen anything like it in her life, there were miles of  pyjamas in every shape and size, even ones for dogs, if you had one!  


You could be part of the Candy Cane Crew, Cosy Club, wish everyone Merry Christmas on your chest or go all out Fair Isle, which Nigel was particularly taken with.  


It goes without saying that several pictures were then sent home to Darrell and I, asking if they should, perhaps, avail themselves of enough pairs for each of us and if so, in what design? After not a lot of debate, we replied, advising them to hang fire for the moment, as we really needed time to consider the overall effect the vision of us all (including the ever fragrant Alice) identically clad, would impact on our 
Christmas morning and whether or not they would, in fact, fit in with Darrell's artistic conception of said morn.  Hopefully, Darrell and I have dodged the bullet and BMB will have sold out in all our sizes well before the big day!  What are we like? 

Monday, 25 November 2024

Antiques, Cakes And Non Purchase Regret?

Nigel really wanted to introduce Alice to one of his favourite places in Christchurch .....


.... to wit The Emporium, as he knew it was a place where Alice could mooch her most favourite sort of things, to her hearts content, all under one roof ...... 


..... and also thought it might be, from memory, a place to perhaps get in a bit of early Christmas shopping, with a bonus slice of cake on the side, at the end.


He was right, noticing that the ever fragrant Alice was hypnotically drawn to anything that glittered and sparkled ........


..... proclaiming that in one cabinet alone, packed with rings, there simply was tooooooooooo much to choose from, but she would try!


So, while Alice ermed, ahhed and tried on, Nigel took the opportunity to have a wander on his own, finding the most perfect mug for Hugh, Darrell's best friend and mentor and doyen of all things of a Eurovision, past and present. The little fella was absolutely thrilled, what were the chances of ever finding another antique Eurovision mug again?


Next, he spotted something that initially shouted Alice to him, but then he hivered and hovered about it. Alice certainly had the most beautiful lips, but was this brooch a little too on the personal side .......


...... could she possibly be offended?  After all, she was certainly a lot more than a pair of lips!  In the end, he discounted said brooch for a more subtle sort of gift, as there was no rush, Christmas was still a way away but hoped he wouldn't regret it later.


Then, when Alice was finally finished her browsing, after about forty five minutes,  she joined Nigel at the cafe, at once noticing that they also had some delicious looking Viennese Whirls, just like the ones she'd bought from Lymington market, that they'd later had for their supper.


However, since they hadn't had any lunch yet, Nigel suggested that they had something a little more substantial to start with, like a locally sourced, real life Dorset sausage bap and then take a couple of slices of cake back to the caravan to embrace while reliving the day.  A most excellent suggestion!  The sausage, Alice proclaimed, was the best sausage that had ever passed her lips!


So, after that
and a pot of tea, Alice and Nigel returned to peruse the cake station again, finally opting for two very large cheese scones .......

 
....... plus, two slices of toffee fudge cake, a slice of lemon drizzle and a ample slice of coffee and walnut, which I hear were totally, totally exceptional!  What are they both like, other than VERY full!

Friday, 22 November 2024

The Pleasures Of Lymington.

Rather than tread the old, familiar boards of Poole and Bournemouth, Nigel decided instead to treat Alice to somewhere that he, himself, was also a total stranger to ...... 


...... to wit beautiful Lymington, betwixt the New Forest and the coast .......


..... with its cobbled streets .......


 ...... beautiful quay ........


..... and atmospheric high street, complete with, on the day of their visit, it's famous market .....


..... where it would have looked rude for Alice not to avail herself of an iced bun or two and the odd, dainty Viennese whirl!


Alice loved all the shops and treading the ancient and very romantic cobbles .......


.... as well as exploring the usual touristy type shops nearer the quay, ripe with regional, fridge magnets to take home as souvenirs and memories of a lovely day.  


While Nigel was transfixed by all the fudge in Roly's Fudge Shop ......


...... where again, it would have been rude not to indulge just a little, to help, he reasoned, the towns economy!


The sun even came out, just long and strong enough to mess up a couple of pictures, capturing their visit.


The quay was then the perfect place to eat real life, proper fish and chips out of the wrapper .......


....... leaving Alice's aforementioned bakery items for tea when they got home, I'm not sure about Nigel's fudge!  It was, at times, hard for them to believe it was actually November, on the very cusp of the festive season, the little fella "dun gud", "very gud" indeed!