Bit of a treat-y week. Had a really lovely night away with 'the two Helens' = Helen Vickery and Helen Tebay from uni days. Managed to lure them to Alexander House Hotel in Sussex for a spa afternoon – nice bit of light lunch, a few hours pouncing round a VERY quiet spa (two couples in there!), topped off with a massage (that was so deep I have a bruise on my shoulders! Must have been a lot of stress to work out from there…)
And then a night at a cheap and cheerful pub just down the road- actually very nice! We were even offered a slice of birthday cake after dinner by a chap at the next table. OK, so it was Alan's 80TH BIRTHDAY – that just about sums up who we can pull these days… But a very nice gesture anyway.
Nipped home in time to collect the dog, repack the pants collection, set Mojo's food spinner and head off again – this time to Stockbridge. For 2 nights at the Peat Spade pub, near the River Test, with Clare & Andy and Janine & Ross – and the 3 dogs. Scrumpy spectacularly produced a total epic fail by licking her paw (that she hurt in Yorkshire 2 weeks ago) to the point of a flap of skin hanging off it. So had to be whipped to the vets for a bandage at 9am on Friday – just before we all headed down to the beach near Highcliffe Castle for a paddle.
Smudge & Flossy having a whale of a time in the waves, poor Scrumpy practically dragging us into the water as she was utterly desperate. She also missed out on the walk to the evening boozer – you've never seen such a sad spaniel!
But for us, a v nice chance to get away. C&A en route to Cornwall (them and 99% of London, looking at the traffic!). Always a joy to see the sea and to have lunch overlooking the water with the sun finally out in the sky – although then sharing a bed with a grumpy dog in a large hard plastic cone is never entirely ideal… Tonight she's back home and back in the utility and at some point I might even stop coughing (have done 2 tests now, its def just a summer cough but these days that makes you feel like a complete social pariah!!)
Off round to the neighbours for a BBQ later and we've even hung out the first wash of 2021 on the washing line – its all go, go, go here in Dora Road x