What we did on our holidays a year later.

 'The Tallet':the wheelwrights cottage we stayed in a year ago revisited. (Click the coloured words to read last years report and see the gorgeous garden!)

There it was, just as delightful and quirky with its steep windy staircase. Last year I used the outdoor stairs a lot but this year I coped with the spiral.

The weather wasn't as good as last year but we had a lovely break again. 

We go at this time of year to coincide with our wedding anniversary but I have to say, until our son phoned in the evening we had completely forgotten it! 35 years too.

We did a few of the same and a few different things this year. 

I went to church in Bridport and met my first married Catholic priest. (Formerly and Anglican vicar)

Later we caught up with some friends who met us in Honiton. They moved to Cornwall a year ago and I still had some of Jenni's work from the last exhibition so it was good to catch up.

We came home via Sidmouth and Beer and promised ourselves a day on the beach at Beer.

Monday saw us visiting 'The Sawmill Cafe' for lunch.

Inside is a beautiful Indian-made wedding canopy. Really lovely.

 All hand pieced in a beautiful palette.

There were all sorts of fowl about.

 The cafe belongs to Mapperton Hall, a beautiful mellow manor house with an amazing garden.

 We were impressed with a huge magnolia in the front of the hall. 

Look at the seed head.

 There were lovely areas with peeling paint covered by unusual plants.

 Real stone pillars holding up the pergola.

and a  lovely lily pond

 A real treat. Its nice to be in a garden even if you have paid to look round!

This was our anniversary but we'd fogotten.

On Tuesday we visited Chesil Beach. Million upon million of pebbles.

The sea pounding against them and slushing out again making a terrific sucking sound as it did.

 Windy as anything on the top 

and really sheltered on the grassy area  in front. We sat and read and listened to the sea.

On the way home we called at Chideock which has a parish church with a lovely memorial chapel. This is the frieze all around .

Here's a view from the outside. 

I love these capitals.

Its 19th Century.

I was amazed that someone had attempted , years ago, to carve passion flowers in stone.

But even older is the Catholic church dedicated to the Chideock Martyrs.

Much older and quite spectacular.

Then a walk along Charmouth beach as far as we dare, 

If you look carefully here you will see a whole family climbing on the cliffs searching for fossils.

The cliffs are extremely unstable and I can't help thinking they were taking a terrible risk.

I love the colours in this picture. It reminds me of a Turner watercolour .

 Now here's Saint Candida. I think its very appropriate that this was the day we saw her and we watched quite a lot of Olympic rowing on TV. Wednesday.

 She has her own Torch and she stands in a niche in the Church of Whitchurch Canonicorum, the next village to where we stayed.

Her remains are in the church and she was also called St White hence the church name.

We also had some time in Lyme regis, where we ate the obligatory and very delicious pasty on the beach. I suddenly felt a bang as if I'd been hit by a football but it was seagull swiping a big bit of meat from my pie!
We had a walk in the evening to The Five Bells in Morecombelake. SHUT!!!

On Thursday we went to Wareham via Dorchester..via this place:

We spotted it as we approached Dorchester and couldn't quote work out what it was. Huge..eeenormous Georgian style buildings on the skyline just outside Dorchester.Massively bigger than anything in Dorchester itself, and no signs to tell ius what it was. Finally, by using maps on my iphone I discovered it was Poundbury.

 I don't really know what to make of it. 

All the buildings are a pastiche of 'old buildings' or should I say built in the styles of shall we say 'the past'. A bit of everything. Georgian, Regency. Victorian, Arts and crafts,Thatched cottages...all around wide open spaces so not a bit villagey. It reminded me of 'The Prisoner' and I do apologise to anyone who lives there. 

It was quiet.

 I may be wrong but I just get the impression that there would lost of rules  and regulations to living there. I bet you can't hang your washing out or let your grass grow.

However I just had to take a picture of this place as I won the blog award in 2009.

I found Dorchester a bit disappointing. We'd been before years ago and stayed in The Kings Arms on our honeymoon.

Wareham was lovely and there is a super Saxon church there, well worth a visit.

On our way back we ate at Hive beach cafe. It was a bit cool and windy but the food was superb. 

Friday brings me to one of the best things about the holiday. 

We went to Sidmouth where Folk Week was starting.

We had booked for a very special event. Michael Morpurgo reading from his book 'War Horse' with songs from John Tams and Barry Coupe.

Just wonderful. 

There were 1000 people there. The venue, a marquee, was booked out. 

 I'd been a bit dubious about spending an afternoon in a marquee, but it really was good. I cried. A lot.

 This is Micahel Morpurgo from a distance.

I am so glad we went.

Then on our way home, more lovely food. We doggedly sat on the cliffs at The Anchor, Seatown, overlooking the sea and eating delicious fish and chips which cooled down VERY fast! Even though it was cold and windy there were people swimming in the sea.

Oh what a lovely holiday.

I must mention the bank across the road from our cottage...full of wild strawberries. How wonderful is that?

 We enjoyed the Olympics too while we were there, and still are. I am surprising myself by feeling very engaged with it. I LOVED the opening ceremony and I haven't heard  a bad word about it.

But every holiday needs preparation so I thought I'd just share this photograph . 

My friend Anne and I having our hair..erhermm,,,,coloured, by our friend Denise.

'Pride must abide.'

Another lovely thing that happened just before the holiday was the arrival of this 

A gorgeous notebook by Whitney Anne Baker .See more of her work Here. What a lovely birthday surprise.

I have some sewing I'm quite pleased with that I can't wait to blog about. Oh and I did miss Hetty so much.

One thing I've learnt whilst on my holiday: where there are pebbles and water kids will throw them.