Having recently visited the glorious Hatchlands Park to see the bluebells, we were back to show POD their swanky new treehouse. Managed by the National Trust, Hatchlands Park is a superb place for families especially. As well as the mansion, there’s more green space than you can shake a stick at, lots of trees to climb and an adventure play area. Oh and at this time of year bluebells too.
It doesn’t seem five minutes since we were in Ghent but the weeks seem to be flying by at the moment don’t they? We’ve travelled to Belgium a few times now but this was the first time we’d visited Ghent. Seen as one of Europe’s best kept secrets, it has many medieval landmarks lining it’s mostly traffic free streets.
There are a number of places that are great for bluebells at this time of year. Although we’re a little bit spoilt in Surrey, our favourite has to be Hatchlands Park. Managed by the National Trust and located a stones throw away from Guildford, it’s somewhere we head to regularly. While we mostly visit as a family, on this occasion it was brilliant to meet up with a couple of my favourite people, Mummy Barrow and HPMcQ.
Moving from the big smoke to Surrey in 2010 is one of the best decisions we ever made. POD arrived on Christmas Day that year and she’s grown up enjoying the outdoors whatever the weather. She always says she loves it when it rains as she can jump in muddy puddles and catch raindrops on her tongue.
As soon as you leave the car and head down a pathway lined by the tallest of trees, you know Frensham Little Pond will be a bit special. It says a lot about a place if you instantly feel relaxed the moment you arrive. You can almost sense the tension slipping away from your shoulders while you take a deep intake of breath. Arriving at the waters edge to admire the view, you can’t help but smile at this 13th century gem and the stunning heathland that surrounds it.
When I was a child we existed in a largely technology free world and spent much of our time outdoors. Whether it was playing games, skipping or attempting cartwheels, we were always active. Much has changed since the days of flares, big hair and sounds of the disco but a recent study has revealed some shocking statistics.
We love Alice Holt Forest. Located in Hampshire, just a few miles south of Farnham, this wonderful forest is part of the South Downs National Park. It’s just one of the many forests managed by the Forestry Commission. Whether we’re following The Gruffalo, Stick Man or one of the trails, Alice Holt is always good fun and a great place to blow away a few post Easter cobwebs. On this particular day, five year old POD decided we’d embark on our very own treasure hunt.
The Doves made an impromptu trip to the West Sussex coast again recently. We’ve explored the likes of West Wittering and East Head over the past few weeks so we opted for the seaside town of Littlehampton. Having larked around on the Britain’s longest bench, which seats 300 people, we headed down from the promenade to jump the waves and attempt to build sandcastles.
Having enjoyed the wonderfully serene Frensham Little Pond last month, the mist surrounding Newlands Corner offered much of the same. A well-known beauty spot, near where it’s thought Agatha Christie ‘disappeared’, Newlands Corner is part of the North Downs and boasts some of the best views of the Surrey Hills. Even with the morning mist lifting you could still see for miles. While I look back at our years in London with great fondness, there’s something to be said about breathing in fresh country air. Newlands Corner is the ideal spot to blow away a few cobwebs or pretend to be Tinkerbell (as POD did recently) and it’s popular with dog walkers too.
We lived in South East London for some time, twelve years in all. London Bridge was our gateway to central London but located just a stones throw away from there is Borough Market. It’s changed a lot since we moved to Surrey in 2010 and if you’ve not been before, you really must pay it a visit. I got to experience it again recently albeit briefly, thanks to a travel and street photography workshop. A small group of us had an incredible day being pushed out of our comfort zones. From freeze framing London buses and capturing strangers to a lot of camera tinkering. One on one time with the photographer was invaluable and she quickly recognised the kind of images I love to create. Taking in Borough Market was certainly one of the highlights location wise.
