Ideas for Staycations and Days Out in South East England.......
As I write this we are ending a month of Lockdown 2.0 in England and heading for a Christmas like no other! It’s a bit grim this year with most of us not being able to go out and meet a group of friends in restaurants, pubs, and cafes, but it has to be done and I know that the majority of you are probably as bored with all of this as I am - whilst reminding ourselves constantly that we are lucky to be safe, sheltered and healthy!
I’ve tried to make the very best of a very odd year so I thought it would be nice to share with you my best days out and staycations in England. I forgot how truly beautiful this country is and this blog will, hopefully, give you some ideas of where to visit whether you live here or are planning a holiday here when all this is over. And it will be over one day!
My local beach near Rottingdean. That’s all I’m saying because the crowds during lockdown are unbelievable!
I am lucky enough to live near the beach and the Sussex Downs so, thanks to Lockdown 1.0, I found the most unbelievable walks that are right on my doorstep, which I hadn’t discovered in all the ten years I’ve lived here! The weather was so kind to us this Spring and Summer and I have never seen so many birds, clear clean air and skies, and such natural beauty! Head for Brighton on the South Coast and go East or West to enjoy walks on the Downs and quieter beaches. There are some spectacular walks near Lewes (a gorgeous town) and Seven Sisters, near Eastbourne.
The South Downs, East Sussex.
It was tough not being able to do anything other than exercise outside once a day but, thanks to the weather, and having enough savings to crack on with house stuff, I got a lot done………..the outside of the house was painted as was my bedroom, while Jack and I moved downstairs into the guest bedroom so we could keep our distance!
Once we could meet friends outside, at a distance, I took to my car instead of the bus for the first time in years and zoomed up and down the coast popping into Hove, Shoreham and Worthing to meet friends. It wasn’t always hot but it was always fun………
A new discovery was Goring-by-Sea, near Worthing, where I met my friend Dalia who drove from Portsmouth. I just loved this beach because it has a big park next to it where you can have a picnic in the shade. It was exceptionally hot that day. Jack had a ball and a little ice cream!
And talking of Portsmouth…….once we were allowed to stay in each other’s houses, as a bubble, and eat in actual restaurants and pubs, I visited Dalia for a mini staycation several times this year, as she did me, in Brighton. I would definitely put the Isle of Wight top of my list for places to visit, as well as Old Portsmouth, as they are both absolutely stunning……. plus, of course, the famous Gunwharf Quays Shopping centre for a bargain and lots of eateries.
We managed to hop on the ferry twice this summer to visit the beautiful, tiny village of Fishbourne on the Isle of Wight. The ferries usually go to the busier coastal town of Ryde as well, but not during these times, although it is close enough to walk to from Fishbourne…….
There’s a great pub near the ferry, called The Fishbourne, and after a splendid lunch there’s a lot to see and do to walk it all off………..
Another place I haven’t visited since I was a teenager is Winchester. We had a gorgeous day there and the stunning Cathedral is well worth a visit, as is the city……..
If you want to see more of Portsmouth, the Isle of Wight & Winchester, here’s a little video:
During this extremely odd summer, we even managed to get to a couple of drive-in movies and visited another town I haven’t explored properly - Eastbourne. It’s a lovely town with fantastic walks on the Downs nearby, clean and beautiful beaches, and an amazing art Gallery. Well worth a visit.
Eastbourne.
Another highlight from my summer (as I write this and look at my photos, I realise how lucky I’ve been!) was to have a staycation in London once the hotels were open again. I’m a Londoner so need my fix a few times a year. Obviously, I haven’t had any shoots or work there since March, so I decided to spend a few days right in the middle of town when it was safe to do so….do some shopping, get my hair done, go to an exhibition at the V&A and meet up for delicious food with friends and family. It was utterly awesome and felt like a proper break from Covid! As I am not going to Australia this winter, for obvious reasons, I am spending my travel savings on making the very best of life here……..
Surrounded by shopping in my bedroom at the Langham Hotel!
The Langham entrance & fab brekkie……
The Langham Hotel is right opposite the BBC, where I started my working life as a youngster, so the whole area has very happy memories for me. Oxford Street, chic Marylebone, and Regents Park are all a stone’s throw away and everything else is a quick tube or cab ride away. The hotel treated me like royalty and I don’t think I’ve had such large breakfasts in my life! (Anyone else missing buffet?)
If you want to see more of my adventures in London Town, here’s another video:
Just as autumn arrived and another lockdown was on the cards, I managed to squeeze a second staycation in. This time to meet one of my oldest friends at a hotel & spa in the Cotswolds (another must-visit area if you are coming to the UK one day). We hadn’t caught up for a year so it was a fab opportunity for girlie time.
The Cotswolds is a long way from Brighton so I decided to make a real holiday of my few days away and stop over in Henley-on-Thames to break up my journey. What a brilliant time of the year to visit this part of the world, the colours of the autumnal trees and the late summer light were just fantastic and made my drive an absolute joy.
Just to warn you, Henley has the most Charity Shops (Op Shops/Thrift Shops) I have ever seen in one place! I managed to pop into every single one and go back to the hotel with only one purchase. By the way, I stayed at Hotel du Vin and can highly recommend this chain for their luxury boutique style at reasonable prices. Now to the other end of the spectrum……..
Di, who I’ve known since we met at work in our early 20s, is brilliant at finding unusual hotels and came up trumps with Thyme, described as a village within a village, in the Cotswolds. Unfortunately, your idiot blogger friend completely forgot to take photos of the exterior, but I did film it and will pop the video in below!
These sheep seats cost more than the sheep outside, but gosh they were super comfy and such fun!
If you are visiting the Cotswolds, even if you are not staying at Thyme, their Ox Barn serves the most amaaaaaazing food! Well worth a visit and not stupid prices either. Di also took me to The Bell at Sapperton and the New Inn in Coln Saint Aldwyn. I’ve never eaten so well on a 3-day break!
More of Henley and the Cotswolds in this video:
So that’s my summer of Staycations, sun and solitary confinement! To keep me sane during these uncertain times I’ve recently invested in a new Olympus camera to get back into proper photography. It came with an extra free lens so I thought I would end this blog with the first shots I took at Lewes Farmers Market one Saturday. Thank goodness for open-air markets and thank goodness for having so much time on my hands.
I’d love to hear how you’ve coped with this year so far and if you have found a new hobby or passion. Let me know in Comments below. And remember you are not alone, we are all finding this tough, boring, lonely and scary. I actually feel a bit institutionalised! But it will get better, eventually. Meanwhile, I’m making the best of our very short days and communing with nature as much as possible. Poor Jack is exhausted from all the walks and my re-found passion for photography!
Please take care, stay safe, and stay sane. x
