Halcyon Days

I have two posts in my head - obviously none ACTUALLY on paper yet and I've been debating which to tackle first.

Clearly it SHOULD be the first one which is 'Things I know and have learned' over the course of Friday and Saturday morning but I think I'll go with the second one first which is:

Halcyon Days

It's been the most glorious weekend.

After a busy Saturday morning (more of that in the next post) SD and I headed for the coast and the promise of fish and chips on the seafront - a reward for all my hard work.

We pitched up at Lyme Regis on the Dorset coast and headed straight for the harbour wall known as the Cobb.  The walkway around the harbour offers some beautiful views - I took these standing on top of the harbour wall:

Then we wandered down to the seafront where we saw these:

Morris men dancing

Lyme Regis forms part of the Jurassic coast and fossils are found all around here including here:

Lyme is probably one of my favourite nearby places to go if I'm not looking to getting away from it all and fancy a rhubarb crumble ice cream - I KNOW!!!  Rhubarb crumble ice cream!!!  Can you think of anything more ....  ummm, moreish?

I got my well earned fish and chips and SD and I sat on the sea wall with a brass band playing in the background and seagulls flying overhead and it was pretty much perfect!

After a lazy start on Sunday and a huge full English breakfast we gathered up Miss Mac and her friend and set off for Clevedon.

I've never really given Clevedon any consideration before and the only reason we went was because Miss Mac and friend are going to see One Direction at Wembley next month and 1D shot their latest video on the pier at Clevedon and the girls wanted to shoot their own video at the same place.

I hadn't realised that there was more to the place than the annual balloon festival and the downs set high above it but it really is the most lovely place.

The seafront has ornamental gardens and a Victorian bandstand (with yet another brass band playing for us) and Salthouse field, a large area of green with a light railway running around it, a huge bouncy castle and donkey rides for the children.

Clevedon has a genteel air about it much like another of my favourite places, Budleigh Salterton.  The attractions are low tech and old fashioned.

The pier was opened in 1869 and is one of the earliest Victorian piers still in existence.  It was fairly quiet when we got there and we took the long walk to the end to the pagoda tearooms (coffee and cake a must of course ;-)

I think I'd earned my cake by the time we got there!

Sitting on the end of the pier in the sunshine is possibly only a 3 day a year event as most of the time it would be too cold or windy but we were basking in the sunshine and it was just perfect!

After a delicious home made cupcake (no photo - ate it too fast!) we strolled along the promenade to the marine lake.

The marine lake was opened in 1929.  It's a little shabby these day but there are plans for restoration.

To me it's just perfect as it is.

The lake is fed by the tide so the water is changes twice daily and it's huge!  When the tide is out you can walk along the wall containing it;

And from a distance it looks like you are walking on water.

The affect is of an infinity pool and it's just stunning!


It may have been my first visit to Clevedon but I'm very sure it wont be my last.

Hoping you all had a halcyon weekend too :-)