Saturday 25 October 2014

Day out in Kingston on Thames



Today it actually felt a bit like Autumn; it was a fresh, grey morning which brightened into a sunny day. The light has finally taken on that softer character, and I am now anticipating 'proper' cooler weather... any day now, I'm sure.

In the past week I've been opening my wardrobe doors and looking hopefully at the contents therein. This has not been a rewarding experience. Between the clear-out prior to leaving Australia and my continued weight loss, things are looking a bit dire on the clothing front. I've already had several work skirts taken in - twice - but these items and the couple of 'staples' I've purchased in the past few months (jeans, black work trousers, black work skirt) continue to grow ever more roomy, to the point where things are no longer able to be worn.

I'm working full-time and need to supplement my office outfits urgently. So today we set out for a serious shopping expedition in Kingston, which is only about a 25-minute drive away.








The Royal Borough of Kingston Upon Thames is about 16km south-west of central London, and historically it was the ancient market town where Saxon kings were crowned. The town centre is very nice, and in recent years there has been a lot of development along the river so it's a vibrant, happening place. Modern loft-style apartments abound, as do restaurants, cafes and boutiques.










Kingston has an additional attraction for us - not one, but two Carluccio's restaurants, so of course we factored in a leisurely lunch as part of the day's itinerary. Every time we dine at Carluccio's I end up ordering the same main course - I just can't help myself! The Penne Giardiniera... how I love it. Giant Pugliese penne with zucchini, chilli and fried spinach balls with Italian cheese and garlic. It's the most incredible combination of flavours and textures. The service is attentive, there is a great selection of Italian wine (my favourite), the coffee is superb and they even have a separate vegetarian menu. There was room for dessert.






Our shopping trip was very successful and would have been more so, had we not run out of time - because I had also booked us in to see the Australian horror movie The Babadook at the Kingston Odeon. It's a very creepy film indeed, and Essie Davis is superb as the sleep-deprived widowed mother of an odd little boy. 




So, I have an extra work outfit or two to tide me over until the next shopping trip. A productive and very enjoyable day.




Until next time,
- Maree  xo



Saturday 18 October 2014

Day Out at Wisley


Today we were supposed to be entertaining friends for lunch but sadly one of them was struck down with a migraine so we have postponed to another time. Those fudge brownies with fresh raspberry buttercream, baked on Friday night, will be travelling with us to Karen's tomorrow - we've been invited for coffee where we house-sat for three weeks, outside Dorking. We're keen to see how the house renovations have gone, and to see Bella the Exterminator and 'the girls' (chickens) again.

So... what to do with a whole afternoon up our sleeves unexpectedly?




For many years I've been meaning to visit the Royal Horticultural Society garden at Wisley, which is now only a 20-minute drive from us. A quick Google revealed that this weekend is the Taste of Autumn Festival at Wisley, so off we went.

The weather has been disappointing for me in the past few weeks. Here we are, halfway through Autumn, and we're yet to have a day under 14ºC. Today it was 20ºC! Where the HECK is the chill in the air, the hint of wintry days to come? On top of the unseasonably warm temperatures, it's been really, really humid. The Maree Curse strikes again. Yes, you're welcome Britain. Warmest Autumn since records began.

So... not ideal conditions for enjoying Autumn foliage but all the same we had a lovely day.











We enjoyed browsing all the stalls of artisan food and drink, and of course sampling some of the wares!






Wisley is such a beautiful place. It's the second most visited paid entry garden in the UK (after Kew Gardens), and about a million people pass through its gates every year. The attractions include a huge glasshouse that has desert, tropical and temperate zone plants. There are also Australian, New Zealand and South African gardens. Kevin felt the need to walk through the Australian section - enjoying the familiar smell of eucalypts. I didn't.












Not only are the gardens beautiful, they're productive - all sorts of wonderful fruit and veg are grown and the produce is used in the three on-site eateries.












We enjoyed a beautiful stroll along the River Wey, through the pinetum to the bird hide. It was a relief to get away from the throng and from the ever-present roar of the motorway up the other end of Wisley. How I long to be back at the other end of Surrey! I miss the countryside. Living in the London Borough of Epsom and Ewell - leafy though it is - does not compare with quiet, thickly wooded surrounds of Frensham. I miss pheasants, people in wellies and sounds of silence.















All in all, a very pleasant way to spend a Saturday afternoon.




Until next time,
- Maree  xo

Sunday 5 October 2014

Life In Epsom

The lovely clock tower in Epsom's High Street

The Assembly Rooms, dating back to the 17th century and now operating as a pub


Well, my period of freedom from the rat-race is coming to an end - I start my new job on Monday. So in these last couple of days I have been indulging by taking walks in the unseasonably warm and sunny Autumn weather, and enjoying a True Blood marathon. I've been saving up the final season (which aired in June/July) to enjoy, uninterrupted. Some of you will know of my fascination with all things vampire, and I have really enjoyed the Sookie Stackhouse novels and all seven seasons of this TV series.... right up to the last episode which was utter CRAP!!!!!! True Blood fans across the world have voiced their dissatisfaction with the ending, and I have to agree. Disappointing.

Anyways....

We are now feeling quite settled into the flat, and into life in Epsom. Although it's not the country life we'd prefer, we're very happy with our choice of location, particularly from a convenience perspective for Kevin. Our neighbours are nice, quiet people. We are surrounded by trees and Epsom Common is just a couple of minutes' walk away - where there are miles and miles of woodland trails.













Next to the common is Christ Church on The Wells, a lovely anglican church dating from 1876, with a flint and stone exterior in the Early English/Decorated Gothic Revival style.

Christ Church on The Wells, Epsom Common

Epsom town centre has everything we want - high quality stores and some lovely buildings, plus a cinema - hooray! I've been trying to make up for lost time, cinema-wise, and there's a good selection of films showing at the moment. I've seen five films in the past two weeks.  I have to say I was disappointed with the latest Woody Allen offering, Magic In the Moonlight. I am a big fan, and I've liked a lot of his previous films that others have not. Now, you'd think Woody Allen combined with Colin Firth would be a winning combination for me ;-)  Not so! Something just wasn't right. Colin was his usual magnificent self. Haughty at times, humble at others. I also really like Emma Stone. But the film seemed to lose its way half-way through and I wonder if Woody was focusing so hard on doing something completely different from Blue Jasmine he swung the pendulum too far the other way. Even Eileen Atkins' considerable talents and fabulous locations in the south of France couldn't save it. 

We've already found a great Indian restaurant and a pub that's become our 'local'.



Kevin checking the quality of the local ale at The Shy Horse


Wednesday is Pie Day!

I have to say I'm loving being back in a country where retailers work hard to win your business. Each of the supermarket chains have rewards programs that really, REALLY give you great perks. Points actually translate into genuine benefits quickly. Just about every store gives you a voucher for a discount or bonus points on your next shop. Waitrose doesn't offer points but you can get a free espresso coffee every day, free newspapers if you spend over a certain amount, and specially discounted prices on lots of items for members. The online grocery service I've just started using (Ocado - linked to Waitrose) gives me a free gift nearly every time I use them - a tea towel here, an oven glove there... on my fifth order I'm getting a bottle of prosecco :-)  Delivery is seven days a week and you can book a one-hour slot, from 6.00am up to 11.30pm at night. The drivers send you a text to confirm delivery on the day, telling you their name, and which colour van they'll be in! Then bring the groceries all the way inside to your kitchen, and they take away the bags from last time, for recycling. It's a fantastic service.

Having sold two-thirds of our furniture before we left Australia, we've steadily been buying up pieces to supplement what we kept. We're still on the look-out for an antique dresser for the kitchen, but otherwise we are pretty well set. The guest room is ready and awaiting visitors!

Our flat is south-facing so we get lots of light all day long


We're looking forward to the ambience of our gas faux fireplace when the weather turns colder





Our bedroom




The grounds around our building are very nice. We moved in just in time for the crabapple trees to provide me with several kilos of fruit and I made my first-ever batch of crabapple jelly. It's not perfect; I over-cooked it slightly so it's not as soft as I'd like (easy to do as it sets really fast, with all the natural pectin), but it still looks and tastes great. Next year I hope to do better.









I'm happy to report we do have squirrels to provide us with entertainment, though they aren't as numerous as when we lived in Frensham. The local neighbourhood has several friendly cats, and Kevin has even spotted deer right behind our building a few times. Over our weekday breakfast we know exactly whether we are running to schedule - we have a neighbour who clearly needs to get a bit more organised! Every morning she passes by our dining room windows, running hell-for-leather for the bus that leaves from the next street. We could set our watches by her.


Winchester House - our home

We're loving all the very affordable and abundant varieties of French and Italian wine




All in all, we're content with our location. Dorking is an easy drive away when we want to get back into deep Surrey countryside, and London's an easy 40-minute train ride. I predict we'll be taking advantage of our proximity to both locations in the coming months. There's so much to see and do.

Selfie on a morning walk on Epsom Common

A couple of you have mentioned that there haven't been many photos of myself so I've included a couple in this post.

Until next time,
- Maree  xo