Out for a Sunday drive...

Today we didn't have a plan, just went out for a drive and ended up in lovely Chesham for lunch. Our eatery of choice was The Drawing Room which is part cafe, part art gallery, and venue for music gigs, writing groups, and backgammon competitions.

The food is fabulous, and we shared halloumi, falafel, squid, hummus, and pitta breads - a perfect Sunday lunch. The decor is eclectic with lots of colour and comfortable places to sit.

After lunch we went for a wander and happened upon a dear friend and her children so we went to Costa for a latte and a catch up. Ken entertained Abigail and Oscar whist Claire and I chatted - I'm not sure who had the most fun, Ken or the kidlets.

Following that lovely interlude we headed home but decided to stop at Rickmansworth Aquadrome to go for a walk along the canal which looked great in the sunshine.

As we started our walk we noticed that there was a filming crew near the farm on the other side - this farm is quite popular for filming. We didn't see anyone famous but we could see that the actors were in period costume, so more Ken's type of show than mine.

Film crew trailers over the fields

If you look really closely you can see the cameraman between the buildings

The narrow boats were as diverse as always, some having seen better days and others that were pristine. I thought rather than taking pictures of the whole boat I would show you some of the interesting things you see on the boats.

We always see lots of dogs along the tow path but I'm on the lookout for my feline friends. I thought our only evidence of any cats was going to be this sign....

But then we came across this beautiful narrow boat resident who was sleeping in the shade but after a bit of conversation she came over to say hi and allowed me to give her a pat.

All along the tow path there were flowers, places for the boaters to sit, and lots of baby birds including ducks, moor hens, and a gorgeous family of geese (I'm not a big fan of geese due to a childhood incident but these were far enough away not to scare me).

Another quirky thing along the path is a big monkey hanging off the ruins of an old building - it's been there for as long as we've been going there so not sure how old it is.

Hanging monkey

One of the things we noticed along the canal is that there were quite a few very merry people (merry is a polite way of saying drunk as a skunk) sitting beside their boats enjoying the sun. They're always very chatty to us as we walk past admiring their boats - here's a couple of boats we liked.

We thought these people were quite brave naming their boat Titanic II - not to mention delusions of grandeur!

Loved the colour of this boat

We were doing our gongoozling again (see older Post re this) and Ken showed his muscles by helping with the lock gates.

So that was our latest day out enjoying what the area has to offer and having fun together.

Until next time be happy, stay safe, and go for a wander in your local area.

Pamela and Ken
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P.S: Final picture is a panda that was wandering around Covent Garden when I was there a couple of days ago - he kindly posed for me.

Blowing away the cobwebs at the beach

Visiting the sea is something Ken and I both need to do now and then to renew our inner spirit. I don't know if it's because we both grew up quite near the sea, or if it's just an inner connection to the power of the ocean. Whatever the reason it always makes me feel better no matter the weather. The seaside we chose was Worthing in Sussex, which is southern UK.

As you can see it's a lovely pebbly beach

When we arrived in Worthing, guess what we did first? A gold star to anyone who said coffee and cake. We found a wonderful place called Parklife Cafe and the cakes are amazing. (Click this link to see where it is as you must visit if you're in the area).

Ken went for the tallest cake and I went for the prettiest cake. Ken was admiring the man who worked there's moustache as it curved up at the ends - he even had a conversation with the man about it, I guess it's something for my beloved to aspire to.

Just to add to the fun of the day I revisited one of my favourite things, making Ken put on hats in shops and taking pictures of him. What do you think of this one?

When we left the protection of the buildings we were hit by the very strong wind along the sea front - the windsurfers were loving it but it wasn't doing much for our hairdos - Ken's was all over the show.

The beach is a mixture of pebbles and sand, and unfortunately there was no sea glass. Lots of lovely weathered wooden sea groynes so of course Ken wanted me to take an arty shot.

Here's a few more shots from along the beach.

The area along the front when you leave the beach is really pretty with lovely houses, fountains, and sculptures.

These houses are really colourful with different colours around each window

We came across three art/craft shops in the arches and whilst Ken was chatting to a painter about his art I chatted to Thomas Freer who has created a laser arch.

It's really lovely and as you walk through it you create music. When we'd finished chatting Thomas gave me one of the paper seagulls he makes - it's now hanging off our driftwood tree.

We then meandered through the streets, enjoying the architecture and the quirky things that are always there to see if you look closely enough.

Gorgeous church door 

Head is part of the Desert Quartet sculpture by Dame Elizabeth Frink

Pavement mosaic

Interesting restaurant sign

So that was our visit to Worthing - we'll definitely be back even if it's just to visit Parklife.

Until next time be happy, keep smiling, and do something that makes you happy.

Pamela and Ken
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P.S: Final two pics to show you how windy it was on the beach.

Windy selfies