Southampton, Hampshire, England.

Southampton is a port city in Hampshire on England’s south coast with a deep rooted Seafaring history.

https://visitsouthampton.co.uk/ I’m a regular visitor to the city on account of my partner being a cruise ship musician.

It’s a busy and successful deep-water port and used by a wide range of customers and trades, with facilities to handle virtually any type of cargo: http://www.southamptonvts.co.

Things I like about Southampton:

• The Titanic departed from here in 1912.

• It is the cruise capital of Europe. Gateway to the world. A place of adventure, beginnings and endings.

• The freight trains in the port

• St Mary’s Football stadium the home stadium of Premier League club, Southampton F.C. since 2001: https://www.southamptonfc.com

• The Seafarers mission: https://www.missiontoseafarers.org/ A mission to support all men and women who work at sea.

• The Bargate: built after the Norman conquest of England c.1180 of flint and stone. It forms part of The city’s walls and kept out intruders.

• Mettricks: https://www.mettricks.com/ . It’s our meeting place.

• It’s beautiful parks. Perfect to sit and catch up in before we say goodbye again.

Goals

Yesterday I completed Couch to 5K https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/exercise/couch-to-5k-week-by-week/#.

It was an achievement. I wasn’t a runner. Apparently I am now! Today I started Couch to 10K https://apps.apple.com › app › 10k-t…Web results 10K Trainer by C25K® on the App Store – iTunes – Apple.

Flushed with success I skipped straight to stage 9. That was a whole new level. Double the time apart from anything else. Not so cocky now!

And another thing! Anyone that has had a go at Couch to 5K will know that you can chose a celebrity to take you through the programme. Sarah Millican has been my celebrity of choice, babying me along, encouraging me, telling me how well I was doing! With my new app I have an American voice barking instructions at me. Walk! Jog! Guess I don’t need to be told what a clever girl I am now! Now I’m officially a runner!

Departures and arrivals

Departures and take off is a delicious mixture of anticipation, excitement and nervousness at the unknown or the different. Landing and arrivals home is always good memories, sadness and regret on leaving behind those newly discovered places and friends. Walking through to arrivals. Seeing all those people looking eagerly for friends, relatives, lovers. The annominity of a solo traveller, a casual observer, happy to make my own way to my destination.

Pride and Proud

Friday 28th June 2019 was the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall riots in New York, which led to the gay liberation movement in the US.

It was also the day my beautiful daughter married her equally beautiful partner.

Fifty years ago this was unthinkable. How proud I am to be living now in 2019 when this is possible.

Below is a picture I took at London Pride 2016. It summed the day and the meaning behind Pride celebrations up perfectly for me The sheer joy!

Deans Place Hotel Alfriston, East Sussex

I went to a wedding at the weekend at the fabulous Deans Park Hotel in Alfriston, east Sussex :https://www.deansplacehotel.co.uk/

This 14th century hotel is situated in one of England’s prettiest villages, within the fabulous South Downs. The gardens are absolutely beautiful and it has a heated swimming pool available from May to September. The rooms are quaint and quintessentially English, as is the whole of the hotel and gardens. Boasting a two AA Rosettes for culinary excellence, breakfast is a delicious range of continental and full English, there is a bar serving bar snacks, a restaurant and a terrace where you can enjoy afternoon tea in the sunshine.

Swimming Pool in the beautiful Dean’s Place, Alfriston, East Sussex
Preparations for a wedding on a fabulous weekend in June.

I was here for a wedding on this occasion, but I will certainly be returning for lunch/dinner and definitely an afternoon tea, after a wander around the very cute village, or a trek across the South Downs.