Bombay Sapphire Distillery. Lavestoke.

https://www.bombaysapphire.com/distillery/

‘Uncover the secrets of our Bombay Sapphire gin on the site of a former paper mill in the Hampshire countryside. Learn about the rare production processes used to make our world-famous gin and discover the sustainable measures and ecology of the conservation area that we call our home.’

Had a road trip down to Lavestoke in Hampshire for a gin tasting experience the other day. Set on the site of an old paper mill (it used to manufacture all our paper money before it went over to a mainly plastic content) the location was historic.It stood beside the River Test; a chalk river bustling with flora and fauna.

We learnt about the gin making process and had a few gin cocktails throughout the tour. There were two beautiful green houses showcasing the botanicals used in the gin making; one housing tropical plants and one Mediterranean. Both were welcome for a quick warm up on a chilly autumn morning.

Pricey at £70 for two tickets but worth it for the beautiful setting and informative tour.

New Forest. Hampshire.

Day two of our Christmas Road Trip to Dorset and Hampshire. The New Forest in Hampshire.

https://www.thenewforest.co.uk/

There are lots of waymarked walks and trails on the Forest, all starting at different car parks. Routes are circular. We started with the Wilverley Wander walk, from one of several carparks in that area. The trail winds through diverse and working woodland and was about 4.5K over gravel paths.

Next stop was the Heritage Centre, where we learnt about the Forest, it’s management and history.

https://www.newforestheritage.org.uk

Time for another walk and this was a short 0.25 mile stroll to the Knightwood Oak- one of the most famous trees in the New Forest, believed to have been planted before 1600.

There was also the much younger (1979) Queen’s Oak…

Last stop of the day- it is December and the light was fading- was the Blackwater Arboretum Trail 0.75 km, past tree species from around the world.

It was a wet, cold December day, but we discovered a winter Forest. A Forest resting. Hibernation and decay was the theme, brown and grey the predominant colours. Nevertheless beautiful in a different way- rugged and raw. We had a great day!

Lastly a big shout out to The Forest Inn at Ferndown Forest Golf Club. We had a delicious evening meal, the staff were friendly and they welcomed our three dogs. https://ferndownforestgolfcourse.co.uk/the-forest-inn#0266b56b-98c4-455b-9db1-302ef0c94eb8

Isle of Wight. Hampshire.

We spent a windy Halloween on the Isle of Wight. We took the ferry from Portsmouth over to Fishbourne £60 return- a 40 minute choppy crossing across the Solent.

The Island is dog friendly and we started on Ryde Beach.

Ryde Beach looking across the Solent to Portsmouth.

Back in the car to make our way across the Island to The Needles, the Isle of Wight’s famous landmark.

The Needles is a row of three stacks of chalk that rise about 30m out of the sea off the western extremity of the Isle of Wight in the English Channel.

Last stop of the day was the seaside resort of Shanklin for a late fish and chip lunch.

The island is easy to drive around and has beautiful coastal scenery and landscapes.

Sadly it was time for the return ferry. However there was lots more we want to do and see- so many more trips to this beautiful little gem of an island.

Rainbows.

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.