day trip

This morning Steve and I went over to Hitchin, a town near St Albans. I wanted to look around the market that is held there on a Tuesday. It's a very picturesque Hertfordshire market town with narrow little streets leading off the old market square. Lots of interesting little shops. We found a lovely bakery called Quotidian, 13/14 Sun Street. They bake in-house traditional French, Italian and flavoured breads. We bought a mustard and cheese loaf, chocolate and nut cookies and chocolate and pistachio biscotti we took them home for lunch. I can say they were all delicious.

Yesterday Ashley and I went down to Brighton for the day. We meet up with Alice and did some shopping. We had a very nice lunch at a veggie restaurant that Alice had found. The restaurant was called Iydea. 17 Kensington Gardens, North Laine. The weather was warm enough for us to eat outside. We all enjoyed the food and would recommend it. One downside was I didn't get to try the home made lemonade. I bought one but managed to spill it. I just missed a man sitting opposite. Poor man he was just enjoying a coffee, reading a book.

On Thursday I spent the afternoon at Capel Manor Gardens, 30 acres of themed gardens in Enfield. It was a lovely sunny Autumn day. Not many visitors but a few students as it's a college of horticulture, the college owns and runs the gardens. Angie, the friend I went with, has completed two courses at Capel. So a good person to show me round and name some of those unusual and lesser known plants. The official guide says "30 acres of richly planted and beautiful themed gardens, to inspire and indulge the senses. All surrounding a Georgian Manor House and Victorian Stables.

Just got back from a few days in the north of England, visiting relatives. We paid a quick visit to my sister in Worksop. For posterity I  took a photograph of the street we grew up on. Next we went to stay with Steve's mum in South Cave, a village in East Yorkshire. One of the days there we spent at the seaside, at Bridlington on the East Yorkshire coast. We have fond memories of this very cosy traditional English seaside town. We holidayed there as children with buckets and spades and as a teenager it was my first holiday without parents.