Yet More Festive Fun!

I'm just back from Planet Thanet (ie; Margate/Ramsgate) having spent a manic 3 days visiting friends and family.
I am pretty sure I have put back on every single pound I battled to lose in the last couple of months and my poor liver is weeping in defeat, but, what the hell January is a new year etc.

Christmas day we went to my brother's where he did us proud with a huge dinner. It was the first time I have ever eaten goose and I liked it, so hopefully it won't be the last!
 My Mum brought along a homemade black forest trifle which was all chocolate, cherries, kirsch and cream *swoon* I wish I had had more room to do it better justice. All in all a wonderful day.

We had one day comatose at home and then we were off again. Before we left I had to scoot to the bank and pay my credit card bill *sob* but it was made a bit less painful by noticing 3 large bowls of Christmas baubles in Oxfam's window. Having spotted some vintage glass ones and the label 'one for 20p or 6 for 99p' I shot through the door and started to carefully rummage.

 This is my £2.98 haul and very happy it makes me. The lady behind the till said they had come in as a huge boxful and the manager was all for throwing them out as 'no one would want them'!?! It was actually down to the lady behind the till that they went on the shop floor at all and she said they had flown from the shelf so the manager had had to eat her words. Damn how I wish I could have been there when they first got put out!!

Anyway I brought these shiny lovelies home grabbed my suitcase and off we shot.Thankfully the journey down was quick and painless unlike the assault on my liver that followed (bad, bad evil woman that I am). First night we had Chinese takeout and lots of wine.
Next day I finally got my arse out of bed by lunchtime and caught the bus to my Sister's flat. I managed to confuse the poor driver by asking to be taken to Margate when I already was in Margate = doh, but thankfully I was feeling more human by the time I had walked up from the harbour in the fiercely bracing wind straight off the sea to my sister's flat.

We had a restorative bucket of tea whilst waiting for her friend Bridget to arrive so we could try out a new tea room in town called Marmalade (11 Harbour Street - Ramsgate).

 This was our high tea and it was bloody lovely! The scones and cakes were stunning. My only complaint was the sandwiches were more than a little on the doorstep side and just way too much bread to battle through, though the fillings were very generous. All in all highly recommended and fab value for money.

My sister and I then headed back to her flat for a bottle of bubbly and a good catch up, this is one of her 2 lovely Christmas trees.

I also finally got to meet her new fella too, who very kindly gave me a lift to Broadstairs where I was meeting Himself and other friends. We ended up on a mini pub crawl so it all got very very messy, what a brilliant night.

                                                        Another pretty tree.

 Next day, and with surprisingly no hangover I went to meet my friend Kay. We had a lovely afternoon drinking lots of tea and catching up on 6 months worth of news.

                                                          Kay's Christmas tree.

In the evening we had Christmas dinner again with Himself's parents which meant yet more champagne and wine and then it was time to come home.

On the plus side I didn't go near the shops but I am ashamed to say I spent 3 days at the seaside and did not go near the sea or beach once!