A June Round Up.

I  really need to write these posts sooner I’m having to search my memory banks for early June!

It started with a day out with my Mum to Millets Farm. I had wanted to get some compost and had suggested a local garden centre. Mum suggested Millets as we hadn’t been there in ages. It’s a little more expensive when it comes to soil and plants, but they also have huge gift shop, a petting zoo, falconry centre, pick your own farm, farm shop, cafe and restaurant. So it can be a full day out if you want it to be!

We had a mooch round the latest addition which was some little independent shop units where I fell in love with these two felted fellas, now living on my fireplace and named Sid and James. 

We then browsed the main shop and garden centre where I petted the resident cat, but decided not to buy soil. We had a look in the café but it was busy, so we decided to try elsewhere and after a browse in the farm shop headed out to a nearby trading estate where I also didn’t get soil at B&M or Lidl, though I did buy a couple of plants and other bits at the later. 

I finally found some in Homebase plus another couple of reduced plants!  We ended up having a late lunch in the café at the nearby Tesco megastore where I introduced my Mother to the joys of tater tots!  

I had the Friday of the same week off to meet with my friends Carole, Liz and Simon for a belated lunch and catch up. We were once again at the new Italian in town which continues to delight, the food and service were fantastic and the company even better.

Saturday the 8^th I was up and out with Soo. We headed over to Witney because Soo had spotted the National Garden Scheme weekend was happening. This is a scheme where for a small fee, privately owned gardens which are usually closed to the public, are opened to visitors on certain days of the year with all profits going to charity. 

We arrived late morning did a bit of shopping followed by a lazy lunch, before heading to the church to pay and collect our map. We had great fun trawling the streets of Witney and seeing gardens of all shapes and sizes, from the large and rambling, to the pretentious ‘oh we planted the grass this way to match a piece of artwork in the house.’ To the unexpected, step through someone’s garage, into a glorious secret paradise. The later belonging to a lovely elderly lady who still did all the gardening herself and like me loves to grow heritage varieties. 

The weather was very hot so by the time we came full circle and were back at the church, we were grateful for a glass of cold water from one of the volunteers.

The following week I had my eyes tested. Would you believe after 40 years as wearer of reading glasses, for the first time ever I managed to sit on my glasses and break them! 

Luckily it happened a week before my eye test so I only had to wear them sellotaped together and wonky for 2 weeks before I picked up my new ones.

That Saturday I had to cover the lunch break of an event at work. I did get annoyed at a colleague, who should have done the event but didn’t and kept saying “it’s only for an hour and a half so you at least will still have the rest of your Saturday.” Forgetting that unlike her who lives in Oxford and could have walked there and back, I have to catch a train in so am constrained by train times and just and hour and a half turns into most of a day for me. My other colleague Michael who was supporting me, had to drive in from 40 miles away!

To make up for this I arranged to meet my friend Charlotte in town afterwards. We had a delicious late lunch at Georgina’s which never fails to impress with it’s huge plates of gorgeous Greek food.

Replete we wandered, or I should say waddled, to John Lewis as Charlotte wanted to pick something up. We had a browse because why not as you are there? Oohed and aahed in the haberdashery department and then took ourselves down the High Street for a cup of tea at The Rose Tea Room.

As ever we were so busy catching up on news and chatting that time flew and before we knew it they were tidying up around us to close, I think I finally got home about 7.30pm!

The next weekend was my only quiet one this month and probably a good job. Not only had  I been covering for one of the managers at work, Himself had been feeling rough since the Wednesday night and on Thursday 20^th tested positive for Covid again. 

He basically spent Friday to Sunday in bed but insisted he go back to work on the Monday. Even he now admits that was too soon and that he should have taken longer to recover but he always does push himself too hard.

Thankfully I remained clear, I have no idea why, but this has been 3 times now and long may it stay that way! 

So in between looking after him I took myself out for a couple of walks. For one I called in at Nephew Number One’s to drop off his partner Shannon’s birthday present and hear all about their amazing time at the Download festival. The weather had mostly been appalling and they had to borrow my brother’s Karcher when they got back to jet wash the mud off everything! I remember after going one year my Mother hosing me down in the garden before she would let me in the house, so some things never change.

My last week in June was super busy, I was still covering at work but also had various social activities on.

I had a hat trick of days out with Soo. Starting on the Wednesday when we went to see Six at the New Theatre in Oxford.

On the surface not something that I thought would be for me, but so many people had said how great it was we decided to give it a go. 

Well what an amazing show, I loved it! I can’t believe how quickly the time flew. It is a really neat twist on the lives of the wives of Henry the Eighth, with such clever lyrics. For those who don’t know it is a musical that imagines the six wives of Henry as an all singing all dancing modern day girl band, each getting the chance to put over her side of things with her own song. For example, Anne of Cleves where Henry famously fell for her portrait but was not impressed when he saw her in the flesh, was sung from the point of view of too much editing of a profile pic. On a serious note, it gave the chance to understand them and not just define them by the man they were married too as is usually the case. I definitely recommend it.

We met up in Oxford again on the Friday as we were going out with Melissa and another friend from our days at the Bodleian Calista. We had decided to give The Cosy Club a go as none of the others had eaten there before.

 We also tried out The Grapes on George Street as I hadn’t been in there since it had reopened. It’s one of Oxford’s oldest pubs and had been closed since lockdown, I was very sad to see it close. It’s great that it is back and I loves that not only is it being run as an independent pub but they had a record player on the bar to provide the music! I was disappointed they had ripped out the interior as it used to have the original wood panel booths, actually I’m surprised they weren’t listed, otherwise it was great to be able to use it again.

Soo and I got there first, and her other half Gav popped in to say hello on his way back to his car after work, Melissa came next followed by Calista about 30 minutes later. Again, we were so busy catching up on news we were slightly late for our table booking! I know The Cosy Club is a chain, but I love the décor, the food was great and the serving staff lovely, despite being run off their feet. Calista had to leave straight after eating as she has just adopted a rescue cat, currently christened Queen Boudicat, and didn’t want to leave her too long. The rest of us took our time and ambled slowly back towards the station to head in our various directions home.

On Saturday I was up earlyish meeting my friend Simon at the station where we caught the train over the Oxford to meet up with Soo for another long overdue Bodleian reunion. We stopped at the lovely but hidden away Tumbling Bay Café on the Botley Road before walking along the river to The Perch at Binsey. The riverside Medley Bar was our original destination but sadly it was closed, so we carried on along Port Meadow to The Perch. 

The weather was glorious, so we found a shady table in the huge garden and took up residence for the rest of the day. To mop up the cider, in my case,  I had a delicious tuna steak burger whilst Soo and Simon had a veggie and vegan burger respectively, we shared some chips. We wended our way home late afternoon having laughed ourselves silly as we always seem to do when we get together. 

I walked from the station to Sainsbury’s where I met Himself and we did our weekly shop including eggs and bread rolls for the next day.

Sunday Himself and I headed off to Bournemouth for an overnight stay, mostly as a recouperation for Himself who announced he wanted to go to the seaside and it being our nearest. We jumped on a train late morning with overnight bags and a picnic of eggs sandwiches which has become our tradition. I had found a great deal at an Ibis so we checked in and headed straight for the cliff path, stopping only to buy an ice cream from the van that always seems to be stationed there. 

Thankfully the weather had stayed lovely so we mooched along the packed beach to Boscombe and beyond to Southbourne where we turned around and came back, this time stopping for a drink and some people watching at the beachside Harvester in Boscombe. We headed back to Bournemouth past what according to the local news on Monday, turned out to be an unauthorised party. Formed of 3 coachloads and various cars who had come down from London with their own sound system and food. According to the news story they were gone by 10pm and had cleared up after themselves, unlike the various groups of teenagers and foreign students who left the beach absolutely littered I might add. Apparently the only complaint was at one point the walkway was overcrowded! Clearly a slow news day.

We bought chips which we sat and ate on the beach before walking in the other direction to Poole. Once we got as far as you can that way, we walked back to the beachside Harvester at Branksome Chine and sat out on their deck with a bottle of wine until it was time to call it a night and head back to the hotel. Utter bliss.

On the Monday we checked out and walked down into town where Himself had a look in HMV. From there we headed back to the beach, up one of the chines to Westbourne, for a wander round the shops and brunch somewhere.

We ended up in 44 Bamboo a lovely mediterranean restaurant where Himself had the full English and I had the Sea Breeze Breakfast. A slightly mad but utterly delicious combination of poached eggs, cooked tomatoes, toast, baked beans and hash browns, with smoked salmon and in my case salad because I don’t like avocado.  

Replete we walked back to Bournemouth and the train station getting home late afternoon. I wouldn’t choose to stay at the Ibis for more than a night or two but as an overnighter I’d definitely use it again.

So that was June in all its intensity. I definitely bought some brooches 

and I think I probably bought at least one dress. 

I definitely bought far far too many books for someone who was trying not to buy any this year. In fact I’m pretty sure I have already bought more new books than in previous years. 

SIGH literally no literary will power!