Enjoying a Week by the Sea

The last week has been a real tonic, taking it easy on the south coast, enjoying long, lazy lie-ins, lovely days out and about on the seashore, and late-night lounging with a glorious glass of wine. Finishing work on Friday night was a great start to the week and a real treat, as my friend Claire and I popped along to South Kensington to visit the Grace Kelly, Style Icon exhibition at the V&A. It was achingly beautiful and oh so glamorous. (But did leave me feel ever so slightly scruffy!)


Saturday morning, I drove down to enjoy the peace and tranquility of Lyme Regis, one of my favourite places to be in the world. D and I rented an apartment in the beautiful Coram Tower for a little bit of the quiet life. It was great to be right in the middle of town and to be able to just pop down to the beach, or the Cobb, anytime we wanted for a stroll and simply to be by the water.

I picked up the needles and have nearly finished my Owls sweater. I even treated myself to four pairs of stunning vintage knitting needles from my favourite Lyme shop, Susie Cole.

We passed many tranquil hours reading some great books, including Remarkable Creatures by Tracy Chevalier (set in Lyme, and featuring one of her most famous inhabitants, Mary Anning) and Tree Surgery for Beginners by Patrick Gale. I also enjoyed a couple of movies, Gideon's Daughter and Coco Before Chanel. D and I visited the Donkey Sanctuary in Sidmouth. They do amazing work at the sanctuary and have up to 400 donkeys at any given time. My personal favourite was a very cute fellow named Mr Walter Baker! I tried to invite him home to stay with us, but I think we might have been a bit tight for space in the Volvo!

Highlight of the week has to be dinner on Friday night - chips on the beach with a glass of something cold and fizzy! What more could you want from life...?

And here is my nearly finished Owls sweater.

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