Pandemic Pondering #122

Blogs written on a Saturday sometimes suffer from a little too much input…

Saturday started early for us, Hugo and Lola were booked in for the early slot at the groomers. After dropping them off we parked up at the National Trust car park early enough to be rapped on the knuckles by a diligent National Trust employee telling us off for parking overnight.

This view was our reward for being early birds. Eggs and bacon cooked while overlooking Wembury tasted fabulous.

Meanwhile Miss Lola was being pampered and featured on the groomers Instagram feed. Hugo declined to pose.
https://www.nataliesdoggrooming.co.uk/

She was obviously feeling competitive with Miss VV who appeared on the Cornish Lavender Instagram feed, this morning.
https://m.facebook.com/CornishLavender/

Grooming exhausts the dogs so a quiet afternoon was planned, a bit of domestica followed by some internet shopping was the height of planned excitement.

A quarter of British women buy their underwear from Mark’s and Spencer. We are in that 25%. The pandemic has not been kind to the underwear drawers. Without regular grazing in the lingerie department of M and S shortages have occured.

Internet shopping failed us today. The website was irritatingly erratic. However the local store had increased its opening hours so a very much unplanned adventure into post lockdown clothes shopping occured.

Its strange shopping in a familiar store with Social Distancing restrictions. By waiting until the early evening we missed all other shoppers. It was a really pleasant experience. Underwear was purchased and our reward for a first Pandemic clothes shopping expedition was a walk at the Royal William Yard, after a few hours rest, post pampering, the dogs were also ready to strut their fresh haircuts.
https://royalwilliamyard.com/

A box of chips was a treat for us all.
http://www.thehookandlineplymouth.co.uk/

Saturday blogging, it writes itself.

Pandemic Pondering #121

Pondering since March has strengthened our resolve to shop locally and support local businesses.

Today’s outing was planned with exactly that in mind.

Lavender fields have long been on our wish list of things to visit. Provence springs to mind but in reality when we lived in South London , Kent was closer, but we still never quite achieved it.

We booked an afternoon tea at Great Carnbargus Farm. Perranporth, Cornwall. Home of Cornish Lavender and a warm and fragrant welcome. Set on the slopes of the Perrancombe Valley , the lanes ease you into a rural world , very different from the hurly burly of Perranporth, the beach destination.
https://www.facebook.com/CornishLavender/photos/a.1586137621431019/2072360726142037/?type=3&source=44

What an absolute treat to have afternoon tea with Tina Bee and her lovely family, including three fecund pigs called Petal, Pepper and Twig.

This afternoon tea malarky was not even a thought two months ago. Tina had to plan a significant birthday for her Dad, with Social Distancing in mind she planned the party in her lavender field.

Lavender Dad being saluted with a Lavender shortbread.

The party went so well Tina thought she might open up her field as an Afternoon Tea destination.

We had our own small marquee with indoor seating and a table, bedecked with gingham bunting, and an outside lounging area with comfy chairs and a coffee table.

Afternoon tea with a Lavender theme was our order of today but there were many other things on offer.

The farm also offers a safe field for dogs to go mad in and a wooded walk with Fairy doors to find.

Just beyond the pigs there was an Airstream, another one of life’s ambitions. This one is awaiting Planning Permission before finding its moment of Lavender glory.

We had such a great time enjoying simple pleasures and it’s really exciting to see a business idea at such an early stage.

We do love a bit of retro, so we were also thrilled to see these old Crittall Windows at the farm.

We had eaten a good bit of the Afternoon Tea before I took photos, blogging error for sure but also a sign that relaxing in a lavender field can take your mind off everything.

Afternoon Teas are only available in July or, just as much in life, you will have to wait until 2021.

We booked by phone and Instagram

07909 222260

Or cornishlavender on Instagram

Trust us, you will…

It.