Summer is truly spectacular in England this year. We've had weeks of hot, dry weather and it looks to continue well into August. We've been out and about a lot and the time has finally come for our short trip to Paris. See you on the other side!
Monday, June 30, 2025
Friday, June 20, 2025
Lavender Fields and Calm at Castle Farm
Summer has finally arrived in England and it's lavender season! As temperatures eased towards 30°c this weekend, we took advantage of the blue skies and sunshine and headed out to Castle Farm in Kent.
Castle Farm, a family-run farm near Shoreham,
Thursday, August 29, 2024
Twilight Dining at the Westwell Wines, Kent
Nestled in the heart of Kent's picturesque countryside, Westwell Wines is a hidden gem that beautifully marries tradition with innovation. Their range of wines, crafted with passion and an unwavering commitment to sustainability, offers a true taste of the English terroir*.
Saturday, September 09, 2023
Meeting the Fallow Deer at Knole Park
I love deer. I don't remember seeing Bambi in a cinema when I was about 3 years old but my Mum loves telling the story of how I jumped up on my seat at a pivotal moment and shouted, "don't worry Bambi! She'll come back!" And so, for as long as I can remember, I've had an affinity for little spotted deer. On a rare sunny day this summer, I went down to Knole Park to meet the deer. Spoiler: it was marvellous.
The deer are everywhere at Knole Park. We had barely left the car park before we encountered our first deer grazing by the garden walls.
I loved that there was a ranger nearby, warning people from getting too close to the deer, and advising them to use zoom on their cameras. I very rarely unpack my DSLR for days out and I was so pleased I did so on this occasion.
I'm not a fan of zoos or establishments where animals are kept in unnatural environments, but I loved seeing the deer in their natural environment, and felt assured that the team at Knole Park work to put the deer first.
We learned that the deer at Knole Park are fallow deer (whereas Bambi was a white-tailed deer). I have to admit that I don't know as much about European deer but I can identify most South African antelope on sight.
At times the deer would begin running and chasing each other. I managed to get a tiny bit of iPhone footage which I uploaded on Instagram.
We soon wandered off to a shady spot under a tree. We'd brought a picnic so we sat on picnic blankets, ate our lunch and caught up with all our news. It was such a lovely, relaxed vibe.
It wasn't long before the deer wandered over to graze on the incline in front of us. I could have watched them for hours.
Once we finished our picnic, we wandered over to the front of the Knole Park house to choose a walk. We decided on the Family Walk, a 4.5km walk in the grounds. The route is wheelchair and pushchair accessible and was meant to take 1 hour to complete. Spoiler: it took closer to 2 hours on that hot, sunny day!
As we rounded the garden walls to embark on our walk, we encountered this herd of female deer relaxing in the shade. They had the right idea - it was starting to get very hot indeed.
We encountered this lone stag grazing in the shade. Fallow deer have palmate (or hand-shaped) antlers and many of them were shedding their antlers after a spring and summer of growth.
We spotted an airplane up in the sky. England is so beautiful in the sunshine, I'm guessing everybody was out that day.
The family route is full of trees and rocks for kids to climb. We spotted this tree with a split trunk and were surprised it was still alive.
After climbing and running and skipping along the path, our group eventually made it back to the house at Knole Park. We'd promised ice cream as a reward and everyone seemed to get a second wind.
I took the opportunity to meet some more deer And eavesdropped as the ranger told a couple about the antlers and how they shed them.
Can you believe that I managed to live in Kent for sixteen years and had somehow never visited Knole Park? I loved my visit so much and will definitely return. In fact, they have a Walking with the Snowman event in November to January where kids* can discover 12 giant The Snowman sculptures.
*By 'kids' I include adults, of course. I love The Snowman so much, as much, if not more than Bambi if you base it on how many times I've seen the film.
Knole Park has made available a way to visit the park for free. You can park at the Sevenoaks multi-storey car park at TN13 1LW and walk into the grounds.
I would recommend parking at Knole Park itself postcode TN13 1HX but you may need to book ahead. When parking in the grounds, adults are charged £6 each for the Outdoor & Tower and £15 each for the Showrooms, Outdoor & Tower. Children are half price but there are also discounts for families. Considering how the deer are looked after, plus the pristine condition of the grounds, I'd say this option is worth it.
Thursday, August 24, 2023
On the Trail of Morph's Epic Art Adventures in London
I've been a fan of Morph since I was a little girl and knew that I absolutely needed to visit Morph's Epic Art Adventure in London. It's been ages since I explored an art trail in London and what better excuse to meet up with some friends for a rather rainy wander and lunch?
On Guard Morph by Hannah Lewin
Inspired by the Royal Guards and located in Hays Galleria
The View of the City from Hay's Galleria
One can never take too many photos of this view.
London Parklife Morph by James Daw
Inspired by London's parks, which are splendid in summer. Located on the Queen's Walk.
Morpheus by Jodie Silverman
Located on the Queen's Walk, just after the HMS Belfast. Inspired by Morpheus, the god of dreams, and looking just like Morph looked in his humble beginnings.
Morph into the Piñataverse by Anthony Rule
Featuring characters from Piñata Smashlings and located just outside Groucho.
Morph Over: There's Room for Two! by Mik Richardson
Harking back to the marvellous Books About Town book benches trail, Rik's design references the trail map for Morph's Epic Art Adventures in London.
The Power of Morphing Communication by Clarke Reynolds, aka The Blind Braille Artist
Wearing the artist's iconic Yellow Braille suit, this Morph is a proud visually impaired character. His cane symbolises Morph's independence to walk the trail with his trusted tool. The Blind Braille Artist uses black on yellow as it offers the highest contrast for visually impaired people.
The Messenger Morph by Martin Dougan and John Dougan Nealon
Martin was born with cerebral palsy and has been a lifelong wheelchair user; John is his brother. They used their shared experience to talk to young wheelchair users and their messages about inclusivity feature on this Morph located on the Queens Walk.
Pearly King Morph by Sandra Russell
Inspired by the original Pearly King, Henry Croft, a 19th century orphan who raised money for charity by wearing clothes decorated with mother-of-pearl buttons.
Blaze a Trail Morph by Rob Biddulph
Inspired by Biddulph's picture book Odd Dog Out about a daschund who wears a rainbow scarf.
The View of Tower Bridge from Shad Thames
Never get tired of this view...
Shad Thames
... or of this place and its connections to Oliver Twist.
Riverside Spirit by Riverside Primary School
Located in a shop window in Shad Thames, this mini Morph featured all the favourite songs sung by pupils of Riverside Primary School.
The View of Tower Bridge from Butler's Wharf Chop House
It began to pour with rain when we reached Butler's Wharf, so we stopped for a well-earned lunch at Butler's Wharf Chop House. We sat before an open window, watching the rain fall over Tower Bridge, and were given blankets to help warm us up. Summer in England!
Apart Together Morph by Olivia Hylton
Located on the More London walkway back to London Bridge, this Morph celebrates London's diversity.
Cactus Morph by Traci Moss
Located in London Bridge Station, Cactus Morph was inspired by a visit to the Princess of Wales Conservatory at Kew Gardens.
"Me.Here.Now", Installation Artwork by Mark Titchner
We spotted the new art installation by Mark Titchner. The work features three stainless steel domes. The one pictured above has the words “One foot in front of the other”. The other two say “Only the first step is difficult”, and “The distance means nothing”.
Flower Stall, London Bridge Station
Titchner's art installation can be seen in the background, looking past the iconic flower stall at London Bridge Station.
Our School by Grange Primary School
Our final Morph siting was the Our School mini Morph representing all the different nationalities at Grange Primary School.
Morph’s Epic Art Adventure in London Auction
The epic adventure is over now and the Morphs will be auctioned on 12 September and online to raise money for Whizz Kids, the UK’s leading charity for young wheelchair users. Bids start at £3,000 per statue so here's hoping they raise a massive amount of money!
Wednesday, October 19, 2022
A Day at the Bournemouth Air Festival
I’d planned a trip to Bournemouth to see one of my oldest friends in September. When we arrived, she mentioned that the Bournemouth Air Festival was on that weekend – would I be up for a long walk along the beach to see if we could spot some planes? Of course I would!
Our timing couldn’t have been more perfect – the display started as we made our way from Southbourne Beach towards Boscombe Pier. We spotted the Eurofighter typhoon…
… as well as the BBMF Lancaster, Spitfire and Hurricane. I think that is the Hurricane in the photo above but it was obviously taken from quite a distance.
I know it seems from my photos that it was a dull day but it was really lovely out (for September) and loads of people were on the beach and in the sea.
The great English summer of 2022 was slow to start but it was lovely, long and glorious in the end.
We finally arrived at Boscombe Pier and stopped off for a pizza at The Wood Oven on the beach – highly recommended if you’re ever in the area. We were exceptionally lucky to get a table on such a busy day and got down to the busy work of eating and catching up.
After lunch, we began to make our way back to Southbourne. Our timing was perfect again because as we were leaving, we were very excited to see the Red Arrows.
They put on quite a show and it definitely makes your heart stop from time to time.
I did wish I’d come out with a better camera but I’d been planning for a long overdue catch up with my friend. Then again, the planes are so fast that I’m not sure my DSLR would have been able to cope any better.
The Red Arrows left us with a giant heart just as we were finishing our walk.
That evening, we decided that poor Stephen hadn’t been tortured enough and we decided to take a long, dusk walk around Hengistbury Head.It’s not that Stephen has anything against walking but 19,690 steps on a day when he was expecting to relax is a bit much for him. Plus, he got to listen to my friend and I reminisce about being 15 again, which he surprisingly didn’t find as interesting as we did.
The views were quite beautiful and it was lovely and peaceful up there too. We could see all the way to Bournemouth.
I spotted some street art and then we decided that it was probably a good idea to head back before it got dark. We’d had a marvellous day and had yet more adventures planned for the next day.
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© 2008 -
Mandy Southgate | Emm in London