Two Words – ROAD TRIP!
Mr B, Likes to get out on the road from time to time visiting Independent menswear stores and regional department stores. As a Men’s accessories supplier with his company denisonboston he finds it so much nicer catching up with stores, clients and some industry gossip along the way.
It has to be said I don’t always appreciate the long car journeys or his choice of dodgy B&B’s or motorway food, however dangle me a carrot of a 5 star hotel or a gourmet lunch and I’m there.
We started on Thursday in Brighton and drove north to Farnham – so far so good, for this trip he was flying solo for the meetings whilst I was packed off with poo bags and biscuits to take Blue for her morning constitutional. We found a meadow and a river and got our ablutions over with by 11 AM. We quickly found Cote Brasserie and breakfasted on coffee and Croque Monsieur. Not a bad start.
Two hours to our next destination Worcester, by this time pups was keen for a lengthy walk so we found the main thoroughfare, and did a little window shopping, H&M for me, Pets at Home for Blue. Then we found a beautiful stretch of river and did a little swanning around with the swans. We walked back through Worcester Cathedral gardens before grabbing lunch at Bills.
Back in the car for a rather lengthy schlep up the motorway to the sanctuary of my folks home in Durham. Chips for dinner at 10pm (Road Trip rules).
Friday meant a short trip to Newcastle and visiting my all time favourite department store, Fenwick Newcastle. If you haven’t been, go. It’s the stuff that little girls dream of, especially at Christmas, they have the most extraordinary window displays, half of my childhood was spent licking Fenwick’s windows dreaming of a career in fashion…
Good meeting then a bit of a shop, Mr B saw fit to treat me to a couple of early birthday presents, lipstick and nail colour from Kiko Milan, ankle boots and a winters coat from the Topshop consession, (I’ll divulge more later) then we went for lunch in newly opened tapas bar and restaurant Fuego – really rather nice. We pootled back to Durham to meet up with the folks for a stroll in Hardwick Park, Blue decided to take a dip in the pond, she didn’t know it would be deep, we didn’t know it she could swim, after much kerfuffle she came out with algae Velcro’d to her bum, we decided to drown our sorrows in by taking dinner in the very dog friendly Rose Tree Inn, which was superb.
Saturday was a jaunt down the motorway to the home of Mr B’s family, York, the day started with walnut scones and coffee followed by I cant tell you how many courses for lunch, this was finished with cake and cheese the Yorkshire way. Beautiful food and family catch up, feeling full and happy I took advantage of the train ride to back to Durham for a quick snooze. My folks met me at Durham station with Blue and a Chinese Take Away, of course I can’t say no. After dinner I fall into a food induced coma and fall asleep on the sofa.
Sunday started off leisurely. Coffee and biscuits and catch up with old school friends, then home for dippy eggs, olive oil and bread. We then travel north of Durham to see my Aunt and Uncles cute 8 week old Labrador puppy, queue lots of cute puppy play and more coffee and biscuits. Later we head for the Durham coastline and a much needed walk on the beach. After this however we have obviously worked up an appetite and head to The Seven Stars for a rather marvellous two course Sunday Roast.
I write this in a state of anxiety, I’ve consumed close to one hundred cups of coffee in the past four days and eaten my own body weight home-made, restaurant and traditional pub grub, I’ve put on two stone and I have London Fashion Week in four days time.
Fashion Show Crisis has arrived, how will I fit a sample size frock? I must stop eating out at fancy restaurants, stopping for coffee at the drop of a hat, I will eat nothing but leaves and tomatoes, and drink super-food smoothies, hell I’ll run home from Durham to Brighton, I’ve done the Great North Run, I can do it, that should get me fit by Friday.
Instead I find I’m eating cake and drinking sleepy tea before bed wondering how many bottles of Lucozade Sport we have in the car to get us back home to Brighton tomorrow.
I care not a dot, I’ve had the most lovely time with family and friends, walking the dog, exploring cities and eating copious amounts of fine food. Turns out Road Trips are pretty cool, even before Fashion Week.
Love DSB X
P.S. In all seriousness don’t anyone out there slim down for fashion week, sometimes eating what you like and enjoying it is the best thing, real fashion people don’t sweat this kind of stuff, a good well put together look or idea is worth a million skinny pics x