Bikers, Scones and Peacocks

Hi, dear readers.  Well, we're passed the middle of October and storming at breakneck speed

 into November (quite literally for some poor souls, my heart goes out to them). 

Life is so fast-moving at the moment, so fast that I don't seem to take it all in.

 I had one of those blogger blocks today. 

I sat at my laptop and thought, what on earth have I been doing this past week?

Fortunately my essential aide memoire was to hand.  My photo folders.  Oh how vital are these visual prompts and my blogger's diary these days.  Otherwise I wouldn't remember what I did yesterday.

The camera doesn't lie and it tells me that last Thursday I wore this.

Black pencil skirt, black/grey striped top, Gabor anklies, batik silk scarf.  The latter is from a charity shop so yippee, that sneaks me in for one of dear Terri's 2nd Loved linkups, which I'll post here.

Oh yes, you perhaps noticed that I slipped on a biker jacket too.

Yeah, yeah ... I hear you - I didn't pack one.  But I keep a few things over here to dip into and this was a dip that filled me with excited anticipation.  It's a £14 Primani find.

I have to say, darlings, that I was very pleased with this little outfit.  I felt really good in it.

I'm sorry the pics aren't the best, TP must have been having a down-day (but, my dear reader Anne, they will get better!)

I felt that my little outfit deserved a proper outing, so I took me and it out for tea at the pretty 

Powder Mills, Battle

It was actually tea for three.  For this pretty peacock strutted his stuff alongsIde whilst I drank a prosecco on the terrace, taking in the glorious colour that is the autumn afternoon sunlight.  It was beautifully warm, so the jacket came off and I sipped elegantly, feeling the love -  of nature,  wildlife and our beautiful October Indian summer.

Not satisfied with watching me sip my bubbly, Mr P also decided to join us for tea - he stepped tentatively over the threshold of the front door ... !

The restaurant was beautifully set up and fit for, errr, a peacock!

Tea was served in the pretty conservatory.  My pics don't do the scrummy scones, the bird or the place the justice they deserve.  I must have been on a down-day too.  

So I leave you in the competent hands of the Powder Mills' camera pros ...

Join me on the drive up to the Powder Mills.

Be struck by the beauty of its pretty wisteria.

Get chummy with the locals.

Wander around its pretty gardens.

Stroll inside and feast your eyes on the décor ...

Then say goodbye to this fine fella ...

The peacock, at Powder Mills.

And to ...

the peacock, at Orsett Hall, by Tricia Gould (the Designers' Guild).

Now, I hope I don't bore you with hotel interiors, dears, it's just that I do admire a good bit of décor and I'm hoping some of you do too.

And finishing where I started off (before my ramblings!) ... biker jackets.  I can't believe how useful they are and how much I am having a blast wearing them.  Perhaps you are feeling the biker jacket love too?  When I recently posted a biker jacket outfit, bloggerTerri's wonderful reminiscing got me reminiscing myself.  This song sprang to mind, so thanks Terri for taking me back about 45 years to when my cousin first introduced me to this little ditty.

I hope I don't bore you with my music pastes either, it's just that I do admire a good song too.

Arlo Guthrie, singing talking The Motorcycle Song.  Please do give it a listen!

So that's one of the things I've been up to, folks.  Now I'm off to my photo folders to refresh my addled memory on what else I've been doing recently!

A la perchoine.



White Jeans On, Trois - Beaucette Marina

Welcome, dearest people of the Blogisphere.

Hope you are enjoying September, we're more than half way through already.  Can you believe that?  Maybe you've been enjoying a bit of an Indian Summer, as we have here in Europe.  So nice.

It's that time of the year when I hang on longingly to white jeans, trying to eke out yet another outing in them before they are packed away for the winter.  I am thrilled when they come out of the archive in spring and I mourn their parting when they return to their box in autumn.

I know that some wear white jeans way into winter and they look really nice.  I stop in autumn.  I find my white jeans take on an awfully cold and uncared for look in winter.  I look somehow, what's the word, neglected.  Maybe it's our winter sunlight, our climate's "colour" that does that. 

Are your white jeans just for summer or do you carry on through, oblivious to season changes?

Last night we met up with friends down at Beaucette Marina, firstly for drinks on board their boat and then a meal in the marina's super restaurant.

The day was very blustery which was a challenge on the golf course earlier that morning.  And although I would have loved to slip into another summer dress, possibly the last of the season, the wind kept the temperature down a bit and leg cover was called for.

So a good opportunity for white jeans then!  I wore a black Next crepe de chine shirt (last year's) over a black camisole, with white Peacock jeans and my Adesso taupe heels.  I wanted to feel sassy and those heels do that for me!

The Photographer observed that they were not boat-appropriate shoes.  As a compromise (to shut him up), I threw some flatties into my handbag.

I accessorised with my turquoise jewellery again.  It's old, a mix of Barbados airport and Accessorise, methinks.  But this summer I've been drawn to the mix a fair few times.

And it must be a sign that autumn is in the air because I slipped my Peacocks pleather waterfall biker over the ensemble.  First airing since Spring for this little baby.



My old Jones handbag completed the outfit.  Yes, the flatties fitted in this little thing.  It's a Tardis.

Now, I'm sorry that my black on black on black doesn't show up any detail in the photos, but I liked the outfit and one doesn't chose an outfit for its photographability, eh peeps? Besides, I did feel smart casual, which is my mission in life, so it's all good eh.

And off I went to ...

Beaucette Restaurant

But first, drinks on board our friends' boat.

The taxi dropped us off at the top of the ramp down to the pontoon.  The ramp was steep.  I was wearing my highest heels.  I have a fear of falling.  So it took me about 200 6-inch long steps and holding on desperately to The Photographer's arm in order to get 3/4 of the way down the ramp.  I changed into my flatties and then continued comfortably down the last 1/4 of the ramp and on to the pontoon. 

Yes, OK, you were right - happy now!

 

Guess which glass is mine?  Yup, the Daddy of glasses, filled with Hendrick's gin and tonic with a couple of slices of cucumber.  So nice.  Our nibbles were delicate slices of cheese and a sugar snap pea crispy thing - delicious, must get some of those (possibly Tesco's).

View from the restaurant table.

On to the food.  Warning: those of you on diets should now scroll through to my sign-off! 

I get excited when a menu bursts with so many things I want to try from the starters section.  That is a menu struggle that I enjoy.  This was one such menu.  So I ordered two starters, with one served as a main course.  The Photographer did the same.  This allows us to try different dishes without feeling uncomfortably full at the end of the meal.  We can't eat the quantities we could in our youth.

My starter. Crab three ways - bisque, spring rolls and a beautiful spoonful of crab mayo-ish stuff.

The Photographer chose a crab and prawn remoulade, with a cold fruity coulis and a fruit sorbet topping it all.  Very different.

We swapped starters half way through so that we could leverage our taste experience.  We do this quite often when we are spoilt for choice and want to try it all!



My "main", prawns in tempura batter.

We shared a rocket and parmesan salad.  And a bowl of chips.  But we did also share that bowl with our friends, so I was quite light on the chippage!

The Photographer's "main" was a scallop and chorizo salad.

Our maitre d' and the lady front-of-house/owner were so attentive and knowledgeable about what they were serving.  The Photographer and I shared a Tourraine Sauvignon Blanc and our friends a Fleurie. The food was super and the menu had so much of what I like.  I really was spoilt for choice.  So I will have to return soon.  To work my way through the rest of the menu!

Not photographed was a little bowl of honeycombe icecream.  The charming, pretty and witty young dessert waitress called it V.I.I. - Very Important Icecream! 

We had a wonderful time with friends, enjoying fantastic food and drink.

How was your Friday night, dear reader?

You know, I really would love to hear from you.  This blogisphere thing isn't a one-way street.

Go on, make my day.  Tell me what you've been up to.  Tell me where you stand on white jeans.

I'd love to know.  Pretty please!

A la perchoine.