Visiting Friends

Last weekend I traveled south via a bus and three trains to get to Chelmsford to visit Hayley, my long standing friend from uni. It was a scorcher of a weekend and was lovely to catch up.

On the first evening, after being supplied with a couple of pints of raspberry beer to get over the ordeal of a cancelled and over capacity train journey, we had a little BBQ in Hayley's back yard. Hayley had kindly made my room up all pretty with fresh flowers and a magazine to read, it's the little things that make you feel really welcome.

The following day, after a little lie in, we headed for brunch in an ace cafe called a-canteen. I had a delicious smoothie and portobello mushroom, spinach and poached egg dish, perfect brunch material.

Once we were full up we headed out into the burning 31 C heat for a little Hayley style tour of Chelmsford, which mostly included all the places Hayley has worked, but mainly to see her current place of work which is called 'make do and mend'. A little shop on the edge of town that holds all kinds of lovely workshops, it's a lovely bright and inspiring workshop, if your ever in the area you should defiantly check one out. You can see their full range of courses at www.makedomend.com

Then time for a rest, more beer garden beer? Okay! Then to a little mini festival that was being held for charity in a local pub. The day pretty much carried on like this but with a snooze in between! lovely, hot, chilled and with good people watching! can't ask for more than that! 

The following day we went to London to visit my sister Becca, after lunching on the common we hired the Barclays bikes and rode to Battersea for a car boot sale. I don't have many pictures of this as cycling and photo taking does not sound safe. Then more pub, wobbly ride home, (only joking, don't drink and cycle), then Pato cooked us Argentinian food and we watched ghost busters, and by watched I mean slept while it was on in the background. 

Monday morning I had a quick scoot around the V&A but I mostly just like the fashion exhibition then 25 trains and 17 buses home! (Slight exaggeration, slight).