2025: M&A’s Christmas staycation-daycation with friends….

For our Christmas staycation we’d made a list of places to go every day and today, Tuesday 23rd December our chosen daycation is Ham Hill Country Park in Somerset.

Maice was in the driving seat and after she picked me up instead of driving straight there we both decided we needed a coffee ‘to go’. With there being no ‘drive thru’ coffee shop in Dorchester we thought we’d drive down to Coffee 1, park at the bottom of Trinity street and I’d pop in and get the coffees. If only if was that easy! Of course we hadn’t taken into account a) the traffic, the roads were so busy it took at least 10 minutes to drive there…it would have been quicker to walk and b) the queue in Coffee 1 was just as busy as the traffic outside. So having spent at least twenty minutes in the queue we finally made it out of Dorchester 45 minutes later. Honestly, the lengths we go to just for a coffee!

We had Sat Nav on as Maice wasn’t quite sure which road to take once we’d got to Yeovil. We’d opted for the ‘fastest route’ which in reality was not the fastest route at all and not a route Maice remembered, so having taken us all around the outskirts of the country park we eventually arrived we believe, fifteen minutes after the time we should have arrived, if that makes sense. Never mind we were here now and we were blessed with a gloriously sunny day. It was a lovely walk which we all enjoyed especially Winston whose nose was having a good old smell at every opportunity. On our meander around Ham Hill we came across one of the the rangers who was preparing the campfire for marshmallow toasting, an event mainly for kiddies and their families. We had a lovely chat with him about the activities they do and he enthused about what they will be organising for next year. Of interest was the Bat Hunt, at night obviously, nettle weaving, who knew you could weave a nettle into a yarn and make something like bracelets we think and we also think he mentioned a fungi walk or something on those lines. We left him our email addresses so we can keep up to date with whats on and see if anything takes our interest next year.

Winston, who had up until now been on a go-slow around the country park all of a sudden started to speed up and raced ahead to the Prince of Wales pub with Maice in hot pursuit. Despite her shouting for him to ‘stop’, on this occasion he had selective hearing and carried on regardless. Luckily the main door of the pub was shut for when she finally reached him he was sat inside the porch waiting to go in.  The family sat around the picnic table outside were most amused by the spectacle that had just unfolded before their eyes……a grown woman chasing a very small dog wearing a big red coat both of them running to the pub! Ha ha, honestly Winston, what are you like!  He’s only been to the pub a few times before yet he remembered where it was the was! We managed to get a small table by the fire and enjoyed a very delicious vegetable soup and a naughty but nice, well it is Christmas after all, glass of wine.

So, our daycation to Ham Hill country park has been lovely. We’ve all had a good walk, we’ve breathed in the fresh country air, we enjoyed our coffees this morning and we’ve enjoyed a lovely light lunch of soup and wine. What more could we ask for. Well, tomorrow is Christmas Eve and we’re looking forward to another lovely daycation on this our Christmas staycation. See you all tomorrow!

Hey, Happy Christmas Eve to you all. Yes, it’s Wednesday 24th December 2025…..how on earth did we get to this day when it only feels like we were entering 2025 not so long ago, let alone we’ll soon be leaving it!

Today’s weather forecast is sunny and cold with a fresh breeze, most definitely the perfect day in which to spend our daycation at the beautiful and rugged Portland Bill.  Stopping off at the Costa Coffee drive thru in Weymouth we headed over to Portland Bill and parked up in the almost empty car park. Where was everyone on this gorgeously sunny day? We thought it would be busy with people wanting a nice walk but maybe they’re doing their last minute Christmas shopping, I mean let’s face it, most supermarkets will be closed for the next two days, heaven forbid in anyone forgets anything!

In our attempt to open the car doors a) our hands were nearly wrenched off our wrists it was that windy and b) the car doors were nearly wrenched out of their sockets, it was that windy. A fresh breeze was what was forecast but this was much more that that. This was a very strong, very cold 2 degrees with a wind chill factor of at least -4!. Best hang onto Winston then in case he does a Mary Poppins!

To say it was a bracing and invigorating walk is an understatement; our noses were frozen, our gloved hands were cold, thankfully we had our scarves and hats on else our hair would have been totally tangled, but despite all this, it was lovely. The sun was shining, the sky was blue, the waves were crashing onto the cliffs, it was such a wonderful walk and as we always say whenever we go for a walk, ‘aren’t we lucky to live where we do’. On the way back, as we were heading across the field to the carpark Winston appeared to have other ideas. Thankfully he was on the lead but he suddenly veered off towards the Lobster Pot cafe and sat himself in front of the closed door waiting for someone to open it. Bless him, he didn’t realise it was all closed up. He was so disappointed that we made a slight detour on the way home just for Winston and found ourselves at the Oasis, which is his favourite place and where naturally we could also partake in a glass of yellow Pinot Grigio.

After our yellow wine we went back to Maice’s where we enjoyed a slice of Maice’s homemade apple cake and a shot of Canyero Caramel Rum to warm us up, then Maice prepared the food for our little soirée and we cracked open a bottle of prosecco to begin the festivities. Helen came round first, then Rachel her daughter arrived from Bristol and finally Nikki turned up who’d been out on the razz all afternoon so was already under the influence but still managed to down a few glasses of prosecco! It was a lovely soirée with lots of laughter and merriment.

I’d brought my blow-up bed with me as I was staying at Maice’s tonight and at Nikki’s tomorrow night but was then persuaded by Nikki to spend the night at her place as the bed was already made up so at 9pm we all dispersed from the soirée and I headed up to Nikki’s with my rather big bag of clothes and stuff.  We aimed to go straight to our beds but ended up opening another bottle of prosecco and watching Love Actually, finally getting to bed at midnight!  Ah well, it is Christmas after all.

See you all on Christmas Day…..xx