Deep in a duvet!

It snowed. I caught a cold. Couldn't do a thing for about a week, but I took some pictures of the snow. This is probably the coldest December I've seen in a long time. We still have frozen icicles in our back garden.

Something to brighten up the snowy weekend

Snow is here, and early. Glorious but just too cold to want to go outside. So here's something to remind you of sun and warmth.
*I took some great pictures last week, they were sort of end~of~autumn~beginning~of~winter ish. I'll upload them soon.

Unexpected finds

I realise I was just about to slag off Redhill here - and why not? :-P But, really it has it's hidden beauty. I woke up in it today, looked out the window and saw what a lovely day it was so I decided to go for a walk.

And look what I found...

Autumn days out: Leith Hill, Dorking

Leith Hill is the highest point in south-east England, although frankly it didn't feel like much of an effort climbing all the way up to the top where there is an impressive Gothic tower - but then again, most of Surrey is relatively flat. The view across the English channel is breathtaking, however on a foggy day it can be a bit difficult to see. Still, if you enjoy walking in rugged woodland, and across beautiful countrysides, you are going to love making your way there.

Here is a guide on how to get there and walk all the way up.

*photo courtesy of Jono!!

One for those lazy summer days

Autumn is here and Tesco already has a Christmas ad out, but for me summer this year was glorious. A compensation from the awful snow we had last winter? Probably. Sometime in August a friend of mine invited me for a drink on a very lovely summer afternoon. We were in Redhill, Surrey and he mentioned a pub he loved.

The Inn on the Pond.

I thought, what a nice little name for a pub. And in Redhill? Not that Redhill is an unpleasant place mind, it's just a tad bland. Since I had nothing to do I agreed to the drinks. There was a surprise waiting for me. The Inn on the Pond, just like the name conjures, is a beautiful little country pub. A typical Surrey pub with a large bar serving a range of drinks including some great local ales, a spacious dining area and a fantastic view over Nutfield Marshes. On this particular day - because we had a lot of time on our hands - we ordered a bottle of white wine and headed outside to while the afternoon away. We sat on a bench right next to the pond. A few feet from us a white horse was idly grazing away, while behind him a beautiful country house stood there as if beckoning a photographer to capture it's elegance. Sadly, I didn't have my camera with me but I never stop thinking about that dreamy image.

The pub has a log burner and an open fireplace, which I'm sure comes in very handy during the dreary winter to keep you warm and cosy, if not eeerm, a bit drunk like I was afterwards!

*photo taken from the pub's facebook page