travel writer

By Tim Saunders

Making memories is something that is often forgotten in the rush dash of everyday living.

When the children break up from school it’s a great opportunity to do things out of the ordinary so here’s what we do in half-term:

Family portrait

We meet photographer Michal Boniecki at Southampton Cenotaph, the First World War memorial designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens in Watts Park. It’s funny because we don’t really know what Mike looks like but when we spot a man with a couple of cameras dangling round his neck it’s a bit of a giveaway. These days when everyone reckons they’re a photographer with their phones the value of a professional photographer can be overlooked but this is very short sighted. Mike is really personable and knows exactly what to get us to do to achieve the best photos. It’s also great family time, introduces us to parts of Watts Park we didn’t know and creates some fabulous photos. He’s full of ideas for poses. This really is a perfect way of capturing our family as we all age! We’re all really pleasantly surprised at how beautiful Watts Park is; there is an array of flowers, trees and some areas have been left to go wild. Southampton City Council needs congratulating on its efforts here. Michal is offering a 10% discount on family/pet shoots to readers of this article.

Carnival time

Lions New Milton Carnival with parade featuring Harley Davidsons, live music, entertainment and a dog show. The spot the lion in shop windows competition for children aged 10 and under proves popular with Henry.

Exbury Gardens

“Oh you’ve brought me to another garden,” moans Henry as we arrive at Exbury. “No, we’ve brought you to a steam train,” I reply. “No you haven’t. The sign says Exbury Gardens,” insists Henry. “No it doesn’t I say, it says Exbury steam train and gardens!” We start our visit with an early lunch by the play area and then head for the steam train which takes us on a 20 minute ride around the grounds. There are some fabulous plants, many varieties of rhododendrons and hydrangeas. Afterwards we mooch around the grounds. It’s an extremely hot day and the tall established trees provide much needed shade while the occasional water sprinkler ensures that Henry particularly, enjoys himself running in and out of the spray. He likes the Bell tree too and finds throwing a stick makes it chime. Surprisingly we’re able to rest on a bench overlooking the river for a good hour before going for another stroll. “I love the peaceful Japanese garden,” says Caroline. “The reflection of the Japanese maple on the water is amazing.” The joy of Exbury is that it needs visiting throughout the year to savour the changing seasons, so those with year-long membership are very lucky. “I can imagine it’s lovely just to be able to come here when you want, to bring a book and just relax by the lake,” muses Caroline. It’s important when visiting with a young family not to feel compelled to visit every square inch of the place. It’s just not possible, so we do what we can and thoroughly enjoy what we see. We can always return to see the rest. After Henry and Heidi have run off to the play area the rest of us walk at a leisurely pace and admire the historic house in the grounds.

The Tokyo Head Spa Experience

Caroline’s appreciation of all things Japanese continues when she is treated to a nurturing Head Spa treatment at Chloe’s Head Spa at 104 Albert Road in Southsea, which claims to rejuvenate the mind, body and soul. This is a rare opportunity for Caroline to be pampered and to escape reality for a little while. From the moment the door is opened to Chloe’s the customer is transported away from the hustle bustle of Albert Road to a haven of peace and tranquillity. “My passion for Japanese culture and the healing power of these treatments inspired me to create this sanctuary,” says Chloe Lawler, who prides herself on attention to detail, which is so refreshing. It’s such a restful environment, tastefully decorated in calming colours – there’s a relaxing aroma and Chloe is so friendly and welcoming, which instantly puts customers at ease. So passionate about massage, Chloe was inspired to travel to Japan to learn how to deliver authentic Japanese Head Spa. She is extremely thorough and knowledgeable and the first Head Spa Specialist in the south of England, among one of the few to have trained in Japan for her techniques. The hour-long experience actually sees Caroline rest and Chloe knows this because at the start she can tell Caroline finds it difficult to switch off through understanding various pressure points in the scalp. Soon afterwards Caroline relaxes and by the end is pleasingly de-stressed and relaxed. So, well done Chloe.

Home improvements

Our builder visits to complete our kitchen island and provide a new sink area with washing machine and tumble dryer, hang a door, plasterboard, construct a cupboard and wardrobe. Slowly, our home is becoming more user-friendly as we make the best use of our space instead of building a costly extension.

Milford on Sea Music Festival

A few years ago we were fortunate to stumble across this free family event which promotes local bands. Money raised from the bar and sale of programmes is ploughed back into the local community after costs have been deducted. It’s a really excellent event showcasing some brilliant talent. Archie Ray, Sirpico and Emma Hardy Band are stand out performers for us. Heidi especially appreciates the Vox Continental keyboard that Al Sirpico plays so well and their cover of Jon Newman’s Love Me Again really gets the crowd going. Al says while covers are all well and good you’ve got to give original music a chance and his band treats us to some. Emma Hardy has great stage presence, a strong voice while also being a talented guitarist. A really inspirational event.

Isle of Wight

Travelling with our car to the Isle of Wight with Red Funnel Ferries from Southampton to Cowes takes just an hour. We arrive in good time for our 10am crossing and find the process of arriving and embarking as easy as it can be. After walking around the deck to see the views – there are three massive cruise liners in the harbour that are taller than most of the buildings – we sit down inside. This is a good opportunity for Harriett to do a little French revision. It’s a smooth crossing. We head for Osborne House, which is only a five minute drive from the port, just up the hill. There’s a Mystery Mission activity booklet to keep the children occupied. As part of this we meet hugely professional Secret Agent Riddle (from Hoopstar Theatrical) in her secret agent attire. She gives the children a wonderfully engaging introduction to the world of spying and espionage and a certain Gustav the pigeon. Our children have to come up with their own spy names so we have Agent Basil Fawlty (Heidi), Agent Sorbet (Harriett) and Agent 67 (Henry). Agent Riddle then tells a story and at the end there’s a question and answer session. Glad the children are compos mentis because Caroline and I aren’t.

Just down the road is Albert Cottage, which is a 10 minute walk from Osborne House. This establishment used to be part of Queen Victoria’s Osborne House estate and in fact both she and her husband Albert stayed here on numerous occasions. He even commissioned the corridor that we walk through from the cottage to The Sapphire Restaurant & Bar so that his wife would not get wet when walking from one to the other. Their daughter Beatrix lived here for six years as part of her marriage arrangement. So we really do feel like we are dining like royals. We arrive early and have drinks - the children and Caroline have St Clements while I have a pint of Fuggle Dee-Dum, a thirst quenching smokey, spicy red ale - outside in the lovely garden where we relax in the summer sunshine. Afterwards we are seated in the comfortable restaurant and are treated to a wonderful roast beef lunch with massive Yorkshire puddings, cauliflower cheese, vegetables and gravy. The carrot puree is a novelty and we like the way the beef is presented on top of the roast potatoes. It is a privilege to be cooked for and the team at Albert Cottage really look after us. For dessert Caroline and I choose a pleasing lemon posset complete with raspberries and granola, which finishes off the meal very nicely indeed. The children love their ice cream sundaes. “Have you got my coffin ready?” an elderly gentleman asks the waiter as he staggers past our table. Heidi is in convulsions. Then she realises that she has misheard as the waiter hands the man a coffee.

After lunch we stroll back in the sunshine to Osborne House and head for the private beach where we while away the afternoon, relaxing. Henry is delighted to find lots of good sized flat stones, which he skims and is able to get one to skim 20 times. I get two… Then it’s time to bury himself in the sand and then Harriett. Before we know it we must leave because it’s closing time and our return journey home, which is once again a smooth operation with Red Funnel Ferries. We return home, ready for bed.