Ridgeway Cottage anyhow

It isn't just Dover that has the white cliffs in Kent. There are a number of beautiful bays along the Kent coast line which are cut from the dazzlingly bright chalk. The glorious autumn sunlight which shines slightly lower in the sky at this time of year, reflects off the cliffs with dramatic effect. Mostly it's the colour and light that causes me to catch my breathe, but the cold wind truly does blow away the cobwebs. These photos were taken at Kingsgate which is somewhere between Broadstairs and Margate. I simply adore the whole coastline and never tire of the tranquillity contrasting delightfully against the harsh elements of nature. Cut through the cliffs, this rather precarious path leads down to a beach which is only accessible at low tide, but it is completely worth the scramble down....   if only to get a shot of the sunburst through the white cliff.   I would love it if you could leave a comment. Please give it a go, I'm wor...

 Last night we collected enough raspberries from the allotment to make some jam which was perfect for a sunny breakfast in the garden this morning. Broadstairs is almost my favourite place in the world and this week is Folk Week so the perfect seaside destination to take my mum to. Broadstairs has such a traditional British seaside feel to it, that you can't help but have a rather lovely time. Throughout August there is the twice daily Punch and Judy show with Sponge Bob Square Pants joining the more traditional Punch, Judy, Baby, Policeman and crocodile. Both Charlie and Josie felt the need to leave the show to come and tell me that. We all had a dip in the sea and the waves were a bit rough so several went over the children's heads. It was a touch chilly with the sea breeze. And the caterpillars have doubled in size to 6mm I would love it if you could leave a comment. Please give it a go, I'm working on making it eas...

I sometimes tell my little ones that there are children who have never been to the beach. They look at me as if I have lost my mind, in their world there is no reason why someone would not have been to the beach. It takes less than an hour to get the beach from our house and if we are going on the train, we usually go to Broadstairs in the summer. I imagine that this will be the first of many trips to the beach this summer holidays, especially seeing as we are going camping over looking the sea this weekend.  Broadstairs high street is still very much like a high street from my childhood and that is why I love it so. Greengrocers are my favourite; the colours, the shapes and the hand written signs are just so much more sincere than the supermarkets' over packaged produce. And then there's the baker's, with more handwritten signs on neon stars, paper doilies and cakes such as the almond deluxe (which is what Josie chose), the wool shop and so many ...

I love books so what could be more exciting than a package from Amazon. I would never particularly want a large house but it would be rather special to have a library in the old fashion sense of the word, with a Victorian fireplace, comfortable armchair, writing desk and floor to ceiling window looking out over the sea. I could quite happily live in Bleak House  in Broadstairs, in fact a previous home of Charles Dickens would be the perfect place for my personal library. Today the book I received in my Amazon package was Make you own toys  by Sue Haven. It's quite delightful and Charlie has already chosen a sausage dog toy that he would like, but I really have to finish some of the projects I already have on the go before I start a new one. I shall just put a book mark in and then place it on the shelf in my imaginary library in Bleak House.

Red is a hugely symbolic colour in many cultures. When I was a small child, red was my favourite colour. It is warm, vibrant, dramatic, romantic and dangerous. It is also the colour of some truly beautiful and unforgetable design classics and today I saw three of the best gathered together for the Broadstairs Food Festival. There's always something wonderful to see in Broadstairs, I never get tired of its seaside charm. If I were to live in a seaside town, I should like to live in one of those squares with a small communal garden in the middle. Today I found one almost suitable, but without a garden and a car park instead, which isn't quite so charming. It did however have two British design classics in red, sitting side by side.                                            The ...

Who wouldn't? Broadstairs is my favourite Kent seaside town and possibly the top of my list of British classics. Although Perranporth, Porthleven and Brighton have sentimental value and Westgate-on-Sea, Whitstable and Herne Bay have wonderful friends, Broadstairs has style, charm, Victoriana, traditional high street shops and Dickens. I could never be sad in Broadstairs. "Not Broadstairs again" said Charlie when I told him where we were going on our day out, mainly because he wanted to go to the zoo on the mini bus. Broadstairs is also a crafter's and treasure hunter's paradise. The walk from the train station down the high street started us on our Great Piratical Rumbustification . The first treasure trove is Bay 158 , the perfect shop for anyone who loves beautiful things, the seaside and Broadstairs. I am quite a reserved shopper, not entirely through choice but ethically we should at least try. I haven't actually bought anything before but had carefull...