Colchester Zoo

Before now I actually cannot remember the last time I visited a zoo.  I've never been a huge fan and the thought of wild animals being kept in captivity just really doesn't appeal me.  I remember going to Colchester Zoo as a kid, back then it felt huge but I have to say, returning now as an adult it still felt as though the animals all had plenty of space within their enclosures.

It was also clear to see how much all the staff cared about the animals and how knowledgeable they all were, which was really lovely to see.  But the thing that struck me the most was the amount of work that Colchester Zoo do with their breeding programmes and the work they are doing surrounding conservation and sustainability.

    

They have projects worldwide in supporting conservation of animals as a part of their Action for the Wild charity.  It was humbling to see how passionate they really are, and the fact that it is not just another money grabbing tourist attraction.  It has definitely changed my perception of things and I won't be leaving a return visit so long this time.

~ Gem x

Rochester

I have vowed to explore more of the UK as part of my forty before forty list.  We are blessed with some beautiful places in the UK some of which are so close to home they can be travelled to and explored all in one day.  Places such as Rochester.  I am honestly not sure how I have managed to go this long before stumbling across this little gem of a place.

It is only a small town but it is packed with plenty to do.  In the few hours that I was there I managed to see a lot, without being rushed.  

The Cathedral was pretty grand, I imagine it would look gorgeous at this time of year decked out for Christmas.

Next up was Eastgate House, tucked just off the High Street.  I didn't go inside as there was an event taking place when I visited, but I was able to see it all from outside and even got to see the chalet where Charles Dickens used to do his writing overlooking the garden.

Lastly was the castle.  All that is left of it now is the square keep which you can still go inside and climb to the top (three floors), where the view of Rochester is worth a look. 

There was plenty more explored on the day so this isn't an extensive list on all that there is to do in Rochester.  I would say if you've not visited before, it is worth adding to the list of places to check out.  I'd like to return one year for the Dickens Themed Christmas market, maybe next year.

~ Gem x

Finding The Words

Don't laugh, I was going to take part in Blogmas this year.  In reality I haven't blogged in just over a month and still have a load of posts in draft from earlier in the year that I would still like to publish.  I have written less this year than I have since starting this blog nine years ago.

The truth is I just haven't been feeling it.  It has been a strange year that hasn't been without it's challenges and for the majority of the time the last thing I could think about or focus on was sitting down to write.  It's an odd one though as I find that writing is one of the things that really relaxes me and when I get into it I do enjoy it, but it helps having something to write about and for the most part the words just haven't been forth coming.   

I'm planning on publishing my drafted posts over the next week or so, getting up to speed with things ready for a fresh start to the new year and who knows what 2020 will have in store.

~ Gem x

Happy Place Festival

Back in August I headed into London with a friend to visit Fearne Cotton's Happy Place Festival in Chiswick Park.  It was a two day event, for which we had booked our tickets for the Saturday.  The ticket included general admission plus the main talks stage, although at the time of booking we had no idea who the guest speakers were going to be as these were not announced until a bit later.  There was the option to book additional sessions for various workshops, including yoga and extra talks but these all sold out pretty quickly and to be honest as it is the first event of this kind she has done, we were unsure what to expect and so just stuck with the standard entry ticket.

The day was pretty perfect.  We were extremely lucky with the guest speakers who literally filled our days timetable so we felt kind of pleased that we hadn't booked on to any of the other sessions as it would have meant missing out on one of the talks. Personally I would say if you were wanting to take advantage of some of the yoga sessions or other workshops taking place as well as the main talks, you'd be better off booking a 2 day ticket or you just need to be prepared to miss out on something you may want to do.  

You could tell that a lot of thought and effort had gone into making the place feel relaxed and chilled out and I loved all the little touches.  Even the businesses that had been selected to be there had been thought about and were all great for supporting healthy lifestyle choices and mindfulness, plus there were some great little spots for photos, perfect for the Instagrammers attending.

The highlight for me was listening to Rylan Clarke and dare I say it Russell Brand (I am not a Russell Brand fan at all) Both were great speakers and I feel as though I took something away from both of them.

It was a really great day, and is definitely something I would look out for again in the future.

~ Gem x

Zakynthos

This years summer holiday took me to Greece, to the beautiful island of Zakynthos.  For me, a big part of a holiday is being able to explore somewhere new and different.  The world is a huge place, and I'd love to be able to visit everywhere.  Although there are definitely places I would happily visit again and again, I do prefer to travel somewhere new, just to be able to cross another destination off the list.

 I would usually spend the entire holiday travelling around all the different places and really exploring the island or country I'm visiting to the fullest.  This holiday was a little different though and was mainly spent relaxing by the pool, which is so not like me at all but was very much needed.  

One day was spent in Zakynthos Town, although I'll have to admit to being somewhat disappointed by this.  I was expecting something like Corfu Town which really is beautiful but sadly it wasn't comparable.  There didn't seem to be all that much there and it looked very run down and not as pretty as I had hoped.

 

I'll admit to feeling a little guilty about spending the majority of the holiday within the confines of the hotel but like I said it was very much needed.  There were plenty of evening strolls along the beach though to catch those dreamy skies at sunset, one of my favourite things to do on holiday, so not all was lost.

And all of those pool days meant that I was able to read 5 whole books.  In less than 2 weeks, that is unheard of for me, I was super chuffed.

So not quite the usual holiday for me this year but a good one none the less.

~ Gem x

40 Before 40 Update - Year 2

Back in July I reached the two year mark of my 40 Before 40 list and thanks to my first year I'm still making good progress.  In the past year I only managed to cross off 4 things from the list, however this still means I've crossed off a total of 11 things so I'm still ahead of target. This past year I managed to cross off:

2: Learn and Develop a New Skill.

I have wanted to complete a calligraphy course for as long as I can remember.  This year was the year to finally do it and I loved it just as much as I thought I would.  You can see how I got on here.

14. Complete a run at one of the Disney Parks.

This has been by far one of the best things I have achieved from this list, possibly one of the greatest things of my life EVER.  I still can't quite believe that I've done it.  You can read more about my experience here.   

24. Go and see a pantomime.

Last Christmas I saw my very first pantomime at Southend's Cliff Pavilion starring Diversity.  It was amazing, although I have to sat it was Diversity that made it for me as opposed to the pantomime set up itself.

32. See the seals and their pups at Blakeney.

I travelled to the coast with my parents in December to see the seals with their pups.  It was such an amazing thing to see.  They really are so cute.  We didn't actually go to Blakney but it was more the seals and pups I was interested in as opposed to the location of where they were.

It wasn't the most productive year, but still making good progress, and the Disney Run was a pretty big one too so I'm very happy with that one.  I'll just try and cross off more this coming year.

~ Gem x

Lydia Packham Calligraphy Workshop

For a long time I have been wanting to learn calligraphy.  I love how fancy and professional it looks and would love to be able to write out cards for loved ones in a fancy scrawl.  I'd often looked at classes but found that they were either midweek which isn't ideal for those who work full time during the week like me, or they have been mega expensive and so I have never bothered.  Well until earlier this year.  

I had found Lydia Packham Calligraphy via Instagram and noticed she was running beginners workshops for modern calligraphy local to me in Chelmsford.  I headed straight to her website and booked myself on one of her workshops being held at Moto Pizza on a Saturday morning.

The set up was great.  Everyone each had their own little pack including a nib, nib holder, ink, paper and calligraphy guides all cutely laid out on the tables ready for the workshop to begin.

Lydia demonstrated how to get started and explained how to hold the pen and when to apply pressure to get the letters looking their best.

It was a fairly small group which allowed her time to move between us all guiding us as and when needed and giving us pointers and tips to help us improve our writing.  I was amazed at how well my work turned out, it was much better than I ever imagined it would be.

I've probably not practised anywhere near as much as I should have and writing this has made me think I really ought to get the pen and paper out and get practising again but that aside it was a really great workshop which I enjoyed from start to finish.  If you're local to the Chelmsford area and are keen to learn Calligraphy then Lydia is definitely your girl.  She is so friendly and a great teacher in a very relaxed environment.  I'm really glad I booked on.

~ Gem x

The Selfie Factory Pop-Up ~ Bluewater Shopping Centre

After seeing The Selfie Factory advertised as a pop up at Bluewater shopping centre earlier this year, I knew it was the perfect outing for a girlie day out.  

With plenty of photo opportunities available set out in individual sets the only difficulty was getting all the photos you wanted within an hour (unless you opted for the unlimited ticket which then allows you all day to snap away to your hearts content).  

Not only did we all get a camera roll filled with photos but we laughed, a lot too.  Who knew that taking photos to fill up your Instagram grid could be such funny business.

Sometimes time spent with good friends is all the medicine you really need.

The Selfie Factory is returning back to Bluewater Shopping Centre this November, be sure to check it out if your close by.  Perfect for that little break from the Christmas shopping  or even something to keep the little ones entertained for an hour.  Pre-sale tickets are on sale now via their website. 

~ Gem x

Returning to East Sussex

I've now lost count how many times myself and James visited East Sussex and in particular Freshwinds Camp Site near Hastings, however I'd not been back since our break up, well until April this year.  I was looking forward to returning and seeing Tim, Anne & Holly again.  It had been quite some time since I'd seen them last.  And I was missing East Sussex, it's a really pretty part of the country.

On the way to Pett I stopped at Rye to wander the streets of the little fishing village.  For such a small village there is so much beauty to been seen, I'd say you'd only need a couple of hours to see it all if that.

After settling in to the Shepherds Hut, home for the next few nights, it was off to Hastings for a walk along the beach to see the sunset.  I'd forgotten just how much I had missed this place.

The next morning I drove back into Hastings for a wander in daylight before driving on to Battle, a favourite place of mine in East Sussex, it feels like you are stepping back in time and is so pretty.

The best thing of all though was time on the farm.  The views are just breath-taking, it is so peaceful and calming and those little lambs are just adorable.

And as the sun set on the last night it was the perfect time to light the fire and rip open the chocolate biscuits and marshmallows to make some smores, I mean is it really a camping trip without smores?

It felt so great to be back.

~ Gem x