Oh I do like to be beside the sea side

Yesterday morning Moss had an appointment with the new vet for his surgery. I was nervous, worried and everything else in between. It was going to be a strange day if I'd let it so I decided I wanted to be in one of my favourite places for the morning, to chill out, relax and take my mind off the operation. I headed to Whitstable, just a ten minute or so drive from Faversham. I've spent many happy afternoons and evenings there with Jack when he was little with a picnic on the beach and with Ian for fish and chips or an Indian meal and beer from the Whitstable Brewery.We've even cycled there and back!

Whitstable Beach

Brian Haw memorial bench

I sat in the Brian Haw memorial bench and looked out to sea, its a beautiful piece of work and a fitting tribute.

I love the smell of the sea when you walk off the main high street in search of the long pebble beach. It's full of history and famous for it's oysters and oyster festival, not that I've ever tried them, I'm not a lover of them only tried them once in London and didn't like the texture. It's also famous for its brewery and wheat beer and the Old Neptune Pub on the beach.

Old Neptune pub

Wheelers Oyster Bar is the place to eat oysters or along by the sea at the Whitstable Oyster Company. A short walk along the beach takes you to the famous Neptune pub. It can get very busy in the summer evenings and I've seen circus jugglers there before too.

Whitstable Brewery and Whitstable Oyster Company

fisherman huts and painted houses, you can even rent one

The shopping in Whitstable is a mixture of old and new. Over the years a lot of London influence has come in in the shape of deli, coffee shops and boutiques. normal high street shops and banks remain and my favourite charity shops. I love a good rummage in search of treasure. I haven't visited for a while and found a lovely shop for Pilgrims Hospice. Inside I found a dresser with two of the three drawers open. The middle one took my attention because the latest copy of Simply Knitting was hiding in there. I reached forward to pick it up and the lady in the shop (sorry I didn't get your name if you are reading this) opened the first drawer. Well that was it I was chuffed to find lots of knitting needles and small cards with hand sewn on buttons. I'm a button hoarder too and bought about half the contents of this drawer. It made my day. I will visit again this summer, it was a lovely morning.

I like the bag in the door

pretty shops

the vintage shop, lots of thread

knitting magazines

buttons and vintage knitting needles

Here are some of my buys

button love

Keeping with the beach theme I drove to Canterbury to meet my parents to have lunch in Herne Bay, it's another good place to visit and the cafe for lunch was great. The best chocolate milkshake I've had for years, proper milk and ice cream.We took a walk to beach comb looking for stones with holes in, I like to string them up next to the pond so you have the seaside with you all year. Here's one Ian made for me quite some time ago.

beach finds

my dad looking for stones with holes, he found 5

mmm ice cream

my mum + dad

And that's my visit to the seaside, Kent has some beautiful places right on my doorstep, but normally life is just too busy for me to enjoy it.

my garden

And today I have spent the afternoon in my garden knitting and looking after Moss, its been very relaxing.

knitted wash cloth finished and another one started