Knitted Pavilion

Well, quite a day today!

I spent the early part of the morning doing my accounts, which wasn't TERRIBLY exciting, but did at least enlighten me as to the state of my finances. And they did balance!

Then I started packing, and also sorted the boys out with a good supply of rat nuggets and water, and a clean cage. I kissed them both goodbye, then went downstairs and did the same for the cats, then we packed up the car and set off for Brighton - our summer holiday destination for this year!

We'd already visited Brighton on the 12th and 13th May this year (see my blips for those two days), and had decided we loved the place so much that we would go back there for our holidays.

The journey there was smooth and easy, and we arrived around 4 in the afternoon, parked up, settled into our room, had a cup of tea, and then went for a walk by the sea, which was looking absolutely beautiful - it was a lovely evening to be out and about.

At 6 we returned to the hotel to meet with my friend from twitter and facebook (who'd been unable to see us last time we were there) Selina White (known as @SlinkyWhite). It was the first time we'd met Slinky in real life, after following her for ages on twitter, and being in touch by e-mail for ages. She was even MORE fab in real life than online - and was SO cool! Red hair, black clothes, hates tomatoes, knows THE best places to hang out in Brighton! And just TOTALLY LOVELY!

The three of us set off from the hotel and headed up to the North Laine area of Brighton (which the Wonderspouse and I had failed to explore on our previous visit). We thought coffee would be a good place to start, and just HAD to go into a coffee shop called Temptation when we saw this FAB knitted pavilion in the window! How could we resist, especially as the window was also full of brilliant felt seagulls, all flying on bits of wire!

Slinky bought us all coffees and we sat chatting on a comfy sofa for ages, while a knitting group knitted in the next alcove. After coffee I was enticed into the gents toilets when the Wonderspouse said I had to see the wallpaper - which had flocked dog silhouettes on it! ACE! Then we chatted to Peter, who turned out to be the boss of Temptation AND the man who had knitted the pavilion (it took about 6 months) and made all the seagulls. He describes himself as: Peter, Owner of Temptation (and slightly mad knitter!).

After coffee we wandered down the streets of North Laine and Slinky pointed us to the best shops to explore, before taking us for a pint at The Basketmakers Arms, where we discovered that she was a real ale fan too! How much more perfect could this girl be?? We sat on the pavement with our pints and chatted some more!

Then it was a wander back towards our hotel and time to get supper. We opted for a cheap and cheerful, and indeed plentiful Chinese! Yummy food, great company, and a great way to round off what had been a brilliant evening. Slinky went to get her bus home, and we headed back to the hotel for a bath, and a night in the fabulously comfy bed that we'd enjoyed in May!