A Lovely Mummy Weekend

We decided a few weeks ago that it was high time we got together for a bit of boy-free something-or-othery and as Mim is away for mother's day I quickly bagsied her for last weekend and made the necessary plans.  Firstly as Tunbridge Wells and Plymouth are an awfully long way apart, we needed a half way point to meet, so we wouldn't lose all our chatting time to travelling!  Bournemouth just happens to be about the mid point between us both, so I found a cute little B and B in Boscombe and we arrived on Saturday morning just in time for a coffee on the sea front in the sunshine.

It was very windy as well as sunny, hence the slightly mad hair and squinty expressions.

Luckily the sun stayed out/ it didn't rain, so we were able to munch our picnic on the sea front too, although we did have to move to a spot well sheltered from the freezing wind.  (I made a carrot and lentil salad with ham, eggs, olives and a fabulous beetroot dip which I will post the recipe for soon!)

After lunch we wandered round the shops in Boscombe, including a quick rummage in the charity shops and a peep inside the Arcade.  My favourite was this china shop, absolutely bursting with gorgeous things.

On Sunday we went to the Russell-Cotes Museum in Bournemouth.  It's a completely beautiful (and slightly bonkers) house built in 1901 by Merton Russell-Cotes as a birthday present for his wife Annie, and is stuffed with all sorts of weird and wonderful things they collected from around the world.

I wont put too many pictures as you absolutely must go and see it for yourself!

There are several beautiful views from gorgeously big windows.

A huge collection of paintings and sculptures (this one is my favourite, she's looking at a military uniform button and it wonderfully captures such a private, wistful moment).

(This is what I have in mind when I'm missing Edward, however I think I am in fact something more akin to the opening scene of Bridget Jones...)

I love the lady's boudoir: fab.

There is also a lovely cafe....

Then home again home again, in very sad opposite directions, but at least with re-filled stocks of mumminess!