Imagine taking all of your favourite vintage décor, furniture and all, out into your garden and having a decadent tea party, filled with sounds from your Roberts radio. Well then you’ve imagined a visit to The Secret Garden in Brockenhurst, a delightful little find tucked away behind The Watersplash Hotel.

Enter through the garden gate to find tables set with fresh flowers in jam jars, garden games and a gazebo set out like the perfect vintage living room…fireplace and all! Bunting hangs from the gazebo ceiling above comfy armchairs, a selection of board games and books about tea and cake.

It’s not just all about the styling here though – a huge selection of teas, sandwiches, homemade cakes, and ice cream make up the delicious menu. I can highly recommend the afternoon tea – served with sandwiches, buttered crumpets, and a selection of cakes, it’s simply amazing! And if it’s too much then they’ll kindly pack it up for you to take home and enjoy later!

This local retreat is only open in the summer months, and only when the sun shines so make sure you catch it while you can before it’s gone again!

Image by Karen Wyatt

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Houghton Lodge is so tucked away in the Hampshire countryside that I’ll forgive you for not stumbling across it yet. But stumble upon it you must. It’s the most delightful place to spend an afternoon; a stunning 18^th century private house surrounded by beautifully manicured lawns that sweep down to the banks of the River Test.

The entrance fee is collected via an honesty box, as is your payment for the tea rooms (every visit needs a piece of homemade cake). It really does feel like you’re exploring someone’s private garden, not visiting a tourist attraction.

The walled kitchen garden has to be my favourite discovery; ancient pear and apple trees, pungent herbs, blowsy roses and peonies, sweetpeas climbing their way up bamboo canes and row upon row of organically grown vegetables destined for the Houghton Lodge kitchens.

It’s a great place to visit with friends and family, but equally I can’t think of anywhere lovelier to indulge in a bit of quiet time alone. Throw a blanket down on the riverbank and enjoy the amazing views. And don’t forget to venture right to the bottom of the garden where you’ll find Tom, Dicky and Harry, the three resident alpacas.

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Walking what feel like hundreds of steps up to the top of St Giles Hill in Winchester for the first time, can feel like a whole lot of effort. But after visiting once, I can promise you’ll understand why the effort is worth it! Upon making it to the top, not only are you greeted by a beautiful park, surrounded by the most beautiful houses (I dream of summer arriving again so I can enjoy picnics with fresh sandwiches and lemonade) but also a panoramic view across the whole of Winchester.

I can stand for what feels like hours, picking out the Cathedral, the High Street, and even the hospital right in the distance! Sometimes rushing around the city you forget about all the beautiful parts it holds and seeing them all together is a lovely reminder of where to explore next!

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A train station is probably the last place you’d think to go for a really beautiful bunch of flowers. Unless you’re in Winchester that is. Here, in the most unlikely of spots, you’ll find Catkin & Pussywillow, a beautiful vintage florist well worth seeking out, even if you don’t have a train to catch.

Housed in one of the station’s old brick outbuildings, you’re greeted by a gorgeous display spilling out onto the pavement. Stacks of vintage crates, buckets and reclaimed furniture form the backdrop to the gorgeous flowers they display.

Inside, the small space brims with more vintage finds and a well curated selection of gifts – some great books, beautiful Lauden chocolates, Long Barn toiletries and handmade cards. And this is before you’re even started on the floor to ceiling flowers.

Think tulips, amnesia roses, gorgeous foliage and seasonal blooms, all wrapped in smart brown paper and tied with twine. The type of bouquet you’d be over the moon to receive. But then you forgo a visit to this beautiful shop, and the lovely task of picking out your favourite bunch. And I can’t decide which is better!

Images courtesy of Catkin & Pussywillow

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I love filling my home with vintage finds; things that have a story, that have belonged to others and created all kinds of memories. It’s for this reason I adore The Consortium in Romsey.

A treasure trove of gorgeous homewares, furniture, glassware and fabrics, it’s the type of shop you have to pay a visit to regularly to uncover the beautiful items it has in stock each week. If you ask any of the staff where an item came from, they can usually tell you the story as to how they got it, where they sourced it from, and how it got to them.

The store is beautifully curated, and you still get the opportunity to have a little bit of a rummage to find something hidden, which is part of the magic of vintage!

Photo courtesy of The Consortium

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There’s a certain charm about a place that still has local family butchers and greengrocers, and Brockenhurst is most definitely one of those places. I love a nose around all the great independents lining the high street, but my favourite stop has to be Rosie Lea’s Tea House & Bakery. Here, breakfast is a particularly decadent affair, and if you like a proper afternoon tea then you must try the ‘Morning Tea for Two’.

A selection of pastries, brioche, fruit, yogurt, honey and jam, arrive served on a three-tier vintage tea stand. Such a glamorous start to the day! And the fact that all of their delicious cakes and pastries are baked on site using locally sourced ingredients only adds to the charm you’re met with at this lovely place.

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I love nothing more than gathering together a big group of friends and heading to The Almanack in Leicester’s Highcross. My ultimate modern gastro pub, the whole feel of the place is very stylish and cool, but without the attitude that it usually associated with such places. It is somewhere you just instantly feel at home.

The bar area is full of amazing vintage 60s and 70s furniture that you can lounge around on and enjoy a drink, and the equally impressively furnish dining area is full of vintage tables and chairs and overlooks the open kitchen, so you can see the chefs at work preparing your amazing food.

The food itself is consistently excellent. The menu changes regularly to incorporate seasonal produce, and the food is all freshly cooked for you. The deli boards are great to share as a starter, and the Roast of the Day is always really tasty – no matter what day of the week.

The Almanack prides itself on the service, and that really shows. I have a thing about good customer service which is probably why I love the place so much – I am always made to feel really special when I visit. They are always more than happy to let you breathe after the meal and order more coffee and drinks.

They also put on some great events and offers, such as the monthly jazz and pudding clubs, and if you pop in for your morning coffee on the way to work, you get free toast with it!

Photo courtesy of The Almanack

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